Couples, families or small groups who will use the flexibility of a private format.
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Northern Ireland Including Giant's Causeway Rail Tour from Dublin
Day trip by rail and coach from Dublin to Belfast and Giant's Causeway. 13 hours, up to 53 people, driver/guide and train host included. From €161.52.
From €161 starting price · live price may vary
Check dates & prices ↗ Free cancellation on most dates · Booked securely with Viator
Duration13 hours
PriceFrom €161
Rating4.4 from 325 reviews
BookingSecurely via Viator
The IrelandMe take
What stands out about this one
Our practical read of the published itinerary, traveller feedback and local context—not the operator’s sales description.
Rail to Belfast, then coach west along the Antrim coast to the Giant's Causeway - that's the shape of this day. Railtours Ireland handles all the logistics: they meet you at Dublin Connolly, hand you a travel pack, put a host on the trains, and a driver/guide on the coach. Thirteen hours from start to finish, and you don't need to organise a thing.
The centrepiece is the Causeway. You get around 2 hours at one of the world's most striking coastal formations - roughly 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, most of them hexagonal, laid down by volcanic activity about 60 million years ago. UNESCO gave it World Heritage status in 1986 and the National Trust manages it today. The cliff path above the stones is just as worth your time as the columns themselves.
At 13 hours, this is a long travel day. Book it for the complete route, not if you want an unhurried stop-by-stop pace.
One practical detail
- Find the yellow jacket, not the ticket windows. The Railtours Ireland stand is in the main concourse at Connolly, not at the regular ticket desks. The 20-minute check-in window is firm - miss it and you miss the train.
- The basalt columns are free; the Visitor Centre is not. The National Trust charges a separate entry fee for the exhibition inside. The columns themselves are freely accessible from outside, so if your 2 hours feels tight, walk the cliff path and the foreshore first.
- Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge costs extra on the day. The bridge near the Causeway is open March to October and takes you 30 metres above the sea to a small island once used by salmon fishermen. It isn't included in the tour price - bring payment and decide quickly if the option comes up during the day.
- Bushmills is 3km from the stones. The village has the world's oldest licensed distillery - the licence goes back to 1608. Come back independently and the narrow-gauge Causeway and Bushmills Railway runs between the village and the stones.
- Belfast deserves its own trip. The Titanic Quarter is built on the actual slipway where RMS Titanic was constructed. The Crown Liquor Saloon on Great Victoria Street is a Victorian gin palace now run by the National Trust. The Enterprise from Connolly runs roughly hourly and takes just over two hours direct.
How the experience works
The route takes you through antrim and passes Belfast before heading west along the coast - a city that's rewritten its story in the last 25 years and well worth a return visit on its own.
What the price covers
- Information pack
- Driver/guide
- Host on trains
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Local charge to cross the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge (open March to October only)
The published itinerary
Use this to judge the pace and where your time actually goes. Operators can adjust stop order for traffic, weather or opening times.
- Photo stop - A 10-minute stop en route for photos.
- Giant's Causeway - Around 2 hours to explore the basalt columns on the Antrim coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site managed by the National Trust.
Good to know before booking
- Group size capped at 53
- Tour conducted in English
- Not recommended for travellers with spinal injuries or pregnant travellers
- Infants and small children can travel in a pram or stroller
- Service animals welcome
- Public transport available nearby
Check in at the Railtours Ireland stand in the main concourse of Dublin Connolly station - look for the rep in a bright yellow jacket holding your travel pack. Check-in closes 20 minutes before departure.
Make more of the area
- Belfast - Northern Ireland's capital, with the Titanic Quarter, the Crown Liquor Saloon, and a city that's rewritten its story since 1998.
- Bushmills - The village closest to the Causeway stones; Old Bushmills Distillery and the narrow-gauge heritage railway back to the columns.
- Ballycastle - At the eastern end of the Causeway Coast, with the Rathlin Island ferry and Fair Head clifftop walk on its doorstep.
Questions before you book
How long is Northern Ireland Including Giant's Causeway Rail Tour from Dublin?
The published duration is 13 hours. Allow extra time to reach the meeting point and for your onward plans.
How much does Northern Ireland Including Giant's Causeway Rail Tour from Dublin cost?
The listed starting price is From €161. Live prices can change by date, group size and availability.
What should I know before booking?
At 13 hours, this is a long travel day. Book it for the complete route, not if you want an unhurried stopbystop pace.
Ready to decide?
Check the live times before building the rest of your day.
From €161 · 13 hours Check dates & prices ↗