The country · Attractions

The places worth the drive.

Northern Ireland punches well above its size. Here are the attractions we keep coming back to — natural wonders fifty million years in the making, ruined castles on cliff edges, and museums that earn their reputation.

Natural wonders

Basalt cliffs, granite mountains, sea-stacks and the slowest-running rivers in Ireland.

Giant's Causeway
UNESCO · Antrim

Giant's Causeway

40,000 basalt columns above the Atlantic.
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
Coast walk · Antrim

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge

Twenty metres above the sea, three hundred year old crossing.
Mourne Mountains
Hiking · Down

Mourne Mountains

Twelve granite summits sweeping down to the Irish Sea.
Glens of Antrim
Drive · Antrim

Glens of Antrim

Nine valleys, one road, every one worth slowing for.
The Dark Hedges
Photography · Antrim

The Dark Hedges

A tunnel of beech trees planted in the 1700s.
Cuilcagh Boardwalk
Caves & bog · Fermanagh

Marble Arch Caves & Cuilcagh Boardwalk

An active river cave and the Stairway to Heaven across blanket bog.
Rathlin Island
Island · Antrim

Rathlin Island

Three lighthouses, seabird cliffs and a community of 141.

Historic sites

Castles ruined and otherwise, painted murals, the prison-turned-cultural quarter.

Dunluce Castle
Castle · Antrim

Dunluce Castle

A 14th-century ruin perched on a basalt cliff.
Belfast Murals
Walking tour · Belfast

Belfast Murals

Painted history along the Falls and Shankill.
Derry City Walls
Walled city · Londonderry

Derry City Walls

The only complete city walls in Ireland, free to walk.
Mussenden Temple
Cliff-top temple · Londonderry

Mussenden Temple

A neoclassical library on a basalt cliff above Downhill Strand.
Devenish Island Round Tower
Monastic island · Fermanagh

Devenish Island

A 25-metre round tower and ruined priory on Lower Lough Erne.
Navan Fort
Iron Age site · Armagh

Navan Fort (Emain Macha)

The Iron Age ceremonial hilltop and mythological capital of Ulster.
Armagh Twin Cathedrals
Cathedrals · Armagh

Armagh's Twin Cathedrals

Two St Patrick's, one CoI and one RC, on facing hills.
Old Bushmills Distillery
Distillery · Antrim

Old Bushmills Distillery

The oldest licensed distillery in Ireland, granted in 1608.
Castle Ward
Historic house · Down

Castle Ward (Winterfell)

An 18th-century house with two facades and a Game of Thrones courtyard.
Hillsborough Castle
Royal residence · Down

Hillsborough Castle & Gardens

The royal residence in Northern Ireland with a hundred acres of gardens.

Museums

One world-class flagship and the smaller stories behind it.

Titanic Belfast
Museum · Titanic Quarter

Titanic Belfast

The world's largest Titanic visitor experience.
Ulster American Folk Park
Open-air museum · Tyrone

Ulster American Folk Park

Three centuries of Ulster emigration, told through transplanted buildings.
Ulster Museum and Botanic Gardens
Museum & park · Belfast

Ulster Museum & Botanic Gardens

Northern Ireland's national museum and a Victorian park, both free.