NORTHERN IRELAND

ABOUT NORTHERN IRELAND

Northern Ireland caught me by surprise! A country I truly did not know was separate from Ireland until embarrassingly recently, Northern Ireland blew me away with its natural beauty and awe-striking landscapes. My absolute favorite part of my time in this country was exploring the Giant’s Causeway. Paired with local legend, it is easy to imagine giants breaking off the land into the ocean when strolling through the uneven polygonal columns of basalt. To date, this is one of the most incredible natural phenomena I have ever seen. Even in the summer, prepare for cloudy weather and rain, weather that just adds to the magical allure of Northern Ireland.

Check out some of my favorite adventures from Northern Ireland!

Travel Tips - Northern Ireland

Lodging

During my time in Northern Ireland, I stayed at the ETAP Belfast hotel. This was an incredibly unique stay, and honestly not my favorite but it served the purpose it needed to. Looking to save some money and take a break from hostel jumping, this hotel was a welcome reprieve to sharing my space with a bunch of gals. This hotel was located in a convenient location, commutable from the airport via bus accompanied with a little bit of walking but was right next to a bar that blasted music at all hours of the night. Not my favorite. If you were like me looking to save some money while visiting Northern Ireland, I’d recommend this hotel but otherwise, maybe investigate some other options.

Transportation

To be completely honest, aside from a quick bus ride from the airport, I did not take any other form of transportation besides a train out of the city to Dublin. To get around, instead of renting a car I decided to book day tours, such as to see the Giant’s Causeway, which worked great for me in the short time I was in the country. Public transportation seems to be pretty good in Northern Ireland in the cities, but if you are looking for more rural expeditions, I would recommend getting a rental car.

Activities

Northern Ireland was a beautiful country, and here are my top recommendations of things to do during your visit: