NBD Adventures

If you’re visiting Dublin and want to experience some of the most jaw-dropping landscapes in the world, this day trip is an absolute must.

In just one long (but unforgettable day), you can visit:

• The legendary Giant’s Causeway
• The iconic Dark Hedges
• The historic streets of Belfast

It’s packed, it’s fast paced, and its 110% worth it!

How to Get There (Don’t Drive This One)

Let me save you some time: book the guided tour.

Driving yourself sounds cool until you realize:

• It’ ~6+ of driving total
• You’ll miss the storytelling of an experienced tour guide (which makes the trip that much more impactful)
• Northern Ireland road signs and routes that can get super confusing
• You’ll be fighting with whoever is in the car with you while you get lost or struggle down very narrow Ireland streets.

Below I attached the exact tour I went one with my group. One thing I will recommend is that these tours fill up extremely quickly so the bus most likely will be filled. So if you’d like to sit with your party and your party size is more than 4 people get there early. Otherwise, you may be split up in different rows on the bus. But, if it’s later in the trip and you’re sick of each other you all might need that break on the bus!

Stop 1: Giant’s Causeway

The Giant’s Causeway is one of the most unique natural formations on Earth. And yes, it does really look like something out of a fantasy movie. Everyone talks about the Cliffs of Moher as a must-see on your trip to Ireland, so my expectations for Giant’s Causeway were significantly lower. Let me tell you, the sights exceeded my expectations.

What it is:

40,000+ interlocking basalt columns formed by volcanic activity (or if you ask the locals: built by a giant named Finn McCool). This example of Finn McCool’s legend is exactly one of the reason’s you need to book a tour. With so much mythical culture in Ireland and touring with such a knowledgeable tour guide (Quiggy), I believe I really got the most out of these sites. Appreciating how old wise tales shaped the area and how it gives a different perspective on the environment.

What You’ll Do”

At Giant’s Causeway you’ll walk across the legendary stones (carefully!), climb higher (or take the long way down) for insane coastal amphitheater views, and most importantly take amazing photos. One this trip it was my girlfriend, her friend, and myself who decided to take the long way to the stones. We came over the top and got some legendary views on the coastline. If you are in decent physical shape, I would 100% recommend this. We saw the amphitheater as well as coming back along for the stones. Make sure you bring grippy shoes because those stones are slippery. As soon as we stepped onto the stones it began ferociously hailing along with 30mph winds. So we had to work on our balance. Also on this tour they drop you off for a few hours so make sure to bring rain gear as you can tell my experience weather can change on a dime! There was amazing little pub there where we all grabbed fish and chips for lunch, I’d recommend this spot for lunch as you won’t get to Belfast for a few more hours and you won’t want to fell time crunched there.

Stop 2: The Dark Hedges

The dark hedges may look familiar and that’s because it was featured as King’s Road in Game of Thrones. It consisted of a tunnel of twisted beech trees, unreal photo spots, and a slightly eerie feel. This eerie feel is followed by a ghost tale of a farmer’s wife that still haunts the area! Like I said you gotta go with the tour to hear all these amazing stories which add to the lore of the stops! This is one of the shorter stops maybe MAX 20 minutes. So I would recommend moving quickly to the front of the tour group so that you can get some pictures prior to the rest of your group getting there. Yes, it’s a long road, BUT, it is narrow so once someone’s in front of you they most likely will be for the duration of the stop, so just put a little pep in that step!

Stop 3: The Historic City of Belfast

The final stop on the tour is Belfast. A city rooted with deep history, resilience, and seriously underrated pub scene!

Things you might see:

Our tour guide Quiggy mentioned doing the hop on hop off bus right when we got there. Our group did it, and this is the one thing I wouldn’t recommend doing. Just because you won’t feel the desire to get off at any of the stops due to time constraints. On the hop on hop off bus tour you’ll see some amazing murals, the peace wall, and the titanic museum. They’re all beautiful sights but you won’t have enough time for the Titanic Museum and the other sites don’t have much to do around them. If you choose to go on the bus, just relax and enjoy the sights!

What I would recommend is hanging out around the city center and seeing some of the amazing pubs and stores. We were able to make it to a few amazing historic bars. I would recommend these so that you don’t spend time wandering in the short time you have.

• The Crown Bar – very historic beautiful bar with a great backstory
• The Jailhouse – a bar made from an old jailhouse, have a drink where the prisoners were held
• Kelly’s Cellars – one of my favorite pubs of all time. They had live music and the vibes were immaculate. This is my number recommendation in Belfast.

Overall, big fan of Belfast, but with the time constraints I would recommend staying off the bus as it limits your time there and you can simply enjoy Belfast at your own pace.

What the Day Actually Feels Like

I won’t lie to you it is a long day. BUT, you won’t feel it. The tour involves a lot of bus time (which is convenient for naps), a lot of steps, and most importantly a lot of once in a lifetime views! You’re going to be out of your hotel from about 6AM to 7PM so it is a long day, but totally worth is for the amount of things you get to see and experience. All day you’ll be in awe from the rolling green hills, coastal cliffs, and your girlfriend punching your arm every time you try to dose off to point at a random sheep doing their thing.

What to Bring?

Below is a small list of things I think you should bring for the long trip along with some links where you can find it on Amazon so that you can be prepared beforehand!

• Portable Charge | https://amzn.to/41SoBMvr
• Rain Jacket | https://amzn.to/4skt9G8
• Umbrella | https://amzn.to/4sSw3mK
• Neck Pillow | https://amzn.to/4vjDtRG

Is It Worth it?

Short answer is Yes. Long answer is YESSSSSS.

If you’re only in Ireland for a few days, this trip lets you experience a completely different landscape than being in Dublin the whole time. It also eliminates packing up and moving for multiple hotel stays. Dublin would still be your home base and you’d see some total different city and scenic views. It’s one of the days you’ll think back to years down the line and think about how incredible everything was!

If you have any questions or need help picking out the idea tour for you, feel free to reach out to use at NBD Adventures!