Northern Ireland Highlights Day Trip Including Giant's Causeway from Dublin

In the early morning, your guide will pick you up from selected centrally located pickup points and then drive you north out of the city by luxury coach. After a journey of roughly two hours, arrive in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, in time for your black cab tour.

On a route around the city, listen to your guide talk through the highs and lows of Belfast’s fascinating political history. Hear of its industrial roots, the past four decades of civil unrest, and of its current regeneration; many say the city’s heyday is still to come.

Look out for several of the top Belfast attractions, like the Harland and Wolff shipyard, where the Titanic was built, and Belfast Docks, where numerous ships were made in the city's industrial days. See political murals as you pass through the Falls and Shankill neighborhoods where Belfast’s Unionist and Nationalist cultures live on opposing sides of the divide. Pull over for a closer look at several key locations, including the Peace Wall, where you can sign your name next to legendary peacemakers, such as Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton.

After a break to take refreshments in the city (own expense), leave Belfast behind and hit the road to the Northern Irish coast. Following a route known as the Antrim Coastal Drive, pass spectacular scenery including stony shores, densely wooded glens and picture-perfect harbors. Pause to marvel at Dunluce Castle, a medieval ruin perched precariously atop a bluff on the coast. Fans of hit TV show Game of Thrones may recognize it as the setting for the House of Greyjoy.

After driving for roughly two hours, arrive at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Giant’s Causeway, where you’ll have two hours to explore at leisure. Created more than 60 million years ago after a series of volcanic eruptions, the causeway is best known for its distinctive rock formations that span nearly 18 miles (29 km) of coastline.

Continue on to Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, which links the mainland to Carrick-a-Rede Island. Steel yourself for a heart-stopping walk across the swaying bridge, as the Atlantic Ocean waves pound into the cliffs below. The surrounding headlands were also used for filming several Game of Thrones scenes.

On the journey back to Dublin take a brief stop in the pretty town of Castlebelingham to stretch your legs, before arriving back to central Dublin in the evening.