Giant's Causeway & Carrick-a-Rede Private Tour from Belfast
A full day on the Antrim coast: rope bridge, UNESCO columns, castle ruins and filming sites
A private full-day tour from Belfast with a local guide and luxury Mercedes transportation visits Northern Ireland's top coastal attractions in one day. You cross the rope bridge at Carrick-a-Rede (or take a coastal walk instead), spend around an hour exploring the Giant's Causeway UNESCO site with its 50,000 hexagonal basalt columns, and stop at Dunluce Castle perched on cliff edges, plus Game of Thrones locations including Ballintoy Harbour, the Dark Hedges, and Cushendun Caves. Hotel or cruise ship pickup and drop-off included.
Step-by-step itinerary
Northern Ireland Coastal and Game of Thrones Tour
- Pick up from Belfast
- Visit Carrickfergus Castle
- Stop at Dunseverick Castle ruins
- Explore Dark Hedges
- Visit Larrybane Quarry
- Walk at Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
- Explore Giant's Causeway
- Visit Dunluce Castle viewpoint
- Stop at Ballintoy Harbour
- Visit Cushendun Caves
- Explore Carnlough Harbour
- Visit Glenariff and Ess Na Crub Waterfall
- Tour Old Bushmills Distillery
- Return to Belfast
- Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge 1h 30m
- Giant's Causeway Entry included 1h 30m
- Dunluce Castle passing by
- Ballintoy Harbour Entry included 20m
- Dunseverick Castle passing by
- Old Bushmills Distillery 1h
- Dark Hedges Entry included 20m
- Cushendun Caves Entry included 20m
- Larrybane Quarry Entry included 10m
- Carrickfergus Castle 30m
- Carnlough Harbour Entry included 15m
- Glenariff Forest Park Entry included 15m
What’s included
- Private luxury Mercedes V Class transportation with air conditioning and reclining leather seats.
- complimentary bottled mineral water.
- professional local guide speaking English.
- round-trip hotel, Airbnb or cruise ship pickup and drop-off.
- free entry to the Giant's Causeway.
- Game of Thrones filming locations tour.
- personalized itinerary tailored to your pace.
- Every day 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00
Last departure this season: 30 Nov
Information
Six to eight hours exploring Northern Ireland's Antrim coast in a private Mercedes with a local guide: cross the rope bridge at Carrick-a-Rede.
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The experience
Six to eight hours means you cover the full Causeway Coastal Route without the rush. Your guide is a local who knows the history: why part of Dunluce Castle fell into the sea in the 1600s, how the Dark Hedges became the King's Road in Game of Thrones, what the 60-million-year-old basalt columns at the Giant's Causeway actually are. You travel in a private Mercedes V Class with air conditioning, reclining leather seats and privacy glass, so the drive itself is part of the comfort, not a chore.
The day builds around the big stops. At Carrick-a-Rede near Ballintoy, you choose: cross the rope bridge or spend the time on a coastal walk and visit the tea-rooms instead. The Giant's Causeway gets around an hour to explore those interlocking hexagonal stones on the Atlantic shore, entry is free. Dunluce Castle is where you see the drama of a ruin hanging over cliff edges. The itinerary also takes in Dunseverick Castle ruins, Old Bushmills Distillery, Glenariff and its Ess Na Crub waterfall, and the Cushendun Caves where Melisandre's shadow scene was filmed. Ballintoy Harbour, used as the Iron Islands in the show, is another stop. The Dark Hedges (the beech-tree tunnel from the King's Road scenes) gets its own time too.
Pickup happens from your Belfast hotel, Airbnb or cruise ship. Your driver handles the navigation and the route. You get complimentary bottled water and a guide who can answer what you're looking at. The pace is yours, not a schedule's.
Top questions
What is the Giant's Causeway and why is it free to visit on this tour?
The Giant's Causeway is a UNESCO World Heritage Site made of 50,000 interlocking hexagonal basalt columns formed 60 million years ago during a volcanic eruption. It sits on the Atlantic shore in County Antrim. Entry is free, and the tour gives you around an hour to explore the columns and the coastline.
Can I actually walk across the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, or is it just a viewing stop?
You can cross the rope bridge if you want to. It's your choice. If you'd rather not, you can take a coastal walk from the same spot or visit the tea-rooms on site. The tour doesn't force the crossing. It gives you the time and the option.
How many Game of Thrones filming locations does this tour include?
The tour visits several: Dunluce Castle (Castle Greyjoy), Ballintoy Harbour (the Iron Islands and Dragonstone scenes), the Dark Hedges (the King's Road), Cushendun Caves (where Melisandre gives birth to the shadow), and Larrybane Quarry (Renly Baratheon's camp). Your guide can tell you which scenes were shot at each one.
Is lunch included, and where do you eat?
Lunch is not included in the tour price. The itinerary passes local pubs and villages where you can eat, but you arrange and pay for meals yourself. Your guide can recommend spots along the route.
What happens if I want to visit Carrickfergus Castle or do a whiskey tasting at Old Bushmills?
Both are optional add-ons. Carrickfergus Castle has a self-guided tour that takes 30 to 60 minutes and costs a separate entry fee. Old Bushmills Distillery offers a whiskey tour and tasting, also at additional cost. Your guide can arrange time for either if you want to include it.
Do I need to book the rope bridge crossing in advance, or can I decide on the day?
The tour includes time at Carrick-a-Rede, and you decide whether to cross when you arrive. There is a fee to cross the bridge itself, paid separately on the day. Your guide can tell you the current cost and whether advance booking is needed based on the season.
Operated by Giants Causeway Tours. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated 14 days ago
Giant's Causeway & Carrick-a-Rede Private Tour from Belfast
6h–8h · EN · at your hotel
from £ 690 per person
≈ US$ 928 in your currency
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