The Causeway Coast runs along the north of County Antrim and County Londonderry, from Mussenden Temple on the cliffs at Downhill and the beaches of Portstewart and Portrush, past Dunluce, Bushmills and the Giant's Causeway, to Ballintoy and Ballycastle, with Rathlin Island offshore and the Glens of Antrim to the south-east. Walking down to the Giant's Causeway is on the United Kingdom page, with its tickets, trails and parking; this page covers the rest of the coast: the rope bridge at Carrick-a-Rede, the castle at Dunluce, the distillery at Bushmills, the surf beaches, Rathlin's puffins and the Game of Thrones locations at the Dark Hedges and Ballintoy.
Plan around the weather. High wind closes the Carrick-a-Rede bridge and Glenariff Forest Park and cancels the Rathlin ferries, so check on the morning you go. Without a car, the hourly train from Belfast to Coleraine connects with the Portrush branch and with Ulsterbus 402 and 172, which stop at most of the coastal sights; the Dark Hedges and Glenariff are the exceptions. The National Trust charges non-members for parking at its sites: £8.50 a car at Portstewart Strand and £10 at Downhill in 2026.
Cross the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge to the fishermen's island
Ballintoy
Timed entry
Step onto a rope bridge swaying almost 30 m above the sea, on a crossing salmon fishermen first strung in 1755.
What it is
Salmon fishermen first strung a rope bridge to Carrick-a-Rede, 'the rock in the road' for migrating salmon, in 1755. Today's bridge, owned by the National Trust, crosses a 20 m chasm almost 30 m above the sea to the island and its fisherman's cottage; look for guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and fulmars on the cliffs. Beside the car park, Larrybane quarry was Renly Baratheon's camp in Game of Thrones.
How to do it
Pre-booking a timed ticket is essential for everyone, members included; adults paid from £16 at peak times in 2026, parking included. The car park is on the B15, 7 miles from the Giant's Causeway, served by Ulsterbus 172 and 402, and the bridge is at the end of a 1 km coastal path with steps and uneven ground.
Good to know
Wind closes it, so check before you set off; dogs cannot cross.
Explore Dunluce Castle and its lost town on the cliff edge
Dunluce Road (A2), between Portrush and Portballintrae
No booking needed
Cross a bridge to a clifftop castle and walk the excavated streets of a town razed in 1641.
What it is
Dunluce stands on a basalt outcrop above the sea between Portrush and Portballintrae, reached by a bridge from the mainland. The MacQuillans built it around 1500, the MacDonnells seized it in the 1550s under the warrior chief Sorley Boy, and in the 17th century it was the seat of the earls of Antrim, with a town laid out beside it in 1608 and razed in 1641; its cobbled streets and merchants' houses have been excavated since 2011. Legend says the kitchens fell into the sea one stormy night in 1639, and cannons from the Girona, the Armada ship wrecked nearby in 1588, were mounted in the gatehouses.
How to do it
Bus 402 stops at Dunluce, and the Causeway Coast Way passes the gate. For the classic view, stop at the Magheracross viewpoint on the A2 towards Portrush.
Good to know
Last admission is 30 minutes before closing, and the site can shut in extreme weather.
Tour the Old Bushmills Distillery and taste its whiskey
Bushmills
Book ahead
Taste whiskey where James I licensed distilling in 1608, at a distillery fed by a tributary of the River Bush.
What it is
The 1608 on every Bushmills label is the year James I licensed Sir Thomas Phillips to distil whiskey in this corner of Antrim; the distillery company itself dates from 1784, and the buildings were rebuilt after a fire in 1885. It draws its water from Saint Columb's Rill, a tributary of the River Bush.
How to do it
Guided tours must be booked online, with a deposit; children under 8 cannot join, and under-18s cannot enter the Premium Tasting. The shop opens Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 17:00 and Sunday 11:00 to 17:00, and the 1608 Bar serves until 16:45. The distillery is on Distillery Road, and buses 402 and 172 stop in Bushmills.
Good to know
Production pauses at times for maintenance, weekends included, so the stills may be quiet on your day. The café has closed, so eat in the village.
Walk the beech tunnel of the Dark Hedges, the King's Road
Bregagh Road, near Armoy
Free
Walk a tunnel of beeches planted around 1775 that played the King's Road, though the survivors are near the end of their lifespan.
What it is
The Dark Hedges are an avenue of beech trees on Bregagh Road near Armoy, planted around 1775 by James Stuart to line the approach to Gracehill House, now the Hedges Hotel. Their branches meet overhead in a tunnel about 150 m long, which played the King's Road in Game of Thrones.
How to do it
Since 30 October 2017 the road between Ballinlea Road and Ballykenver Road has been closed to motor vehicles, apart from emergency, maintenance and farm traffic, so walk it. Park at the Hedges Hotel, which charges £5 by card on exit. No bus reaches the avenue: the nearest stops are in Armoy, about a mile east, on Ulsterbus 131 and 217 between Ballymena and Ballycastle.
Good to know
Of some 150 original trees, around 75 remain: storms felled three in January 2024 and two more in Storm Éowyn in January 2025, and the survivors are near the end of their natural lifespan.
Best time
When the beeches are in leaf; the avenue looks gaunt in winter
Take the ferry to Rathlin Island to see the puffins
Ballycastle to Rathlin Island
A full dayBook ahead
Sail to Northern Ireland's largest seabird colony, where puffins nest on the cliffs from late April to early August.
What it is
Rathlin, six miles off Ballycastle, holds Northern Ireland's largest seabird colony, and from late April to early August puffins nest on the cliffs below the RSPB's West Light Seabird Centre.
How to do it
Rathlin Ferry sails from Ballycastle harbour: the passenger catamaran Kintra II takes about 30 minutes and the Spirit of Rathlin, which carries bikes and luggage, about 40. Boats also sail outside the summer timetable, which ran from 3 April to 30 September in 2026 with adults paying £8.40 each way, so check the current timetable; book online at least 30 minutes ahead, and leave the car, as visitors need a permit to bring one. The Seabird Centre is 4.5 miles from the harbour: minibuses meet the morning and early afternoon boats for £6 return in cash, or hire a bike or walk for 90 minutes to two hours each way.
Good to know
The centre has closed for 2026 and reopens in spring 2027.
Walk across Downhill Demesne to Mussenden Temple on the cliff
Downhill Demesne, near Castlerock
No booking needed
Walk across an earl-bishop's estate to a clifftop library modelled on a Roman temple, above Downhill Strand.
What it is
Frederick Hervey, Earl of Bristol and Church of Ireland Bishop of Derry, built Mussenden Temple in 1785 as a library on the cliff edge of his Downhill estate, dedicated to his relative Frideswide Mussenden and modelled on a Roman temple of Vesta. A fire burned constantly in the basement to keep the books dry, and erosion has brought the cliff so close that the National Trust stabilised it in 1997.
How to do it
Park at Lion's Gate, where non-members pay £10 a vehicle for the day, then take the gentle walk across the demesne past the shell of the Earl-Bishop's mansion to the temple above Downhill Strand. Castlerock station, on the Coleraine to Derry line, is half a mile away, and the 134 bus stops at the crossroads.
Good to know
The grounds open dawn to dusk; the temple itself opens on fewer days, so check before you go.
Learn to surf under the white cliffs of Whiterocks
Whiterocks and East Strand, Portrush
Book ahead
Catch your first waves on a Blue Flag beach surfed all year, under limestone cliffs carved into caves and arches.
What it is
Whiterocks, just east of Portrush, is a Blue Flag beach backed by limestone cliffs that run from Curran Strand to Dunluce, carved into caves and arches such as the Wishing Arch, Elephant Rock and the Lion's Paw. It is the coast's year-round surf beach, with free parking and RNLI lifeguards daily from 10:00 to 18:00 in July and August.
How to do it
SUB6, based at Whiterocks, is Northern Ireland's only ASI-accredited surf and paddleboard school and keeps groups small, with paddleboard sessions from Portballintrae harbour. Troggs teaches all year from the East Strand Water Sports Centre in Portrush, where you can change and shower afterwards, and Portrush Surf School works from the yacht club in the harbour. Afterwards, walk back to town along more than 2 km of continuous sand on Curran Strand.
Good to know
Dogs face restrictions from 1 June to 15 September.
Best time
July and August, when lifeguards are on duty from 10:00 to 18:00
Drive onto Portstewart Strand and walk its ancient dunes
Portstewart
No booking needed
Drive onto two miles of golden sand and walk into 6,000-year-old dunes with views to Mussenden Temple.
What it is
Portstewart Strand is two miles of golden sand owned by the National Trust, backed by 6,000-year-old dunes protected as an Area of Special Scientific Interest, with views across to Inishowen and Mussenden Temple. The 5.6 km dune and estuary trail runs through the dunes to the Bann Estuary, where curlew and redshank feed.
How to do it
You can drive onto the beach and park on the sand: non-members pay £8.50 a car, by card only, and members park free. On an August 2026 day the car park opened 10:00 to 18:00, with last vehicle entry an hour before closing. Bus 140 from Coleraine stops at Strand Corner.
Good to know
Every car must leave by the time posted at the entrance, and there is no towing service if you get stuck. Keep dogs on leads between marker posts 1 and 10.
Best time
A dry day; cars must leave the sand by the time posted at the entrance
Follow the Waterfall Walkway through Glenariff Forest Park
Glenariff, Glens of Antrim
No booking needed
Climb boardwalks past three waterfalls in the 'Queen of the Glens', home to red squirrels, hen harriers and Irish hares.
What it is
Glenariff, the 'Queen of the Glens', is one of the nine Glens of Antrim, and its forest park covers more than 1,000 hectares, home to red squirrels, hen harriers and Irish hares. The Waterfall Walkway follows the 3 km waterfall trail on boardwalks through Glenariff Nature Reserve past three falls. The 8.9 km Scenic trail climbs from about 60 m to 260 m for views down the glen and across the sea to the Mull of Kintyre.
How to do it
Cars pay £5 on entry in 2026/27, walkers usually nothing; the gates open by 8:00 and lock at dusk, or park at the restaurant beside the lodge at the bottom of the falls. Ulsterbus 150 from Ballymena serves Glenariff from Monday to Saturday.
Good to know
Expect a steep climb with steps on the Waterfall Walkway. The park shuts during amber wind warnings.
Best time
A calm day; the gates open by 8:00 and lock at dusk
Walk the Causeway Coast Way over White Park Bay to Ballintoy
Dunseverick to Ballintoy Harbour
Free
Walk past a ruined promontory fort and through a basalt arch onto White Park Bay, ending among Ballintoy's rock stacks.
What it is
The Causeway Coast Way runs 31.5 miles from Portstewart to Ballycastle in six sections. The finest single stretch is the 7.8 km from Dunseverick Castle to Ballintoy Harbour. From the scant ruins of the promontory fort, the path passes Dunseverick Harbour, goes through a natural basalt arch to Portbraddan and drops onto the 2 km sweep of White Park Bay, one of the first places in Ireland settled by Neolithic farmers. It ends among the rock arches and stacks of Ballintoy Harbour, Lordsport in Game of Thrones.
How to do it
Bus 402 stops at Dunseverick and Ballintoy for the return. Beyond Carrick-a-Rede the route follows the B15 with no footpath, so end at the rope bridge.
Good to know
Check the tide tables first: at high tide the boulders at both ends of the bay can be impassable, and you would have to follow the A2.
Best time
Around low tide; check the tide tables before you start
Walk down to the basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway
Bushmills, County Antrim
Book ahead
Walk down among the basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway, or follow the clifftop trail to see them from above.
What it is
The Causeway is in Northern Ireland, so prices are in pounds and UK entry rules apply. The National Trust's Visitor Experience ticket includes reserved parking next to the centre, guided walks every hour, an audio guide in 11 languages and the exhibition.
How to do it
The main car park is only for ticket holders and members, so pre-book if you drive. Walkers can use the Causeway Coast Way car park at Innisfree Farm (£12, paid through JustPark) and the trail network instead. The Blue Trail is the direct route to the stones, under a mile, and an electric shuttle runs down from the centre; the Red Trail follows the clifftop for the view from above. By public transport, take the train to Coleraine and Ulsterbus 172.
Good to know
Do not push coins into the stones, and check before you go: the centre closes in high winds.
Trains run hourly from Belfast Grand Central via Antrim and Ballymena to Coleraine in about 80 minutes, then continue along the shore to Castlerock and Derry; at Coleraine, change for the hourly branch train to Portrush, 15 minutes. Goldliner 218 runs hourly from Belfast's Laganside Buscentre to Coleraine in about 1 hour 50. By car, Coleraine is about 60 miles from Belfast on the M2 and A26. From Scotland, P&O sails from Cairnryan to Larne, at the southern end of the coast road through the Glens, and Stena Line sails to Belfast.
Getting around
Ulsterbus 402 links Coleraine, Portrush, Dunluce Castle, Portballintrae, Bushmills, the Giant's Causeway, Dunseverick, Ballintoy for Carrick-a-Rede and Ballycastle, about 70 minutes end to end; the 172 covers the same coast from Coleraine but skips Portrush. The 402 runs as the seasonal Causeway Rambler, so check Translink's journey planner outside summer. The 140 circles Coleraine, Portrush and Portstewart, and the 134 runs from Coleraine to Castlerock for Mussenden Temple. Buses to Armoy, for the Dark Hedges, and to Glenariff are few, so a car makes those two far easier.
How many days
In must30's view, three days: one for the Giant's Causeway with Dunluce Castle and the Bushmills distillery, ending on the sand at Whiterocks; one for Carrick-a-Rede, the walk over White Park Bay to Ballintoy and the Dark Hedges; and one west for Portstewart Strand and Mussenden Temple or, from late April to early August, east to Rathlin for the puffins. Add a fourth day by car for Glenariff and the Glens of Antrim.
When to go
Late April to early August is puffin season on Rathlin, and the summer 2026 ferry timetable ran from 3 April to 30 September. Lifeguards patrol Whiterocks daily from 10:00 to 18:00 in July and August. Roads close in May for the North West 200 motorbike races on the triangle between Coleraine, Portstewart and Portrush, and Ballycastle's Ould Lammas Fair fills the town on the last Monday and Tuesday of August. Autumn and winter bring empty beaches but more wind closures, and the RSPB Seabird Centre on Rathlin stays shut until spring 2027.
Where to base yourself
Portrush has the trains, the widest choice of restaurants and B&Bs, and the beaches at Whiterocks and East Strand. Portstewart, 3 miles west, is quieter and has the Strand on its doorstep. Bushmills puts you a short ride from the Giant's Causeway and the distillery, and Ballycastle is the base for Rathlin, Carrick-a-Rede and the drive south into the Glens.
Questions travellers ask
Do you need to book Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge?
Yes. The National Trust says pre-booking is essential for everyone, members included, and tickets are for a set time. In 2026 adult tickets started at £16 at peak times, with parking included. The bridge can close at short notice in high wind.
Can you visit the Causeway Coast without a car?
Mostly, yes. Take the train from Belfast to Coleraine or Portrush, then Ulsterbus 402 or 172, which stop at Dunluce Castle, Bushmills, the Giant's Causeway and Ballintoy for Carrick-a-Rede before Ballycastle, where the Rathlin ferry leaves. The Dark Hedges and Glenariff Forest Park are much harder to reach by bus.
Can you still drive through the Dark Hedges?
No. Since 30 October 2017 Bregagh Road has been closed to motor vehicles between Ballinlea Road and Ballykenver Road, except for emergency, maintenance and farm traffic. Park at the Hedges Hotel, which charges £5 by card, and walk the avenue.
When can you see puffins on Rathlin Island?
The RSPB says late April to early August is the time for close views from its West Light Seabird Centre. The centre has closed for 2026 and reopens in spring 2027. The ferry from Ballycastle takes 30 to 40 minutes.
How long is the Causeway Coast Way?
WalkNI gives 31.5 miles from Portstewart to Ballycastle, in six sections usually walked over two days. The last section, from Carrick-a-Rede into Ballycastle, follows the B15 road without a footpath, so you may prefer to finish at the rope bridge and take the bus.
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