We only had 3 nights in Dublin, but wanted to devote one of those days to exploring outside of the city. We debated about going to the Cliffs of Moher, but since we were already in the Isle of Skye in Scotland, we realized it’d be better to add something a bit different; instead we booked a day trip to Northern Ireland. We got to add another “country” to our vacation and got to see several unique places. We booked through Viator, which is nice because for each booking you earn dollars to use on your account in the future, and the tour operator was Irish Day Tours. The tour included a lot of things (Belfast, with the option of a Black Cab Tour, the Dark Hedges, some viewpoints of the Atlantic and of course, The Giants Causeway), our daughter was free, and it only cost us $120 per adult, making it very affordable.
The tour started early because it was going to be an action packed day. We had to meet at the Molly Malone Statue for 6:30 AM. I misunderstood and thought that it was check in and that the tour left at 7 am; so my wife ran to McDonalds for coffee and came back late. The tour guide told me that we couldn’t wait much longer and we had to go, but he ended up getting me a phone to use to tell her to “HURRY UP!” and he ended up waiting. It was about 6:40 and we were off for our first stop. Not realizing this earlier, about 30 minutes into the drive, we had a washroom break and coffee stop at a rest stop north of Dublin. Shortly after that we crossed the open border into “the illegally occupied territory” of Northern Ireland, as our guide put it.
Our Guide and Information about “The Troubles”
Throughout the ride the guide provided tons of information about Ireland and Northern Ireland. He was helpful, answered any questions we asked, and provided lots of information, in particular, about the history of Ireland, Northern Ireland and The Troubles. He had his bias,(towards the IRA), at his own admission and that made the tour even more interesting. Although, he didn’t sugar coat anything, and talked about the wrongs on both sides of the conflict; during the tour I learned a lot.
Before we headed to our first main stop, the Dark Hedges, we passed through Belfast and saw the politically charged murals, the peace walls separating Protestant and Catholic neighborhoods and even stopped in the Shankill neighborhood. Shankill is an infamous loyalist stronghold (devotedly Protestant and loyal to the UK). We learned about the Shankill Butcher and saw some sites of infamous killings and bombings. Our guide was passionate about the history and made it informative and interesting. He knew I was interested and provided me with a ton of information. He let me know that later when we returned to Belfast, if we had 3 others, he would arrange a Black Cab Tour, led by ex. IRA members. The former IRA take you in an old black cab around the city, telling stories, sharing history and showing infamous sites, along with the peace walls and famous murals. I was excited and he knew this, so he really promoted the Black Cab Tour to the bus. And, despite being Protestant myself, our guide took a liking to me, giving me lots of information and continuing to check on me throughout the tour (I was slightly hung over).
Dark Hedges
After our quick stop to Belfast, we were off to the Dark Hedges, a famous and slightly eerie roadway lined with 300-year-old trees. The Dark Hedges have been featured in Game of Thrones too, although I’ve never seen the series. We got there and had about half an hour to explore.
There was a small gift shop with a grass roof and was designed to look like something you’d see in the Hobbit or Game of Thrones. After we stopped for a washroom break and snack we walked along the hedges. It was cool, and an opportunity for some cool photos and videos; but it really isn’t much more than that. The trees are cool, and the road looks magical/eerie, but for anyone who hasn’t watched Game of Thrones, it isn’t a must see stop in Ireland/Northern Ireland.
Giants Causeway and Coastal Views
The main attraction of the tour is the UNESCO World Heritage Site, The Giants Causeway. The Giants Causeway is a series of 40,000 Basalt columns formed by volcanoes millions of years ago. The columns resemble a series of steps/staircases and are situated on the Atlantic coast of Northern Ireland. Legends have it that the columns were formed by Giants, hence the name.
This was the big stop of the tour so we had close to 2 hours there. You can pay to enter, which gives you access to the gift shop and information center, and about a 5-minute shortcut to get down to The Giants Causeway, or you can walk the extra 5 minutes and visit for free… obvious choice. It’s a good thing we had lots of time there, cause the journey to the causeway was quite far. Although there was a bus that went down, but it was packed and you had to wait. We decided to walk and take in the views along the way. As you walk there are beautiful views of the coast, the volcanic rocks and eventually of the Giants Causeway itself. About 30 minutes later we made it to The Giants Causeway.
Walking among the columns was cool; its almost surreal the way they were so perfectly formed. It’s like walking on perfectly hexagonal, beautifully shaped and preserved stone steps. The levels change, so sometimes you’re walking up and other times your walking down stairs. And all while walking, you’re on the Atlantic coast. The view was magical and experience unforgettable. We walked around, took some photos, and sat on some perfectly formed natural “seats” with views of the ocean. It is quite magnificent and there is no wonder that the legends say The Giants Causeway was created by giants.
Unfortunately, the rope bridge, with views of the coast and the causeway was closed, so we had to skip that. And I thought we were going to visit Dunluce castle, as some of these tours do for a quick photo stop, but unfortunately we didn’t get to see that either. Instead, our tour guide took us on a scenic ride along the coast of Northern Ireland. The ride was beautiful with lush green rolling hills, rugged beaches and the coast. Instead of Dunluce castle, we stopped at a viewpoint where there was an ice cream truck and scenic views of the coast. In the background you could see one of the islands of Scotland… some people thought it was cool but since we just came back from there, we didn’t care. Still, the view and ride was nice. We continued driving for our final stop… Belfast.
Belfast
Leading up to the tour, I was most excited for Belfast; because of the history and I was really looking forward to the Black Cab Tour. The plan was for me to go on the Black Cab and the wife and kid would go to the Titanic Museum. She didn’t care about the history of The Troubles, the war or the IRA but liked the Titanic movie, so she was okay with me going off on my own. Again, another unfortunate moment, no one else wanted to go on the tour. The guide tried his hardest, but he couldn’t convince any of the lames on our tour. I was going to pay the full fair for 4 people and get an individual tour, but he told me it wouldn’t be worth it. My wife said she’d go with me and split it, but I knew she wasn’t interested so I took one for the team and skipped the Black Cab. We debated to go to the Titanic Museum but didn’t want to rush and were hungry, so decided to opt out of this as well.
Instead, we visited the most bombed hotel in the world, The Europa. The Europa was headquarters for journalists during The Troubles, this led to numerous bombings from the IRA. I planned to get a drink there until I realized it was a fancy hotel and not a dingy hotel and pub so realized it wouldn’t be worth it. I checked it out quickly and was on my way.
We walked around a bit, looked at a couple of cool buildings and then headed to a popular pub, The Crown Liquor Saloon, for a late lunch and Guinness. We had to wait a few minutes for a spot, as it was packed, but it was worth it. We had a meat pie, stew and fish & chips. The meal was excellent, and we noticed was that prices in Belfast are much more reasonable than Dublin. I had a couple of beers too, and then we were back on our way for a long bus ride home.
Final Thoughts/Review
Our tour to Northern Ireland, booked through Viator and run by Irish Day Tours offered a lot, especially for the price. I browsed similar tours; this was one of the few full day tours that allowed children, and they are free, and it visited the 3 big sites in Northern Ireland with an option for the Black Cab. Plus this was all for an affordable price. We paid $120 CAD a person which was excellent for everything we got to see. Click here for the exact tour we booked.
For the tour, we were on a large, comfortable bus and we covered a lot of ground on the tour. There were only 17 people on the tour, so there was a lot of room on the bus; it’s a wonder how with those prices, Irish Day Tours made any money. The only downside to so few people was that no one wanted to go on the Black Cab. I was really disappointed about this, but at least know it’s an option on this tour, so hopefully if that’s something you’re interested in, you’ll have some others on the tour who are also interested. And despite the lack of interest, it wasn’t any fault of our guide, he tried and tried to get people to join me.
And the guide was excellent, he was knowledgeable, interesting and passionate. He looked out for the people on his tour, and despite being rough around the edges, he was a great guy. He even told my wife that if me and him weren’t separated by an ocean we’d be boys. And I believe him, although I’m sure me and him would have gotten into some trouble together!
The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland have a bloody but fascinating history. When in Ireland, this is something you need to explore and what better way than a day trip of Northern Ireland? Beware, it’s a long day… about 12 hours, but this tour is a great price and shows you a lot of Northern Ireland. Dublin is cool, but Northern Ireland is beautiful and packs a punch. This is a tour I’d definitely recommend if you don’t have time to stay in Belfast when visiting Dublin
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