Your Northern Ireland travel itinerary begins! However you reach Belfast today, by road, sea or rail, you’ll be delighted to arrive at your charming, luxurious B&B where, at breakfast, you can look forward to home grown fruit and free-range eggs.

Your accommodation: A 5-star luxury Bed & Breakfast in the countryside just outside Belfast. 

Today you’ll have a chance to explore the sights of Belfast, Northern Ireland’s capital city. You could begin by taking the open-top City Sightseeing bus tour which stops at many of the city’s most popular attractions including the award-winning Titanic Belfast visitor experience, an interactive exhibition telling the story of the Titanic. Crumlin Road Gaol and the Ulster Folk Museum are just two other recommendations though there is so much to discover in this spirited city. 

Drive north today to the Causeway Coast and your boutique seaside guesthouse, an ideal base for your exploration of this rugged coastline. En route, just north of Belfast, you could take a small detour to visit Carrickfergus Castle, a medieval castle dating back to the 12th century. Alternatively you might call into the town of Antrim to visit the a gem of Northern Ireland, the 400-year-old Antrim Castle Gardens and restored Clotworthy House.

Your accommodation: A boutique 5-star Bed & Breakfast in a small seaside town.

On today’s agenda you may well want to include the world-famous Giant’s Causeway – an amazing geological feature, a World Heritage Site and a national nature reserve, which has lent this coastline its name.  You might also like to blow the cobwebs away and take an exhilarating walk across the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, have a tour and tasting at the Bushmills distillery, or pause a while at the atmospheric, cliff-edge ruins of the medieval Dunluce Castle.

Why not venture inland today to explore the Antrim Glens radiating out from the heart of the county to the coast. Combine a drive to the southernmost glen, Glenarm, with a visit to Glenarm Castle, home to Viscount and Viscountess Dunluce – with its beautiful walled garden and charming tea room. Alternatively you could take a boat trip to visit Rathlin Island, an inhabited island and also an important breeding ground for seabirds including puffins – some boat trips pass by the Giant’s Causeway and other sights en route.

Today we recommend taking the little ferry to Greencastle on the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal, allowing you more time to explore this beautiful area and drive the picturesque 100 mile route around the peninsula known as the Inishowen 100. We’ll let you know about the scenic highlights not to miss along the way including Malin Head at the tip of the peninsula and the Mamore Gap. There are also ancient historical sites to discover and you might like to pay a visit to the Doagh Famine Village or the Fort Dunree Military Museum.

Your accommodation: A 4-star Georgian country house hotel.

Leaving Inishowen via the ferry to Rathmullan, you’ll have the opportunity to explore some of Donegal’s north coast taking in Fanad Head Lighthouse and Doe Castle or perhaps venturing into the Glenveagh National Park and the interesting Glenveagh Castle before journeying south to your accommodation for the next 2 evenings. 

Your accommodation: A wonderful 5-star castle hotel with spa in a rural setting near to Donegal Town.

Take the chance today to discover more of what this rugged county has to offer. The Slieve League coastal drive is a must-see – the impressive sea cliffs of Slieve League are the highest sea cliffs in Europe; and nearby you can visit the Glencolmcille Folk Village – a cluster of traditional thatched cottages which form an interesting living-history museum. Closer to your hotel, a morning spent strolling the streets of Donegal Town is a pleasant pastime and just outside the town is Donegal Craft Village with its range of contemporary arts and craft workshops.

Optional: Think about spending an additional night here and taking the scenic boat trip to the rugged Arranmore Island just off the coast! 

Return to Belfast today (or Dublin if you prefer) and begin your journey home…or perhaps embark on the next stage of your trip!

Wherever you travel next, we hope you have wonderful memories of your trip to the north of Ireland.