travel ireland to northern ireland

A Guide To The Ins And Outs Of Northern Ireland

By Author James March

Posted on Last updated: January 2, 2024

If you’re unfamiliar with Northern Ireland, from how it’s different to the Republic of Ireland to what there is to see and do, this guide will get you up-to-speed fast.

Home to colourful political murals, soaring mountains, gorgeous coastlines, the Titanic’s birthplace, Game of Thrones filming locations and the world’s oldest whiskey distillery – Northern Ireland’s a magnificent corner of our island.

However, it’s also a place that can cause some confusion to visitors. We will demystify everything in the guide below.

Table of Contents

Some quick need-to-knows about Northern Ireland

Photos via Shutterstock

1. It’s both part of Ireland yet separate

While Northern Ireland may be on the island of Ireland, it’s officially part of the United Kingdom (and has been that way for over a century).  The border is open and easy to cross, but note that you’re entering an entirely different country when you do. 

2. Differences between NI and ROI

Though the landscapes of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are largely the same from a visual point of view, when you cross the Northern Irish border, you’ll be using pound sterling rather Euro. You’ll also notice that the road signs have changed to miles instead of kilometres. 

3. Counties of Northern Ireland

Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Derry/Londonderry and Tyrone make up the six counties of Northern Ireland and they’re all part of the historic province of Ulster. The most populous of these is Antrim (thanks mostly to Belfast), while Fermanagh is the least populous. By area, Tyrone is the largest and Armagh is the smallest. 

4. Home to endless things to do

As we mentioned in the intro, there’s endless things to do in Northern Ireland ! From the majesty of the Mourne Mountains in the south to the coastal charm of Portrush in the north with the colour and history of Belfast in between, there’s tons to do here and that’s just scratching the surface. 

A speedy history of Northern Ireland

When we say speedy, we mean speedy. The paragraphs below are intended to get you up-to-speed on Northern Irelands turbulent past in 60 seconds.

For a more detailed account, see our guide to Northern Ireland vs Ireland , which delves more into everything from the partition to the Troubles.

Northern Ireland was partitioned from the rest of Ireland in the aftermath of the 1916 Easter Rising and the end of the First World War.

The Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 formally gave the 26 counties of Southern Ireland their independence (eventually becoming the Republic of Ireland), but the Parliament of Northern Ireland opted to stay part of the United Kingdom and it’s been that way for over 100 years. 

The Troubles

The Troubles was the 30-year sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland that saw a huge amount of violence. Over 3,500 people lost their lives.

It lasted from roughly 1969 until the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. 

Present day

These days Northern Ireland is a far more harmonious and welcoming place and embraces its past with honesty and reconciliation.

To see what I mean, check out one of the fascinating taxi ride tours through the Shankhill and Falls Roads in Belfast! 

The 6 counties of Northern Ireland

The counties of Northern Ireland are home to a wealth of history, natural beauty and endless attractions.

Below, you’ll find a quick overview of each.

The most populous of Northern Ireland’s counties, Antrim contains coastal treasures such as Portrush and the Giants Causeway alongside the unique history and cracking pubs of Belfast.

See our guide to the best things to do in Antrim for more.

Armagh 

Home to one of Ireland’s greatest scenic drives (the Slieve Gullion Scenic Drive), Armagh is also full of apple orchards and has an incredible cider heritage to explore (and drink!). 

See our guide to the best things to do in Armagh for more.

Located directly south of Antrim, no trip to County Down would be complete without a tour of the stunning Mourne Mountains . Don’t miss Tollymore Forest Park and Murlough Beach , also.

See our guide to the best things to do in Down for more.

Fermanagh might be Northern Ireland’s smallest county by population, but there’s loads to see. Make sure to check out the remarkable Cuilcagh Boardwalk Trail (also known as the Stairway to Heaven!).

See our guide to the best things to do in Fermanagh for more.

Derry has great scenery but definitely kick off your time here in Derry City. Explore its medieval city walls before enjoying a few creamy pints at one of Derry’s many pubs or checking out the Derry Girls mural. 

See our guide to the best things to do in Derry for more.

Photos by Emma Mc Ardle via Ireland’s Content Pool

Northern Ireland’s largest county, Tyrone, is also home to the spectacular Sperrin Mountains. Before you visit them, make sure to check out the lakes and waterfalls of Gortin Glen Forest Park.

The key differences between Northern Ireland and Ireland

There are many differences between Northern Ireland and Ireland , the most notable of which is that they are two separate countries.

Here’s a quick explainer on the ‘main’ differences as of 2023.

Northern Ireland is part of the UK’s political system and has a completely different head of state than the Republic of Ireland. It has a devolved power-sharing government at Stormont but ultimately answers to Westminster (the ROI’s government is in Dublin). 

The currency in Ireland is the Euro (EUR), whereas, in Northern Ireland, they use the Pound Sterling (GBP), just like the rest of the UK. 

When travelling, it’s always worth having the right currency on you, although it’s generally best just to pay by card.

EU membership

The Brexit Referendum has put the status of Northern Ireland under the microscope like never before. Although the UK is now no longer part of the EU, Northern Ireland shares an open border with the ROI which is a full EU member.

Because of this, NI is still part of the EU single market and customs union at the time of writing, but this is all subject to change.

When driving in Ireland , you’ll notice the signs are bilingual, with the Irish language and English both represented, whereas in Northern Ireland, all road signs are written in the same format that you would see in mainland Britain and are all entirely in English. 

Things to do in Northern Ireland

There are endless places to visit in Northern Ireland .

Below, we’ll take you through some of the main attractions.

Main attractions

Northern Ireland is full of things to do, but if it’s your first time here then you’ll want to cross off the heavy hitters first!

The North Antrim Coast is a treasure trove of historic and scenic delights that should probably be your first port of call in Northern Ireland.

The Causeway Coastal Drive is a fine way to explore this stunning part of the world. Make sure you see the Giants Causeway UNESCO World Heritage Site and Dunluce Castle .

Further east are the beautiful Glens of Antrim . Steeped in myth and home to tons of trails, wildlife and stunning views, these glens are the North at its best. 

Hikes and walks

Speaking of trails! From the majestic Mourne Mountains in the southeast to the Sperrin Mountains soaring up from the Tyrone and Derry border, Northern Ireland is a walker’s paradise.

There are walks and trails here for everyone, whether you’re an experienced hiker or an absolute beginner. 

If you’ve just landed at Belfast, then you can give the nearby Cave Hill a spin or you can travel out to one of the higher peaks.

There are also loads of lovely forest trails to enjoy, so don’t miss the chance to wander amid the likes of Tollymore Forest or Gortin Glen Forest Park.

One of the most unique cities in Europe (let alone Ireland!), Belfast’s turbulent history means there are few other cities like it.

And the city now embraces that history with a passion so make sure to take one of the taxi tours to learn a whole lot more from the people who were there and see the colourful murals that dot the neighbourhoods. 

Belfast’s street art tours are great, too, and make sure to drop in at Titanic Belfast, an interactive experience exploring the world’s most famous ship (built in Belfast!).

Then settle in at one of the city’s fabulous pubs for a creamy pint (White’s Tavern is a belter and one of Belfast’s oldest). See our guide on things to do in Belfast for more.

Castles galore

If you like towers and turrets, then there are far worse places to be! From picturesque coastal fortresses to crumbling ruins, there are some magnificent castles in Northern Ireland .

Part of the awesome north Antrim coast, Dunluce Castle is probably the most well-known of the coastal castles and is just a few minutes down the road from Portrush.

Perhaps just as evocative is the ruined remains of Dunseverick Castle (which can easily be twinned with a trip to the Giants Causeway!). 

Back in Belfast, the elegant Victorian Belfast Castle sits on the lower slopes of Cave Hill and gives cracking views across the city.

Game of Thrones

If you’re a big fan of the popular HBO series, then you’ll probably already know that there are many different Game of Thrones filming locations in Northern Ireland where the ultra-popular TV show was filmed!

The producers gave this part of the world so much attention that there are now a bunch of tours of these filming locations. 

But you don’t need to go on an official tour to enjoy some of the show’s famous locations! While you probably won’t have time for them all, make sure to visit Glenariff Forest Park , the Cushendun Caves and, of course, the famous Dark Hedges .

Unique attractions

Northern Ireland’s classic attractions are great, but there are a few quirkier attractions if you want to get out of your comfort zone (always a good thing, in our experience!).

The fragile-looking Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge might look scary, but it’s a safe and spectacular crossing on the north Antrim coast that will guarantee some fabulous photographs and memories (and some sweaty palms!).

Along a similar vein are the remarkable Gobbins Cliff Walk and the rugged Torr Head headland. 

Back in Belfast, Crumlin Road Gaol is a cracking slice of macabre history with expertly presented tours. 

Fancy escaping to some pristine beaches for a ramble or two? Northern Ireland has you covered and offers some fine sands for strolling with the wind in your hair! 

Close to the lively seaside town of Portrush, the vast Whiterocks Beach is a superb spot for a wander and a few views. Even better, the proximity to Portrush means you can grab a coffee-to-go and take in the sea breeze – perfect for a morning ramble. 

A little further down and famous for being a Game of Thrones filming location, Portstewart Strand is a stunning spot that’s great in any season. With 6,000-year-old sand dunes and tons of curious wildlife, this is far more than your average beach!

FAQs about Northern Ireland

We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from ‘What is there to do?’ to ‘Why did they split?’.

In the section below, we’ve popped in the most FAQs that we’ve received. If you have a question that we haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.

Is Northern Ireland a part of the UK?

Yes, the six counties of Northern Ireland (Tyrone, Antrim, Down, Derry, Armagh and Fermanagh) are officially part of the United Kingdom. 

Is Northern Ireland worth visiting?

Yes – there are endless things to see and do in Northern Ireland, a wealth of history to be discovered and countless charming towns and villages scattered throughout its six counties.

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What are the travel rules for Northern Ireland?

By Abigail Malbon

International travel is back on, with England , Scotland and Wales no longer following the traffic light system – but do the same rules apply to residents of Northern Ireland ? Here’s what you need to know about holidays to and from NI. 

Can I travel abroad from Northern Ireland?

Since Monday 4 October 2021, Northern Ireland has replaced the traffic light system with a list of red list countries and a list of non red list countries. Currently, there are no countries on the red list, and the UK government plans to remove all quarantine hotels from the end of March 2022. 

It has also been announced that from Friday 18 March 2022, Northern Ireland is to scrap all travel rules including the requirement for any traveller to fill out a passenger locator form. This also means that travellers will not need to test or quarantine in Northern Ireland, regardless of their vaccination status. 

Can I travel to England, Scotland or Wales from Northern Ireland?

Those wishing to travel within the Common Travel Area may do so without any restrictions – this includes travel to England, Scotland or Wales from Northern Ireland. There's no requirement to do lateral flow or PCR tests before or after travel within the CTA. 

Can I travel to the Republic of Ireland from Northern Ireland?

The Republic of Ireland is also part of the Common Travel Area, so there are no restrictions for travel across the border. 

What are the restrictions in Northern Ireland? 

Rules have recently been relaxed in Northern Ireland, including the legal requirement to wear face coverings in public places and show evidence of Covid vaccination for entry into nightclubs. However, it is still advised that you wear a face mask in certain areas, such as enclosed public or healthcare spaces. There was also a cap on gatherings in private homes, which was 30 people. These laws have been switched to guidance, although they are still strongly advised. 

Announcing the change on 14 February 2022, Northern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann said: 'It must always be remembered that taking unnecessary risks with Covid may affect people who are particularly vulnerable to the virus.

‘So please do not jump the gun and start behaving as if the pandemic is over. That is not the case.’

Home » Itineraries » Northern Ireland and Ireland Driving Itinerary

Northern Ireland and Ireland Driving Itinerary

Ireland is a magical place full of striking landscapes, beautiful coastline, and the nicest people we’ve met anywhere in the world. There’s a reason it’s on so many people’s bucket lists. During our first Ireland trip, we hadn’t even left before we began talking about when we could return to see other parts of the country plus Northern Ireland, too. We finally had the opportunity to make our 11-day trip to the Emerald Isle a reality. Here’s our Northern Ireland and Ireland road trip itinerary to help you plan your travels.

An important note for drivers: a good GPS that allows you to input coordinates will go a long way with this route.

Driving Tour of Ireland and Northern Ireland

Day 1: celtic ruins west of dublin, day 2: the countryside, day 3: dublin, day 4: powerscourt and dublin distilleries, day 5: belfast, day 6: belfast and portrush, day 7: drive the antrim coast, day 8: derry, day 9: donegal and lough eske, day 10: slieve league and sligo, day 11: back to dublin, ireland travel recommendations.

Arriving in Dublin, we immediately rented a car to head around Dublin on the M50 beltway and then the R115 (the Old Military Road) up over Sally Gap and into the Wicklow Mountains in the direction of Kilkenny. The landscape in this part of the country is beautiful, as you pass mountain streams and wind through patches of forest and up and down the undulating hills. Everything is just so green.

We stopped in the mountains to explore the Celtic ruins in the Irish countryside . Glendalough, known for its round tower, was a monastic settlement founded in the 6th century. Although it is a popular place, we were nearly alone as we explored the grounds of Glendalough, marveling at its old tombstones and Celtic crosses.

Our next stop was Baltinglass Abbey, a 12th century ruin which was once one of the richest churches in Europe. The first night was in the medieval city of Kilkenny at the Alcantra B&B.

Our Irish road trip continued as we headed out on the scenic R697 to the Priory of Kells. The 12th-century ruin—one of our favorites—was the largest and most important Augustinian monastic site in Ireland . Currently undergoing restoration, it’s a magnificent sight to see.

After a stop at Knockdrinna cheese shop in Stoneyford to pick up a picnic, we were off to our next destination on our Ireland itinerary. We took the picnic over to Jerpoint Abbey, eating under the majestic tower.

In the afternoon, our destination was the Rock of Cashel. We took the scenic drive R691 over to the ancient hilltop site where we walked the grounds for about an hour, seeing the Round Tower, the Romanesque Chapel, and other important ruins along the way. In the afternoon, we took the M8 back to Dublin.

With two tours and a an awesome dinner show, we squeezed every moment out of the third day of our Ireland travel itinerary.

The day began with a walking tour of some cool, unexpected sights in Dublin with Le Cool Dublin. The beauty of this tour is that it changes every time. Its goal is to show visitors what’s hip and now in the city, so you may meet artists, visit markets, and see street art like we did, or you may see something completely different. A Le Cool tour is an awesome way to experience the city.

Because we hadn’t gotten enough steps in yet, we set out on an informative historical walking tour of Dublin in the afternoon. We saw Dublin Castle, Christ Church Cathedral, and many of the other can’t-miss Dublin sights. It was a perfect complement to our morning of more local Dublin experiences.

In the evening, we finished up our day of walking with entertainment. The Dublin House Party is a unique combination of a hearty Irish dinner and a show featuring some of the best Irish musicians and dancers in the city. What could be a cheesy experience is instead very well-done, showing visitors the importance of Irish music and the fun that goes along with it. The Dublin House Party is great for couples and families.

Our day began at the peaceful Powerscourt Estate and Gardens . About an hour south of Dublin, the sprawling estate is a brilliant place to enjoy nature. It tops National Geographic’s list of the world’s best gardens.

Punctuated by fountains, ponds, and an endless number of trees and flowers, the 47 acres of gardens at Powerscourt are a lovely place to wander. Amidst a setting of 200-year-old trees, you’ll even find Ireland’s highest waterfall.

In the afternoon, we returned to Dublin to imbibe at The Jameson Distillery Bow St. and the Guinness Storehouse …because that’s what you do in Ireland.

At Jameson Distillery, begun on Bow Street in 1780, we got a sense for the history of the place and what was required when John Jameson started distilling here over 200 years ago. It was a great crash course in making one of the whiskeys that Ireland is so famous for. Plus, we got to do a comparative tasting of their wares.

The Guinness Storehouse is the most popular tourist attraction in Dublin for good reason. This seven-floor experience takes you through all the steps of brewing Ireland’s iconic dark beer. We saw displays about all of its ingredients and the history of the beverage, culminating in the opportunity to pour our own pint on the top floor, which has a great view over the city.

We woke up early and set out driving from Dublin to Belfast on the M1. As soon as we arrived in Northern Ireland, we got busy sightseeing.

It was lunch time, so it was a perfect excuse for one of our favorite activities–visiting local markets around the world. St. George’s Market in Belfast has operated at the same site for an incredible 400 years. One of Belfast’s oldest attractions, St. George’s showcases the best in Northern Irish products. From food stands to fresh produce, the market has a little bit of everything delicious with a heavy dose of national pride thrown in.

The second stop on our Northern Ireland trip was Titanic Belfast. The leading tourist attraction in the world, the Titanic Museum tells the story of the ill-fated ship on the site of the former Harland & Wolff shipyard (its builder). The fascinating museum has exhibits about the building and launch of the Titanic as well as vivid accounts of its sinking and the aftermath of the disaster.

Day six began with our highly-anticipated Black Cab Tour of the Troubles murals of Belfast with Paddy Campbell. Driving along the Shankill Road and other areas of Belfast, we saw mural after mural commemorating historical figures and participants in the decades of conflict that ripped apart communities in Northern Ireland.

Paddy presented an unbiased look at the issues on both sides–the mostly Protestant Unionists who wanted Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom, and the mostly Catholic Republicans who wanted Northern Ireland to become part of a united Ireland–which is a hard thing to do in a place that was as politically charged as Belfast. At the end, we got to guess his affiliation. We guessed wrong. We couldn’t recommend this eye-opening tour more.

After lunch, we left Belfast headed north on the M2/A26 in the general direction of the Antrim Coast. We took a brief detour to the Dark Hedges to take some photos in this spot made famous thanks to its haunting beauty and its cameo as the Kings Road in the Game of Thrones .

We arrived in Portrush for the evening.

We left Portrush heading even further north on the Causeway Road to Giant’s Causeway. In the drizzle, the spectacular basalt columns of the Causeway took on a moody feeling as we watched the waves crash nearby. We spent at least an hour just climbing up and down the unique formation. Giant’s Causeway is not to be missed on any trip to Northern Ireland.

Nearby, we visited the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. First erected by salmon fishermen in 1755, the bridge hangs (apparently precariously) between rocky outcroppings in the north Atlantic. Crossing is an adventure and not for the faint-hearted, but if the winds are calm, it’s not as scary as it looks.

After spending much of the rainy day outside, we visited The Old Bushmills distillery to warm up in the late afternoon. Unlike Jameson, which we visited in Dublin, Old Bushmills is also a working distillery, so the smell of sweet mash hung in the air as we toured the factory. We saw the whole distillation and bottling process and ended with a perfect hot toddy in their tasting room.

It was a long, windy, wet day of amazing sights, culminating at a night at the charming Caw Cottage.

We woke up in Derry and actually stayed there for the full day – one of the only nights on our whole trip that we spent two nights in the same town.

We began the day with a rainy but thought-provoking tour of the Troubles Murals of the town. As in Belfast, Derry is filled with murals depicting imagery from both sides of the conflict. There are the Union Jacks of the Unionists and murals showing Republicans alongside civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr.

Many of the murals in Derry are in the Bogside neighborhood where a group of artworks is dedicated to protesters who were killed on what is known as Bloody Sunday. British soldiers killed 14 people that day and wounded another 12—the incident is the subject of U2’s “Sunday, Bloody Sunday.”

After seeing the murals, we joined in on a great historical tour of the city which took us by the top sights and allowed us to walk on part of the city’s 17th-century walls.

In the evening, we decided it was time for a bit of Irish music and made our way to Peadar O’Donnell’s bar.

Leaving Derry (and beautiful Northern Ireland) on the N13/N56 road, we drove the rugged coast of the Donegal peninsula, part of the Wild Atlantic Way route . Our plan for the day was simply to drive and watch the landscape change, stopping in any village that caught our attention.

Along our drive, we encountered massive cliffs plunging into the ocean, small towns with picture-perfect harbors, and miles and miles of countryside turning from green to gold under the early autumn sun. It was absolutely gorgeous.

We spent the afternoon and night enjoying the luxurious Lough Eske Castle . This 5-star castle hotel, which traces its roots back to the 15th century, offers an immersive guest experience with an amazing spa, fabulous restaurant, and packages that include access to local parks and other castles. A night here is the height of luxury.

We spent the morning at Lough Eske Castle enjoying the sprawling grounds and their gourmet breakfast. Sooner than we were ready to leave (we would never have been ready), it was time to go again. This time, our destination was Slieve League.

Driving west along the N56/R263 road, we approached the giant cliffs of Slieve League (Sliabh Liag, in Gaelic), which are three times higher than their more well-known cousins at the Cliffs of Moher. From the top, there are magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean, the Sligo Mountains, and Donegal Bay. It’s one of the must see places in Ireland .

Another beautiful drive south found us in county Sligo. It was already late afternoon by the time we arrived. We had planned to visit the ancient Sligo Abbey, but it was under construction, so we went to St. Columba’s Church in nearby Drumcliffe instead. The small church with the bright stained glass is the final resting place of literary giant W.B. Yeats.

Markree Castle Hotel, another brilliant, ancient castle, was our home for the night in Sligo.

In the morning, we visited Carrowmore, the largest cemetery of megalithic tombs in Ireland. All the monuments here are estimated to be at least 5000 years old, which is mind-blowing. We didn’t find them quite as impressive as the huge megalithic passage tomb at Newgrange, but they are certainly worth a visit if your Ireland travels take you through Sligo.

After our visit to Carrowmore , we turned back on the N4 road toward Dublin. We returned the rental car at the airport and spent our final night in the capital. The evening was spent at the Brazen Head, Dublin’s oldest pub, seeing a dinner show about the history, myths, and fairy tales of this beautiful island.

Hotels : Ireland is quite challenging in terms of accommodations. Unlike most countries, there are not a large number of big hotels. Instead, Ireland is full of a small, boutique hotels and B&Bs. We recommend looking at Booking.com for hotels, inns and B&Bs.

Rental Car : We recommend renting cars from brand name, larger international companies, or a comparison site like Auto Europe , which is known for its service. If you have a problem, they tend to be more reliable. Before you go, we recommend getting a copy of our book, The Essential Guide to Driving Abroad , which demystifies and simplifies the process of renting overseas.

Travel Insurance : Ireland is an amazing destination! While the country is extremely safe, car accidents are common. For this trip, we bought travel insurance from Travel Guard , which can provide you with coverage for unexpected medical expenses while on a trip because you never know what can happen.

Booking through these sites may earn us a few pennies, at no additional cost to you.

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Karen Keene

Wednesday 31st of May 2023

Can you get around Ireland via train vs. renting a car to see the sights?

Lance Longwell

Thursday 1st of June 2023

Yes, but it really isn't recommended. The trains in Ireland connect most of the major cities and some spots in between. But they really don't service the countryside very well at all. If you want to see Ireland (AND you really don't want to drive), consider the bus. Bus travel in Ireland is efficient and inexpensive, and goes where the trains do not.

Abby Cooper

Sunday 15th of March 2020

This looks absolutely amazing! Very descriptive and your photos are beautiful. Giants Causeway is on my top ten list!

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Welcome to Northern Ireland

We are delighted to welcome you to Northern Ireland. Take a small step and start planning your next giant adventure today.

We’ll provide trip inspiration and local tips on where’s good to go. You’re about to discover a true hidden gem which tucks in more amazing, truly memorable experiences than you could ever imagine. And they’re all just a stone’s throw away from each other. With your every step, you’ll uncover something surprising and new, filling your trip with delightful holiday memories.

We have wild, rugged coastlines that demand awe and adventure. Gently unfolding rural landscapes filled with trails, local stories and nature. Buzzing cityscapes and towns, flowing with life and urban exploration. Cafes, hotels, guesthouses, campsites, attractions and experiences that wrap you in a warm, giant welcome. You might be planning just a short getaway, but we hope you’ll be dreaming of coming back before you’ve even left. 

Discover it all in Northern Ireland

The adventure never stops, regardless of the weather. Even just down the road, it can feel like a totally different season. Plan for long sunny days spent on the magnificent mile-long beaches of Portstewart, Portrush and Newcastle, or hours of fascination exploring our industrial heritage while waiting for rainclouds to race away. You might say it’s the best of all worlds. Here we just say it’s another great day in Northern Ireland.

Giant Adventures, Giant Feasts, and Giant Welcomes

As the official tourism body of Northern Ireland, we’re not just here to inspire you. We’re here to help you make the most out of every memorable moment on your trip.

Have a look around here and see what captures your imagination. The sights, places and things you most want to see and do. Where you’d most like to stay, from the splendid luxury of our very best boutique hotels to a rambling camper van or family campsite with outrageous views. Along the way, you might stumble across something unexpected and exciting that you just have to try. We’ve plenty of inspiration and information for that too.

Explore, plan, and more

We’ve all got a different sense of adventure. Whatever you’re looking for in a break, we’ll help guide you with the right information and inspiration. From rugged backpackers and scratch golfers, to bookworms and fun-packed family holiday lovers, and everything in between. 

Beyond pure inspiration, you’ll also find practical advice, insider tips, guides, maps, and entertaining and informative blog posts for even more of a flavour of what makes this unique place tick. So, let's get started... we’re ready when you are!

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Why Now Is the Time to Visit Northern Ireland — Plus Where to Eat, What Do, and Places to Stay

Nearly 25 years after the Troubles, Northern Ireland’s scars are finally beginning to heal. Here's a guide to the best of the country right now.

Northern Ireland. What do those words bring to mind? Recently, I put the question to two American friends. “The Troubles,” said the first. “The Troubles,” said the other.

They were referring to the sectarian violence between largely pro-Britain, Protestant Unionists and largely pro-Ireland, Catholic Republicans that made Belfast a deadly place from the 1960s to the 90s. Riots, bombings, clashes between paramilitary forces, and attacks by the British army killed more than 3,500 before the 1998 Good Friday Agreement brought a tentative peace. 

Having been born in the former Soviet Union, I’ve always been drawn to places known more for political headlines than for tourism. There, I’ve often discovered underappreciated destinations rather than security problems. Over the past few years, I had been hearing that things were changing in Ulster. I began to wonder if Northern Ireland was another of these secret marvels, waiting for the world to notice how outdated our assumptions about it had become. So I decided to plan a trip.

Simon Watson

My first stop in Belfast was the resplendently Victorian Merchant Hotel , a former bank with a soaring lobby that now survives as the Great Room, the restaurant where my eggs and croissants vanished under the beatific gaze of golden-faced cherubs mounted on colonnades. The Merchant’s conversion, in 2006, into a world-class hotel epitomizes the transformation of Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter, the elegant, cobblestoned heart of downtown. During the Troubles — when the threat of bombing, particularly in densely populated areas, was constant — the Quarter was all but deserted, a testament to former glory. Today, it is an international destination for dining and design. 

As I met artists, farmers, lords, chefs, and Troubles survivors, the Northern Irish character came to feel like a glorious paradox: the warmest and least sentimental people I’d ever met. 

But this cosmopolitanism hasn’t rubbed the edge off what makes the Quarter so different. The poetry, surely, is part of it. Northern Ireland gave the world the poets Seamus Heaney, Paul Muldoon, and Louis MacNeice, and I navigated the Quarter’s uneven stones surrounded not by international retailers, as in so many other European capitals, but by doorways and railings adorned with poems stenciled onto metal panels. The unsanitized view of the Troubles presented in the ubiquitous political murals — interrogations, protest marches, the bloody aftermath of a bombing — amplifies the sense of having wandered into a tourist district from a very different kind of brochure.

As I walked around, I came to a wall emblazoned with a poem by the early-20th-century Northern Irish writer Raymond Calvert, about a gentleman driven to such insanity by his “curse” of a wife that he slashes her throat, but then, in remorse, hangs himself with a sheet. “But the strangest turn to the whole concern/Is only just beginning,” the last stanza declares. “He went to Hell but his wife got well/And she’s still alive and sinning./For the razor blade was German made/But the sheet was Belfast linen.” 

A Northern Irish accent, during the Troubles, “would make people edge away from you on the London Tube,” Kieran Gilmore, a cultural organizer, told me. That sense of inferiority has given way to the unapologetic pride, leavened by gallows humor, epitomized by Calvert’s comic poem. As I met artists, farmers, lords, chefs, and Troubles survivors, the Northern Irish character came to feel like a glorious paradox: the warmest and least sentimental people I’d ever met. 

Belfast is small, and visitors don’t have to walk far for the Quarter and its polish to give way to areas with less evolved views on the Troubles. I took that walk with a guide named Colm McBrierty . As a musician during the Troubles, McBrierty, who has a recognizably Catholic surname, listed himself as Colin Smith so he could play in bars in Protestant areas. In 1972, his mother missed a weekly lunch date at the Abercorn Restaurant in the city center and, by doing so, avoided a bomb that killed two and injured 130.

More Trip Ideas : 8 Most Scenic Train Rides In the U.K.

A walk through West Belfast, where you need the eyes of a native to understand that you’ve crossed from a Unionist street to a Republican one, is a bracing reminder of how intimate the sense of violence must have been. McBrierty and I stopped by a “peace wall” set up by the British government — a euphemism for a barrier between the communities. The Unionist side features quotes by the Dalai Lama and work by local artists. The Republican side has nothing but barracks-green paint. In both Unionist and Republican areas, we saw murals commemorating victims, but also murderers. (In one, thanks to a chilling visual effect, the muzzles of rifles held by two painted men in balaclavas seemed to follow us as we drove past.) But we saw just as many murals by community groups urging reconciliation.

McBrierty suggested that neither side had sole claim to the truth. “There are two cultures on this island, and both have to be respected — that’s the short of it,” he said. He was both clear-eyed and optimistic. “These disagreements won’t end for a couple of generations,” he said. “People died too recently. But we’ve come a very long way.” McBrierty and his wife, a Protestant, sent their children to an “integrated” school. “People say, ‘Are you Catholic or Protestant?’ ” McBrierty said. “I say I’m an Ulster man.”

I thought of McBrierty’s unvarnished eloquence when I had dinner at Wine & Brine , in the village of Moira, in County Armagh, a 20-minute drive southwest of Belfast. Chris McGowan, the chef, cooked in London for 20 years before deciding to return to Northern Ireland with his family in 2014. “We came back for the people,” McGowan said. “People here are so genuine. They’ve gone through so much. And it’s such an exciting food scene at the moment.”

Wine & Brine is a family affair in multiple ways: McGowan’s wife, Davina, manages the front of the house, and the restaurant draws as many couples on dates as multigenerational family outings and retirees on weekly lunch engagements, giving the place an easygoing quality that belies the ambition of the cooking. (That day, the chef was serving pig’s-head doughnuts with malt vinegar and smoked eel from Lough Neagh, just west of Moira.)

The feeling is similar at Noble , a dark-walled 26-seat restaurant with a kitchen the size of a phone booth, in Holywood, just outside Belfast. Chef Pearson Morris raids the fields and waters that make the Northern Irish larder so bountiful: I had a tartare of local beef with gribiche sauce; lamb shoulder with curry oil and mint raita; and a weightless halibut with chanterelles in a roasted-bone sauce. But it was co-owner Saul McConnell’s service — warm and unobtrusive, but with a sense of occasion — that made the evening. Noble was the recipient of the Michelin Guide’s 2021 Welcome & Service Award. Belfast has three Michelin-starred restaurants, but the best meals I had were at restaurants like Wine & Brine and Noble, which cook for the neighborhood as if it were a global stage. 

McGowan and McConnell are part of a growing number of entrepreneurs creating things the country hasn’t seen before. For instance, the creative director Ryan Crown had a thriving career in Brooklyn when he came home for a visit at the start of the pandemic. He encountered a Belfast transformed, with so much demand in his field that he stayed. One of his earliest endeavors was Hill Street Hatch, a Cathedral Quarter incubator that was set up to help local entrepreneurs with marketing and branding. Its first project was the Toast Office , a grilled-cheese shop whimsically designed to resemble an old British post office. It became an Instagram sensation. 

A deep feeling for the land is, perhaps, one of the few things that unites virtually every soul in the country. No trip to the countryside would be complete without a glimpse of the legendarily beautiful North Coast .

Around the corner on Donegall Street, Richie Stokes and Gareth Young run Never Never , a shop for skater fashions created on the counterintuitive premise that the city’s young people prefer to buy their hoodies from human beings instead of algorithms. On Little Donegall Street, Mike Thomson slings farmstead cheese from small Irish and Northern Irish producers at a shop whose name, Mike’s Fancy Cheese, sends up in classic Irish fashion the solemnity with which certain shops sell artisanal goods. 

To experience the unassuming creativity of Belfast’s young entrepreneurs is to rediscover some of the wonder we’ve lost in places where creativity has become commodified. That they live in a city that remains affordable enough for them to lease commercial spaces downtown is essential to that ferment. So is the fact that they borrow equally from British and Irish influence. As Colm McBrierty suggested, perhaps the right answer to the question “Britain or Ireland?” is: “Both.” 

Midway through my stay in town, I relocated to the Titanic Hotel Belfast , a 25-minute walk east of downtown. Against all odds, this theme hotel is a thoughtful, stylish place of pewter accents and floor-to-ceiling windows that give out onto the shipyard where the Titanic was built. The hotel is next to the Titanic Belfast museum , opened in 2012, whose striking exterior of massive shimmering panels is home to impressively curated, immersive exhibits that manage to reclaim the story from Hollywood. But perhaps my favorite thing about the Titanic Quarter was the walk it required from the action downtown, across the river Lagan, which bisects the city before emptying into the Belfast Lough and the Irish Sea. Belfast’s intimate size and mash-up of Victorian and postindustrial spaces make it a flaneur’s delight. The British side of its charm includes Black English taxis. I never took one.

Related : The Best Time to Visit Ireland

Unlike those places where the capital city siphons off the best of the provinces, Northern Ireland’s transformation has also reached deep into the countryside. In the seaside town of Bangor, a half-hour’s drive east of the city, I met the cultural organizers Alison Gordon and Kieran Gilmore. The couple returned home from London after the Good Friday Agreement because they wanted to use the arts to help create a “new, shared Northern Ireland,” Gilmore told me. As they walked me around, sea brine in our lungs, they showed me what two decades of peace had allowed them to achieve.

Gordon and Gilmore pointed out murals by artists they’ve hosted (in one, the London artist Irony had given a crab the chef’s knife), performance spaces for a music festival they organize every year, and an abandoned courthouse that they are transforming into an arts center. “Dereliction is an opportunity,” Gordon said. “It’s not the end — it’s the beginning.”

If towns like Bangor have looked to the arts, the Northern Irish countryside owes its revival to the same elements that have sustained it since the beginning of time: rain and soil. In County Armagh, southwest of Belfast, entrepreneur Susie Hamilton Stubber of Burren Balsamics welcomed me into the country kitchen of my dreams, where the air was thick with the smell of the wheaten bread, a type of soda bread, that she had baked for our lunch. Here, Stubber and her business partner, the chef Bob McDonald, infuse vinegars, chutneys, marmalades, and piccalillis with local bounty as well as imports from Britain’s erstwhile empire: beets and cocoa nibs, Irish cherry, blood orange and cardamom.

The encounter of the Irish Sea and the North Atlantic nearby, Woods said, made for some of the best waves in Europe, still a relative secret among the Continent’s surfers.

McDonald spent 45 years cooking for the officers’ mess in the British army. (British officers eat well, he said — the cuisine was fit for a Michelin-starred restaurant.) For lunch, he finished a saddle of local venison, cooked sous-vide, by searing it in butter and some of Stubber’s garden thyme, as well as a stock of Pinot Noir reduced with a vinegar infused with blackberry and thyme. This arrived alongside a miniature lamb pie, foraged blackberries, white-currant jelly, and root vegetables. “It took some time,” McDonald said. “But people are beginning to realize that what we have is as good as anywhere.”

Even peers of the realm get in on the act, as I learned when I visited Ballywalter Park , a 270-acre estate where the unpretentious Lord and Lady Dunleath welcome visitors for tours. A lunch of local cheeses and Lord Dunleath’s own beet chutney culminated in a walk through the massive walled garden, which supplies some of Belfast’s best restaurants. “These are the pearly gates,” Lady Dunleath said as we approached the entrance, pheasants clearing out of our path, adding that paradise is Pashtun for walled garden. The couple grow edible calendula, black sunflowers, pinto peaches, gooseberries, Jerusalem artichokes, and more. “This was the 18th century’s supermarket,” she said. “When the newspapers are saying what they’re saying about climate change, you must look to your doorstep. The Irish Sea is 500 meters from here. I can have lobster from June to New Year’s Eve.” Ballywalter is in the process of going entirely off the grid, she told me.

A deep feeling for the land is, perhaps, one of the few things that unites virtually every soul in the country. No trip to the countryside would be complete without a glimpse of the legendarily beautiful North Coast . I explored it with the entrepreneur Portia Woods, who has turned her love of the region into a tour called Toast the Coast . As we drove along the craggy shoreline, the roar of the surf seemed to intensify instead of becoming familiar. On the sweep of Benone Strand Beach, Woods set up a picnic of soda-bread crostini, apple butter, and kelp pesto. Under a cold sun, we listened to the thundering waves on repeat: crash, hiss, repeat. The encounter of the Irish Sea and the North Atlantic nearby, Woods said, made for some of the best waves in Europe, still a relative secret among the Continent’s surfers.

Our most moving stop was the speck-sized town of Portstewart, where Woods introduced me to Stevie McCarry, who runs Native Seafood & Scran with his wife, Rebekah. Like so many in Northern Ireland, McCarry grew up without pride in the natural riches around him. “Back in the day, if you came to school with lobster in your lunch, another kid would give you their milk because they felt bad for you,” he said. As a young man, he moved to Thailand. “We all went to the far side.” 

But at some point, McCarry started to understand what he’d left behind. He and Rebekah opened Native out of a frustration that Northern Ireland’s best catch was going to France rather than staying at home. Their offerings are so fresh that the shop has no microwave or freezer. As an experiment, I ordered the plainest-seeming thing on the menu: a roasted-salmon salad. Decorated by nothing save lightly dressed greens, the salmon was elementally, profoundly flavorful. 

“We’re all starting to understand what we have,” McCarry said. 

A Northern Irish Journey

Where to stay.

Culloden Estate & Spa : Located just outside the capital, this former bishop’s palace has views of Belfast Lough and an unmissable afternoon tea.

Galgorm : This resort, in the town of Ballymena, is home to a spa “village” with so many steam rooms, waterfalls, plunge pools, and hot tubs that it’s almost impossible not to get blissfully lost.

The Merchant Hotel : A prime example of Belfast’s Victorian splendor enlivened by a bit of contemporary style. Don’t skip its cocktail bar.

Titanic Hotel Belfast : Located by the Titanic museum and the shipyard where the ocean liner was built, this elegant hotel evokes the high style of the Gilded Age.

Where to Eat and Drink

The Duke of York: The flagship of the pubs owned by entrepreneur Willie Jack; he’ll give you a proper pint and a monologue for the ages. Stop by his whiskey shop, the Friend at Hand, around the corner.

Home : Situated on an ordinary Belfast block, Home is one of those unicorn restaurants of wild imagination and flawless technique that still manages to feel like your neighborhood bistro.

Noble: Electric cooking from a tiny kitchen and unfussy, festive service are the highlights of this low-lit restaurant in Holywood, just outside Belfast.

Wine & Brine : Chris McGowan cooked in London for 20 years before returning home to Belfast to take advantage of the glory of his native fields and waters, which can include smoked eel or turbot caught that morning.

Ballywalter Park: When they’re not lending their 270-acre estate out to film crews, Lord and Lady Dunleath host tours of their property, with its endless fields, 18th-century walled garden, and epic solarium.

Spectrum Cars: This chauffeur company offers a tour of Belfast’s Troubles that’s anything but canned, especially if Colm McBrierty is your guide.  

Titanic Belfast: This immersive, informative museum in a gorgeous Modernist building provides a clear-eyed look at the famous ship’s tragic history.

Toast the Coast: The entrepreneur Portia Woods has turned her love of the North Coast into an exhilarating tour of spectacular landscapes and innovative projects by local proprietors.

Where to Shop

Armagh Cider: The only blossom-to-bottle cider operation in Northern Ireland. A three-course lunch is served to those who book a tasting of ciders, vinegars, and tonics.

Bound: A home-décor store in Belfast that showcases boundary-breaking Northern Irish and European designers.

The Bureau Belfast: Cool menswear from such indie brands as Engineered Garments and Arpenteur.

Burren Balsamics: In County Armagh, the entrepreneur Susie Hamilton Stubber and former military chef Bob McDonald infuse high-end Italian vinegars with Bramley apples, cocoa nibs, and other surprises. See if you can score a peek inside Stubber’s country kitchen.

Never Never: Undeterred by a recent fire, this skater-style shop is selling its wares online while it prepares to reopen.

How to Book

Siobhan Byrne Learat , a member of T+L’s A-List of top travel advisors, can orchestrate a journey across Northern Ireland that encompasses five-star hotels, walking tours of Belfast, and visits to the artisanal producers who are transforming the country’s culinary scene. Email: siobhan@adams​and​butler.com.

A version of this story first appeared in the December 2022/January 2023 issue of  Travel + Leisure  under the headline "Come One, Come All ."

The ultimate guide to visiting Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is famous for many things from "Game of Thrones" locations to golf courses galore. For me, Northern Ireland packages up the best of the U.K. in a relatively bitesize area from the stunning Causeway Coast to the bustle of Belfast. There's great energy in Northern Ireland, and the area is crammed full of breathtaking sights that take you both indoors and outdoors.

Northern Ireland has 157 wet days a year, so be sure to pack for all weather. For now, prepare an Irish coffee and read our favorite Northern Ireland picks below.

Things to do

A trip to Northern Ireland should start in Belfast. It's a lively historic city with its famous Titanic Quarter, pubs, museums , hundreds of street murals, gardens and much more. A great way to get around is with hop-on hop-off sightseeing buses. Make sure you stop off and visit St George's Market -- the last surviving Victorian market in Belfast.

The Cathedral Quarter, named after St Anne's Cathedral, is the city's historic trading quarter and is packed with Victorian architecture, cobbled streets and quirky little pubs. If you are there on the weekend, Tea on The Titanic (which was built in Belfast) is well worth doing. Step back in time to a period of luxury, elegance and five-star service in the opulent Titanic Suite, which is a detailed recreation of the vessel's grand dining room.

The coast of Northern Ireland

Renting a car is a great way to discover Northern Ireland.

Read more : From Connemara to the Giant's Causeway: 9 of the most beautiful beaches in Ireland

With 334 miles of coast, a trip can take a few days to do in full with stops. Belfast is a good place to start, as an hour later, you will pass the Giant's Causeway, the Dark Hedges (as seen in "Game of Thrones") and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge -- from where you can sometimes see Scotland on a clear day. Ferry companies like Stena Line have regular sailings that will transport you and your vehicle to Northern Ireland.

The white sands and azure waters of Whitepark Bay also make for a lovely stop. Rathlin, Northern Ireland's only inhabited offshore island, sits around halfway along the route and is home to an RSPB reserve with resident guillemots, razorbills and puffins.

County Armagh

Drive just an hour south of Belfast and you'll reach County Armagh, a rural gem whose charms rarely get shouted about. Known as the spiritual capital of Ireland, you can enjoy history and culture in the county's towns or venture into the unspoilt countryside and plentiful apple orchards.

Slieve Gullion Forest Park offers the unmissable opportunity to experience peaceful forest trails along with mountain views. The main six-mile trail is marked, takes you through woodlands and then to the summit of Slieve Gullion. You can also drive most of the way up. At the summit, you will find a Bronze-Age tomb and incredible views.

Dunluce Castle, County Antrim

Dunluce Castle is one of the most iconic monuments in Northern Ireland, situated rather precariously on the rugged Antrim coast. It provides a very important chapter in the history of the MacDonnells of Antrim and north-east Ulster.

This now-ruined medieval castle is reachable via a bridge connecting it to the mainland and is surrounded by steep drops on each side. You can explore the findings of archaeological digs within the cobbled streets and stone merchants' houses of the long-abandoned Dunluce town. The dramatic history of Dunluce is matched by tales of a banshee (a female spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member) and how the castle kitchens fell into the sea one stormy night in 1639.

Tickets are $8 per adult.

If you love beaches, then make sure you make a trip to Whiterocks Beach on the north coast, awarded the prestigious Blue Flag Award multiple times with a backdrop of limestone cliffs that stretch from Curran Strand to Dunluce Castle.

Glenoe Waterfall, County Antrim

This pretty waterfall is snuggled in the hills just outside the village of Glenoe, 30 minutes from Belfast.

It's in a deep gorge and was a result of water channels that dropped 26 feet over the falls. Tiny fairy houses were added and stuck between the rocks and a tree fell on the top platform, which adds to the dramatic gushing waterfalls.

Where to stay

Belfast has two decent Radisson Rewards options: the Radisson Blu at 44,000 points (or around $96 midweek) per night and the Park Inn at 38,000 points (or around $86 midweek) per night.

If you love the outdoors and you're after something a little different, check out the family-run Finn Lough Luxury Hideaway, Enniskillen . A truly immersive staycation experience here will allow you to forge a connection with the Northern Irish countryside whilst residing in one of its Forest Domes, Suites or Lakeside Villas. The private, transparent domes are quite unique allowing you to watch the starry nights whilst horizontal on crisp, white sheets.

Forest Bubble Domes are from $409 per night.

Read more: 16 of the best hotels in Ireland

Restaurant top picks

The Muddlers Club in Belfast became the third Northern Ireland restaurant to receive a Michelin star . Named after the secret society that met there over 200 years ago, chef and owner Gareth McCaughey hand picks ingredients daily from the best of homegrown Irish produce, offering an enticing tasting menu (that caters for vegetarians and vegans) and a lunch menu, too. The open kitchen provides a sense of theatre and allows you to look on as Irish ingredients are transformed into Michelin-starred masterpieces.

The icy waters around Northern Ireland produce some great seafood. Enter Harry's Shack at Portstewart Strand, County Derry -- a rustic seafood restaurant right on the beautiful beach. Known for its spiced whitebait, fresh prawns and of course, traditional fish and chips, sunset-viewing tables are popular. It also has a garden overflowing with two acres of organic vegetables and herbs.

Bottom line

If you're traveling to the Emerald Isle and fail to go north of the border, you are definitely missing out. For such a small place, Northern Ireland has some of the most beautiful sights you will find and our bucket list of things to do keeps increasing.

If you are an adventurer, you can hike , climb and kayak to your heart's content and if you are seeking something more sedate, a serious food scene and the stunning Causeway Coast is just the tonic.

The Perfect 3, 4 or 5 Days in Northern Ireland Itinerary

Last Updated on February 12, 2024

by Maggie Turansky

Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. That means if you click a link and make a purchase, we may make a small commission. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, see our privacy policy.

Planning out a Northern Ireland itinerary is an excellent option for those who want to see more of this area than a simple day trip along the Causeway Coastal Route or a day or two exploring Belfast.

If you have 3, 4 or 5 days to dedicate to exploring Northern Ireland, you can see a lot of the country and experience some of the island of Ireland’s most incredible scenery and learn about the heartbreaking recent history.

If you’re planning on visiting Northern Ireland and are curious about what to see and do here, this route will help you map out up to five days of exploring this corner of the United Kingdom.

Table of Contents

How Many Days in Northern Ireland?

Before jumping into this route, you’re likely wondering how many days to spend in Northern Ireland. This can really depend on what kind of trip you’re after, however, if you’re interested in spending time in the city along with seeing the iconic natural sites, then plan to spend at least 3 days in Northern Ireland.

With 3 days, you will have the time to explore Belfast and learn about that city while also having time to get to take in the basalt columns of the Giant’s Causeway and some of the other highlights of the Antrim Coast.

However, if you have 4 days in Northern Ireland, you will have more time to take your time on the Causeway Coast and to spend time at attractions other than the Giant’s Causeway.

For those who want quite a holistic experience, then plan to spend 5 days. This will allow you to add on a visit to the city of Derry and learn about the history here.

Getting To & Around Northern Ireland

There are a range of options available for you when it comes to arriving in Northern Ireland. First and foremost, Belfast is home to its own international airport that connects it to a number of destinations within the UK, Europe and further afield.

Though flying into Belfast is certainly an option, you will find that there are far more flight options going into Dublin airport. Dublin is located only about a 2-hour drive from Belfast and there are also lots of stops along the way . The two cities are also well-connected by bus or train.

It’s worth noting that there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and it is likely you won’t even notice that you’ve crossed. However, if you are driving, keep in mind that speed limits in Northern Ireland are listed in miles per hour while they’re listed in kilometres per hour in the republic.

It’s also possible to arrive into Belfast via ferry from Liverpool in England and from the village of Cairnryan in Scotland.

Once in Northern Ireland, you’ll be wondering how to get around whilst there. In Belfast and Derry, you can certainly plan to get around on foot and via public transport – in fact, it’s probably easier than planning on driving.

Those venturing outside of the cities have a couple of options. The easiest and most convenient option to get around is by having your own vehicle as it will give you the flexibility to visit where you want when you want without having to reckon with bus timetables and routes. Doing a Northern Ireland road trip is easygoing, fun and incredibly scenic and generally the most recommended option.

And if you’ve decided that a Northern Ireland road trip itinerary is the choice for you, you can browse car hire options on Rentalcars.com to compare prices across major companies.

However, you can also get around regional Northern Ireland by bus and train, where applicable. For instance, there is a regional bus system connecting the sites along the coastline so it is possible to travel independently in this area even if you don’t drive.

3, 4 or 5 Days in Northern Ireland Itinerary

Without further ado, here is how to spend 3 to 5 days exploring Northern Ireland. This route is meant to be built upon each day so if you’re only seeing Northern Ireland in 3 days, then plan to spend the first 2 in Belfast before heading onto the Causeway Coast. And if you’re spending 4 days, it’s best to leave a visit to Derry for another time.

Day 1 – Belfast

Begin your time in Northern Ireland in the capital city of Belfast . Though this city has a bit of a dark reputation and something of a rough-around-the-edges vibe, it’s very much worth exploring and it has a lot to offer visitors – especially for those interested in learning more about its recent history.

On your first day in Belfast, make sure to learn as much about the history of the city as possible by embarking on a black cab tour . On these tours, you can learn about the Troubles from knowledgeable guides and also get a good feel for the geography of this divided city.

After your tour, head to Belfast City Hall and then visit the historic Crumlin Road Gaol before rounding out your day.

Where to Stay in Belfast

The Warren Belfast – Those looking for luxury will love this plush, centrally-located hotel in the heart of Belfast. They have several luxe rooms to choose from, great amenities, breakfast each morning and an unbeatable location in the Queen’s Quarter

Central Belfast Apartments: Citygate – If you’re looking for a self-catering option while visiting Belfast, then these apartments are the perfect choice. Centrally located, they have many fully-furnished flats available along with free parking for guests.

Vagabonds – Budget and solo travellers will love this cool, highly-rated hostel in Belfast. Offering both private rooms and dorms, there are also clean facilities and great common areas making it easy to meet other travellers.

Not quite what you’re looking for? Click here to browse more Belfast hotels!

Day 2 – Belfast

On day 2, it’s time to visit one of the Northern Irish capital’s top museums – the Titanic Belfast. The infamous ocean liner was actually constructed in Belfast before it embarked on its fateful 1912 journey across the Atlantic.

This iceberg-shaped museum will take you through a range of exhibits explaining all there is to know about the Titanic and the history surrounding both the construction of the ship itself and also some information about the crash and its repercussions. It’s truly a great experience to have while in Belfast. You can book tickets in advance here.

Spend the rest of your day in Belfast exploring some of the sites that you didn’t make it to the first day. For instance, you can grab a bit to eat at St George’s Market, get the views from the Victoria Square Dome or even head to CS Lewis Square to take in some statues dedicated to the late children’s author and theologian.

Day 3 – Causeway Coast

On day 3 of this trip, it’s time to head out of the city and make your way to the north of the country – to the iconic Causeway Coast. We highly recommend leaving Belfast as early as possible to make it to the Giant’s Causeway before the tour buses arrive – it takes about an hour to drive here from the capital.

If you don’t have a car, there are a number of guided tour options such as this full-day tour or this full-day tour that will pick you up from Belfast in the morning.

The Giant’s Causeway is the name for a collection of roughly 40,000 hexagonal basalt columns that were likely formed as part of an ancient volcanic eruption.

However, in Irish myth, it is said to have been formed when an Irish giant built a causeway in order to fight a Scottish giant — there are similar rock formations on the island of Staffa just off the Hebridean Isle of Mull in Scotland.

Note that the Causeway is free to enter, however, it is not free to park at the visitor’s centre or go inside unless you’ve paid for that. If you’re up for a bit of a (beautiful) walk, we recommend parking at the Salmon Rock Beach car park in the town of Portballintrae and walking to the Giant’s Causeway – that way you can visit entirely for free!

Plan to spend a couple of hours at the Giant’s Causeway as there is more here than just the rock formations. Take the time to walk on all of the trails and really take in the views of this gorgeous place. It’s a truly spectacular experience and an essential inclusion on any Northern Ireland road trip itinerary.

After visiting the Giant’s Causeway, you can take the time to take in some other sites on the Northern Ireland Coast. Head over to the town of Bushmills and tour the Bushmills distillery. You can also make your way over to some viewpoints and maybe even go on a few more walks.

If you’re only spending 3 days in Northern Ireland and want to maximise your time here, you can take in some of the other sites in this area, such as the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, Dunluce Castle and the Dark Hedges. However, if you are planning a 4- or 5-day itinerary, then you can take your time more at go at a slower pace.

End your day in the town of Portrush. This makes a great base in the area and the town itself is a popular seaside resort complete with its own amusement park and lovely beach. There are also plenty of pubs and restaurants to unwind in at the end of the day with a pint of Guinness and a good meal.

Where to Stay on the Causeway Coast

Anvershiel House – Located in the town of Portrush, this bed and breakfast is an excellent mid-range option for those exploring this part of Northern Ireland. They offer several clean and bright rooms, an excellent breakfast available in the mornings, and a location within walking distance of the beach and town centre.

Elephant Rock Hotel – Those looking for a luxury hotel while on the Causeway Coast will love this chic hotel in Portrush. Centrally located, they have a range of lovely rooms to choose from, an on-site restaurant and bar along with plenty of other great amenities.

Causeway Hotel – If you’d like to stay within a stone’s throw of the Giant’s Causeway and see it without the tour buses, then this hotel is a great option. Located adjacent to the visitor’s centre, booking a night here will also grant you free entry to the centre along with plenty of other perks.

Not quite what you’re looking for? Click here to browse more Causeway Coast hotels!

Day 4 – Causeway Coast

Those who have more time to devote to the Causeway Coast will be energised to hit the road early and start exploring again.

Start your day by touring the lovely and striking Dunluce Castle. This ruined castle is perched on striking cliffs not far at all from the town of Portrush and it makes for an excellent place to visit.

Next, you can make your way over to the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. This place was used as a filming location for the HBO series Game of Thrones and it is now very popular amongst visitors – so make sure to book your tickets online in advance and also to arrive relatively early if you want to beat the crowds.

You can spend a fair amount of time hiking around here and it’s worth doing this on your second day so that you don’t feel rushed.

Of course, no visit to this area of Northern Ireland is complete without heading to the Dark Hedges. Again, this was used as a filming location for Game of Thrones and it is an incredibly popular tourist attraction. It’s simply a country laneway that is lined with intertwining trees.

Keep in mind that it is definitely a lot more beautiful in the late spring and summertime when there are leaves on the trees and it can seem a bit lacklustre in the winter to about mid-May.

Day 5 – Derry

If you’ve got five days to devote to your Northern Ireland road trip, then make sure not to miss the city of Derry (Londonderry). As Northern Ireland’s second-largest city, Derry can be overlooked by visitors here, however, it has a lot to offer visitors and can provide important cultural context.

Though the city has been popularised as a destination because of the sitcom Derry Girls (you can even tour filming locations ), it doesn’t get the same amount of attention as Belfast.

Derry is a small city and you can certainly take in the majority of the sites and points of interest within the confines of a day. Take the time to walk the city walls – Derry is, in fact, the only walled city in Ireland and this is a great thing to do here.

Of course, no visit to Derry is really complete without taking the time to learn about the city’s more recent history and what life was like during the Troubles. You can visit the Bloody Sunday memorial to learn more about the 1972 massacre and you can also opt to take a walking tour of the Bogside murals with a knowledgeable local guide.

Those who want to learn even more about the city’s history will also find the Free Derry Museum interesting.

Another top Derry attraction is the Peace Bridge. The pedestrianised bridge connects the majority Unionist east side of the city to the majority Republican west side of the city and was meant to be an emblem of bridging the gap of a centuries-long political divide.

Have More Time?

If you have more time after this Northern Ireland itinerary, why not continue on from Derry into the Republic and visit County Donegal ?

If you’re coming from Northern Ireland and only have a day, then driving the Inishowen 100 is an excellent way to explore this part of northwestern Ireland. However, you could easily spend more time exploring this area, as well.

You can reach the town of Muff in County Donegal in about 15 minutes or you can drive north and take the ferry across Lough Foyle to the town of Greencastle. The latter option would also give you the opportunity to make a stop at Mussenden Temple.

For those who want to tour more of the Emerald Isle, then consider heading further south and enjoying some of (or the entirety of) the Wild Atlantic Wa y. County Donegal is absolutely gorgeous, but other highlights include Benbulben in County Sligo, Achill Island in County Mayo, Connemara in County Galway and more.

When planning a trip to Northern Ireland, you may not realise just how much this small country has to offer visitors. From vibrant and historic cities to some of the most spectacular natural scenery there is to offer in this world, spending a few days exploring Northern Ireland is never a bad idea.

Are you planning to visit Northern Ireland? Have any questions about this route? Let us know in the comments!

Related Posts:

The Perfect 1, 2, or 3 Days in Belfast Itinerary

Dublin or Belfast: Which Irish City to Visit?

The Ultimate Giant’s Causeway Day Trip from Belfast

About Maggie Turansky

Maggie is a co-founder and writer for The World Was Here First. Originally from the US, she has lived in five different countries and has travelled to dozens more, both solo and with her partner, Michael. She particularly loves exploring Spain and spending time in the Caucasus and the Baltics. Read more about Maggie

Hi, I enjoy reading your travel blogs and find them informative. Living in Northern Ireland I’d like to let you know that not only do we have an airport some 20 miles away from the city centre but there is also George Best Airport less than 2 miles from the City Centre and is great for those arriving to the city for its convenience. Also please note that St George’s market is only open from Friday to Sunday . I have seen many disappointed tourists arrive to the market on other days only to find it closed. Finally if you are travelling from Britain and have a National Trust membership this will allow free entry at the Causeway centre and other attractions – their website would provide more detail.

Thanks for those insights, Barbara!

Thank you so much Barbara Would not have thought about our N T membership. We are thinking about driving, any suggestions??

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• Crossing the Irish border: what you need to know!

Ireland is a country divided in two: in the south and west, the nation of Ireland (often referred to as the Republic of Ireland to avoid confusion), and in the northeast the province of Northern Ireland which is part of the United Kingdom. Both have plenty to do and see , and it would be a crime to make a trip to Ireland and not cross the border. But what does that entail? Here is everything you need to know about crossing the Irish border!

Locals take for granted the free movement they have between north and south, and it’s true that you can flit across the border with barely a care in the world. But Ireland and the UK are two separate countries, and for non-locals, there are a few things you would be wise to bear in mind when crossing to Ireland or from it.

Do I need a passport to travel to Ireland/Northern Ireland? What do you need to cross the border?

There are no border formalities between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. This means that you can cross freely from one to the other without the need for documentation; however, you should consider what happens if you encounter problems across the border and need to prove your right to be in the country. It is therefore important to always carry a passport or national identity card with you if you are crossing from one country to the other.

If you need a visa to visit the Republic of Ireland or the United Kingdom, you need to make sure this has been secured and is in your passport prior to crossing into the new country. Again, if you don’t have a valid visa you are unlikely to be stopped, but this is not legal and it only takes an incident or accident outside your control for you to find yourself in trouble. Don’t put yourself in that position.

Can I take my rental car across the border?

In short, yes – but you will need to pay for additional insurance and breakdown cover in the other country. This is generally not expensive, but shop around and check before you book. It is very important that you do declare that you will take the car outside the country you rented it in, otherwise you will be faced with a huge bill in the event of a problem. Note that you can pick up a car in one country and return it in the other, but you will be charged a very high fee to do so, so it is always best to return the car in the country you hired it in.

An international drivers permit is not a requirement to drive in Ireland or the United Kingdom, but may be helpful if your licence is not written in English.

Do the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland use the same currency?

No, they don’t. Northern Ireland is part of the UK and uses the British Pound, and the Republic of Ireland uses the Euro. The two currencies are generally not accepted on the other side of the border, so you will need to change money or use an ATM as soon as possible to get cash in the right currency.

Do both countries drive on the same side of the road? What about traffic signage?

Both countries drive on the left, and vehicles have the steering wheel on the right. However, the Republic of Ireland measures speed and distance using the metric system (kilometres), while Northern Ireland uses miles. Make sure you don’t forget this when crossing the border, as speed limits will immediately change to the new system with little or no warning. All rental cars will display both units of measurement.

Traffic signs are slightly different on either side of the border, but other than miles/kilometres, in all other respects, the differences are easy to understand.

Is the language the same? I have heard that there is an Irish language?

The predominant language in the whole of Ireland is English. The Republic of Ireland also has Irish, a Gaelic language similar to Welsh or Scots, as an official language, and you will see it on signage. Irish is also gaining in popularity in Northern Ireland, although you will not usually see it written north of the border.

There are small areas of the Republic of Ireland designated as Ghaeltacht, or fully Irish-speaking areas. In these regions you may find the only signage is in Irish, and English is not commonly spoken. However, everyone is able speak English so just ask if you need help!

Do the two countries share a cellphone network?

No, the two countries maintain separate networks. However, in most cases, if you have a contract with a UK or ROI network you will be able to use your phone in the other country at no extra cost – confirm with your provider before travelling. For anyone else, roaming rates will generally be the same for both countries, but again, check before travelling.

Phones will automatically switch networks close to the border. Note that your phone may transfer to the other country’s network before you actually cross the line!

What will it be like actually crossing the Irish border?

Underwhelming! Driving from the Republic to Northern Ireland is no different to driving from one Irish county or US state to another. If you are lucky, there may be a sign saying “Welcome to Ireland”, or simply “Northern Ireland” as you head north. On other roads, the only indication will be a sign giving the speed in kilometres/miles, and it is easy to cross without noticing!

So why should I visit both sides of the border?

The differences between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland can be fascinating, but so can the similarities. Both parts of Ireland share stunning landscapes and friendly people, and there are some great experiences to be had wherever you go. So arm yourself with the information in this post, and go out and explore the whole of this great island!

Where is the Irish border, anyway?

Check out the Ireland Northern Ireland border crossing map below, or click  View larger map  to explore on Google Maps.

Planning a trip to the Emerald Isle? Check out these posts for some serious Irish inspiration!

• Ulster travel: Discover the highlights of all nine counties
• Slemish: St Patrick’s Mountain in Northern Ireland
• County Meath: Ireland’s ancient east
• The Mourne Mountains: Northern Ireland’s southeast
• Portrush to Castlerock: Northern Ireland’s northwest coast
• Discover Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast
• 5 Reasons you will love Northern Ireland…
• Northern Ireland: The highlights of Derry/Londonderry

Did you find “Crossing the Irish border” useful? Pin it!

Jill Bowdery, Reading the Book Travel

I'm Jill, and I'm a British blogger who has been travelling for two decades, visiting more than 70 countries on 6 continents. I love to travel both solo and with groups, and to discover the cultures and peoples of the countries I visit. And I love to share a good story or two along the way!

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22 comments.

What a cool descriptive pool of useful information! Pinned it, as it will definitely be handy if I want to cross over to Ireland by land.

I love the way you answer your own questions. My biggest query would revolve around mobile network. I’m so glad that you included that in the list. Despite all the anxiety I’m sure that the trip must have definitely been worth your while. 🙂

Really interesting post – thanks for sharing. Of course, I am really wondering what will happen when (if) Brexit happens. I am British and have never been to North or Southern Ireland…and I think I better get my skates on whilst it’s still possible to seamlessly pass between the two on a British passport!

Jill Bowdery

Just an update post-Brexit: there has been no change to the border process for tourists, and there is still no physical border between North and South.

I genuinely never knew there were so many differences between northern and Southern Ireland, and I live in the UK! Thanks for sharing your know-how!

Great breakdown of the questions. I recently did a road trip in Ireland and we debated going to Belfast, but we weren’t really sure if we could in our rental car. I guess I will have to go back now that I know a lot more details, they are so different. Thanks for sharing!

Beautiful landscapes, epecially Slieve League cliffs. Wish to visit Ireland

Valerie - Trusted Travel Girl

This is such a useful post! I cross the border between Estonia and Latvia and I didn’t know what to expect. This post is going to be such an amazing resource for travelers! I love it

Thanks Valerie! There really aren’t a lot of resources out there about these borders which are easy to cross, but are still between two different countries with different laws and infrastructures. I needed this information when I went but it just didn’t exist. You should definitely write the Estonia/Latvia equivalent!

Southern Ireland is known as Eire so my mum told me who comes from there and stretches right up to the North west of the actual island.

It does! Éire is the name of the country in the Irish language. Did you know that the most northerly point on the entire island is in the “south”?!

I didn’t go to the North when I was in Ireland last because I didn’t have time but also because I was a little worried about the whole North/South thing. Which is probably stupid, since you just need to know a few key things. Long story short, Great post!

Thanks for highlighting exactly why I wanted to write it! You definitely need to get there next time…

This is such great information and perfect timing as I am heading to Ireland soon. I’ll be saving your post for reference 🙂

Glad it’s useful Michelle – have an amazing time in Ireland!

Interesting to read a post about something I take for granted! I’m a Brit who loves both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. In fact, we took our kids to NI last year and it was possibly the best holiday we’d ever had….and we do loads of travelling with our kids. Don’t miss it!

Glad you enjoyed it! I LOVE Northern Ireland – the south gets all the press, but the north is well worth visiting in its own right. It would be a shame for people to miss out!

Anthony Howard

Oh this looks so much fun – I love the idea of the self-guided tour and Ireland would definitely be top of my list!

Ireland really is a country where a car is useful to get around the countryside. It’s beautiful and laid back – definitely a good choice!

AnonymousTraveler

Thanks for this. It’s very handy. I’m visiting Ireland from the US this autumn, staying in Dublin, and I was planning on taking a tour bus up to Belfast and the Giant’s Causeway, and I was wondering if there would be any border crossing delays, customs processing, etc. Your article answered all my questions!

The Dunluce castle seems really great, I’ve added it to my itinerary after reading your article, so just wanted to say thank you for your advice.

You’re totally welcome, Marjan!

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Taking the train in Ireland – what you need to know

Apr 19, 2024 • 11 min read

A train travels along the Rosslare, Wexford to Dublin line in Ireland © Irish Rail

Traveling by train is one of Ireland ’s great, if under-appreciated, pleasures.

It’s a small island and the rail network is limited, so no journey is especially long – but riding the rails across the country is one of the loveliest ways to enjoy the rolling countryside.

Compared to its European counterparts, Irish trains aren’t especially spectacular, but this is a country that doesn’t need high-speed or sleeper trains: you roll along at a maximum of 160km/h (99mph) and before you know it you’re on the other side of the island.

The particular nature of Irish demographics has shaped train travel in Ireland: with around a quarter of the population clustered in the greater Dublin region, it makes sense that most train journeys begin or end in the capital. In Northern Ireland the same is true of Belfast .

Irish trains might not be especially quick or super luxurious, but they’re an efficient and eco-friendly way of exploring the island – so long as your explorations are focused on the major cities and towns. Here is our essential guide to train travel in Ireland.

The lowdown on rail travel in Ireland

Irish trains are efficient, relatively frequent and usually on time.  Irish Rail/Iarnród Éireann operates the entire network of trains in the Republic, from intercity trains linking the major urban centers to the busy commuter network that services the greater Dublin region.

There are two main lines into the west and three into the south and southwest; spurs off the main lines connect to a host of smaller towns throughout the country. There’s also a line to Belfast, from where  Translink services connect the city with the Antrim Coast and Derry (Londonderry) .

Within the greater Dublin region, a network of commuter services connects the capital with a host of suburbs and dormitory towns in the surrounding counties. Dublin’s coastline between the northside suburbs of Howth and Malahide, and Greystones in County Wicklow is served by DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transport) trains.

There are some notable gaps in the country’s rail network, with no services in counties Donegal , Monaghan and Cavan , and no trains into West Cork . Some towns – like Buttevant in Cork or Annacotty in Limerick – are on the rail line but they’re bypassed as they have no functioning station.

Ireland’s bigger train stations – including Cork , Limerick , Galway , Sligo, Belfast and the two in Dublin – are all pretty well stocked when it comes to picking up supplies and other assorted sundries for your journey. Most other stations will have a small shop.

Train tickets are relatively good value

The good news about traveling by train in Ireland is that it is relatively inexpensive compared to train travel in some places, such as the UK, for example. If you buy it online, a standard one-way fare between Dublin Heuston and Kent Station in Cork costs €30–35, and around €55 in first class.

Online is the best place to buy your tickets for train travel in the Irish Republic. Not only do you get the best fares (with savings of up to 50% compared to buying the ticket at the station), but you can purchase your ticket up to 90 days in advance and reserve a seat when you do.

You have the option of collecting your bought ticket from a machine at the station as you’re boarding, or downloading a QR code at the point of purchase. If you wait to buy your ticket at the station, you’ll pay significantly more and have to get there early to queue up at the ticket kiosk.

For travel in Northern Ireland, you’re better off buying the ticket at the station as only a limited number of tickets are available online. Show up a short time before your intended departure time and just buy your ticket there.

Only a handful of services offer first class, but upgrading is relatively inexpensive. On average, expect to pay around €20–25 more to sit in first. There are three kinds of first class service on Irish trains. CityGold is on direct Dublin to Cork services, and includes an onboard host and a complimentary newspaper on selected early morning services. The Enterprise service between Dublin and Belfast offers the same, plus a fine breakfast. Premier Class is similar, but is only available on direct services between Dublin and Tralee and some Dublin to Cork trains.

Some discounts and offers apply

There are discounted fares for children and young adults aged between 19 and 25, as long as they have a valid discount card. Under fives and those aged 66 and over travel for free.

The commuter network in the Greater Dublin area has a fare cap of €6 for travel between the capital and a host of towns in the surrounding counties.

There are two rail passes aimed at visitors. The Trekker Four Day (€88) offers unlimited travel for adults on all Irish Rail services on four consecutive days from the date of issue. The Explorer (adult/child €128/64) provides five days of travel on all services in a 15-day window.

However, before investing in either, be sure that you plan on making the most out of it. The limited rail network means that connections are limited and traveling between some destinations involves backtracking: Cork and Waterford are both on the south coast, but to get from one to the other means travelling to Limerick, while Sligo and Westport are only 140km (87 miles) apart along the west coast, but to go between them by train you’ll have to travel through Dublin – which is on the other side of the country.

In Northern Ireland, the Sunday Fun Day Tracker ticket gives passengers unlimited train travel on a Sunday for £9 (£4.50 for children). Tickets are available from all ticket offices, the mLink ticketing app and from the conductor on the train.

These are the busiest times to travel by train

Unsurprisingly, peak times for train travel coincide with busy rush hour periods. Early morning services to Dublin from cities including Cork, Galway and Limerick can be busy, especially if the train is due to arrive in Dublin around the start of the working day. Friday evening trains departing Dublin can also be quite busy. However, as online bookings also include the option of booking a seat, you’ll never have to stand.

The commuter network is busiest on weekdays from 7am to 9am and from 4:30pm to 6:30pm as thousands of people travel in and out of work. You can’t prebook seats on these services, so plenty of people do end up standing. Keep an eye out on changing schedules, especially for weekend and holiday travel, as frequencies diminish.

The train network is limited, but it has some benefits over road travel

There are no rail links to any Irish airport, which means you’re relying on taxis, private cars or buses once you arrive in the country. Irish ferry ports are better connected to rail lines, however, and you can catch trains in Rosslare, Dublin and Larne; there is no rail link to Belfast Port.

If you want to reach the more remote corners of the island, then the Irish rail network is quite limited, and a car will give you the flexibility you need. However, rental fees can be very expensive and fuel is another considerable cost, with the price of unleaded and diesel hovering between €1.75 and €2 a liter. Parking is also pricey in all urban centers, especially Dublin.

Traveling by bus is the cheapest way to get around, but it can be a slow business, as most make lots of stops along the way. There are some direct express services, but they are at the mercy of traffic, which can also add considerable time to a journey compared to traveling by train. Plus, buses don’t have bathrooms, with those traveling longer distances relying entirely on rest stops.

On board facilities vary depending on the type of train

There are two kinds of Irish trains: InterCity and commuter. InterCity trains are all the same – relatively modern with comfortable seats in standard class and fancier recliners in first – and they travel at speeds of up to 160km/h (99mph). There’s no journey in Ireland that is longer than 2½ to 3 hours. Commuter trains are slightly older, with less comfortable seats; older trains are used on some small-distance spur lines in rural areas and are very basic (facilities include seats and a toilet).

While Ireland’s flagship service is the one between Dublin and Cork, the fanciest train is the Enterprise service between Dublin Connolly and Belfast Lanyon Place, which is a joint venture between Irish Rail and Translink. This train is on a par with most services you’ll find in mainland Europe and first class is the most luxurious of any in the country.

All InterCity trains have three-pin sockets at every row where you can plug in a charger or a laptop. Most commuter trains in the greater Dublin area also have sockets. All trains have toilets and there is a cross-network wi-fi service operated by Irish Rail, but it is patchy and inconsistent. Translink has its own wi-fi network, which is accessible on all bus and rail services in the north, but, like in the Republic, you’re at the mercy of signal strength and contention levels.

Food options are pretty limited. There is a trolley service on the Dublin to Cork service, while the Enterprise between Dublin and Belfast operates a full service menu in a dedicated dining car; first class passengers also get a pretty good breakfast as part of their ticket.

Some trains on the Dublin to Cork route have a “quiet carriage” (usually Carriage G, marked in purple when booking) where the use of phones is prohibited and passengers are encouraged to keep noise levels down.

You can bring a bike on any Irish Rail train for free, although there are some restrictions during busy periods (such as sporting fixtures and concerts). The Dublin to Cork line is the only one to have a dedicated bike storage area; all other InterCity trains have (very) limited bicycle spaces within the passenger compartment – it’s not unusual for only two bikes to be allowed into the compartment, so be sure to book in advance. Bikes are not allowed on commuter and DART services during peak hours – before 10am and from 3:30pm to 7pm Monday to Friday.

There are many scenic train routes: here are the best

No matter where you are in Ireland you’re going to find a beautiful landscape or two, but some journeys are worth keeping your eyes wide open for.

Dublin to Sligo

Once you’ve gone past the huge suburban sprawl of the greater Dublin area, the landscapes get quite gentle; beyond Mullingar the train skirts alongside the edge of beautiful Lough Owel. For the best views, sit on the left-hand side of the train.

Dublin to Belfast

The Enterprise service is the best in the country, with the most comfortable seats and the best food options – especially in first class. The train skirts alongside the Irish Sea between Malahide and Balbriggan, so be sure to sit on that side as you travel (on the right-hand side if you’re traveling to Belfast).

Derry (Londonderry) to Coleraine

The Translink service between Northern Ireland’s second city and Coleraine is a stunner, a 40-minute journey along the Causeway Coast that comes with beautiful beaches, huge cliffs and unimpeded views out over the North Sea.

Downpatrick to Inch Abbey

It’s only a 10-minute journey, but the trip from Downpatrick in County Down to the monastic ruins of Inch Abbey takes place in a vintage steam train (or a 1960s diesel train) that chugs its way along the line, over the River Quoile and past the drumlin-specked landscape.

Cork to Cobh

One of Ireland’s most scenic trips is the 25-minute trip from Cork City to the seaside town of Cobh , which takes you along the river (sit on the right for the best views), past marshy Harper’s Island and over the bridges on Lough Mahon and the Slatty Water. You can always stop off at Fota and visit the  wildlife park  there.

Book in advance for wheelchair access to trains

All InterCity services are nominally accessible, but if you do need assistance you will need to book it in advance so that suitable arrangements can be made. This usually means that a conductor will have a ramp ready for wheelchair access, but we have also heard plenty of anecdotal evidence of staff simply lifting a wheelchair onto a train, which depending on the individual can either be a help or an annoying hindrance. Whatever you do, make sure to communicate your requirements before you travel as assistance is not guaranteed otherwise.

For passengers with learning difficulties or any issue where there may be a challenge with communication (such as autism) Irish Rail staff are trained to recognize visual cue cards such as the  JAM card , which inform the interlocutor of the holder’s condition. JAM cards are available online or at mainline train stations in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Sligo.

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Exercise normal safety precautions in Ireland.

Ireland (PDF 263.38 KB)

Europe (PDF 2.62 MB)

Local emergency contacts

Fire and rescue services, medical emergencies, police (locally know as garda).

Call 112 or contact the nearest police station.

Advice levels

• Petty crime is common, particularly in urban areas and places popular with tourists. There's a moderate risk of serious violent crime. Watch your belongings, especially on public transport and in crowded places. Avoid secluded parks and unlit areas.
• Car theft and break-ins occur. Thieves target rental cars, mostly in Dublin and tourist areas, especially in secluded scenic locations. Use secure parking lots and keep luggage and valuables out of sight.
• Credit card fraud and ATM scams are becoming more common. Check ATMs before use. Don't use machines that look unusual.
• Demonstrations and large public gatherings regularly occur and could turn violent. A void areas where protests and demonstrations are occurring. Monitor the media and follow the advice of local authorities.

Full travel advice: Safety

The standard of health care is similar to that in Australia.

• Australia and Ireland share a reciprocal healthcare agreement. You'll still need travel insurance.

Full travel advice: Health

Possessing even a small amount of illegal drugs can lead to a long jail sentence.

Don't carry items for anyone when you enter or leave Ireland.

Full travel advice: Local laws

• Entry and exit conditions can change at short notice. Contact the nearest embassy or consulate of Ireland for the latest details.
• You don't need to apply for a tourist visa before departing Australia. You may be granted a tourist visa for up to 90 days on arrival, as determined by the immigration officer. 
• You'll need a visa for longer stays or if you want to work or study. You'll need to apply for your visa before you leave Australia.
• At least one blank page in your passport is required on entry.

Full travel advice: Travel

Local contacts

• The  Consular Services Charter  tells you what the Australian government can and can't do to help when you're overseas.
• For consular help, contact the  Australian Embassy in Dublin .
• To stay up to date with local information, follow the embassy’s social media accounts.

Full travel advice: Local contacts

Full advice

Petty crime.

Petty crime is common, particularly in city centres like Dublin. Risks include bag snatching and pickpocketing.

Thieves target areas popular with tourists.

Car theft and break-ins are increasing. Thieves target rental cars, especially in Dublin and tourist areas.

Use secure parking lots when possible and keep your luggage and valuables out of sight.

Watch your belongings on public transport and in crowded places.

Violent crime

There's a moderate risk of serious violent crime.

Avoid secluded parks, unlit areas and known trouble spots.

Check local media for news on crime.

Scams and fraud

Credit card fraud and ATM  scams  are becoming more common.

Don't use ATMs that look unusual.

More information:

• Information and assistance for victims of crime (Irish Tourist Assistance Service - ITAS)

Cyber security

You may be at risk of cyber-based threats during overseas travel to any country. Digital identity theft is a growing concern. Your devices and personal data can be compromised, especially if you're connecting to Wi-Fi, using or connecting to shared or public computers, or to Bluetooth. 

Social media can also be risky in destinations where there are social or political tensions or laws that may seem unreasonable by Australian standards. Travellers have been arrested for things they have said on social media. Don't comment on local or political events on your social media. 

More information:  

• Cyber security when travelling overseas  

Civil unrest and political tension

Demonstrations and large public gatherings regularly occur and could turn violent. 

To stay safe during periods of unrest:

• avoid protests and demonstrations
• monitor the media for possible unrest
• avoid affected areas
• follow the advice of local authorities

Demonstrations and civil unrest

While there have been no recent terrorist attacks in Ireland, they can still happen.

The terrorist threat level in Northern Ireland is different to Ireland. If you plan to visit Northern Ireland, you should read the  UK travel advice.  

In recent years, terrorists have attacked some European cities. Targets have included:

• public transport
• transport hubs
• places popular with tourists

European security services have disrupted several planned attacks in recent years.

To stay safe:

• be alert to possible threats, especially in public places
• take care around known possible targets
• report anything suspicious to the police
• monitor the media and local sources
• take official warnings seriously

If there's a terrorist attack:

• leave the area as soon as it's safe
• avoid the affected area in case of secondary attacks

Terrorism is a threat worldwide.

Climate and natural disasters

Severe weather can disrupt your travel plans.

Monitor local media for updates.

If you visit somewhere that's had severe weather:

• confirm your plans and activities with your tour operator or travel provider
• contact your tour operators and hotels to check if the weather has affected services and facilities

Travel Insurance

Get comprehensive travel insurance before you leave. 

Your policy needs to cover all overseas medical costs, including medical evacuation. The Australian Government won't pay for these costs.

If you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel. This applies to everyone, no matter how healthy and fit you are.

If you're not insured, you may have to pay many thousands of dollars up-front for medical care.

• what activities and care your policy covers
• that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll be away

Physical and mental health

Consider your physical and mental health before you travel, especially if you have an existing medical condition. 

See your doctor or travel clinic to:

• have a basic health check-up
• ask if your travel plans may affect your health
• plan any vaccinations you need

Do this at least 8 weeks before you leave.

If you have immediate concerns for your welfare or the welfare of another Australian call the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 or contact your  nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate  to discuss counselling hotlines and services available in your location .

• General health advice
• Healthy holiday tips  (Healthdirect Australia)

Health risks

Health risks in Ireland are similar to those in Australia.

• Health Service Executive  (Irish Government Health Service)

Medications

Not all medication available over the counter or by prescription in Australia is available in other countries. Some may even be considered illegal or a controlled substance, even if prescribed by an Australian doctor.

If you plan to bring medication, check if it's legal in Ireland. Take enough legal medication for your trip.

Carry a copy of your prescription or a letter from your doctor stating:

• what the medication is
• your required dosage
• that it's for personal use

Medica tion

Medical care

Medical facilities.

Australia and Ireland share a reciprocal healthcare agreement. This means you can get emergency medical treatment at public hospitals in the same way Irish people can.

However, the agreement doesn't:

• allow you to get ongoing treatment for an existing condition
• replace your need for private travel insurance
• You must usually pay up-front for medical treatment.

Medicare - Reciprocal health care agreements

You're subject to all local laws and penalties, including those that may appear harsh by Australian standards. Research local laws before travelling.

If you're arrested or jailed, the Australian Government will do what it can to help you under our Consular Services Charter . But we can't get you out of trouble or out of jail.

• Carrying or using drugs
• Citizens Information

Australian laws

Some Australian criminal laws still apply when you're overseas. If you break these laws, you may face prosecution in Australia.

Staying within the law and respecting customs

Dual citizenship

Ireland recognises dual nationality.

Dual nationals

Visas and border measures

Every country or territory decides who can enter or leave through its borders. For specific information about the evidence you'll need to enter a foreign destination, check with the nearest embassy, consulate or immigration department of the destination you're entering. 

Visitor visas

You don't need to apply for a tourist visa before departing Australia. A tourist visa of up to 90 days will be issued on arrival, as determined by the immigration officer. 

At least one blank page in your passport is required for entry.

When you arrive, immigration authorities may ask for details of your:

• accommodation bookings
• return flights
• contacts in Ireland

If they don't believe you're a genuine tourist, they may:

• refuse to let you enter
• give you a limited-stay visa

You'll need a visa for longer visits or if you want to work or study. You'll need to apply for your visa before you leave Australia.

Ireland isn't a part of the  Schengen area  and doesn't accept Schengen visas.

Entry and exit requirements can change at short notice. For details about visas, customs and quarantine conditions, contact either:

• Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service
• an  embassy or consulate of Ireland

Working in Ireland

If you plan to work, you'll need an employment permit.

Use the  Employment Permits Online System (EPOS)  to choose the right permit.

• Living or working overseas

Travel with children

Immigration authorities have strict entry requirements for children aged under 18 years.

Authorities may ask the child, or adults accompanying them, for additional supporting documentation.

• Travel to Ireland with a child under 18
• Advice for people travelling with children

Some countries won't let you enter unless your passport is valid for 6 months after you plan to leave that country. This can apply even if you're just transiting or stopping over.

Some foreign governments and airlines apply the rule inconsistently. Travellers can receive conflicting advice from different sources.

You can end up stranded if your passport is not valid for more than 6 months.

The Australian Government does not set these rules. Check your passport's expiry date before you travel. If you're not sure it'll be valid for long enough, consider getting  a new passport .

Lost or stolen passport

Your passport is a valuable document. It's attractive to people who may try to use your identity to commit crimes.

Some people may try to trick you into giving them your passport. Always keep it in a safe place.

If your passport is lost or stolen, tell the Australian Government as soon as possible:

• In Australia, contact the  Australian Passport Information Service .
• If you're overseas, contact the nearest  Australian embassy or consulate .

Passport with 'X' gender identifier 

Although Australian passports comply with international standards for sex and gender, we can't guarantee that a passport showing 'X' in the sex field will be accepted for entry or transit by another country. Contact the nearest  embassy, high commission or consulate of your destination  before you arrive at the border to confirm if authorities will accept passports with 'X' gender markers. 

• LGBTI travellers  

The local currency is the Euro.

Ireland is a member of the European Union (EU). If you're travelling between Ireland and any non-EU country, you must declare amounts over 10,000 euros or equivalent. This covers all forms of currency, not only cash.

You'll have to pay a fine when you enter or leave Ireland if you:

• don't declare this money
• give incorrect information 

You don't need to declare currency if you're travelling between EU countries.

ATMs are widely available. Ask your bank before you leave if your card will work in Ireland.

Local travel

Contact your provider with any complaints about tourist services or products.

If you're not satisfied with the response, contact the  Irish Tourist Assistance Service (ITAS)  for support and advice.

Driving permit

You can use your Australian driver's licence for up to 12 months. After this, you'll need to get an Irish licence.

Ireland and Australia have a driver's licence exchange for car and motorcycle licences, meaning that if you have an Australian licence, you can apply for an Irish licence without sitting any tests. You must apply for a  Personal Public Service (PPS) Number  before exchanging your licence.

When hiring a car, check with your hire car provider whether you need an International Driving Permit. The electronic version of your driver's licence won't be accepted.

Road travel

Conditions on major roads and in urban areas are good. However, hazards in country areas include:

• narrow, winding roads, particularly at night and during bad weather
• animals, farm vehicles and machinery on roads

You face serious penalties for drink driving, including heavy fines and jail sentences.

The blood alcohol limits are:

• 0.05% in most cases
• 0.02% for professional, learner and novice drivers

If you plan to drive:

• check if your travel insurance will cover you
• learn local road rules and practices
• Irish Automobile Association
• Driving or riding

Motorcycles

Check if your travel insurance policy covers you when riding a motorbike.

Always wear a helmet.

Ireland has several authorised taxi and limousine services.

Public transport

Ireland has well-developed networks of buses, trains and ferries.

However, public transport may be disrupted by:

• industrial action
• engineering works
• Transport for Ireland
• Transport and getting around safely

Many international cruise lines stop over in Ireland.

• Going on a cruise

DFAT doesn't provide information on the safety of individual commercial airlines or flight paths.

Check  Ireland's air safety profile  with the Aviation Safety Network.

Emergencies

Depending on what you need, contact your:

• family and friends
• travel agent
• insurance provider

Police (locally known as Garda)

Always get a police report when you report a crime.

Your insurer should have a 24-hour emergency number.

If you're a victim of a crime, police may refer you to the  Irish Tourist Assistance Service (ITAS) .

• provide free help
• contact your travel companies and banks
• arrange your accommodation, meals and transport in an emergency

Consular contacts

Read the Consular Services Charter for what the Australian Government can and can't do to help you overseas.

You can get consular help from the Australian Embassy in Dublin.

Australian Embassy, Dublin

47-49 St Stephen's Green

Dublin 2, D02 W634

Phone: (+353 1) 664 5300

Fax: (+353 1) 678 5185

Email: [email protected]

Website: ireland.embassy.gov.au

Facebook: Australian Embassy, Ireland

Twitter: @AusEmbIre

Make an appointment to get help from the embassy.

Check the Embassy website for details about opening hours and any temporary closures.

24-hour Consular Emergency Centre

In a consular emergency, if you can't contact an embassy, call the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on:

• +61 2 6261 3305 from overseas
• 1300 555 135 in Australia

Travelling to Ireland?

Sign up to get the latest travel advice updates..

Be the first to know official government advice when travelling.

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Ranked: The BEST Things To Do In Northern Ireland

Posted: April 27, 2024 | Last updated: April 27, 2024

Unmissable highlights of Northern Ireland

Small but mighty Northern Ireland packs in plenty of impressive sights, Celtic culture, cuisine, tradition and history into 32,595 square miles. From museums to festivals and fine dining experiences, this destination offers an activity for every age and a flavour for every palette.

Click or scroll through the gallery to discover our guide to the unmissable highlights of Northern Ireland, with a focus on activities for city break lovers...

1. Visit Titanic Belfast

Located on the very spot where the ill-fated ship was designed, built and launched, Titanic Belfast is a world-leading tourist attraction which takes visitors on an immersive journey from the bustling boomtown of early 19 th  century Belfast, through the conception and construction of the RMS Titanic. You'll also learn what life was like on board the completed ship and within the cabins of various classes, and finally the story culminates in the tragic sinking and devastating aftermath, with one of the largest collections of salvaged artefacts in the world.

The museum is designed for guests of all ages, with plenty of interactive elements to engage young children, and a wealth of information presented through multimedia exhibits. There’s even a short, fairground-style ride which takes passengers through the sights, sounds and smells of the shipyard as it would have been during the Titanic’s construction.

Also in the vicinity and worth exploring are the SS Nomadic, the Titanic’s tender ship and the last remaining White Star Liner vessel in the world; the slipways where the ship was actually constructed; and the former Harland & Wolff headquarters where the Titanic was designed – and which is now the Titanic Hotel Belfast .

2. Tour the Titanic Distillers

While exploring Belfast’s rapidly developing 10-km (six-mile) Maritime Mile along the waterfront, you’ll want to stop by the  Titanic Distillers , a new distillery based out of a former pumphouse that once serviced the Titanic, as well as many other ships. Distillery tours take visitors on a journey through the building’s history, from its original use – as a pumphouse, it was the last spot where Titanic rested on dry ground before she set sail – to its restoration and renovation into the distillery, including an explanation of the whiskey making process.

The tour ends with a tasting, allowing guests to sample their Irish Whisky and award-winning Irish vodka, distilled on site. The tour is a must-do for history and whiskey-lovers alike, the perfect way to immerse yourself in Belfast’s maritime past while enjoying some of its very best contemporary spirits.

There is also a fantastic gift shop if you want to bring some Titanic-branded beverages back home. 

3. Take a hike up Cave Hill

If you’re looking for an outdoor experience near Belfast that doesn’t require elite outdoorsman skills, then a hike up Cave Hill is the perfect excursion, with the added benefit that the trails are within easy walking distance of the city centre. The hike starts at the beautiful Belfast Castle , a late 19 th century mansion built in the Scottish baronial style popular at the time and situated on a promontory overlooking the city. From here, hikers can choose one of several routes of varying lengths, depending on how ambitious they’re feeling.

Any hike here should include a visit to McArt's Fort, known by locals as ‘the nose’ or ‘Napoleon’s Nose.’ This promontory sits 1,207 feet (368m) above sea level and is said to resemble the profile of the French emperor Napoleon I.

Napoleon’s Nose is also said to have inspired the giant in Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels . This summit will provide breathtaking views out across the city, while the entire journey up the hill is punctuated with beautiful vistas of rolling farmland, leafy pastures and the occasional herd of cows.

4. Savour the flavours on a tasting tour

If you’re keen to sample more of the flavours of Belfast, you should check out the variety of experiences offered by  Taste & Tour , a company which specialises in various walking tours based around the city’s culinary highlights. The tours are an excellent way to see the city, while providing the low-down on the best places to eat and drink from a knowledgeable guide.

Great tour options from Taste & Tour include the Belfast Food Tour, the Belfast Gin Jaunt, the City Cocktail Circuit and the 5 Stop Brunch. Whichever tour you choose, the company ethos remains the same – highlighting local traditions and businesses, showcasing the very best of Northern Ireland’s flavours and generally creating an atmosphere of a big, portable party. 

We tried the City Cocktail Circuit and loved getting to sample a wide variety of artisanal drinks in locations ranging from the sumptuous and historic Merchant Hotel to a quirky underground speakeasy. And, if the thought of so many beverages in a concentrated time causes concern, don’t worry: there are plenty of tasty snacks included along the way! 

5. Visit the Ulster American Folk Park

Moving away from Belfast and into County Tyrone (around 1 hour 20 from Belfast by car), you’ll find another activity that’s perfect for the whole family – the Ulster American Folk Park . Popular with international tourists as well as locals, this living history museum recreates rural Irish life in the 18 th century and charts the Irish immigrant’s journey from County Tyrone across the Atlantic to the American frontier.

Throughout the museum’s collection of authentic 18 th and 19 th century buildings, costumed interpreters perform daily chores and regale guests with stories from the past.

Visitors will start in a traditional Ulster village, moving along the bustling high street from the blacksmiths to the schoolhouse, and then board the recreated ‘Brig Union ship,’ experiencing the cramped quarters and squalid conditions that immigrants endured for the 12-week journey to the US. They will then emerge in the vibrant New World and discover how Irish immigrants built new lives and communities in settlements as wide ranging as West Virginia, Tennessee and Pennsylvania.

The Ulster American Folk Park also offers a range of seasonal events and workshops, particularly around the holidays.

6. Sample cider at Long Meadow Farm

Well into their third generation of farmers, the McKeever’s of  Long Meadow Cider  is a family farm situated in County Armagh, which has long been dedicated to the production of Bramley apples. The McKeevers turn the tasty fruit into award-winning juices, ciders and apple cider vinegars, with tried and tested methods that have been passed down from generation to generation.

The best way to experience all that Long Meadow has to offer is with a tour, which includes a walk through the aromatic orchard, a peek into the apple pressing and bottling room and the cold storage facilities (with the chance to try both a piece of fruit and shot of apple cider vinegar), and a fabulous finish in the glass-fronted barn overlooking the orchard with a cup of hot coffee and a piece of freshly made apple tart and cream. There is also the option to enjoy a cooking demonstration and tasting of Irish soda bread.

And of course, all tours include a tasting of the various juices and ciders produced on site.

7. Take a tour of the Derry walls

In the historic walled city of Derry/Londonderry, you’ll have the chance to experience all that the inaugural UK City of Culture has to offer. The best way to do this is to take a tour of the city walls themselves.

Join a City Walking Tour for an engaging, unbiased journey through Derry/Londonderry's history, from its Christian settlement in the 6 th century, up through the Troubles including Bloody Sunday, to its current reputation as a seat of music, hospitality and peace.

City Walking Tours take in exciting highlights, including the siege cannons still mounted on the city walls, St Columb’s Cathedral, and the Bogside murals, painted on the sides of buildings by local artists, which depict poignant moments from the Troubles. Plus, for fans of the hit Channel 4 TV series Derry Girls , there are quite a few familiar landmarks and references sprinkled in along the way…

8. Pay homage to the Derry Girls

In fact, there are plenty of opportunities for Derry Girls fans to immerse themselves in the world of these iconic characters while visiting the city. Perhaps the biggest attraction is the Derry Girls mural, painted by UV Arts in 2019 to honour the show’s impact on the city.

The mural is a fantastic photo opp for Derry Girls fans of all ages. 

There is also a fantastic Derry Girls Experience in the Tower Museum , located in the heart of the city. Here, visitors can see sets, costumes and props used on the hit TV series, as well as watch interviews with its cast and creator Lisa McGee, as they find out more about the production process.

If all this walking has tired you out, you can always stop by Doherty’s Home Bakery for a cream horn pick-me-up in honour of the show's Granda Joe!

9. Pull your own pints at the Walled City Brewery

The best way to end a day in Derry/Londonderry is within the warm and welcoming confines of the Walled City Brewery . Here, the self-proclaimed “expert hipster brewers” will take you on a tour of the facilities, letting you taste the different grains used, showing you the equipment for the brewing process and explaining the history of the brewery itself, which originally opened in 1872.

At the end of the tour comes the highlight – the opportunity to pull your own pint of choice, straight from the keg.

The Walled City Brewery also boasts an impressive onsite restaurant, with a menu inspired by local produce and flavours and featuring everything from steak and chips and pork fillet to gluten-free, veggie and vegan options. The restaurant is family friendly and makes an excellent spot to kick back and relax with a pint after a day of exploring, or in preparation for a night of festivities…

10. Revel at Derry Halloween

If you’re lucky enough to visit Derry/Londonderry at the end of October, you’ll find yourself immersed in Derry Halloween , Europe’s largest Halloween festival (taking place 28-31 October 2024). Steeped in centuries of Celtic tradition, the festival celebrates the end of the harvest season and the coming of winter or, in slightly darker lore, the moment when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is at its thinnest.

While our modern Halloween traditions may have come a long way from these early Gaelic precursors, the spirit of Samhain is still alive and well in Derry.

In a rollicking marriage of old and new traditions, Derry Halloween turns the entire walled city into one enormous party, with music, dancers, acrobats, storytellers, fire artists and live performances of every kind. The festival runs for about a week leading up to the main event – an enormous parade and fireworks display that caps off the festivities.

Hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world flood the city for this special event every year, all dressed to impress in their finest (or fiercest!) festive attire.

Now discover Ireland's most beautiful small towns and villages

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British Government files to be "opened up" for Troubles "Public History" project

Plans for the independent public history project relating to the troubles in northern ireland have been met with some criticism..

Plans for an independent Public History project relating to The Troubles in Northern Ireland were announced by Northern Ireland Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris on Thursday, April 25.

The Northern Ireland Office said the project will see up to five historians granted full access to UK state archives, to provide an "independent and authoritative examination" of the UK Government’s policy towards Northern Ireland during The Troubles. 

Academics Lord Bew and Dr. Caoimhe Nic Dháibhéid will co-chair an independent advisory panel representing a range of expertise and historical perspectives. 

The expert panel will make recommendations on key details of the project, including the selection of historians to write the ‘Public History.'

The Secretary of State has announced plans for a new independent, Public History relating to the Troubles in Northern Ireland. More details here: https://t.co/42Xdyx5BVO — Northern Ireland Office (@NIOgov) April 25, 2024

The Northern Ireland Office said on Thursday that Lord Caine, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, "expressed the British Government’s commitment to the project by personally meeting panel members ahead of their first formal meeting in London this week.

"The Minister was keen to acknowledge the importance of the panel’s independence in conducting their work."

Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harri said: “By opening up Government files to independent historians, including the records of previous administrations and those held across different departments and agencies, this Public History will help allow for a fuller examination of the Troubles than has ever been possible before. 

“I am grateful to Lord Bew, Dr. Caoimhe Nic Dháibhéid, and the panel members, whose exceptional knowledge and insight will play a key role in advancing public understanding of Northern Ireland’s difficult past.”

Lord Bew said: “I have long advocated for this Public History, and for opening sensitive information to scholars in the interest of securing a fuller picture of the state’s role during the Troubles.”

“I am delighted to co-chair this varied panel of eminent historians, which is reflective of the broad consultation we have had with over 40 academics. I am grateful to everyone who has taken the time to share their views, which have shaped the form of this project.” 

Dr. Caoimhe Nic Dháibhéid said: "As a historian, I am supportive of any endeavour to widen access to archival sources.

"I welcome the Government’s commitment to doing so via a transparent and rigorous process, and following extensive consultation with the academic community.

“In line with the recommendations made by Sir Joseph Pilling, this panel is eager to engage with as broad a constituency as possible during the course of this project and I look forward to collaborating with researchers across these islands in the coming months.”

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As the Irish News notes , the public history project is being commissioned on the foot of a clause in the British government's Northern Ireland Legacy Act, which received royal assent in September despite widespread opposition .

Lord Caine, who is now involved with the public history project, was a sponsor of the Legacy Act , which is set to bring an end to Troubles inquests and civil cases that have not reached the point of verdict by May 1.

The plans for the public history project were met with some criticism on Thursday.

The Pat Finucane Center, a human rights group that advocated a non-violent resolution of the conflict on the island of Ireland, said in a post on X: "Are we supposed to believe that 'full access' will be given?"

The Center's post was reshared on X by Colum Eastwood, the head of Northern Ireland's SDLP party.

Are we supposed to believe that “full access” will be given? This is the same Secretary of State who withheld information from the Sean Brown & Fergal McCusker inquests and is now taking legal action. Information withheld in many other legal processes also. https://t.co/fN3kQ3uLcg — Pat Finucane Centre (@FinucaneCentre) April 25, 2024

Referring to Lord Caine's involvement, Relatives for Justice slammed the project as "quite frankly the gaslighting of our population."

Given the man at the centre is actively trying to stop the truth of the conflict from emerging in courts and through investigations this is quite frankly the gaslighting of our population pic.twitter.com/VHewWSfLKw — Relatives 4 Justice #NeverGivingUp (@RelsForJustice) April 25, 2024

The Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) echoed the sentiments put forth by Relatives for Justice.

We understand virtually all NI-based academics approached, would not be part of this. When we met with Lord Caine, @annacbryson asked what the purpose of the official history was: response was that the British Government was entitled to put forward its version of history. https://t.co/VXk1UlRYI4 — CAJ (@CAJNi) April 25, 2024

CAJ Chairperson Anna Bryson, a professor at Queen's University School of Law, told the Irish News: “The timing of this launch of an ‘official history’ is particularly difficult for victims and survivors who will within days see the shutters come down on their hopes of accessing truth and justice through independent investigations with legal teeth.”

She added: “I look forward to full and transparent disclosure of the appointment and consultation process, including reference to all those who declined to engage.”

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More than 80% of asylum applicants now coming from UK via Northern Ireland, says McEntee

Minister for justice described ‘challenge’ due to common travel area, which government has worked to protect.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee: 'We simply must recognise that the challenges presented by migration and asylum exist.' Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

More than 80 per cent of people applying for asylum in Ireland are coming from the UK over the land Border with Northern Ireland , Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has estimated.

Ms McEntee told the Oireachtas justice committee, which is holding a hearing on the Government’s decision to opt-in to an EU-wide migration pact, that the estimate was that more than 80 per cent were coming across the Border.

“I would say it’s higher than 80 per cent,” Ms McEntee told Fianna Fáil Senator Robbie Gallagher.

Mr Gallagher said the statistic was “particularly worrying”. Ms McEntee said the Department of Justice engages with the UK authorities regularly, including through a Common Travel Area committee as well as bilaterally through the Department and between the Garda and the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

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“This is the challenge that we have, that we have advocated for an open Border on this island,” she said. “It is absolutely a challenge.”

She said there is a returns agreement to send those back to the UK who have refugee status there, although that has been impeded by a recent High Court judgment which she is bringing forward legislation to remedy.

A Department of Justice source said that it was difficult to be precise about the numbers coming across the Border as it was not monitored routinely but that more than 80 per cent of International Protection (IP) applications are made at the IP office in Mount Street without having applied at a point of entry like a port or airport.

The Department believes that the overwhelming majority of those are coming from the UK and across the land Border. The Government believes that a significant number of Nigerians are coming via this route. There has been a spike in applications from that country.

Cabinet agreed that IP applicants from this country will be subject to an accelerated processing regime from Tuesday.

Earlier, Ms McEntee told the committee that up to 80 per cent of asylum seekers will be processed within three months under new EU rules.

Ms McEntee, who said that the new pact would mean that people will spend “less time in State-provided accommodation and ultimately are more likely to be returned to their country of origin”.

Failing to opt-in to the pact will result in Ireland becoming a more attractive destination, according to Ms McEntee. Numbers will “almost certainly increase” but the State would be precluded from accessing solidarity and burden-sharing mechanisms, “severely” limiting the capacity to “send people back to wherever they came from”, she told the committee.

“This would mean more people in the reception system for longer periods of time.”

The pact, which the Government wants to implement by the middle of 2026, has drawn opposition from politicians on the left and right. While the Government says it is a pathway to a fairer and faster immigration system, the plan to approve the pact next week is facing increasing opposition in advance of Dáil and Seanad votes.

Ms McEntee will give an overview of the pact, which consists of seven overlapping directives and regulations, arguing that there are significant risks to not opting in.

“We simply must recognise that the challenges presented by migration and asylum exist. They cannot be wished away. They must be addressed. And they cannot be addressed, in a globalised and interdependent world, by any state acting alone,” she told the committee.

She said that one element, the asylum procedures regulation, allows for “faster, fairer processing” of applications across the bloc, including “very condensed” border procedures for some people including those who come from countries with low “recognition rates” for asylum. It will allow for decisions to be taken in accelerated circumstances or for inadmissible applicants in three and two months respectively, and she argued that the longest time frame for a first decision will be six months under an ordinary procedure.

Under this regulation, she told the committee there are safeguards and appeals mechanisms. “In short, this regulation will ensure people get a quicker decision, whether positive or negative, on their claim.”

She outlined how the pact also contains a new screening regulation which kicks in when someone enters the EU irregularly or is found to be in a member state without permission.

The person will undergo a screening procedure within seven days, including identification, health and security checks and fingerprinting as well as being registered in the EU’s Eurodac database. This allows countries to check whether someone has lodged an application for asylum in another EU country.

Once that is concluded, people will either be entered into the asylum process or returned out of the country.

Another new regulation on the Eurodac database, she told the committee, will be important for Ireland as it experiences high levels of “secondary movement” – where someone has travelled to Ireland through another member state. Under this regulation, the system will be expanded to include collection of a facial images and fingerprints, including reducing the age for fingerprinting to six years and older.

Ms McEntee said this is to provide “stronger protection for at-risk children”, and that accessing this information will “help in returning secondary movers to the correct member state”.

Steps harmonising qualification for refugee status will reduce the incentive for applicants to move from one member state to another, she said, “which is positive for Ireland”.

She told the committee that managing external borders and the return of people without a right to stay in the EU will be done with “full respect for human rights”.

She outlined a new Asylum and Migration Management Regulation (AMMR), which will replace the current system for determining which member state is responsible for an asylum application, known as the Dublin III regulation.

“Ireland will directly benefit from a more effective system and process, allowing us to identify and return secondary movers to the correct member state responsible, freeing up out own system to assist those seeking international protection swiftly and efficiently,” she said.

To balance this, the same regulation will introduce a “mandatory solidarity mechanism” – something that certain critics of the pact have objected to. Under this, a “solidarity pool” will be established to balance out the impact on frontline member states where the most asylum seekers arrive, like Italy, Greece and Cyprus. This will consist of countries accepting people being relocated or buying their way out of this with a financial contribution.

Ms McEntee said Ireland’s share of this, based on current figures, will be 648 relocations or just under €13 million annually, with “flexibility” for states on how they meet it.

She emphasised that it does not mean Ireland will have to take an additional 648 applicants. “This may take the form of relocations, a financial contribution, offsetting against cases not returned ... or a combination of those.”

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Jack Horgan-Jones

Jack Horgan-Jones is a Political Correspondent with The Irish Times

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Britons issued travel warning as cases of 'potentially life-threatening' disease rise in England, Wales and Nothern Ireland

Britons going abroad have been urged to check travel advice

By Anna Barry

Published: 24/04/2024

Holidaymakers can avoid contracting malaria by taking precautionary measures

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Britons have been warned of a rise in travel-acquired malaria cases, with an increase in diagnoses across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite that can be passed on to humans by mosquitoes.

The number of imported malaria cases diagnosed in 2023 was higher than they have been in 20 years, as reported by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

GOV.UK said: "New data from the UKHSA, published ahead of World Malaria Day (April 25), shows an increase in malaria diagnosed in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with reported cases exceeding 2,000 for the first time since 2001. Cases were confirmed in individuals who had recently been abroad.

"The number of cases highlights the importance of taking precautions to minimise the risk of malaria when travelling abroad.

Britons should consult travel advice before going abroad

GETTY IMAGES

"In 2023, there were 2,004 cases of malaria confirmed in England, Wales and Northern Ireland following travel abroad, compared to 1,369 in 2022."

The rise in cases has been linked to the "resurgence of malaria in many countries", coupled with an increase in overseas travel post-pandemic.

The most recent guidance by Travel Health Pro - which was set up by the Department of Health to protect the health of British travellers - reads: "Malaria is a serious and potentially life-threatening disease, transmitted to humans through the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.

"Malaria is widely distributed throughout tropical regions in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti), the Middle East and Oceania (islands in the Pacific Ocean between Asia and the Americas)."

Britons were warned that symptoms can be non-specific and flu-like.

Malaria symptoms

• Abdominal discomfort
• Muscle aches

The UKHSA added: "Although symptoms of malaria from several species of the Plasmodium parasite can cause severe disease, illness with Plasmodium falciparum can progress rapidly and cause life-threatening complications if prompt treatment is not given."

What Britons need to do

Holidaymakers should be careful when travelling and ensure they take the necessary precautions.

The UKHSA said: "Following the ABCD of malaria prevention - ‘Awareness of risk, Bite prevention, Chemoprophylaxis and Diagnose promptly and treat without delay’ - can help travellers to be protected against the infection.

"UK travellers are reminded to seek and follow travel advice for their destination, which may include antimalarials and mosquito bite avoidance measures. There is no licensed vaccine against malaria for travellers, but vaccines are available for other travel-associated infections."

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Malaria is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes

Britons were urged to consult Travel Health Pro, the "one-stop-shop for information to help people plan their trip abroad".

"Travellers should be aware that even if they have visited or lived in a malarious country before, they will not have the same protection against malaria as local residents and are still at risk. Travellers should consult their general practice, pharmacist, or travel clinic four to six weeks before their trip for individual advice and malaria prevention tablets where required."

Holidaymakers heading to countries where there are insects that spread diseases, for example, malaria, dengue and zika, should use insect repellent, cover exposed skin, and sleep under a treated bed net.

Anyone feeling unwell during their travels should seek medical help while away. Once back in the UK, individuals feeling unwell should promptly seek medical attention, also informing their healthcare provider that they have been travelling recently.

Britons should not be fearful if they ensure they exercise caution by taking proactive measures.

Director of the UKHSA Malaria Reference Laboratory (MRL) Professor Peter Chiodini said: "All malaria cases are preventable and simple steps like using insect repellent, covering exposed skin, sleeping under treated bed nets and taking malaria prevention tablets can lower infection risks."

However, he did issue a warning: "While malaria can affect anyone, the majority of Plasmodium falciparum malaria cases in the UK occur in those of African background. Even if you have visited or lived in a country before, you will not have the same protection against infections as local people and are still at risk. We are working in partnership with communities at greater risk to improve their access to and use of effective malaria prevention measures."

British holidaymakers have also been warned as a "fatal" disease is spotted across the globe, including a popular tourist hotspot.

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