Day trip from Dublin Giant's Causeway
About 40,000 basalt columns on the north coast of Northern Ireland, past Belfast, at the opposite end of the island from Dublin.
Is Giant's Causeway worth a day trip from Dublin?
Sleep in Belfast. Or take the tour.
Too far for a comfortable day on your own. The train to Belfast takes 2 h 08, then it is another 1 h 20 by rail to Coleraine and a bus to the stones. That is more than 4 hours each way. Better: sleep in Belfast and go from there. If you only have one day, the coach tour does it in 12.5 hours, leaving Parnell Square at 06:45 and returning between 19:30 and 20:30, with 2 hours at the Causeway. Walking to the stones is free. The £ 16 ticket covers the visitor centre, parking and audio guide. Some passports need a UK ETA to cross the border.
The decision sheet
- Travel time
- Not verified yet2 h 08 by train to Belfast, then 1 h 20 by train to Coleraine and a bus · one way · Irish Rail Enterprise timetable
- Transport
- Tour coach, or 2 trains + bus
- Self-guided cost
- € 35Enterprise day return to Belfast at the station price; add a £ 19 iLink day card for Northern Ireland trains and buses. The stones are free, the visitor centre is £ 16 · Irish Rail fares and Translink iLink
- Tour price
- From € 80Civitatis catalogue
- Time needed
- 12.50–14 hDaytripo editorial
- Closed days
- None (coastline open dawn to dusk; visitor centre 09:00-17:00)
- Best time
- Apr-Sep for long evenings; early or late in the day to avoid coach groupsDaytripo editorial
- Verdict
- Better to sleep thereDaytripo editorial
What to see and do in Giant's Causeway
- 01
The Grand Causeway
The main spread of hexagonal basalt columns running into the sea. It is a 15-minute downhill walk from the visitor centre on the Blue Trail, and you can climb on the stones.
- 02
Red Trail and Shepherd's Steps
A clifftop path that looks down on the columns, then drops 162 steps to the shore. The loop takes about an hour and has far fewer people than the road.
- 03
Dunluce Castle
A ruined medieval castle on a sea stack west of the Causeway. The tour makes a short photo stop at the roadside viewpoint and does not go inside.
- 04
The Dark Hedges
An avenue of beech trees planted in the 18th century, known from Game of Thrones. The 30-minute stop is enough to walk its length. Storms have felled several trees.
- 05
Visitor centre
The National Trust building holds the geology exhibition, a cafe and the audio guide. It costs £ 16 and you can skip it, since walking to the stones is free.
How to spend the day
With the tour: be outside the Hugh Lane Gallery on Parnell Square North by 06:30 for the 06:45 coach. First stop is a photo break at Dunluce Castle, then 2 hours at the Causeway. Walk straight down to the columns before you look at the visitor centre, the stones are the point and they are free. Then 30 minutes at the Dark Hedges and 1 h 30 in Belfast. You are back in Dublin between 19:30 and 20:30.
Giant's Causeway in summer and in winter
Summer
June to AugustJune to August gives the longest days, with light until about 22:00 on the north coast, so nothing on the tour happens in the dark. It is also when the columns are covered in people from 11:00 to 15:00. Use the Red Trail for space. Around 12 July, parades in Northern Ireland can slow the Belfast stop.
Winter
December to FebruaryThe coastline stays open from dawn to dusk and the visitor centre from 09:00 to 17:00. In December dusk comes around 16:00, so the Dark Hedges and Belfast stops are in fading light or darkness. Wet basalt is slippery and heavy seas can put the lower stones out of reach. Fewer people, but you see less for the same 12.5 hours.
How crowded it gets
Very busy- Busiest
- Jun-Aug and Easter, 11:00-15:00
- Quietest
- Before 10:00 and after 16:00; weekdays Nov-Feb
Coach groups all arrive in the middle of the day and cluster on the first columns. Walk past them to the far end of the Blue Trail, or take the Red Trail along the clifftop first and come down the steps.
How do you get to Giant's Causeway from Dublin?
Organized tour
- Travel time
- 12.5 hours door to door
- Frequency
- Daily
- Cost
- From € 80
- Departs from
- Hugh Lane Gallery, Parnell Square North
Leaves at 06:45, back between 19:30 and 20:30. You get 2 hours at the Causeway, 30 minutes at the Dark Hedges and 1 h 30 in Belfast. Food is not included. Bring sterling or a card for Northern Ireland.
Train + train + bus
- Travel time
- Over 4 hours each way
- Frequency
- Hourly to Belfast, hourly on to Coleraine
- Cost
- € 35 day return to Belfast + £ 19 iLink day card
- Departs from
- Dublin Connolly
Enterprise to Belfast Grand Central, NI Railways to Coleraine, then Ulsterbus 402 or 170 to the Causeway. It works as a day only with the 05:50 or 06:50 from Connolly. Far better from a hotel in Belfast, where the same trip takes about 2 h 30.
Practical: clothes, food and money
What to wear
Shoes with a good sole: the columns are uneven and slick when wet. Waterproof jacket and a warm layer all year, as the north coast is windier and cooler than Dublin. Gloves and a hat in winter.
What to eat
Food is not included on the tour. The visitor centre cafe sells soup, sandwiches and scones, and a hotel bar and a pub stand beside the entrance. To keep your 2 hours for the stones, bring a sandwich from Dublin and eat properly in Belfast.
What you will spend
The € 80 tour is the main cost and food is extra. Walking to the stones is free. The £ 16 ticket adds the visitor centre, parking and audio guide, which coach passengers can do without. On your own it is € 35 for the train to Belfast plus a £ 19 iLink day card.
How to get the most out of the day
- The shuttle bus between the visitor centre and the stones charges a small fare each way. Walk down and ride back up if you are tired.
- Carry a contactless card or some sterling. Northern Ireland does not use the euro and small kiosks may refuse euro notes.
- Carry your passport on the coach. There is no border post, but you are entering the UK and spot checks do happen.
- Mobile roaming switches to UK networks after the border. Check your plan, as some EU contracts charge extra there.
When is Giant's Causeway closed?
None (coastline open dawn to dusk; visitor centre 09:00-17:00). Best time: Apr-Sep for long evenings; early or late in the day to avoid coach groups.