12 Places You Must See in Ireland and Northern Ireland
Ireland is small enough to drive in a week, and there’s something worth stopping for around every bend. In March 2020 I drove a big loop around the whole island, Northern Ireland too.
Not only was this influenced by Derry Girls, but it was a huge thing for me to see where my family came from! COVID cut the trip short and I had to fly home early, so this list is everything I squeezed in before then.
These are the places to see in Ireland and Northern Ireland that I’d send a friend to, in the order we drove them. ☘️
Want the whole drive day by day? Here’s our 5 day Ireland road trip itinerary.
Places to See in Ireland, at a Glance
Screenshot this one:
- The Dark Hedges, County Antrim: a road of twisted old beech trees.
- The Causeway Coast cliff path: white cliffs and Sheep Island on the walk to the bridge.
- The Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge: a rope bridge over the sea to a tiny island.
- Dunluce Castle: castle ruins right on the edge of a cliff.
- Derry’s city walls: walk all the way around the old city on top of them, for free.
- The Derry Girls mural, Orchard Street: the girls (and the wee English fella) on a pub wall.
- Free Derry Corner and the Bogside murals: the history of the Troubles, painted on the houses.
- King John’s Castle, Limerick: a castle from the 1200s on the River Shannon.
- St Mary’s and St John’s, Limerick: one cathedral from 1168 and one with a giant spire.
- The Cliffs of Moher, County Clare: the big one, and worth the cold.
- The River Lee, Cork: a city on an island, with bridges everywhere.
- Clontarf Castle, Dublin: a castle you can sleep in.
Things to Know Before You Go
- Rent a car. I flew into Dublin and drove the whole loop. They drive on the left, so give yourself a minute in the parking lot before you hit the road.
- It’s two countries. Northern Ireland uses pounds and miles per hour, and Ireland uses euros and kilometers. There’s no border stop, so watch the speed signs change.
- You pump your gas first and pay after. That was something I could not get through my head.
- Pack for rain and wind. The weather is very rainy with strong winds, but I love a nice gloom! A warm coat, a rain layer and real shoes.
- Book the rope bridge ahead. It’s timed tickets, and some guides say they don’t sell them on site.
- You don’t have to plan every night. We booked Airbnbs and VRBOs the day before so we could stay longer anywhere we wanted. Finding accommodations is truly easy.
Where to Stay
We started in the middle of Belfast and ended in a real castle in Dublin, with Airbnbs in between. The Fitzwilliam was so accommodating.
Where We Stayed
📍 Clontarf Castle Hotel: A real castle hotel about 2 km from Dublin and 8 km from the airport. Our last night, and handy before an early flight. Click here for rates & availability
📍 The Fitzwilliam Hotel Belfast: Right on Great Victoria Street next to the Grand Opera House, so you can walk everywhere in the city centre. Click here for rates & availability
These are affiliate links. If you book through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The Causeway Coast
1. The Dark Hedges
This road looks like a fairy tale. The beech trees were planted around 1775 along the drive to Gracehill House, and now they twist together over the road like a tunnel. You might know it as the Kingsroad from Game of Thrones.
Cars aren’t allowed on the road anymore, so you park nearby and walk right down the middle. Only about half of the original trees are still standing, so see them while you can.
- Where: Bregagh Road, Stranocum, County Antrim (park at The Hedges Hotel or the Dark Hedges Estate)
- Cost: free, open all the time
- Website: discovernorthernireland.com
2. The Causeway Coast Cliff Path
The walk out to the rope bridge is a stop all by itself. The path runs along the clifftops past white chalk cliffs, with Sheep Island sitting just off the coast near Ballintoy. On a clear day you can see Rathlin Island and even Scotland. We got gray, and you already know how I feel about a gloom.
3. The Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
Fishermen have been stringing a bridge out to this little island for more than 250 years. Today it’s a sturdy rope bridge about 20 meters long and 30 meters above the water, and yes, it moves when you walk.
You go down a steep set of stairs to get to it, so wear real shoes. Then it’s just you, the wind and the sea under your feet.
- Where: Ballintoy, County Antrim
- Hours: bridge about 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closing earlier in winter and in high winds
- Tickets: from £16 adults, £8 kids 5 to 17, under 5 free, parking included. Book a time slot ahead.
- Website: nationaltrust.org.uk
I was not terrified at all. We accidentally stumbled across this while driving and had to stop. I was glad that I did because it was much clearer than our Cliffs day and a lot less crowded.
4. Dunluce Castle
Just down the coast, Dunluce Castle sits right on the edge of a cliff with the sea crashing below. It’s a ruin now, and the story goes that part of the kitchen fell into the sea one stormy night. Walk around the walls and look down. Wow.
- Address: 87 Dunluce Rd, Bushmills
- Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the warmer months, closing around 4 p.m. in winter
- Tickets: about £6 adults, £4 kids 5 to 17, paid on site (no booking needed), free parking
- Website: discovernorthernireland.com
Derry
5. The City Walls
Derry’s walls were built between 1613 and 1619, and they’re the only walls in Ireland that still go all the way around a city. You can walk the whole loop on top, about a mile, and it’s free. Look for the old gates as you go.
6. The Derry Girls Mural
If you love Derry Girls like I do, this one belongs in your camera roll. The mural of Erin, Orla, Clare, Michelle and James is on the side of Badgers Bar on Orchard Street, right inside the walls. It was painted in 2019, and it’s free.
Over in the Bogside I also got a photo of Dennis’s Wee Shop, the shop that took its name from the show. It was knocked down in 2021, so this photo is a little piece of history now.
You will all know I quickly noticed Dennis’s Wee Shop.
7. Free Derry Corner and the Bogside Murals
In Belfast, the bellhop at our hotel pointed out a building from our window and told us how it was used as a lookout during the Troubles. In Derry, you walk right through that history.
The white wall at Free Derry Corner was first painted in 1969. Along Rossville Street, the People’s Gallery is a row of murals by the Bogside Artists. The Petrol Bomber was the first one, painted in 1994 from a photo of a boy in a gas mask during the Battle of the Bogside in 1969.
Take your time here, and stop in the Museum of Free Derry to learn the story of civil rights and Bloody Sunday from the people who lived it.
- Museum of Free Derry: 55 Glenfada Park, open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays (6 p.m. March through October) and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends
- Tickets: £10 adults, kids 12 and under free with family
- Murals: free, along Rossville Street
- Website: museumoffreederry.org
Limerick
8. King John’s Castle
King John’s Castle was built in the early 1200s on the orders of King John of England, right on the River Shannon. Walk the outside for the river views, or go in for the exhibits and the towers.
- Address: Nicholas St, King’s Island, Limerick
- Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. October through March, until 6 p.m. April through September
- Tickets: about €16.50 adults and €11 kids, under 4 free. Book online.
- Website: kingjohnscastle.ie
9. St Mary’s Cathedral and St John’s Cathedral
Limerick has two cathedrals a short walk apart. St Mary’s was founded in 1168, and it’s the oldest building in Limerick still used every day. St John’s came along in the 1850s with one of the highest spires in Ireland, so you’ll spot it from all over the city.
- St Mary’s: Bridge St, open to visitors Monday to Saturday about 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., about €5 adults, kids 10 and under free
- Website: saintmaryscathedral.ie
The West Coast
10. The Cliffs of Moher
I almost froze, because it was so cold, but I can say you do not want to miss the Cliffs. They climb to 214 meters (702 feet) straight up out of the Atlantic.
The wind up there is no joke. I was afraid I may get blown off the edge. Stay on the path, bundle up and go early before the tour buses.
- Where: Liscannor, County Clare
- Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. November through February, later the rest of the year
- Tickets: from €8 adults online, €15 at the gate, kids 12 and under free, parking included
- Website: cliffsofmoher.ie
Cork
11. The River Lee and Pope’s Quay
The middle of Cork sits on an island between two channels of the River Lee, so you’re crossing bridges all day. Walk along the water to Pope’s Quay and you’ll see St Mary’s Dominican Church with its big white columns. It opened in 1839, and Daniel O’Connell was there for one of its first services.
My sweet friend lives in Cork now, so you know I’m coming back.
- St Mary’s Dominican Church: Pope’s Quay, Cork
- Website: dominicanscork.ie
Dublin
12. Clontarf Castle
End the trip in a castle! There’s been a castle on this spot since 1172, and today it’s a hotel about 8 km from Dublin Airport. Stone walls, a big hall, leopard print chairs. It’s a fun last night before an early flight.
- Address: Castle Ave, Clontarf, Dublin 3
- Website: clontarfcastle.ie
Top Places We Haven’t Done Yet
Next time, these are first on my list. Tell me if you’ve been!
- The Giant’s Causeway, County Antrim: about 40,000 stone columns along the sea, just down the coast from the rope bridge. Walking the stones is free, and the visitor center is from about £16 for adults (nationaltrust.org.uk).
- Titanic Belfast: a museum right where the Titanic was built. £24.95 for adults online, £11 for kids 5 to 15 (titanicbelfast.com).
- The Jameson Distillery Bow St., Dublin: tours with a tasting from €26, and kids under 12 go free (jamesonwhiskey.com).
- The sheep. One thing I would want to do is take a little more time and go play with the sheep. 🐑
Ireland, We’ll Be Back
Twisted trees, a rope bridge over the sea, the girls on a wall in Derry and a castle to sleep in. Those are the places to see in Ireland and Northern Ireland I’d send a friend to.
I 1000% will be bringing my wife and child here VERY SOON. Kids are allowed in the pubs, so Hannah and Finley are coming with me next time.
Planning the drive? Here’s our 5 day Ireland road trip itinerary with every stop in order.
Tell me if you go! Come say hi on Instagram and tell me your favorite spot in Ireland. 🤍
Pin this post for your Ireland trip!
Heads up: this post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read our full disclosure.
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