Scenic Walking Holiday - Exploring the Giant's Causeway
Take in the rugged coastline of Northern Ireland, heading to castles, spotting puffins on Rathlin Island and, of course, head to the world-famous Giant’s Causeway.
Experience Type: Multi-Day Experience
Duration: 3 nights
Accommodation: Cottage/Lodge
Meeting Location: Belfast
Group Size: Maximum 10
Level: Leisurely
Age: 18+
Dogs: No dogs, except trained assistance dogs
In a Nutshell:
Let your imagination run wild in this unique and utterly stunning part of the country.
Soak up Northern Ireland’s great hospitality - including fabulous food and some of the finest whiskies in the west.
Meet a lovely group of fellow adventurers and make some fantastic memories together.
Book today…
A brilliant, sociable getaway exploring Northern Ireland!
We’re exploring a stunning area of coastline in Northern Ireland for this Adventure & Explore getaway. Having become something of a place of pilgrimage for fans of the TV series Game of Thrones, the Giant’s Causeway coastline is filled with wildlife, activities and intrigue. The dramatic, and, quite frankly, unusual landscape which became the backdrops for several scenes in the TV series, makes for some great walking.
We’ll mix brilliant walks with other activities, such as visits to castles, puffin-spotting on Rathlin Island (seasonal, April to early August), and of course a visit to the iconic Giant’s Causeway.
A group or walkers crossing the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge on the Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland
Suggested Itinerary
Here’s what we’ve got planned - of course, we may have to offer alternatives or make amendments if the weather misbehaves or other unexpected situations arise!
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On arrival in Belfast, we’ll pick you up (see Meeting Location & Time section below for Pickup options) before the drive north to our accommodation. We will be walking today so either travel in your walking gear or make sure its at the top of your bag - there will be time to change before we walk.
We’ll stop off for a leg-stretcher at the wonderfully named Dark Hedges, an iconic avenue of trees that featured in an episode of Game of Thrones (the one where Arya Stark escapes King’s Landing dressed as a boy, if you need a memory jogger!).
From there, we’ll head on to the lovely coastal town of Ballycastle to pick up lunch, before heading on to Murlough Bay (known as ‘Slaver’s Bay’ to Game of Thrones fans). Keep an eye out for dolphins!
After fuelling up, we’ll take a gentle (approx. 5 mile) wander along the spectacular and dramatic Fairhead cliff tops, admiring the outstanding views across to Scotland’s Mull of Kintyre, Islay and Jura.
After a good afternoon’s walking, we’ll head to Ballintoy, our home for the getaway. After settling into our cottage, we’ll head out to enjoy the atmosphere over dinner in a local pub.
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Today is as much about wildlife as it is walking, as we take the ferry across to the remote outcrop of Rathlin Island. This unusually shaped island is home to fewer than 200 people and a host of fascinating wildlife, including puffins (seasonal, April to early August)! Please note, the costs for visiting Rathlin Island are not included - at the time of publishing this is around £30.
Once ashore we’ll jump on a bus that will take us to the local RSPB nature reserve, home to a colony of fantastic seabirds. After some photos and amateur ornithology, we’ll amble across the island and head into a lovely tearoom or bar for some refreshments before catching the ferry back to the mainland.
Tonight, we'll head out for dinner in a local pub.
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It’s weird, wild, and spectacular, and it’s a must-see on any visit to the Antrim coast. The Giant’s Causeway comprises thousands of basalt columns emerging from the sea, with the appearance of being intricately carved by stonemasons, but is in fact entirely natural.
To get there, we’ll hop on a bus to Port Braddon, then back along a coastal route (approx. 7 miles) that’s nothing short of magnificent. After passing rocky beaches and bays full of oystercatchers and other sea birds, we reach Dunseverick Castle, a clifftop fortress that has inspired artists and poets for centuries. From there, we continue along the headland until the Giant’s Causeway is revealed in all its glory. We’ll spend some time exploring and enjoying this amazing natural wonder.
When the day’s walking is done, there’ll be plenty of time to reward yourself with a slice of cake or a pint of Guinness (or both!) at an old schoolhouse converted into a fabulous tearoom. From here, we’ll either head back for some dinner, or out for a wander along the beach and sand dunes back to the hostel, depending on what the group feels like.
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Today, we’re walking another stretch of beautiful coastline. For the more adventurous in the group, there’s a rope-bridge walk to the tiny island of Carrick-a-Rede. The bridge was originally erected in 1755 by fishermen who came to the island to catch migrating salmon and it provides great views to the Atlantic below and the caves in the surrounding cliff sides. Once on the island there’s also the opportunity to visit the fisherman’s cottage.
Crossing the bridge to Carrick-a-Rede is free for National Trust members and £15.50 (at time of publishing) for non-members - but there’s no obligation to do this if you’d rather stay on terra firma.
We’ll stop for a cup of tea, then walk back to Ballintoy Harbour (returning to our Game of Thrones theme, as this was the location of the Iron Isles), and heading out to the incredible Elephant Rock formation.
After we’ve seen all we’d like to see, we’ll grab lunch together before heading to nearby Kinbane Castle, and then on to the airport where we’ll say our goodbyes. Please book onward travel accordingly, to allow for flexibility with the return time to the city centre or airport - we do allow for some stops on the journey, but we (sadly!) can’t control the traffic.
A sculpture of Manannan Mac Lir (local sea god), at Gortmore Viewpoint on the Causeway Coastal Route, Northern Ireland.
Essential Information
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Meeting Time: This will depend on the Pickup (see below) location you choose.
Pickups (Day 1): when booking you can let us know which of the three Pickup locations below you’d like to be collected from.
Belfast City Airport 9:30am at the Pick Up / Drop Off area within the Short Stay Car Park.
Leonardo Hotel Belfast (formerly Jury’s Inn) 9:45am.
Belfast International Airport 10:30am at the Short Stay Car Park.
Returning to Belfast (Day 4): We will also return you to Belfast on the final day. We aim to be back for the drop-off times outline below. Please book onward travel accordingly, to allow for flexibility with the return time to the city centre or airport - we do allow for some stops on the journey, but we (sadly!) can’t control the traffic.
Belfast International Airport 3:30pm at the Short Stay Car Park.
Leonardo Hotel Belfast (formerly Jury’s Inn) 4:15pm.
Belfast City Airport 4:30pm at the Pick Up / Drop Off area within the Short Stay Car Park.
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The accommodation for this trip is a house located on the Causeway Coastal Route, within easy reach of all the major local attractions. The surroundings look towards Sheep Island and Rathlin Island.
Bedding is provided, but you need to bring a towel as well as your own toiletries.
Accommodation Address:
Sheep Island View House
Main Street
Ballintoy
Ballycastle
BT54 6LXRoom Types:
You can book one of the following options, subject to availability:
Bed in a Shared Female Room
Bed in a Shared Male Room
Twin/Double Room (en-suite)There are Shared Rooms, where you’ll be sharing a room - usually with bunk beds - with other participants (room sizes vary but have a maximum of 4 beds and each Shared Room has an en-suite bathroom). Twin/Double Rooms sleep up to two participants booking together - the room has a double bed plus set of bunk beds - with en-suite bathroom.
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Included:
Transport & Pickup service from Belfast - see the Meeting Location & Time section above.
3 nights’ accommodation - we have exclusive use of a cottage/lodge at Ballycastle.
A Large Outdoors host/guide to welcome you, deal with meal preparation and the logistics for your experience.
Guided walks (Days 1-4) around some of the most beautiful coastal locations in Northern Ireland.
Travel from the accommodation to activity start points and back, where they don’t start from the door - this is a Car Free Experience.
A DIY breakfast each morning (toast, cereals, fruit and yoghurt provided).
A DIY packed lunch (sandwich and snacks) on Day 2 and Day 3. Please ensure you bring a lunch box or dry bag - to reduce waste, we do not supply cling film or sandwich bags.
Tea (including decaf and herbal options), coffee (including decaf option), and squash at the accommodation.
Bedding - but please bring a towel and don’t forget your own toiletries.
The chance to make new friends and meet like-minded people - Large Outdoors is all about making outdoor adventures sociable.
Pre-event support from the Large Outdoors team - give us a shout if there’s any advice or information you need and check out our Blog for useful articles too.
Not included:
Travel to and from the meeting location.
Dinner each evening - we’ll book a table at a local restaurant to enjoy dinner as a group and you can purchase whatever you fancy from the menu available.
Any extra (i.e. not mentioned above in ‘Included’) excursions or activities that you may partake in which incur a cost e.g. entrance fees to attractions or the Raithlin ferry ticket are not included. We’ll be visiting some National Trust properties, so if you’re a member don’t forget your membership card! Otherwise the cost of entry is not included - visiting these attractions is optional.
Bottled water - tap water and squash are available at the accommodation, so please ensure you bring sufficient water bottles or carriers to fill up and take out with you.
Alcoholic drinks - please feel free to bring something with you to enjoy at the accommodation and there’ll be opportunities to pick up some local tipples during the trip.
Any food, drinks or goods you choose to purchase at any shops, restaurant, pubs or cafés visited.
Travel/activity insurance - we recommend having insurance to cover, at a minimum: cancellation and curtailment; medical and emergency expenses (including repatriation); personal accident; injury and death.
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Please see our Residential (Walking) Kit List.
The compulsory items are selected for your safety, which is of paramount importance to us at Large Outdoors. Each participant should have the items listed.
Please note: although the walks on our Adventure & Explore experiences are generally classed as more leisurely options, you will need walking boots. There may be short steep sections and rocky/boggy/slippery ground to navigate, so it’s important you have suitable footwear.
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What level of fitness is needed? This trip is graded as Leisurely, so we will have a choice of walks on offer. Click here to see Large Outdoors’ Experience Levels.
Can I attend on my own? Absolutely. The majority of our participants are solo travellers and adventurers. Plenty of fun, laughter and numerous long-term friendships (and a few marriages!) have begun on Large Outdoors experiences since 2008, so there’s no need to feel worried about your first experience, or indeed trying a new type of outdoor activity, with us.
I am currently on a specific diet / have an allergy - can you cater for me? Unfortunately, we are generally unable to cater for a wide variety of diets or food preferences due to the nature and cost of our catered trips and/or the use of shared kitchens. However, we can offer vegetarian, vegan, and/or provide meals with gluten free ingredients - these options can be selected when booking. Please see our general FAQs for more information about dietary options.
This particular experience offers a little more flexibility catering wise, as evening meals are taken at local restaurants, so please contact us if you’d like to check whether it is suitable for your dietary needs.What transport is provided during this trip? We offer a Transport & Pickup service (see Meeting Location & Time section above) and transfers from the accommodation to the activity start points. This is one of Large Outdoors’ Car Free Experiences.
Can I bring my dog? Dogs are not allowed on this experience, except for trained assistance dogs. If you wish to bring your trained assistance dog, please let us know in advance of booking so we can discuss the itinerary and any activity/equipment/accommodation, and of course additional safety requirements or considerations that may be necessary.
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The stunning coastline of Northern Ireland is a region of dramatic cliffs and bays, sandy beaches, and of course the natural wonder of the Giant's Causeway. Though it has always been a destination for lovers of wild scenery, it has recently gained greater prominence as the landscape for the Game of Thrones TV series. The coastal path gives access to the shoreline in most places, and there are many paths inland to explore the hills and forests.
Besides the natural scenery, the towns and villages are peaceful and welcoming, and there are many ancient ruins to explore.
This map is provided for guidance regarding the general location. For detailed meeting information, please refer to the 'Meeting Time & Location' section.