72 Hours in Northern Ireland (Ultimate 3 Day Itinerary)

**Updated : November 2023**
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Welcome to Northern Ireland, a place filled with incredible coast lines, beautiful coves, and delicious foods. Lucky for you, the country is quite small, and even though 3 days is short - you can actually see quite a bit of the capital of Belfast and the hidden gems along the coastline within those 72 hours. After exploring the area ourselves just last month, we've gone ahead and put together a complete 3 day Northern Ireland itinerary for you - hopefully making your next trip seamless!

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Before you Visit...

Before you visit Northern Ireland, there's a few things we think you should know. Although it is a completely different country than Ireland, there are quite a few similarities in the people, the food, the language, and the weather. It's important to dress in layers - we recommend being prepared for extreme winds, rain, and possibly snow depending on the season. If you're planning a short road trip like we did, then it's essential to know that they drive on the left, and very commonly the roads can become very narrow. Other than that, there isn't too much else to know! If you're looking to try some local foods, we of course always recommend the Shepherds Pie and Fish 'n Chips!

We stayed at this adorable Airbnb while exploring Northern Ireland!

3 Day Itinerary for Belfast & the Coast

Day 1 : Belfast

As Northern Ireland's capital, Belfast is a unique city that's home to C.S. Lewis and the birthplace of the Titanic itself. Personally, we felt like one day was plenty of time to see the city, top sights, and explore some great places to eat. For our full day in Belfast, we would recommend :

• Taboo Donuts - I mean when on vacation right? They are located downtown, which isn't necessarily in the same area as the Titanic Museum, but they were delicious!
• Belfast Castle - This free museum was an excellent attraction to explore on your own. Because there are no tours and it's completely self guided, when we visited there was only one other person there, and it was honestly a blast walking around the castle and gardens on our own. A fun fact about this castle is that the Donegals, who lived here, believed that they would only have luck if a white cat lived there with them - so you'll see various cat sculptures throughout the property!
• Titanic Museum - This is probably the activity that surprised us the most, and to be quite honest we almost skipped it. However, hearing the true stories from survivors and seeing real artifacts from the Titanic itself were truly incredible. We do have to warn you, this exhibition can get very crowded, so we highly recommend purchasing your tickets in advance.
• ​Explore Old Town - From St. Anne's Cathedral to the Albert Memorial Clock to the Jaffe Memorial Fountain, the area around the Cathedral Quarter has lots of fun spots to see and explore. We highly recommend walking around on your own, and making sure to stop by the Duke of York Bar to see the famous and colorful Umbrella Street!
• ​The Thirsty Goat - A delicious spot for dinner. There are plenty of other restaurants and bars in the area, but this is a great restaurant if you're looking for a quieter, nice sit down meal. However, I do believe they have live music sometimes! We got the Fish 'n Chips (classic Tyler) along with the Chicken & Waffles, random but so delicious - I would highly recommend!

If you're a Chronicles of Narnia fan, then we recommend checking out C.S. Lewis Square, a small park that has multiple character statues! Plus, if you head to the Belfast Castle, then make sure to head upstairs, you might just happen to see a very similar painting...

Day 2 : The Antrim Coast & Ballycastle

If you're visiting Northern Ireland then chances are you're interested in seeing the Coast. We split our time on the coast into two days, one day exploring the Antrim Coast and Ballycastle, and the second day (or third full day in Northern Ireland) - exploring the Northern end of the coast including some of the most famous sights. If you only have one day on the coast, we recommend exploring Carrick a Rede & Giant's Causeway instead, even though they're famous - they're worth it! However, here's what we would recommend for your first day on the coast :

• ​Drive the Antrim Coast - Beginning just a little ways north of Belfast, you can begin the drive along the Antrim coast. You'll not only notice the incredible views, but also the many small towns along the way. The Antrim coast is known for stunning views and beautiful hidden coves, and we encourage you to spend some time exploring these areas along the sea and cliffs. Even though we had terrible weather, we just so happened to stop in Glenarm, an adorable town with an excellent tea house called Art House Tea Emporium - it was definitely a hidden local spot and it was 100% worth checking out! 
• Ballycastle - Once you finish making your way through the Antrim Coast, you'll come to the town of Ballycastle. O'Connor's Bar is a great spot to stop for dinner, however, Morton's is also an iconic, local spot for some classic fish 'n chips. (They're said to have some of the best ever - at least according to the Budget rental car guy who checked us out at the airport.) Nearby, you can also find a delicious ice cream shop called Maud's that right on the harbor!

Day 3 : Carrick a Rede & Giant's Causeway

For your third day, we recommend that you continue to explore the coast. There is so much to see and so many hidden gems you'll easily be able to find things to do, even if you explored the coast yesterday. Of course, that also includes top sights like the Carrick a Rede Rope Bridge and Giant's Causeway - trust us they're worth it!

• Carrick a Rede Rope Bridge - Chances are you've seen this spot before, an incredible 20 meter bridge crossing over the beautiful coastal formations. It does take a short hike to get to the bridge itself, about 1.6 miles there and back, which can get extremely windy. It's important to note that if you want to cross the bridge then the National Trust requires visitors to book and schedule a specific time slot - costing £15 (£13.50 in the off season) per adult. Unfortunately for us the rope bridge was closed on the day we scheduled because of high winds, however we were still able to hike out there and take in the amazing views! Fun note - if you stop at the little cafe in the parking lot, they sell "yellowman candy" - a local treat made from seaweed!
• Dunseverick Castle - This attraction can be easy to miss, with a small pull off from the road that fills up with only a couple cars. Although it isn't the most well kept up, the views of the remaining ruins along the cliffside are truly beautiful.
• Giant's Causeway - Another popular spot, you can either visit by parking just up the road for a flat rate of £10, or park at the visitor center and pay £13.50 per adult. If you go through the Visitor Center and pay the £13.50, then this includes a round trip shuttle from the center down to the famous rock structures themselves - saving you a 2 mile walk. The area with the basalt columns are quite busy, however we were able to find a little cove that we had nearly all to ourselves and although we were actually a bit surprised to see so many people there, we still highly recommend a stop at this unique attraction! 
• Dunluce Castle - This castle ruins is a bit better kept up than the Dunseverick Castle, and was even used in the Game of Thrones series! Although there are opening times to the public, last admission is at 3:30, and typically costs £6 per adult.​
• White Rocks Beach - A secluded and stunning beach with large stretches of white sand right on the coast with plenty of sand dunes. We visited and only saw a few others there, and there was plenty of parking, however there were also multiple signs warning of break-ins and thieves in the area. Beautiful, but maybe just stay a little aware of your belongings during peak seasons. ;) This would be an excellent spot in our opinion to watch the sunset!

Some other stops we recommend if you have some extra time is The Ponderosa (the highest pub in Northern Ireland) and the Dark Hedges (a spot made famous from GOT).

Watch our Adventures in Northern Ireland here!

Check out our other UK Blog Posts :

• London & Wales Itinerary
• 14 Day Road Trip Itinerary in Scotland

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