Things to Do in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is roughly the size of Yorkshire, which is the single most useful thing to know when planning a trip: everything is closer than you think, and the sensible approach is to pick two regions rather than five. We list 201 places to stay across the province, more than any other county on this site.
Published 18 August 2026
You can drive from the Mournes in the south-east to the Causeway Coast in the north in about two hours. That compactness is the province’s great advantage and its trap: the temptation is to base yourself in Belfast and day-trip everywhere, which turns a good week into a lot of the A26. Base yourself where the walking is instead.
The Causeway Coast
The north Antrim coast is the headline: the Giant’s Causeway itself, the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, Dunluce Castle on its stack, and the strands at Portstewart and Portrush. Bushmills sits in the middle of it and makes the obvious base.
- Giant’s Causeway: the basalt columns. Timed entry at the visitor centre, and worth walking in along the cliff path from Dunseverick instead if you want it quieter.
- Carrick-a-Rede: the rope bridge to a salmon fishery islet. Booked ahead, timed, and a short walk in.
- Dunluce Castle: a ruin on a sea stack, and the most photogenic castle in the province.
- Rathlin Island: a ferry from Ballycastle, puffins in season, and the only inhabited offshore island in Northern Ireland.
The driving version is covered in full in the Causeway Coastal Route; the walking version is the Causeway Coast Way, in walks in Northern Ireland.
Where to stay on the Causeway Coast
49 sites within ten miles of the north coast, the densest cluster in the province.
See all 49 sites (43 more not shown here).
The Mournes and County Down
The south-east is the mountain corner: Slieve Donard, the Mourne Wall, and two forest parks four miles apart that between them make a complete weekend. Newcastle is the base town.
- Tollymore Forest Park: sixteen bridges over the Shimna, a hermitage and a viewpoint over Dundrum Bay.
- Castlewellan Forest Park: a flat lake circuit and one of the world’s largest hedge mazes.
- Silent Valley: the reservoir in the heart of the range, and the usual start for the Mourne Wall.
- Murlough: dunes and a boardwalk with the whole range behind the beach.
Where to stay for the Mournes
29 sites within ten miles of Newcastle and the northern foothills.
See all 29 sites (23 more not shown here).
The Glens of Antrim
Nine glens between the Mournes and the Causeway, and the part of the province most visitors drive through rather than stop in. Glenariff Forest Park has the waterfall walk; Cushendun has the sea caves and a National Trust village; the Torr Head road above Cushendun is the best short drive in Northern Ireland on a clear day.
Strangford Lough and the Ards Peninsula
A large sea lough with a narrow mouth, which makes for serious tides, an enormous bird population and a very quiet peninsula road. Mount Stewart is the National Trust house and garden on the eastern shore; Portaferry and Strangford are joined by a small car ferry that saves an hour’s drive round the top.
The cities
Belfast
Titanic Belfast, the Cathedral Quarter, the political murals and the Crumlin Road Gaol are the standard list, and the black-taxi tours remain the most direct way to understand the city’s recent history. Belfast also works as an arrival point rather than a base: the airport and the ferry are both close.
Derry / Londonderry
The complete seventeenth-century city walls are walkable in under an hour and are the best short walk in any Irish city. Add the Museum of Free Derry and the Peace Bridge, and it is a comfortable night at the western end of the Causeway Coastal Route.
Putting a week together
| Nights | Where | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | North coast (Bushmills or Ballintoy) | Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede, Dunluce, the strands |
| 1 | Glens of Antrim (Cushendall) | Glenariff waterfalls, Torr Head, the coast road |
| 2 | Mournes (Newcastle) | Donard or the forest parks, Murlough, Silent Valley |
| 1 | Strangford or Belfast | Mount Stewart, the ferry, the city |
Where the accommodation actually is
Northern Ireland is the largest single county bucket on this site at 201 verified places to stay, and it has two quirks worth planning around. Hot tubs are unusually standard: over half of sites here advertise one, against roughly a third of sites nationally. And pods dominate: it is the most common build type in the province by a distance.
Common questions
- How many days do you need in Northern Ireland?
- Four to six. Two nights on the Causeway Coast and two in the Mournes covers the essentials; a week lets you add the Glens of Antrim and Strangford without rushing.
- What is the best base for visiting Northern Ireland?
- There isn’t one. The province is compact but the highlights are at opposite corners. Split your stay between the north coast around Bushmills and the Mournes around Newcastle.
- Is the Giant’s Causeway worth visiting?
- Yes, though the visitor centre car park is the bottleneck. Walking in along the cliff path from Dunseverick gives you the better approach and a quieter one.
- Do you need a car in Northern Ireland?
- For the coast and the Mournes, effectively yes. Belfast and Derry are walkable and connected by rail, but the Causeway Coast and the glens are difficult without a vehicle.
Keep reading
- Northern IrelandThe Causeway Coastal Route: Driving It in StagesHow to drive the Causeway Coastal Route between Belfast and Derry, the stages, the stops worth stopping for, how long to give it, and the glamping sites along the way.
- Northern IrelandWalks in Northern Ireland: The Mournes, the Causeway and the GlensThe best walking in Northern Ireland by region, the Mourne Wall and Slieve Donard, the Causeway Coast Way, the Glens of Antrim and the forest parks, with stays near each.
- Northern IrelandThe Best Beaches in Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland’s best beaches, from Benone’s seven-mile strand to the hidden coves of the Ards Peninsula, with what each one is actually good for, and glamping nearby.
- Northern IrelandTollymore Forest Park: Walks, Bridges and Where to StayA walker’s guide to Tollymore Forest Park in the Mournes, the river, mountain and Drinns trails, what each one costs you in time, and the glamping sites within a few miles.