Our 1 to 2 day Causeway Coastal Route itinerary covers Northern Ireland’s most spectacular coastal drive. Cross Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, walk Giant’s Causeway, and visit iconic coastal ruins.
We’ve got all you need to plan your Causeway Coastal Route road trip from Belfast to Londonderry.
Table of Contents
1- and 2-Day Causeway Coastal Route Itineraries: Best Stops from Belfast to Derry
The trip from Belfast to Londonderry can be done in 1 or 2 days depending on your schedule. Our 2-day itinerary covers all the major sights with a relaxed pace and an overnight in Bushmills. Short on time? Our 1-day express version hits the absolute highlights.
2-Day Detailed Itinerary
Day 1:
- Depart Belfast early.
- Walk under arching beech trees at The Dark Hedges before the crowds arrive.
- Cross the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge suspended above the ocean.
- Stop at picturesque Ballintoy Harbour, a Game of Thrones filming location.
- Walk the dunes and beach at White Park Bay.
- Discover the iconic basalt columns and Irish mythology at the Giant’s Causeway UNESCO site.
- Overnight in the village of Bushmills.
Day 2:
- Tour the Old Bushmills Distillery, with centuries of whiskey-making tradition.
- Explore the dramatic ruins of Dunluce Castle, perched above the Atlantic.
- Wander the vast grounds of Downhill Demesne and take in coastal views from Mussenden Temple.
- Finish in Londonderry with a stroll on the historic Derry Walls.
The 1-Day Express Route
Leave Belfast first thing in the morning, prioritizing these must-sees:
- The Dark Hedges;
- Giant’s Causeway;
- Choose one of Carrick-a-Rede OR Dunluce Castle;
- Arrive in Derry by evening.
Causeway Coastal Route Map
Our map highlights the main stops on the Causeway Coastal Route from Belfast to Derry.
Planning your stops? Here are the approximate drive times between major attractions:
- Belfast → Dark Hedges: 1h 10 min
- Dark Hedges → Carrick-a-Rede: 20 min
- Carrick-a-Rede → Giant’s Causeway: 15 min
- Giant’s Causeway → Bushmills: 5 min
- Bushmills → Dunluce Castle: 5 min
- Dunluce → Downhill Demesne: 25 min
- Downhill Demesne → Derry: 45 to 60 min
- 1‑day express (Dark Hedges → Giant’s Causeway → Carrick‑a‑Rede or Dunluce): ~3 to 3.5 hours
Belfast
Belfast is the perfect starting point for your Causeway Coastal Route adventure. Depending on your time constraints, consider spending a day exploring Belfast’s highlights before leaving the city. See the world-class Titanic Belfast museum and the powerful political murals that tell the city’s complex history.
For a complete guide to making the most of your time in Belfast, review our detailed 1 Day in Belfast itinerary.
The Dark Hedges
The Dark Hedges is an avenue of ancient beech trees forming a dramatic tunnel over Bregagh Road near Armoy. It gained worldwide fame as the Kingsroad, in HBO’s Game of Thrones.
The trees were planted in 1775 as a grand approach to Gracehill House, at the north end of the road. Originally 150 trees arched over the avenue creating a tunnel-like effect. Storms and aging have reduced their numbers to less than 90. The beech-lined stretch is roughly a half kilometre long.
It is one of Northern Ireland’s most photographed natural landmarks. We made sure we arrived early to get our photos, before the tour groups appeared.
For safety reasons, the avenue is closed to traffic. Parking is available in a designated lot on Ballinlea Road by the entrance to Dark Hedges Estate. The estate includes Gracehill House, an 18-hole golf course, The Pantry (Cafe) and The Hedges Hotel.
Our next stop showcases Northern Ireland’s dramatic coastal geography in a unique experience.
Carrick-a-Rede
The Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, a 20-metre-long, 30-metre-high rope suspension bridge, connects the mainland to tiny Carrickarede Island, on the north coast.
Salmon fishermen used the island for over 350 years to access their nets and first erected a rope bridge to the island over 250 years ago. On the island, a fisherman’s cottage reflects the site’s traditional use which stopped in 2002. The current bridge was constructed in 2008 with wire rope and Douglas fir for safety. It is one of Northern Ireland’s most popular attractions.
The parking lot for the bridge is about 3 minutes northeast of Ballintoy village on Rope Bridge Road. The walk from the parking lot is approximately a kilometre each way on a cliff-top path with some inclines and steps. Enjoy the dramatic coastal views.
For Game of Thrones fans, when you return to the car after visiting the rope bridge continue walking west to the overflow parking lot and the Larrybane Quarry. This reclaimed limestone quarry doubled as Renly Baratheon’s camp, including Brienne’s tournament scene.
Continuing west, the Causeway Coastal Route passes through the village of Ballintoy. If you are taking your time, enjoy a worthwhile detour north to the end of Harbour Road.
Ballintoy Harbour
The harbour is a small fishing port backed by cliffs, caves, and a distinctive raised beach with sea stacks. The site gained international fame as the Iron Islands harbour in Game of Thrones where Theon Greyjoy returned home.
Ballintoy Harbour was built in the mid-18th century and rebuilt a century later. Historically, lime, burnt in a nearby kiln, along with basalt and lignite were exported from here with exporters sharing the harbour with fishing boats. Today, a few small boats offer fishing and sightseeing charters.
Photographers enjoy the striking contrasts between white limestone and dark basalt.
Depending on your time, enjoy a brief stop at the White Park Bay viewpoint or a beautiful hike to the beach, protected by the National Trust.
White Park Bay
White Park Bay has a sweeping white sand beach between two headlands. The beach runs for about 1.6 kilometres. The ancient sand dunes and chalk grasslands backing the beach are carpeted with rare plants including numerous orchid species. Cattle sometimes graze on the sands to help conserve the diverse dune habitats.
Wildlife enthusiasts may spot gannets and terns offshore, plus ringed plovers nesting along the foreshore. The site is fossil-rich with archaeological evidence revealing layers of human history.
As the beach is unsafe for swimming, there are no visitor facilities here.
The star attraction of the Causeway Coastal Route and Northern Ireland’s most popular attraction, Giant’s Causeway, is about 10 minutes west.
Giant’s Causeway
The Giant’s Causeway is made up of around 40,000 interlocking, hexagonal, basalt columns that step dramatically from the cliffs into the sea. The columns vary in height, forming a natural staircase that looks almost man-made. Some columns are only a few centimetres above the ground while others reach over 12 metres tall.
Irish legend claims the giant Finn McCool built the causeway as a bridge to get to Scotland to face his rival. However when McCool saw how enormous the rival was, he fled back home where his wife disguised him as a baby. The rival followed, saw the “baby’s” size and ran back to Scotland tearing up the bridge as he went, leaving only what we see today.
The Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was actually formed about 60 million years ago as lava from volcanic eruptions cooled. When lava cools, it often forms hexagonal columns as a six-sided shape is the most efficient pattern to relieve stress.
The Visitor Centre features interactive exhibits about both the geology and the myths. There are four marked walking trails of varying lengths and difficulty. Birdwatchers may see native seabirds inhabiting the cliffs.
A short drive inland leads to the small village of Bushmills.
Bushmills
The village, 3.2 kilometres southwest of Giant’s Causeway, is home to a world famous whiskey distillery and features several historic buildings. The River Bush flows through the village. The town is named for the mills that used to line the river.
The village is surrounded by stunning natural landscapes ideal for hiking. Nearby attractions include Dunseverick Castle ruins with breathtaking coastal views and the 16th-century Dunluce Castle perched dramatically on the cliff edge.
Old Bushmills Distillery
The most popular stop in the area, after Giant’s Causeway, is Old Bushmills Distillery, the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery. The license to distil was received in 1608.
Since the beginning and continuing today, Bushmills triple distils 100% malted barley in copper pot stills producing premium single malt whiskeys. The whiskeys are distilled, matured (up to 17 years) and bottled on-site.
The distillery uses water from the nearby River Bush, which flows over beds of basalt rock.
Enjoy a walk through the grain-to-glass processes with Bushmills’ whiskey educators on a tour of the distillery site from mash tun to pot still to barrel. The walk ends with tasting the end result. There are several distillery tours available.
Overnight in Bushmills
Covering the route in 2 days? Plan your overnight stay in Bushmills, ideally positioned at the midpoint of your journey. This charming village puts you minutes from both Giant’s Causeway and the Bushmills Distillery.
Our top pick? The Causeway Hotel, located right on the UNESCO site. Imagine having Giant’s Causeway practically to yourself at sunset. Check rates and book here.
Just minutes west, on the coast, is one of Northern Ireland’s most dramatic ruins.
Dunluce Castle
Dunluce Castle sits high on a rocky coastal outcrop above the Atlantic Ocean and is connected to the mainland by a bridge. Wander into the roofless stone-walled ruins, towers, and courtyards. Interpretive panels explain the site’s turbulent history.
While today’s ruins date from the 16th and 17th centuries, people have lived here for at least 1500 years. The MacQuillan clan built the castle in the 2nd half of the 15th century. The MacDonnells, from Scotland, seized it in the 16th century and renovated it in Scottish style. Over the following years of turmoil with local clans, the MacDonnell clan made the castle their seat of power.
An early 17th-century plantation town once surrounded the castle. It was destroyed by fire during the Irish rebellion of 1641. The town site and castle were abandoned in the 1680s.
The visitor centre near the entrance provides background on the castle’s construction, sieges, and eventual abandonment. Displays include archaeological finds recovered from the site. Optional guided tours are available.
The castle served as House Greyjoy’s fortress in Game of Thrones.
Continue west to Downhill Demesne for more ruins and sweeping coastal views.
Downhill Demesne
The 18th-century clifftop estate, Downhill Demesne, was owned by the eccentric Earl Bishop Frederick Hervey. Walk the extensive grounds to multiple historic features including a mansion ruin, a clifftop temple and formal gardens. Don’t miss walking out to the coastline for the panoramic views over the beach below.
The main feature of the clifftop estate, visible from the parking lot on Mussenden Road, is Downhill House. The Earl Bishop built this once elegant mansion in the late 18th century. It became one of the most famous in Ireland, with art from around the world, including paintings by Rubens, Raphael, Murillo, and Tintoretto.
The mansion was gutted by an 1851 fire that destroyed most of the contents including the art collection. It was rebuilt and lived in until being sold in 1944, after which it fell into disrepair. Instead of rebuilding the mansion, the National Trust stabilized the ruins and restored them only where necessary to make the structure safe for visitors.
The neo-classical Mussenden Temple was completed in 1785 for the Earl Bishop’s niece, Frideswide Mussenden. This circular library sits at the edge of a 36-metre-high cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Modelled on Rome’s Temple of Vesta, its domed interior once held bookcases warmed by a basement fireplace to keep volumes dry. Coastal erosion threatens the temple, prompting ongoing stabilization efforts by the National Trust.
From the cliff edge, look down on Downhill Beach which runs for 11 kilometres along the Atlantic and is backed by impressive dunes. The strand doubled as Dragonstone for key Game of Thrones scenes. Swimming is permitted with access through the village of Downhill.
Beside the parking lot, Downhill’s walled garden once supplied the house with fruit, vegetables, herbs and winter flowers. Greenhouses produced peaches, grapes and cucumbers for guests.
The tall, stone Downhill cenotaph stands to the south of Downhill House on the open clifftop grounds. It commemorates local soldiers who died in World War I.
Londonderry and the Derry Walls
Londonderry is a vibrant city, famous for its 17th-century city walls. The city, also known as Derry, is the only completely intact walled city in Ireland.
We walked the full 1.5-kilometre-long circuit of the Derry Walls, enjoying the views of the city and River Foyle. Along these ramparts there are 24 historic cannons and 7 gates.
The walls were constructed between 1613 and 1618 by the Irish Society to protect English and Scottish settlers. Standing up to 8 metres high, they have never been breached. During the 1689 Siege of Derry, the city withstood 105 days without surrender.
Within the walls, St Columb’s Cathedral is the oldest surviving building in Derry. Built in 1633, it was the first Protestant cathedral built in the British Isles after the Reformation. Inside, see original keys and locks to the city gates plus artifacts from the 1689 Siege, including a hollow mortar ball used for surrender terms.
The Bogside neighbourhood murals are powerful and famous political artworks, depicting key events, including the civil rights era and The Troubles.
Before leaving town, enjoy a stroll along the river and the Peace Bridge. This 235-metre pedestrian and cycle bridge connects the city centre to Ebrington Square. Opened in 2011, the bridge features a unique curving design symbolizing peace and reconciliation in the formerly divided city. At night, the bridge is beautifully illuminated against the cityscape.
Know Before You Go
Where does the Causeway Coastal Route start and finish?
The Causeway Coastal Route officially runs between Belfast and Derry/Londonderry. From Belfast, it traces the Antrim coastline north past Giant’s Causeway, then continues west to Derry/Londonderry.
How long does it take to drive the Causeway Coastal Route?
The Causeway Coastal Route between Belfast and Derry covers approximately 120 miles (190 kilometres) and without stops takes 3 to 4 hours to drive.
However, most visitors need 1 to 2 days to properly experience the highlights like Giant’s Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede and the Dark Hedges.
This guide focuses on the most popular northwestern section of the route, the dramatic coastal stretch with the major attractions. We have skipped some of the eastern Glens stops, so you can see all of the major sites in 1 to 2 days.
Do you need tickets for Giant’s Causeway?
Technically, the Giant’s Causeway rock formations are free to access as they’re on public land. However, in practice, most visitors purchase the National Trust Visitor Experience ticket, which includes parking in the lot by the Visitor Centre, an audio guide, and access to the Visitor Centre facilities.
Why? Parking at the site is extremely limited and effectively requires using the National Trust car park. Pre-booking your timed-entry ticket is highly recommended to guarantee a parking spot, especially during peak season. Note: There is no access to Visitor Centre’s toilets without a ticket.
There is a second National Trust car park about a half kilometre east. The cost is less but does not include access to the visitor centre or tours.
Do you need tickets for Carrick a Rede Rope Bridge?
Yes, tickets are required for Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge and pre-booking is essential. The National Trust, which manages the site, operates a timed entry system to control visitor numbers on the bridge. You must book your Carrick-a-Rede tickets online before travelling to the site to guarantee access and avoid disappointment. Parking is included with timed-entry tickets.
Walk-up tickets may occasionally be available, but advanced booking is the only way to ensure you can cross this famous rope bridge. Also be aware that the bridge can be closed at any time, due to high winds.
A parking fee applies if you do not have a ticket to cross the bridge or prefer to just enjoy the coastal path.
Can you walk or cycle sections of the Causeway Coastal Route?
Yes, you can walk or cycle substantial sections of the Causeway Coastal Route.
The Causeway Coast Way is a 33-mile (around 52-kilometre) long-distance walking trail that follows much of the coastline, between Portstewart/Portrush and Ballycastle, offering spectacular views and connecting major attractions.
The designated Causeway Coast Cycle Route (Route 93) provides cyclists with scenic paths along the coast.
Both options allow you to experience the dramatic coastal landscape at a slower pace than driving.
How do I get from Belfast to Giant’s Causeway without a car?
To get to Giant’s Causeway without a car, on public transport, requires taking a train from Belfast to Coleraine (approximately 1 hour 20 minutes), and then catching the Ulsterbus Service 172. The journey by public transport takes around 2 to 2.5 hours total each way, so I do not recommend it.
A better idea is to book a Giant’s Causeway Day Trip from Belfast leaving the driving to others.
In addition to magnificent Giant’s Causeway, this tour visits Dunluce Castle and the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. Plus, visit Game of Thrones’ locations such as the Dark Hedges, Ballintoy and Carnlough Harbour.
Explore All of our Ireland Road Trip Guides
Discover our complete series of detailed Ireland Guides to help you plan your perfect 7 to 14-day adventure around the Emerald Isle.
Main Article: Ireland Self-Drive Tour – Your 7 to 14-Day Itinerary
Part 1: Dublin – Historic Capital and Traditional Pubs
Part 2: Best Dublin Day Trips – The Ancient East and Historic Sites
Part 3: County Cork – Blarney, Cork City & Cobh
Part 4: Killarney and Ring of Kerry – The National Park and Scenic Drive
Part 5: Dingle Peninsula Drive – Rugged Coastline and Irish Culture
Part 6: Wild Atlantic Way – Cliffs of Moher, Limerick to Sligo
Part 7: County Donegal – Remote Landscapes and Northern Beauty
Part 8: Coastal Causeway Route – The Giant’s Causeway and Dramatic Cliffs (You’re reading this guide now!)
Part 9: Belfast – Titanic History and City Life
