Giant's Causeway and Dark Hedges Day Tour from Belfast

The Giant's Causeway on the Antrim coast

The Giant's Causeway is the highlight of any Giant's Causeway tour from Belfast. About 60 million years ago volcanic activity cooled into around 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, most of them hexagonal, that step down into the sea. UNESCO listed the site in 1986, and it is one of the most visited natural landmarks in the United Kingdom.

Legend says the giant Finn McCool built the causeway as a path to Scotland, and your guide tells the story before you walk out on the stones. Wear shoes with good grip, because the rock is uneven and often wet. Is the Giant's Causeway worth visiting on a day trip from Belfast? The setting and the coastal drive alone make it worth the journey.

The Dark Hedges near Armoy

The Dark Hedges is an avenue of beech trees on Bregagh Road near Armoy. The Stuart family planted the trees in the eighteenth century to line the approach to their mansion, and the branches have grown together into a tunnel. It is one of the most photographed places in Northern Ireland and a well-known filming location.

The stop is made for photographs, and soft light in the morning or after rain gives the moodiest results. Many people ask about the best time to visit the Dark Hedges, and the answer is early or late in the day when the light is low. A Dark Hedges tour from Belfast is the easiest way to see it, because public transport does not serve the lane.

The Antrim Coast Road and the Glens of Antrim

The road along the Antrim coast is one of the great scenic drives in the United Kingdom, squeezed between the sea and the hills. The route passes coastal villages, the nine Glens of Antrim, small harbours such as Carnlough, the Waterfoot area and viewpoints over the sea towards Scotland and Rathlin Island.

Your guide shares folk tales of fairies and giants that belong to the glens, together with local history. A viewpoint near Ballintoy lets you see the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, which links the mainland to a small island, and the coast changes constantly. The coast road is the reason to book a guided coach tour, as you can watch the scenery without driving.

Carrickfergus Castle and the return to Belfast

The first stop of the day is Carrickfergus Castle, a Norman fortress on the shore of Belfast Lough. John de Courcy began building it in the late twelfth century, and it stands close to the harbour. You have a short stop to walk around the outside and take photographs, and this is a good moment to hear how the castle shaped the area.

At the end of the day the coach returns to Belfast, usually by the inland route, and finishes in the city. Timings and the order of stops can change with weather and traffic, and toilet stops are made along the way, as there is no toilet on the coach. Dunluce Castle may be seen from the road as a photo stop.