Giants Causeway tour from Belfast: Small group, rope bridge

A castle ruin hangs over the cliff edge, and 50,000 hexagonal stone columns line the shore.

A small-group full-day tour from Belfast visits Giants Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Ballintoy Harbour, Dunluce Castle and Dark Hedges in a private Mercedes with a driver-guide. You travel through the Glens of Antrim, cross the rope bridge if you choose, explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site's 50,000 basalt columns on the Atlantic coast, and stand at the dramatic cliff-edge ruins of Dunluce Castle. The tour runs eight to ten hours including travel time and lunch.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge1h
2. Ballintoy Harbour15m
3. Giant's Causeway1h 30m
4. Dunluce Castle30m
5. Dark Hedges30m

Explore Antrim Coast and Giants Causeway

• Travel through Glens of Antrim
• Visit Cushendun village and caves
• Cross or walk near Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
• Relax at Ballintoy Harbour
• Explore Giant's Causeway
• Visit Dunluce Castle ruins
• See the Dark Hedges beech trees

The experience

How do you fit the north coast's best sites into one day without renting a car or joining a coach full of strangers? This tour leaves Belfast in a private Mercedes with a driver-guide who knows the region: the Glens of Antrim unfold as you travel, with photo stops where the road allows. The vehicle has WiFi, air conditioning and complimentary water, which matters on a full day of moving between sites.

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge sits near Ballintoy, a coastal village that doubled as a Game of Thrones location. You decide whether to cross the bridge or spend the time on a coastal walk and tea instead. Ballintoy Harbour itself is the next stop: a sheltered cove used for filming, quiet enough to feel like a place the world forgot. Then comes the Giant's Causeway, where you have around an hour to walk among the 50,000 interlocking hexagonal basalt columns that formed 60 million years ago during a volcanic eruption. The columns meet the Atlantic on a UNESCO World Heritage Site that looks nothing like anywhere else.

Dunluce Castle arrives next, perched on a cliff edge so dramatically that part of it actually fell into the sea in the 1600s. The Dark Hedges, a 200-year-old avenue of beech trees, close the day. The tour accounts for roughly four hours of travel time and lunch, so the sites themselves fit inside the remaining hours. All stops can be customized to suit what matters most to you.

What’s included

• Private transportation in a Mercedes MPV.
• driver-guide in English.
• WiFi on board.
• bottled water.
• air-conditioned vehicle.
• hotel pickup from Belfast.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 30 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 15 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomeNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Five Star Luxury Tours

Is this one for you?Eight to ten hours total means four hours are travel and lunch time, leaving you the afternoon for the sites themselves: enough to explore without rushing, but not so long that you're away from Belfast all day. If you need to be back by evening or want to see the coast without driving, this fits. If you prefer a shorter outing or want to linger at one site for hours, a private guide you book separately gives you more control.

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Top questions

Can I cross the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, or do I have to?

Crossing is optional. Those who prefer not to cross can walk the coastal path or visit the tea-rooms on site while others make the crossing.

How much time do I get at the Giant's Causeway itself?

The Giant's Causeway gets around one hour for exploring the 50,000 hexagonal basalt columns and the shoreline.

What are the Glens of Antrim?

The Glens of Antrim are a series of valleys in County Antrim that you travel through on the way north. Cushendun, one of the villages you pass, sits at the mouth of Glendun, one of the nine glens, and has a sheltered harbour and caves used in Game of Thrones filming.

Is lunch included in the tour?

Lunch is not included, but the tour accounts for lunch time during the day. The driver-guide can recommend places to eat at the stops.

What is the Dark Hedges?

The Dark Hedges is a tree-lined avenue of 200-year-old beech trees that was featured in Game of Thrones and has become a popular photo stop on the north coast.