GIANT’S CAUSEWAY TOUR FROM DUBLIN
You will not find the same quality tour cheaper in Dublin. Guaranteed!
Discover the wonders of the north coast of Ireland on this day trip from Dublin — take our tour of the Giant’s Causeway, Belfast, and the Dark Hedges. Here at Finn McCools Tours, we’ve put a lot of time and care into this Dublin to Giant’s Causeway tour; we have created an unforgettable experience of many of the most special locations along Antrim’s Causeway Coast. You might also be interested in our Giant’s Causeway tours from Belfast or our Titanic and Giant’s Causeway tour from Dublin
Itinerary for the Giants’ Causeway and Dark Hedges Tour from Dublin
- Depart from Dublin City Gallery on Parnell Square North at 6:45am
- Rest stop to break up the drive
- Dark Hedges – around 20 minutes
- Dunluce Castle photo stop
- Giant’s Causeway – around 1.5 to 2 hours
- Travel through the Glens of Antrim
- Explore Belfast on your own – around 1 hour
- Back in Dublin around 7:30pm / 8:30pm
What you will see on this Giant’s Causeway tour including Glens of Antrim, Dark Hedges and Belfast
0635 Start boarding outside Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane, on Parnell Square North.
0645 Leave Parnell Square North and head to Belfast. On the bus, our tour guide will tell you Irish legends, myths, and history as you pass some key spots on your journey. To break up the drive, we will do a rest stop at a service station, allowing time to visit the restroom, grab a few snacks and a cup of coffee. On occasion, we also pick up a few more passengers from Belfast on our way to the Causeway Coast.
Visiting the Dark Hedges (around 20 minutes)
Planted 350 years ago, this lane of beech trees is an incredible site to behold, making it an amateur photographer’s dream location. The Dark Hedges were made famous more recently as they featured in Game of Thrones and they captured the attention and imagination of GoT fans from all over the world. If this part of the tour interests you, check out our Game of Thrones from Dublin tour. Stopping at the Dark Hedges is also a great opportunity to stretch your legs and walk, taking pictures that will be the envy all your friends back home. If you get lucky, you might even get a picture of the Grey Lady: a legendary ghost that haunts the hedges… (We think the Grey Lady is, in fact, tending to the Dark Hedges, and this might explain why they are more than a hundred years older than breech trees’ usual lifespan).
Dunluce Castle (Bonus 5-min photo stop for summer)
The most beautiful castle ruin in Northern Ireland and definitely worth the 5-minute photo stop. The reason this castle is a ruin is because the kitchen fell into the ocean and the owners didn’t feel safe staying. On our tour you will have the opportunity to see for yourself why this was even possible while taking a photo that makes even the worst photographer a good one.
The Giant’s Causeway Tour (around 1.5 hours)
The Giant’s Causeway was formed in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption around 50 to 60 million years ago, leaving 40,000 interlocking basalt columns. However, beyond the geological story, there is an alternative story: a myth that the Giants Causeway was built by the Irish Giant, Finn McCool. There a few variations on the legend and we tend to put as much stock in legends as in geology…
The uniqueness of the Giant’s Causeway is what led to it becoming a UNESCO world heritage site. It is the “8th wonder of the world”, you cannot afford to miss the Giant’s Causeway on your visit to Ireland.
Travel through the Glens of Antrim
After visiting the spectacular Giant’s Causeway, we will return to Belfast on the Old Coastal road. Enjoying fantastic views of the Irish Sea and ALL the Glens of Antrim. On a clear day you can see all the way to Scotland and the Isle of Man. This is a truly magnificent road to drive with some of the best views in the world. The road was voted one of the top 5 roads to drive anywhere in the world.
Exploring Belfast (Around 1 hour)
Belfast city centre is a compact treasure trove of history and culture, so 60 minutes is enough time to get a good feel for one of the greatest cities in Europe (in our opinion). You will have more than enough time to explore the important and impressive sites in Belfast’s city centre, learning about the legacy of ‘The Troubles’. Take pictures of the impressive City Hall, walk down the main shopping streets, and maybe get some food. Remember that Northern Ireland is part of the UK, so the currency is Pounds Sterling (£).
1930/ 2030 Return to Dublin
*Please note that all times are approximate. The locations might be visited in a different order, depends on traffic and weather.
**As people don’t want to spend that much time in the cold countryside, when it starts getting cold, we might give a little bit less time at the Giant’s Causeway and add the time onto the Belfast stop.
Pick up
6:45 am, outside Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane, Parnell Square N, Dublin 1 (See on Google Maps)
Drop off
Around 7:30 pm – 8:30pm, same place
Things to note:
- Not suitable for people with limited mobility. A fair bit of walking involved.
- Not suitable for children under 10. If your child is very used to travelling, please book 1 seat per child and bring your own child seat.
5 star rating on TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook and other bookings sites
Marvin B
2 days ago
Trip to Belfast and Giants Causeway was fantastic. We would recommend it to everybody who is longer than 1 or 1,5 days in Ireland/Dublin.
If it is your lucky day, you will meet Patrick and he will be you tour guide. I have been tour guide in Spain, Italy and Bulgaria, too. But patrick was special: so empathic, full of information and with nice humour. Without Patrick, it would have been a nice trip, too. But with Patrick it was the best trip we could imagine.
Ivana K
3 days ago
Well organized. Our guide Sean was well prepared giving us lot of useful and interesting info but not intrusive. Or children (11 and 7 y) had a great fun. We sticked to itinerary all day, but had enough time to enjoy the place we’ve visited. During the ride we enjoyed in beautiful sceneries and great Irish music. Warm recommendation.
Lily B
1 week ago
Derek and Yuri were absolutely fabulous – beyond the beautiful sights, they made the trip absolutely well worth it. So knowledgeable about the history and the city of Dublin itself – he was kind enough to provide a full page of listed recommendations for the passengers.
ErinElaine12
1 week ago
My friends and I were in Ireland for a couple days. We utilized McCools Finn Tour and our driver was Turi and tour guide was Derek Allen. Other than the trip being amazing, the driver and tour guide were hands down wonderful people who genuinely made our day fun and educational. They treated us like family and we had many laughs along the long journey. Make sure to tip these two at the end of the day! They are the best!
Delicia
1 week ago
Dan and Gabor were fantastic . Gabor as the driver navigating some windy roads but at comfortable pace and on time. Dan as the tour guide even snuck in a few extra stops for quick pictures as a bonus. Lots of info about Irish history and music too. But if you wanted some quiet to sleep dan provided ear plugs- these little details really matter for comfort. Also unlike other tours the bus did have a bathroom! That was clean and easy to access : a big plus on a 12 hr journey. Highlight was the giants causeway : could have spent 2-3 hours there. All in all highly recommend
CaitlinGourley
2 weeks ago
Wasn’t expecting too much but our tour guide Daniel really made the trip worth it! He had lots of facts and interesting stories to tell us. He ran a tight bus and ensured our trip was very efficient. His in bus entertainment really spoke to his customer service skills. Can’t say enough. Our driver Yuri was one of the better tour bus drivers and our ride was very smooth and safe!!
The sights we stopped at were all beautiful in their own way but it was really the staff that made this tour worth it.
Mollory
2 weeks ago
If you are lucky enough to get Danny and Marco as your guide and driver, this will be the best spent money and the time of your life. Danny kept us entertained with a curated Irish playlist with songs and trivia to match each place. Marco made turns on that bus that none of us could do in a small sedan. Danny’s passion for science and geology shone through as he taught us about hexagons in nature on our way to the Giants Causeway. The Danny and Marco duo would be riesen enough to take this tour, but if that’s not convincing enough for you then the scenery and beautiful backdrop will be. I cannot recommend this tour or our guides enough.