Dublin to Northern Ireland itinerary 2026: Belfast, Giant's Causeway, Derry

Essential information: Northern Ireland is a different country

Before anything else: Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, not the Republic of Ireland. This has practical implications that affect your trip.

Currency: GBP (pounds sterling), not EUR. Belfast, the Giant’s Causeway, Derry and all stops on the Causeway Coast use GBP. Have sterling in cash, or use a multi-currency card (Revolut and Wise both handle GBP/EUR switching at good rates). Most ATMs in Belfast will dispense GBP.

UK ETA: As of 2024, US, Canadian and Australian citizens need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation to enter Northern Ireland. The ETA costs £10 and is valid for 2 years/multiple trips. Apply at least 72 hours before arrival at gov.uk/apply-uk-visa. EU and EEA citizens do not need an ETA — identity card is sufficient; passport is strongly recommended.

Border: There is no visible border between the Republic and Northern Ireland; you cross freely without stopping. Roaming charges may apply on some mobile plans when you enter the North — check with your provider.

Good to know: The politics of Northern Ireland remain delicate. The murals in Belfast depicting the Troubles are a significant part of the visit and should be approached with respect and curiosity rather than partisanship. See the Belfast day trip guide for more context.

Option A: organised 3-day Northern Ireland tour from Dublin

The simplest way to do this itinerary is the Northern Ireland 3-day tour from Dublin — Belfast, Derry, Giant’s Causeway. This coach tour covers all three major stops with accommodation and most transport included. Departures from Dublin, returns to Dublin. Good value compared to doing the logistics independently, and the guides are generally knowledgeable on the Troubles context.

The self-drive version below is for those who prefer independence — and who know that the Causeway Coast road is one of the great drives in Europe.

Day 1: Dublin to Belfast

Morning: Dublin

If this is a dedicated Northern Ireland trip with Dublin as a base, spend the morning in Dublin and leave for Belfast after lunch. The journey by Enterprise train (Dublin Connolly to Belfast Lanyon Place) takes about 2 hours 15 minutes, with trains roughly every 2 hours. Tickets from around €20–30 one way; book in advance for the best prices. See Dublin to Belfast transport for the full options including coach.

Alternatively, if you are arriving from Dublin on Day 1, the Belfast day tour with Titanic Museum departs Dublin at approximately 07:00 and covers the key sights as a day trip.

Afternoon and evening: Belfast city centre

Belfast is a genuinely interesting city — it has reinvented itself significantly since the end of the Troubles, and the combination of Victorian architecture, excellent museums, and the raw honesty of the political mural tours makes it one of the most compelling destinations in the British Isles.

Arrive, check in, and walk the city centre: the Cathedral Quarter (street art, good restaurants, independent bars), St George’s Market on Friday–Saturday mornings, the Crown Liquor Saloon on Great Victoria Street (a National Trust-protected Victorian pub, genuinely worth a pint even if only for the ornate snugs).

Evening: Cathedral Quarter dinner

Belfast has a strong restaurant scene in the Cathedral Quarter. Established Coffee Bar, Shu, and Ox are the mid-to-high end options; Noble on Hill Street is the neighbourhood favourite at reasonable prices.

Day 2: Giant’s Causeway and the Causeway Coast

Full day: the Antrim coast

The Giant’s Causeway — 40,000 interlocking basalt columns formed by volcanic activity 60 million years ago — is Northern Ireland’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most-visited attraction in the country. The Giant’s Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge tour from Dublin covers both the Causeway and the famous rope bridge (weather permitting) in one day from Dublin; from Belfast, the drive is about 90 minutes.

The Causeway Coast road (A2) between Ballycastle and Bushmills is one of the finest coastal drives in Europe: cliffs, volcanic headlands, the ruins of Dunluce Castle perched on a sea stack, and the Dark Hedges (the twisted beech avenue used in Game of Thrones). See Giant’s Causeway day trip guide and the Game of Thrones tours guide.

Key stops:

Dark Hedges: 30 minutes, photogenic beech avenue from a 2-km walk
Dunluce Castle: 45 minutes, a ruined medieval cliff-edge castle
Giant’s Causeway: 1.5–2 hours, Visitor Centre plus the basalt columns and cliff walk
Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge: 30–45 minutes, weather and nerve dependent

Evening: Bushmills or back to Belfast

Bushmills village has Ireland’s oldest working whiskey distillery (Old Bushmills Distillery, founded 1608). A self-guided tour and tasting rounds off the Causeway day well. Return to Belfast for dinner; or stay on the coast if you have booked accommodation there.

Day 3: Derry and the city walls

Morning: Belfast to Derry (Londonderry)

Derry is 75 minutes from Belfast by bus or car. Citybus and Translink run regular services. The city (called Derry by nationalists and Londonderry by unionists — both names are in official use) has the only complete medieval city walls in Ireland and one of the most significant Troubles histories of any city in the North.

Morning and afternoon: Derry city

The walls of Derry are a circuit of 1.6 km around the original walled city and can be walked in 45–60 minutes — cannon on the bastions, views down into the Bogside below. The Bogside itself, just outside the walls, is where Bloody Sunday took place in 1972 (British soldiers shot dead 14 civil rights marchers). The People’s Gallery murals on Rossville Street — 12 large-scale murals known as the Murals of the Bogside — document the Troubles in extraordinary detail.

The Museum of Free Derry on Glenfada Park is small and excellent — 90 minutes covers the full story of Bloody Sunday and the civil rights movement. Free admission.

Afternoon: return to Dublin or Belfast

From Derry, the return to Dublin is approximately 3.5 hours by coach (Translink/Bus Éireann). The journey via Belfast takes 2.5 hours back to Belfast, then 2.5 hours to Dublin by train. The Giant’s Causeway, Dark Hedges, Dunluce and Belfast day tour can be used in reverse — check with the tour operator about pickup and drop-off options.

Alternatively: spend a third night in Belfast and return to Dublin on Day 4 morning. The free time in Belfast on Day 3 evening is best spent in the Cathedral Quarter or doing the black taxi mural tour.

Black taxi political tour: the definitive Belfast experience

A word about the black taxi tours: the political murals of Falls Road (republican, nationalist) and Shankill Road (unionist, loyalist) are among the most significant political art in the world, and the black taxi tours are the best way to see them with context. A Belfast political black taxi history tour covers both sides and takes about 90 minutes. The drivers’ views range from deliberately neutral to openly partisan; the best ones acknowledge both perspectives.

Do this on Day 1 afternoon before dinner, or Day 3 morning before heading to Derry.

Practical notes

Currency: Have sterling. Airport ATMs in Belfast City Airport and George Best Airport dispense GBP. Main cities take cards widely.

Mobile data: Some UK operators charge roaming fees for the North; check before crossing.

Driving: Roads in Northern Ireland are UK standard — left-hand drive, speed limits in miles per hour. The A2 Causeway Coast road is narrow in places; allow more time than the map suggests.

Budget (3 days, excluding accommodation):

Category	Approximate cost (GBP + EUR)
Dublin to Belfast train (return)	~€40–60
Belfast and Causeway Coast activities	~£80–100
Derry activities	~£0–15 (most free)
Meals (3 days)	~£80–100 / ~€60–80
Drinks	~£30–40
Total	~€280–350