Northern Ireland Holidays Travel Guide & Tips

06/06/2024

SEAL WATCH 🦭 : I just received an enquiry about places to see seals around Northern Ireland. There are a few hot spots I know of - Copeland Islands and Rathlin Island - and the random seal in the Lagan above Stranmillis Weir - but does anyone else have any recommendations for seeing seals in the wild?

Island Boat Charters Donaghadee Abhainn Cruises Boat Tours Kintra Boat Tours Strangford Lough Activity Centre Carnlough Bay Boat Tours Clearsky Adventure Centre Aquaholics Far and Wild Causeway Coast Kayaking Tours Foyle Adventures & Boat Tours

04/04/2024

Does anyone know how many pubs there actually are in Ballycastle?

29/03/2024

The beautiful Causeway Coastal Route 🙌 - Where would you recommend visitors stay if travelling the route?

Need inspiration? Read our guide - https://northernirelandholidays.co.uk/the-causeway-coastal-route/

26/03/2024

We've just updated our annual events calendar with a lot more dates for summer festivals now announced.

Dates confirmed include the NI International Airshow (it's back!), Bushmills Salmon & Whiskey Festival, Ould Lammas Fair, Fiddler's Green Festival, Derry Halloween and so much more. Check the dates and book your accommodation early!

https://bit.ly/NIHols-Calendar2024

23/03/2024

Any time is a great time to visit Titanic Belfast but with our current wintery, erratic 🌦 March sunshine / sleet / sunshine weather, there's no time like the present!

After last year's £4.5million upgrade, the site truly lives up to its boast of being ‘one of the most dramatic tourism projects opening anywhere in the world’. You can read all about it in our review 👇

Plus - through April you can take advantage of an Early-Bird offer - save £5 off an adult ticket if you book in one of the 9-10am time slots. There is also a late entry offer. More information in our reivew.

Plus Plus -- Titanic Belfast is organising a bit of an easter treate with an Easter themed Explorer Trail for those visiting over Easter. It's also Titanic Belfast's 12th birthday on 31 March!! Surely there will be cake? 🎂

Following a £4.5m upgrade to the iconic Titanic attraction, we can say that our recent visit left us awed. It really is to be recommended, even for those who have been before...

17/03/2024

Happy Saint Patrick's Day ☘️- and to celebrate the world's second most famous Saint's special day (Saint Nicholas / Santa Claus taking first place), we've put together a guide to Saint Patrick's Country. This is the area around Downpatrick and Armagh where the saint first established himself in Ireland when he set out to tame his former slave masters!

https://northernirelandholidays.co.uk/exploring-saint-patricks-country/

The Saint Patrick Centre, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh - Anglican - COI St Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh. St Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh Down Cathedral

30/12/2023

Anyone want to have a guess at how many Belfasts there are in the world??!! 😁

From Africa to California, Sean Drysdale's mission is to see the world's Belfasts via his 1970s Honda.

29/12/2023

[10 OF THE BEST THINGS TO DO IN BELFAST] Christmas has not all been chocolates and chocolates... 🍬 🍫 🍷 I took a few quiet moments to update our Belfast visitor guide which is a write up on the 10 things we recommend to our friends and family when they're in town... plus 4 day trips from Belfast. Wondering how to get to Belfast? You can check the website for that too. Hope it's useful! ~ Katie

https://northernirelandholidays.co.uk/belfast-visitor-guide-top-things-to-do/

14/12/2023

[PANTO SEASON] Looking back to the Christmas pantomime at the very beautiful The Grand Opera House, Belfast two years ago. This really is an amazing venue and if you are in Belfast, you should check out their schedule and catch a show.

And be sure to have your pre-show drinks 🍷 in the glass bar that extends from the front of the theatre and gives you a great view of the street below. Sorry can't remember the name but you should look out for it!

10/12/2023

Not an Ulster Fry. Eggs on Fire at , Bangor, County Down. So good 😋. In the background a Guillemot Flatbread with eggs, black pudding and chorizo.

09/12/2023

[NORTHERN IRELAND TOURIST MAP] Could this little 2-page map guide help you plan your trip to Northern Ireland? You can download the PDF at this link here: https://bit.ly/NIHols--map - or go on over to our website to play with the interactive version. You can also download the map there too. Hope it's useful!!

https://northernirelandholidays.co.uk/tourist-map-of-northern-ireland/

05/12/2023

I am sure the place was wild yesterday with the northerly gales that crashed over us but if you are planning a trip along the Causeway Coast for warmer times, here are 6 good reasons to drop by Ballintoy Harbour.

~ Katie 🌊

Picturesque Ballintoy Harbour is between Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge and Giant's Causeway on the Causeway Coastal Route and is a Game of Thrones filming location...

01/12/2023

[DISTILLERY TOURS!] With the cold dark days drawing in, a distillery tour is the one activity that is sure to warm you up. Hinch Distillery, just 30 minutes south of Belfast at the Killaney Estate, is offering a choice of two tours (Classic and Premium) for whiskey lovers, plus a ‘Irish Coffee/ Hot Toddy Masterclass’ as well as a Gin School Experience.

While Hinch Distillery Visitor Centre & Cafe is a new distillery on the scene, firing up its stills in 2020 and opening the visitor centre as recently as 2021, it is already winning awards and its gins and whiskeys are exported to more than 35 countries around the world!

The distillery is open Wednesday to Sunday, and bookings are made online. For the designated driver the distillery offers a lower cost ‘Driver's Dram’ ticket, which includes a soft drink at the end of your tour but you get to take home a 50ml sample of Hinch’s Five Year Double Wood Whiskey!

If you are thinking of Christmas, a tour ticket would certainly make a great gift for the whiskey lover in your life. You could also buy a bottle or two of Hinch whiskey/gin at the online store and have yourself your own home whiskey experience!

Learn more: https://hinchdistillery.com/

30/11/2023

[HAPPY ST ANDREW'S DAY 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿] A small pipe band medley to say happy St Andrew's Day to our Scottish cousins across the water. With just 12 miles between Scotland and Northern Ireland at the closest point, there has been a lot of to-ing and fro-ing over the centuries:

Way back around 500AD we had the Gaelic Dál Riata (Dalriada) Kingdom that encompassed modern day Argyll as well as Arran and part of Ulster; we had Robert the Bruce doing his spider thing on Rathlin, his brother Edward being proclaimed King of Ireland at Carrickfergus, of course we had the plantation with Scottish settlers moving to Ulster ... and nowadays people swim across the channel!

It's no surprise then that there is quite a bit of Scottish culture in these parts, and Pipe Band competitions that take place through the summer every year in Northern Ireland.

27/11/2023

[NARNIA] I was chatting to my dad the other day and discovered that he hadn't realised that CS Lewis, the author of the Narnia Chronicles / The Lion, The Witch 🧙 & The Wardrobe, was from Belfast. Perhaps there are others too?

The area around Rostrevor, just south of the Mournes, is said to have been CS Lewis's idea of Narnia; I always thought Dunluce Castle had to be his inspiration for Cair Paravel - and perhaps Pierce's Castle in the Mournes (see photo), is the inspiration for Aslan's Stone Table 😢? What do you think?

14/11/2023

When's the golden window to visit Northern Ireland / The Republic of Ireland? There are a few factors to consider: daylight, high-season availability & prices, off season closures, weather and your flexibility.

Learn more in our article below to help you find the ideal window to catch events and see the sites without paying through the nose!

Weather, public holidays, daylight, peak season and opening times, here's what you need to know when planning tthe best time for your Northern Ireland trip!

12/11/2023

Christmas is coming to town! 🎄🎁 Belfast's Christmas Market opens next Saturday 18th at 12 noon (closing at 10pm, bars close at 11pm) with stalls selling crafty gifts and nick nacks, and also an international smorgasbord of food options - and warming drinks. For the kids there is a Santa's grotto and a mini fairground with a helter skelter and vintage carousel.

The Christmas Lights event will also be taking place, 6.30pm to 7.30pm, but it seems tickets for this are all allocated. ☹️

Opening times:
Monday to Wednesday, 10am to 8pm (bars open until 9pm)
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10am to 10pm (bars open until 11pm)*
Sunday, 12 noon to 6pm
*Market will close at 6pm on Friday 22 December.

11/11/2023

Visitors to our website will sometimes message me a question so here is my answer to a recent enquiry. NI folk - how would you have replied?

🚗 Drive from Belfast to Giant's Causeway 🚗: You can easily drive to Giant's Causeway in under 1.5 hours (60 miles) going cross country via Ballymena but the coastal drive is really what it is all about. This takes just under 2.5 hours if you don't stop but of course you would want to!

So perhaps if your destination was Giant's Causeway you could book that for mid afternoon and set off along the coast in the morning. You would return on the shorter route cross country - or stay up on the north coast.

Other sights very close to Giant's Causeway include Dunluce Castle and Carrick A Rede rope bridge, and Bushmills Distillery. Depending on your interests there are quite a large number of options for things to see along the route. https://northernirelandholidays.co.uk/the-causeway-coastal-route/

I have recently put this map PDF highlighting 30 things to see and do (in Northern Ireland, not just the Causeway Coast). - Download here: https://bit.ly/NIHols-Visitor-Map-Download

I hope that helps!
Katie

09/11/2023

TITANIC BELFAST - This rough and raw video snippet is from the final of 9 galleries in the newly refurbished Titanic Belfast museum experience.

The huge Titanic replica, swelling music and a video display to illustrate the dreams held by the passengers of a new life in a new world. All very emotional - and very worth a visit. Read our review of the amazing upgraded Titanic Belfast.

https://northernirelandholidays.co.uk/titanic-belfast-museum-experience-review/

08/11/2023

Need inspiration for a road trip through Northern Ireland?

Take a look at this 7(plus) day circular road trip itinerary taking in all the top sites of Northern Ireland, returning you to Dublin for more things to see and do. Click through to https://northernirelandholidays.co.uk/7-day-self-drive-dublin-northern-ireland-road-trip-itinerary/ to read all about it. Also check out the free downloadable Northern Ireland tourist map! Any questions - just DM us and we'll do our best to help!

🍀

27/10/2023

If visiting Derry~Londonderry and you have a little time to spare, pop up to the beautiful Brooke Park and in particular, Gwyn's cafe. We stopped by for breakfast on the terrace overlooking this view of St Eugene’s cathedral and the city walls!

23/10/2023

Horses on Ballywalter Beach, Ards Peninsula. Enjoying the Autumn sunshine 🍂

21/10/2023

CASTLE WARD is a large estate on the shores of Strangford Lough just outside the town of Strangford. Visit the estate for walks, tours of the stately home, watersports and you can even stay the night. The farmyard and Audley’s Castle, a small tower at the far end of the estate, were used as filming locations for Game of Thrones’ Winterfell.

The grounds are managed by the National Trust and you can tour the house to learn more about the Ward family and the history of the estate which dates back to the 1500s where parts of the estate were owned by an Anglo Norman family, the Audleys. There are a number of beautiful walks around the estate and along the water’s edge.

Clearsky Adventure Centre is based in the grounds and offers mountain and kids’ bike, canoe and kayak hire, as well as training sessions.

Accommodation options include a caravan and camping park as well as glamping pods set amongst the trees. If you are looking for a warmer and period place to stay, you can book a night in the Downpatrick Gate Lodge, a pretty Victorian cottage on the estate.

18/10/2023

GIANT'S CAUSEWAY] Did you know we have a downloadable PDF guide to Giant's Causeway on our website? Just click and download - no email required. Includes parking, entry fees, tips, alternative methods to get to the site... and visit the page for a story about a Giant. See link to website in comments!

16/10/2023

** 2024 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY ** - Festivals and event dates that have been announced - book your accommodation now!

🪗 Imbolc Spring Festival, Derry Londonderry - 27 January - 4th February 2024
🎺 City of Derry Jazz Festival - 2-6 May 2024
🤹‍♀️ Festival of Fools, Belfast - 4-6 May 2024
🏃Mash Belfast Marathon - 5 May 2024
🏍 NW200, Portrush - 6-11 May 2024
🐄 Balmoral Show - 15-18 May, 2024
🪂 Armed Forces Day - 29 June 2024
🎸Stendhal Festival, Causeway Coast - 4-6 July 2024
🎻 Fiddler's Green Festival, Rostrevor - 24-28 July 2024
💚 Heart of the Glens Festival, Cushendall - 3-11 August 2024
🐴 Auld Lammas Fair, Ballycastle - 27-28 August 2024 (traditionally last Monday and Tuesday of August)

and of course:
☘️ St Patrick's Day - 17 March 2024
🎃 Derry Halloween - the week leading to 31 October 2024

Check our events calendar for public holiday dates, school dates and dates for the remainder of 2023...

Our events calendar gives quick overview of major events taking place in Northern Ireland so that you can be sure not to miss out while you are visiting or planning your vacation.

13/10/2023

[GAME OF THRONES STUDIO TOUR] For GoT fans - and that is apparently more than 40 million of us(!) - the Game of Thrones Studio Tour is a three-in-one experience, taking you on a sentimental trip down memory lane while giving you ‘aha’ moments as you get to see how some of the special effects were carried out, all while getting to play with special effects yourself.

Is it worth a visit? Read our review and see what you think: https://northernirelandholidays.co.uk/game-of-thrones-studio-tour/

11/10/2023

[CUSHENDALL] Wintery walks in Cushendall, a seaside town on the Causeway Coast in the Glens of Antrim, with the distinctive peak of Lurig or Lurigethan in the distance. In the summer Cushendall hosts the Heart of the Glens festival (3-11 August 2024) which includes the 'Lurig Challenge', a 3.8-mile race to the top of Lurigethan (1073 feet) and back down again for a finish in the town. Would you be up for the challenge?? 😃

06/10/2023

Bushmills is celebrating all things whiskey and salmon this weekend with their annual Salmon & Whiskey Festival.

Of course there are tours of Bushmills Irish Whiskey, but you can also get a taste of whiskey by stopping by one or more of the outlets on the Taste Trail who all have a whiskey inspired special on their menus such as - Bushmills whiskey and caramel flavoured scones at Lorna’s Kitchen, Bushmills chicken with creamy Bushmills whiskey sauce at Market Square Bushmills or buy yourself some Bushmills Whiskey & honey sausages from Kanes Butchers to take home with you. One way to dodge the rain!

Stop by the Visitor Information Centre for samplings and a showcase of local foods, and visit the Artisan Market with its 60 or so vendors for more food and crafts to buy. There will be music, entertainment and cookery demonstrations! Plenty to do.

For more information: https://www.visitcausewaycoastandglens.com/whats-on/bushmills-salmon-and-whiskey-festival

𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐧 & 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 🐟🥃

𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺 6𝘵𝘩 - 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺 8𝘵𝘩 𝘖𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘳 2023

Hands up who's ready for a fantastic weekend of food, drink and entertainment on the beautiful Causeway Coast? 🙋‍♀️

The Bushmills Salmon & Whiskey Festival starts tomorrow. Have a peek at the programme below to plan your visit! 👀

05/10/2023

[PORTRUSH BEER FEST - 6-7 October] Here's a shout out for the Portrush Beerfest which is on this Friday and Saturday in Portrush's Town Hall.

We had a great time at the event several years ago and still have the souvenir glasses which you get with your £10 entry fee (cash only). On entry you will also get a menu listing the 52 beers/cider options and as well as gins and liquers available from the 9 local brewers and 6 distilleries. You then buy yourself your first £10 batch of tokens which you use to pay for your drinks. Each vendor sets their own price in tokens - and away you go, sampling some of the finest beers, ciders and gins on offer in NI.

The listed town hall is a cosy venue so be prepared to do a lot of standing and get there early! Opening times 5-10pm on Friday and 1-10pm on Saturday.

Visit the event website: https://www.portrushbeerfest.com/ for details of vendors and location as well as policies.

27/09/2023

[Belleek Pottery] a great place to visit when it’s raining and there’s a big storm on the way. Ended up buying a lamp 😁

Belleek Pottery Fermanagh Lakelands