Northern Ireland is a perfect destination for a long weekend from pretty much anywhere in Europe and the UK. It’s one of my favourite ever European destinations for families because it’s just so rugged and outdoorsy. I’d wanted to go to Northern Ireland for years and it did not disappoint, not in any way at any moment. It is a 10 /10 destination.

This article focuses on the north east of Northern Ireland. Everything mentioned here could be done from a base in Belfast or from Bushmills (where we stayed). There is so very much that could be visited if you have more than a long weekend. I regularly find myself wanting to return, to repeat the things we did, to spend far more time there, exploring and, of course, to drink more whiskey. Note, despite the cloud and rain that are in all my photos, we were actually in Northern Ireland in August.

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History of Northern Ireland

Hmmm, do we all have time to study this in depth? Northern Ireland does not have a simple or happy history and I, like many Brits, feel awkward talking about it since it’s really absolutely down to British meddling that the history isn’t happy. I hope I don’t offend anyone with my quick rundown here.

Northern Ireland was ‘created’ in 1921 when Ireland the island was partitioned essentially to split the land between Catholics and Protestants, forming an independent Catholic Ireland in the south and keeping the more-Protestant north of Ireland as part of the United Kingdom. This, of course, did not come from out of nowhere. England had been invading Ireland since the 12th century. The 16th century saw renewed fighting with the Irish ‘rebelling’ against the English and Henry VIII launched a Tudor reconquest of Ireland. This misery continued across the centuries. As the 20th century began there was the Easter Rebellion in1916, and Sin Fein came to prominence in 1918. There was a lot of misery and miserable times for everyone. Pretty much everyone will have heard of the IRA, the Irish Republican Army. This name is synonymous with the belief that all of Ireland should be independent and free of British rule. It came into existence around this time and played an important part in Northern Ireland’s 20th century story as the name for many groups all fighting against the British.

The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 brought peace to the region.

Here I have tried to condense and simplify something I don’t fully understand. I know there are plenty of great books about Ireland that give better explanations than I ever can. I grew up in the UK during the 80s and 90s so was always aware of Northern Ireland but never thought I’d be able to visit. This trip was my second visit to Northern Ireland and I very much hope to be able to return soonest.

Northern Ireland Weekend Itinerary Suggestions

These are the absolute “must sees” if you have a long weekend in the northeast of Northern Ireland. I recommend using either Belfast or Bushmills as your base. It’s easy to rent a car and drive around Northern Ireland, just remember to drive on the left!

Giant’s Causeway: this is Northern Ireland’s only UNESCO World Heritage site and it’s an absolute corker. Here, on the northern coast of Northern Ireland you’ll find 40,000 basalt columns (apparently formed by a volcanic eruption around 60 million years ago). Visiting the site itself is free so everyone can enjoy capering around this magnificent place. You could spend hours exploring and playing around the columns themselves and then if you have energy, there are many fabulous walking trails to enjoy in the area.

The site is run by the National Trust so while entrance is free, if you wish to use their facilities you have to pay or join the National Trust as a member – there is a  carpark, a cafe, a shop, and a visitors’ centre there. There is a cheaper car park just to the left of the visitors’ centre, by the little railway line. Unfortunately for us the train wasn’t running the weekend we were there but it generally does run between Bushmills and the Giant’s Causeway. If it is running, I’d recommend taking the train rather than driving there given the difficulty of parking. If you don’t have a car, then a tour from Belfast is possible.

Once you’re parked, there are shuttle buses going from the visitors’ centre to the causeway for a princely sum of £1 per adult (50p per child).

We visited Northern Ireland specifically to see the Giant’s Causeway. We loved it so much we actually visited it twice in four days. The first visit was in the pouring rain but we weren’t deterred, we simply donned our raincoats and marched off down the hill.

I’d heard so many reports of people being disappointed by the Giants’ Causeway: too small, not impressive, too many people etc. etc. Well, you know what? It was incredible. I loved it, the kids loved it and I can’t imagine how anyone could not love it. I am pretty picky and not always easily impressed but I freaking loved this place. The rocks are hexagonal, what’s not to love? You can clamber over the rocks, your kids can climb and skip and explore to their hearts’ content. How is this not a site to love? We found a rock in the shape of an armchair, we found a path up the hill that was covered in blackberry bushes and we found plenty of rock pools to examine.

Honestly, as far as day trips with small kids go, this was a total winner and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone. Even if you’re based in Dublin it’s still possible to take a tour of the Giants Causeway.

The Dark Hedges: made famous by the Game of Thrones television show, this country road lined with beech trees is on most people’s list of things to see in Northern Ireland. The trees were planted in the eighteenth century.

Note: there are many Game of Thrones sites to see in Ireland and a tour is probably the simplest way to see them all.

I probably need to admit I haven’t seen or read anything to do with the Game of Thrones so I wasn’t super excited about this as an attraction. However, my husband is a fan so we duly got up early and drove there. It was fine. The trees were impressive but I have definitely driven down cooler tree lined roads elsewhere. Do look out for the awesome tree that has split open so you your kids can hide in it.

Park in the Gracehill House carpark, this is the stately home to which the Dark Hedges road was the entrance. When we were there the grounds of Gracehill House were open to the public and had a delightful fairy village scattered throughout. Get there very early or very late to have the road to yourself, otherwise you’ll have to contend with coach loads of tourists. Of course, the time of year you visit will impact your experience.

Dunluce Castle: this medieval castle is apparently one of the most picturesque of Irish castles. There is evidence of settlements on this site since the first millennium but the remains we see come from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The castle was built around 1500. Apparently1639 the kitchens fell in to the sea during a huge storm. When you visit and see that the castle is literally on a cliff edge, this isn’t especially surprising. There is a good visitors’ centre on site.

It was raining when we visited the castle but since this is Northern Ireland you have to expect a little rain, be sure to take a good rain coat, whatever time of year you visit! We gobbled up a picnic in the car and headed into the castle.

The views from the castle are spectacular, as is the castle itself. Everyone in my family loves exploring a good ruin and this more than satisfied our needs, even in the rain. The kids particularly loved the ovens (yeah, I know, they’re a bit strange) and spent a good hour pretending to be pizzas cooking in the oven (no, not pretending to cook pizzas, pretending to be the pizzas). Although there were plenty of other visitors, we never felt that the kids couldn’t run around, people seemed quite pleased to see small children so obviously enjoying a bit of history.

Tips for visiting Dunluce Castle:

1. If it’s a rainy day, save the visitor centre for a rainy point in your visit as it’s quite interesting but also a good place to shelter should it rain
2. Take the audio guide as it actually very interesting
3. Have a slice of cake in the touristy looking cafe opposite the entrance. It might look kitsch but the cakes are delicious, the staff are super friendly and they even have a selection of kids’ books lying around to keep the small ones entertained while you collapse in to cake.

Entry £6 per adult, £4 for kids (4-16). Free for under 4s.

Carrick-a-Rede

People visit here to cross the rope bridge to the island. The first bridge was erected 30 metres above the sea in 1755 by fishermen to allow them access to a small island. There is a two kilometre walk to reach the bridge.This is the famous rope bridge. It belongs to the National Trust so usual National Trust rules apply. It is basically a rope bridge that was erected in the 18th century by fishermen needing access to Carrick-a-Rede island (home to just one fisherman’s cottage). The bridge is 30m above the violent sea and is just 20m long. Somehow the clever old National Trust has made a tourist attraction out of a small and scary bridge! No, that’s not fair, the views are spectacular all the way along and it’s probably worth going over the bridge just to say you’ve done it. I think.

We assumed that because we have been trekking in the Himalayas and therefore, crossed many much longer rope bridges, that this would be a piece of cake for us. Well, for my husband, it was but I must admit that my heart was in my mouth as I crossed over the angry sea on this flimsy rope bridge. I guess the difference was in the taking of two small people with us. I don’t envy the early fishermen who would edge over, one piece of rope under their feet and one in a hand whilst carrying all their gear.

We were there on a particularly windy day so we weren’t permitted to do much on the island except head straight back to the mainland.

We ate lunch in the small cafe on site. After lunch we stayed around the site and actually had one of the most exciting times we had in Northern Ireland. We walked from the lower car park down the cliffs. There are paths but we weren’t sure if they were open to the public as there was no one else around. I am so glad we followed our instincts and kept going down until we hit the beach though. We found a rocky beach full of rock pools and caves where we spent about two hours climbing and exploring before finally admitting we were all tired and returning to the car to head back to the Giant’s Causeway for a second bash at climbing there too.

Top Tips for visiting Carrick-a-Rede:

1. Remember that the tickets are timed so only buy a ticket as you start the walk
2. Know that there is a longish walk from the ticket office to the bridge so be prepared for a long walk (45 mins to an hour)
3. Get there early so you beat the tour buses. Only a few people are allowed on the bridge at anyone time and obviously everyone has to use the bridge twice! We were there around 10.30 am and still had to queue for twenty minutes to get on the bridge.
4. Give yourself time to also explore the cliffs and beach area. It was probably more fun for us all than the bridge

White Rocks Beach, Portrush

This long sandy beach is flanked by high dunes. There are startling rock formations and the strength and size of the waves make it a popular destination for water sports enthusiasts (equipment can be hired during summer).

Having seen this beach from Dunluce Castle we knew we needed a romp on it, no matter the weather. We drove down and followed the path onto the beach having no clue what we’d find.

We were blown away. I’d read that Northern Irish beaches were pretty special but I don’t think I was expecting this level of beauty. For miles (actually four miles, I believe) we could see beautiful sandy beach. Being from the east of England, I always forget that the British Isles is home to some astounding beaches. Cornwall has some of the best beaches in Britain, for example.

To our right were the rocks I had seen from the castle, to our left I spied an incredible wall of sand. Naturally we headed straight for that.This wall, I guess really it was part of a sand dune, must have been higher than a normal house and was at a pretty steep angle. We couldn’t simply walk up it, so we crawled up on all fours, and promptly threw ourselves straight down it again. What crazy fun! We weren’t the only ones up there, a few local kids and some tourists were also throwing themselves down and whooping with joy. We must have spent a good hour mucking about here before we decided to walk towards the cliffs.

We had a whale of a time exploring the rocks and we even found an elephant shaped rock! Note this is not the ‘official’ elephant rock but look at it, just look!

Belfast

You must visit Belfast. On this trip we only went to Titanic Belfast but Belfast is a fascinating city full of history, markets, culture and great food. We weren’t sure it’d be a hit with the kids but it really was. They loved it all, there was plenty for them to touch and watch (!) and there’s even a big ride as part of the exhibition. The kids enjoyed the ride so much we actually did it twice and we even learned stuff about how the Titanic was made in the process.

Included in the price was entry onto a small ship parked outside. Again, we weren’t sure this would be interesting for the kids but it was. In fact, they enjoyed it so much that we visited HMS Belfast in London shortly after. Buy advance tickets here. 

Northern Ireland – Around Bushmills: The Details

Where to stay

Northern Ireland is small and it’s perfectly possible to drive between multiple attractions in one day, ensuring you can fit in everything you want to see in a short time pretty no much no matter where you stay. We chose to stay just outside Bushmills in a bed and breakfast called Valley View. This couldn’t have been a better option. As a family with two small children B&Bs can be difficult. We don’t really love going to bed at the same time as the kids so stumbling upon Valerie and her amazing B&B where we could put the kids to bed and then retire to the living room downstairs was perfect. The beds were comfortable, the breakfast was impeccable and there was even a swing set for kids. We could barely see another house yet were just ten minutes drive from Bushmills town. I have to say that the UK and Northern Ireland really do have great options for family friendly accommodation.

 Where to eat

The Bushmills Inn was really great. In fact, it was so great, we ate there twice and really enjoyed ourselves both times. We just rocked up and got a table at lunchtime but when we wanted an evening meal we were unable to just walk in, turns out they’re as popular as they deserve to be. We found our kids were also really welcome there. It wasn’t cheap but since we only ate out once a day we could cope. We made a picnic at least once a day, having purchased bits and pieces in the local supermarket.

We also ate just outside of town at the Smugglers’ Inn. This was not quite up to the standard of The Bushmills Inn but wasn’t bad at all. I did, however, discover that I loved Bushmills whiskey whilst eating there. Upon taking a small child outside to try and calm her down, I also learned that the sunset can be quite spectacular from the steps if you can tear your eyes away from your beastly child long enough to notice it.

We tried to get a table at The French Rooms, also in Bushmills, as we read that it is incredible but it was so busy they didn’t have a table for us on any night we were there.

⭐️ Any time I go anywhere I love to learn as much as I can about the place, its history, politics and even its booze (ok, ok, especially its booze).

What Else to do in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is a fantastic option for a long weekend. It would also be fantastic if you had longer. I would love to go back and spend a good week or two really getting to know the countryside.

Drive the coastal Causeway route – I’ve been told this is one of the most beautiful road trips there is. It goes from Belfast to Derry and provides the visitors with fabulous coastal views as well as many of the country’s most important sites.

Linen Mill Studios – for the Game of Thrones fans this is a must.

Marble Arch Caves – apparently these limestone caves are some of the finest in Europe and they were named a UNESCO Global Geopark. They were formed over 340 million years ago.  This site is just outside the town of Enniskillen in Country Femanagh.

Visit historically and politically important Derry to learn about Northern Ireland’s history. Check out the city’s ancient walls and the modern ones that are covered in evocative street art. If, like me, you’re a fan of the tv show, Derry Girls, you might enjoy a Derry Girls tour. 

Suggested Reading For A Trip To Northern Ireland

DK Road Trips Ireland (Trav...Shop on AmazonLonely Planet Pocket Belfas...Shop on AmazonSay Nothing: A True Story o...Shop on Amazon

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