Northern Ireland packs a remarkable amount of history into a relatively small space, and this private day trip from Dublin gives you a proper look at it. You’re picked up directly at your Dublin accommodation and driven north - about 2 hours each way - so there’s no fussing with trains or car hire.
Two tour options to choose from:
8-hour option: Belfast - You’ll see the highlights of Belfast with a 5-star licensed local guide, including the Peace Wall and Titanic Dock, and visit Belfast Cathedral. This is a solid day for anyone wanting to understand the city’s complex recent history.
11-hour option: Giant’s Causeway and Belfast - Everything in the 8-hour option, plus skip-the-line access to Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and national nature reserve. You explore the causeway independently (no guide included there), walking the famous basalt columns at the edge of the sea - the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption.
The local guide who joins you in Belfast speaks fluent German, Russian, English, Italian, or French - you choose at time of booking.
What’s Included
Private car with pickup and drop-off at your Dublin accommodation
Entrance fee to Belfast Cathedral
5-star licensed guide in Belfast (fluent in your choice of German, Russian, English, Italian, or French)
Skip-the-line tickets to Giant’s Causeway (11-hour option only)
What’s Not Included
Lunch (optional)
Skip-the-line tickets to Giant’s Causeway (not included in 8-hour option)
Guided tour of Giant’s Causeway
Tickets to Titanic Belfast Experience
Itinerary
Transfer Dublin to Belfast - Private car pickup from your Dublin accommodation. The journey takes approximately 2 hours each way through the Irish countryside. (120 min)
Belfast city introduction with local guide - Your 5-star licensed local guide introduces you to the history of Belfast and explains how Northern Ireland separated from the Republic of Ireland. (60 min)
Peace Wall - The wall divides the Falls Road and Shankill Road areas in west Belfast. The colourful murals painted along it are a reminder of the violent conflict between the Catholic and Protestant communities, and a symbol of the peace that followed. (120 min)
Belfast City Hall - See the magnificent Town Hall, a centrepiece of the city. (60 min)
Titanic Shipyard - See the old shipyard where the Titanic was designed, built and launched in 1912. (60 min)
Giant’s Causeway (11-hour option only) - A UNESCO World Heritage Site and national nature reserve. Walk the basalt columns at the sea’s edge - formed by an ancient volcanic fissure eruption. Skip-the-line access included. (120 min)
Good to Know
This is a private tour - just your group
Guide available in German, Russian, English, Italian, or French (in Belfast)
Wheelchair accessible; transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Public transport is available nearby
Local Tips
The Peace Wall murals tell two stories. Your guide will bring the context, but it’s worth taking your time on both the Falls Road side and the Shankill side. The gates in the wall still close at night - that detail alone tells you how recent all of this is. Walk it slowly rather than photographing at pace.
Eat lunch in the Cathedral Quarter. Your guide can point you toward St George’s Market on a Friday (8am-2pm) or Saturday (9am-3pm) if your schedule lands right - fresh bread, hot food, live music on Sundays. If the market’s not on, the Cathedral Quarter has Mourne Seafood Bar on Bank Street, right beside Kelly’s Cellars (a pub trading since 1720), which is worth a quick look even if you don’t stop for a drink.
The Titanic Museum is not included but it’s close to the shipyard. If you have time after the guided portion, the museum is a short walk from the dry dock where the ship was built. The Titanic Quarter waterfront walk covers the same ground for free - the Samson and Goliath cranes, the slipway, and the Glass of Thrones stained-glass windows along the riverside.
For the 11-hour option, wear proper shoes at Bushmills. The Giant’s Causeway is three kilometres up the road from Bushmills village, and the stones themselves involve uneven basalt columns. The Causeway Coast Way walking path from Portballintrae to the stones is a pleasant off-road alternative to the shuttle bus if your legs are up for it - about 4km each way along the cliff. You’ll have two hours at the Causeway without a guide, so the more mobile you are, the better the experience. The visitor centre charges admission; the stones themselves are free.
Nearby on IrelandMe
Belfast - Harland & Wolff launched the Titanic from here on 31 May 1911, the peace walls are still standing, and the Crown Liquor Saloon has been pulling pints since the Victorian era. The city explains itself slowly - give it the time.
Bushmills - The village three kilometres from Giant’s Causeway, with a distillery licence dating to 1608 and the narrow-gauge heritage railway that runs to the stones. A better base than the visitor centre car park if you want the Causeway Coast on your own terms.
