My guide on how to visit The Giant’s Causeway in a day, including 6 top tips to make the most of your day.
The Giant’s Causeway is a geological marvel, UNESCO World Heritage Site managed by the National Trust, and one of the most iconic natural wonders of the UK. The hexagonal basalt columns are unlike anything you can see elsewhere in the UK and are steeped in myths and legends about their creation. The Giant’s Causeway is perfect for a day trip from Belfast or a day trip from Dublin but it can also be achieved in a day trip from the mainland UK too if you are short on time. I will outline my top tips for visiting the Giant’s Causeway in a day.
If you are tempted into staying longer in Northern Ireland then take a look at my 5 day Northern Ireland self-drive itinerary: Belfast and the Causeway Coastal Route.
This guide on how to visit The Giant’s Causeway in a day and how to extend your trip to take in the best that Northern Ireland has to offer will cover:
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Why the Giant’s Causeway is a must see destination
The Giant’s Causeway is located on the north coast of Northern Ireland and is the main feature of the epic Causeway Coastal Route. Formed 60 million years ago by volcanic eruptions, what we see today is an expanse of hexagonal basalt columns that reach into the Atlantic Ocean. The Giant’s Causeway is a must see destination at any time of year and can be reached in just over an hour from Belfast. This makes it perfect for a day trip from Belfast or a day trip from Dublin
but also possible in a day from mainland UK.
How to get to the Giant’s Causeway for a day trip
The quickest way to get to the Giant’s Causeway from mainland UK is to fly into Belfast which is serviced by several airlines flying from within the UK and Europe.
I highly recommend driving, or catching a bus, along the Causeway Coastal Route, a spectacular road that hugs the coastline from Carrickfergus, just north of Belfast all the way to Londonderry. The Giant’s Causeway is about two thirds of the way along the route from Belfast.
Hire a car from Belfast airport and you can be at the Giant’s Causeway in just over an hour. A bus will also take you direct to the Giant’s Causeway in about 1hr 30mins from the Belfast Laganside Buscentre on the Goldliner 221. Bus stops and car parking are right outside the Giant’s Causeway visitor centre.
Alternatively the following organised tours are recommended from Belfast or Dublin:
6 top tips for a day trip to the Giant’s Causeway
1. Walk to the Giant’s Causeway for free - access to the Giant’s Causeway itself is free and the world famous site is easily accessed from the coast path or down the tarmacked track from alongside the visitor centre. However, parking is only available to those who use the visitor centre paying to access the visitor centre has lots of benefits including helping to ensure that the National Trust can preserve the landscape for future generations.
2. Pick up a tour from the visitor centre – the architect designed visitor centre is the stunning official gateway to the Giant’s Causeway. It has the usual facilities in excellent toilets, café and shop and is the jumping off point for tours. The exhibition does a brilliant job of covering the 60 million year history of the site and the myths and legends that have developed over time. From here you can collect a self-guided audio tour and join a tour leader who will accompany you down to the causeway, stopping along the way to point out key geological features and weave legendary yarns into rich stories. If needed you can hop on a National Trust bus for the short ride between the visitor centre and the Giant’s Causeway.
3. Is the Giant’s Causeway busy? – it can be, yes but I’m on hand to offer some tips for avoiding the crowds. The actual area of the Giant’s Causeway is not as big as you might think and it is incredibly popular. So only with some effort will you be able to replicate those serene photos you see. In fact, we found ourselves surrounded by people pulling all sort of funny poses trying to get the perfect ‘instagrammable’ shot. Fear not, there are some top tips for avoiding the crowds.
4. Visit out of season, or out of hours. Out of season you can still benefit from all the visitor centre has to offer but there will be fewer people. Out of hours during the summer you will not have the benefit of parking or other visitor centre facilities but you can access the Giant’s Causeway free of charge by simply walking along the coast path.
5. Find a comfy stone and stay for a while. We found some of the tessellating hexagonal columns formed quite comfortable little chairs. We settled in, got out our picnic and let ourselves absorb the landscape, the huge cliffs and the crashing waves. As we did so the people ebbed and flowed around us and there were moments of calm.
6. Do some people watching. If you can’t avoid other people then make them part of the enjoyment. Watching people pose for the ‘perfect’ photograph, get surprised by a rogue wave and get soaked from head to toe can all be part of the enjoyment.
Make a weekend of it in North Ireland (or stay longer still)
Northern Ireland has loads to offer as a tourist destination yet is probably not somewhere a lot of us have been. The coastline is outstanding and, inland, the spectacular scenery has been embodied in popular culture like Game of Thrones. There is plenty of history to appreciate and understand from the Titanic to the more recent Troubles and so much beyond and between. We were impressed by the amount of investment in tourism including the fabulous Titanic Belfast and the Causeway Coastal route which has seen investment in stopping places and view points.
Take a look at my guide to 5 day Northern Ireland self-drive itinerary: Belfast and the Causeway Coastal Route.
How to extend your stay even further
You can also combine a visit to the Causeway Coast and Belfast with a longer trip – see my Isle of Mull and NI explorer itinerary.