How many days do you need for a Northern Ireland road trip?

Five days covers the essentials: a day in Belfast, two on the Causeway Coastal Route, a day in Derry and a day back through the Sperrins. With three days, do Belfast and the Causeway Coast. With seven, add a day in the Mourne Mountains and a slower pace on the coast.

What is the best route for a Northern Ireland road trip?

A loop from Belfast. Follow the Causeway Coastal Route north through the Glens to Ballycastle, along the north coast past the Giant’s Causeway to Derry, then back across the Sperrin Mountains to Belfast.

Can you drive in Northern Ireland with a US licence?

Yes. According to nidirect, a visitor with a full, valid licence from outside the UK can drive here for up to 12 months from the date they arrive. We drive on the left, and distances are in miles.

Do I need a car for a Northern Ireland road trip?

To do this itinerary, yes. Belfast and Derry are fine on foot, but the coast, the Glens and the Sperrins are not well served by public transport. If you would rather not drive, a private tour with a local driver guide covers the same ground.

What is the best time of year for a Northern Ireland road trip?

May, June and September. The days are long, the roads are quieter than in July and August, and the coast is at its best. Winter is quiet and cheap, but the daylight is gone by four in December.

What is the most scenic drive in Northern Ireland?

The Antrim Coast Road from Larne to Ballycastle, through the Glens of Antrim, and the narrow road over Torr Head on a clear day. The Sperrins are the quietest.

What are the must see stops on a Northern Ireland road trip?

The Giant’s Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, the Dark Hedges, Dunluce Castle, Titanic Belfast, Mussenden Temple and the Derry walls.

Do I need to book attractions in advance?

For Carrick-a-Rede, yes, booking is essential. Book the Giant’s Causeway and Titanic Belfast ahead as well, especially in summer. Most of the other stops on this route are free or pay on arrival.

Where should I stay on a Northern Ireland road trip?

Belfast on the first night, Ballycastle after the Antrim coast, Bushmills after the Giant’s Causeway, and Derry on the last night.

Is driving in Northern Ireland difficult?

Not on the main roads, which are good. The coast road has narrow stretches and sharp bends, and some scenic roads such as Torr Head are single track in places, so allow more time than the satnav suggests.

Can you do a Northern Ireland road trip without a car?

You can see Belfast and Derry without one, and the train runs between them. For the coast and the Glens you need a car or a tour.

Can I combine Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland on one trip?

Yes. Dublin is about 100 miles from Belfast, around two hours by road. Check that your car hire allows you to take the car across the border, and remember the Republic uses euros and metric road signs.

Is Northern Ireland good for a road trip with kids?

Yes. The days are short on driving, the beaches and forest parks give children space, and Titanic Belfast, the Giant’s Causeway and Glenariff all work well for families.

Northern Ireland Road Trip: 5 Days of Coast, Castles and Glens

Written by Murat Yilmaz · Last updated: October 2026

Pick up the car in Belfast, point it north, and within an hour you are on one of the great coast roads of Europe. Five days is the right amount of time for a Northern Ireland road trip. It gives you a day in Belfast, two days on the Causeway Coastal Route, a day in Derry and a quiet drive home through the Sperrin Mountains, without ever spending more than a couple of hours behind the wheel at a stretch.

I am a guide, and I am on these roads most days of the year. This is the Northern Ireland itinerary I would give a friend who wanted to drive it themselves, in the order it actually works on the ground, with the stops worth your time, where to stay, and the practical detail for every place: the address, the opening times, what it costs and whether you need to book.

Two things to know before you start. Northern Ireland uses pounds sterling, not euros, and distances on the road signs are in miles. Book Carrick-a-Rede, the Giant’s Causeway and Titanic Belfast before you travel, because in summer the good time slots go days ahead.

What Is in This Guide

1Planning Your Northern Ireland Road Trip
2Day 1: Belfast, the City Behind the Titanic
3St George’s Market
4Titanic Belfast
5Lunch in the Cathedral Quarter
6The murals and the peace walls
7Belfast Castle and Cave Hill
8Stormont Estate, if you have time
9Day 2: Belfast to Ballycastle Along the Antrim Coast
10Carrickfergus Castle
11The Gobbins, if you book ahead
12Glenarm Castle Walled Garden
13Carnlough Harbour
14Glenariff Forest Park
15Cushendun Caves
16Torr Head
17Ballycastle for the night
18Day 3: The Dark Hedges, Carrick-a-Rede and the Giant’s Causeway
19The Dark Hedges

20Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
21Ballintoy Harbour
22White Park Bay
23The Giant’s Causeway
24Dunluce Castle
25Bushmills for the night
26Day 4: Bushmills to Derry
27Old Bushmills Distillery
28Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne
29The Derry walls
30The Guildhall and the Peace Bridge
31The Bogside and the Museum of Free Derry
32Day 5: Derry to Belfast Through the Sperrin Mountains
33Gortin Glen Forest Park
34The drive through the Sperrins
35Beaghmore Stone Circles
36Where to Stay on a Northern Ireland Road Trip
37Northern Ireland Road Trip FAQ
38Private Tours in Belfast and Northern Ireland

Planning Your Northern Ireland Road Trip

This 5 day Northern Ireland road trip itinerary is a loop. You start and finish in Belfast, follow the Causeway Coastal Route north and west to Derry, and come back across the middle of the country through the Sperrins. You sleep in Belfast, Ballycastle, Bushmills and Derry, so there is only one night in each place after Belfast and very little backtracking.

Car hire and driving

Both Belfast airports have the main car hire desks, and so does the city centre. Book an automatic early if you want one, because they are the first to go in summer. If you are coming from the United States, Canada or elsewhere outside the UK, nidirect says you can drive here on your full, valid licence for up to 12 months from the date you arrive.

We drive on the left. The main roads are good, but the coast road has narrow stretches, sharp bends and tractors, and the scenic road over Torr Head is single track in places. Allow more time than the satnav tells you, and never plan a stop at the Causeway or Carrick-a-Rede for the last hour of the day.

How the five days fit together

Day 1 is Belfast on foot. Day 2 is the Antrim coast and the Glens from Belfast to Ballycastle. Day 3 is the big day, the Dark Hedges, Carrick-a-Rede and the Giant’s Causeway, ending in Bushmills. Day 4 takes you along the north coast to Derry. Day 5 brings you back to Belfast through the Sperrin Mountains.

Day 1: Belfast, the City Behind the Titanic

Spend your first day in Belfast without the car. The city centre is walkable end to end in twenty minutes, parking is more trouble than it is worth, and you will be driving every day after this one. Pick the car up tomorrow morning.

St George’s Market

If you are in Belfast on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, start here. It is the last Victorian covered market in the city, built between 1890 and 1896, and on a Saturday it is food, craft and live music under one roof. Breakfast from the stalls is the best way to begin the trip.

Visitor information

Opening times. Friday 8am to 2pm, Saturday 9am to 3pm, Sunday 10am to 3pm. Closed Monday to Thursday.

Guide prices. Free to enter.

Facilities. Food stalls, seating, toilets and step free access.

Where it is. 12 to 20 East Bridge Street, Belfast BT1 3NQ, five minutes on foot from City Hall.

Titanic Belfast

Titanic Belfast stands on the slipways where the ship was designed, built and launched, and the building is shaped like four ship’s prows standing on end. Nine galleries take you from the shipyard to the launch, the maiden voyage, the sinking and the finding of the wreck, and the ticket includes SS Nomadic, the last White Star Line ship afloat. Allow two to three hours, and book a morning slot.

Visitor information

Opening times. Seasonal, opening between 8:30am and 9:50am and closing between 5pm and 7:30pm depending on the month. Last admission is one hour forty minutes before closing.

Guide prices. Adult £24.95 online and £26.95 on the door, child aged 5 to 15 £11 online, family pass £62 online. SS Nomadic is included.

Booking. Book a timed slot online before you travel.

Where it is. 1 Olympic Way, Queen’s Road, Titanic Quarter, Belfast BT3 9EP, a 25 to 30 minute walk from the city centre along the river.

Our Titanic Belfast guide has the full detail.

Lunch in the Cathedral Quarter

Walk back along the river to the Cathedral Quarter, the cobbled streets around St Anne’s Cathedral. St Anne’s Square has a good run of places for lunch. The Dirty Onion and the Duke of York are the pubs people come for, and this is where the live music is in the evening.

Visitor information

Where it is. Around St Anne’s Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast, about ten minutes on foot north of City Hall.

Guide prices. Free to walk round. St Anne’s Cathedral keeps its own visiting hours.

The murals and the peace walls

In the afternoon, go west to the Falls Road and the Shankill Road. The peace walls went up in 1969 as temporary structures meant to last six months, and several are still standing. You can walk it yourself for nothing, but this is the part of Belfast where context is everything, so it is worth doing with a local guide. Our Belfast city tour covers the murals, the peace walls and the Titanic Quarter.

Visitor information

Opening times. Open streets, any time of day. Some peace line gates close overnight.

Guide prices. Free to walk or drive.

Where it is. Cupar Way is the best known stretch, between the Falls and the Shankill in west Belfast, about ten minutes from the city centre.

Belfast Castle and Cave Hill

If you have energy left, finish the day on the north side of the city at Belfast Castle. It was built in 1870 on the slope of Cave Hill, it is free to walk into, and the gardens and the coffee shop look straight down over the city, the harbour and Belfast Lough. On a clear evening it is the best view in Belfast.

Visitor information

Opening times. Castle reception and shop, Sunday and Monday 9am to 6pm, Tuesday to Saturday 9am to 9pm. It can close for private events such as weddings. The country park is open access.

Guide prices. Free, including the car park.

Facilities. Coffee shop, restaurant, visitor centre, toilets and an adventure playground.

Where it is. Belfast Castle, Antrim Road, Belfast BT15 5GR, about fifteen minutes north of the centre by road.

Stormont Estate, if you have time

Stormont is the parliament building of Northern Ireland, at the top of a mile long avenue in east Belfast, and the parkland around it is open to walk. It is a good morning stroll if you are staying an extra night in the city.

Visitor information

Opening times. Monday to Friday 7:30am to 7pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 7pm.

Guide prices. Free to walk.

Facilities. Toilets, a children’s playground and the Mo Mowlam Play Park.

Where it is. Upper Newtownards Road (A20), east Belfast, with a second entrance on Massey Avenue, BT4.

Day 2: Belfast to Ballycastle Along the Antrim Coast

Collect the car early and head north out of Belfast on the coast road. This is the day the scenery starts, and it is a full one, so leave by about 8am. You finish in Ballycastle for the night.

Carrickfergus Castle

Half an hour from Belfast, Carrickfergus Castle has stood guard over Belfast Lough since the Normans began it in the 1170s. It is one of the best preserved medieval castles in Ireland, and an hour is enough to walk the walls and the keep.

Visitor information

Opening times. Easter to September, 9:30am to 5pm, last admission 4:30pm. October to Easter, 9am to 4pm, last admission 3:30pm. Closed on Mondays, except bank holidays.

Guide prices. Adult £6, child aged 5 to 17 £4, under fives free, student and over 65 £4.50, family £18.

Where it is. Marine Highway, Carrickfergus, BT38 7BG, about 30 minutes from Belfast, with free parking.

The Gobbins, if you book ahead

The Gobbins is a cliff path of bridges and tunnels on the Islandmagee coast, walked with a guide, and it is the wildest walk in Northern Ireland. It takes a good part of the morning and it is weather dependent, so only add it if you have booked and you are happy to push the rest of the day later.

Visitor information

Opening times. From 1 March to the first weekend in January. The visitor centre opens daily from 8:30am to 5pm.

Guide prices. Adult £23.50, child under 16 £17.50, family of two adults and up to two children £52.50. Boot hire is £5.

Booking. Guided tours only, booked in advance.

Where it is. The Gobbins Visitor Centre, Middle Road, Islandmagee, BT40 3SL.

Glenarm Castle Walled Garden

Past Larne the road hugs the sea, and Glenarm is the first village of the Glens. Glenarm Castle has been the home of the MacDonnell family, the Earls of Antrim, since the 17th century, and its walled garden was named Garden of the Year by Historic Houses in 2023. The tea room inside the garden is a good place for a coffee.

Visitor information

Opening times. Daily, 10am to 5pm, last entry 4:15pm.

Guide prices. Adult £10, over 60s and students £8.50, ages 12 to 17 £5, children under 12 free.

Booking. Online on the castle’s own website, or pay on arrival.

Where it is. 2 Castle Lane, Glenarm, BT44 0BQ, with parking on site.

Carnlough Harbour

A few minutes on, Carnlough is a small limestone harbour built in 1854, and the stone steps on the quay are where Arya Stark climbed out of the canal in Braavos in Game of Thrones. The car park and the toilets at the harbour are free, and Twilight Coffee on Harbour Road serves good fresh ground coffee and scones.

Visitor information

Opening times. Open access all year.

Guide prices. Free, with free parking at the harbour.

Facilities. Toilets and parking at the harbour, cafes and shops in the village.

Where it is. Harbour Road, Carnlough, BT44 0EU.

Our Carnlough Harbour guide has the full detail.

Glenariff Forest Park

At Waterfoot, turn inland up the A43 into Glenariff, the Queen of the Glens. The Waterfall Walkway runs down through a wooded gorge past a string of waterfalls, and it is the best short walk on the whole trip. Wear proper shoes, because the boardwalk is wet and the steps back up are steep.