From Dublin: 3-Day Discover Northern Ireland Tour – County Down, United Kingdom

EXPERIENCE:

Day 1

Departing Dublin at 09:00, you will travel north towards the border with Northern Ireland. From here, it will be a short journey into the city of Belfast famous for its industrial past and turbulent history. After a short tour of some of the key areas of the city, you will arrive in the newly redeveloped Titanic Quarter, where you will have time for lunch and perhaps a visit to the award-winning museum. Other options here include a visit to the SS Nomadic, the last surviving White Star Line steamship, HMS Caroline, the fascinating Titanic’s Dock and Pump-House or perhaps take a black cab tour of the city. Later in the afternoon, you will leave the city and travel into the countryside of County Down for a visit to the world-famous house and gardens at Mount Stewart before arriving in the seaside resort town of Bangor – your base for the next two nights.

Day 2  

Today, you will follow one of the world’s great driving routes – the Causeway Coastal route through the beautiful scenery of the Antrim Coast and Glens. The tour follows the coast road from Larne to the world-famous Giant’s Causeway. Along the way, you will makes stops in attractive historic villages such as Glenarm and Ballycastle as well as scenic attractions such as the Cushendun Caves and the many viewpoints along this stunning coastline. In the afternoon, you will have a chance to explore the incredible rock formations at Giant’s Causeway. Several places along the route were used as filming location for the TV series “Game of Thrones” and the last stop of the day will be at the stunning Dark Hedges – make sure your camera still has some battery power left.  From here, you will return back to Bangor for another night.

Day 3 

After another day full of contrasts and fascinating visits, start with a trip along the Ards Peninsula – a great favorite with holiday makers from all over Northern Ireland. At Portaferry, take a boat across the mouth of Strangford Lough to visit Castle Ward with its 18th century mansion, extensive gardens and grounds, estate walks and for “Game of Thrones” enthusiasts, the location of Winterfell and other scenes. From here, it will be a short drive to Downpatrick, site of the burial place of St. Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint. You will have time for lunch here and perhaps a visit to Down Cathedral or St. Patrick’s center. In the afternoon, the tour will continue along the coast with the brooding granite peaks of Mourne Mountains on one side and the Irish Sea on the other. After a detour into the heart of the mountains through an area of traditional farms with their fascinating field patterns and huge stone walls, you will reach the coast again on the shores of Carlingford Lough for the final stop of the day. From here, you will return back across the border and travel south to Dublin arriving around 19:00.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

Visit the city of Belfast and the famous Titanic Quarter
Discover the beauty of County Down at Mount Stewart House & Gardens and the Mourne Mountains
Explore the wonderful Antrim Coast including the world-famous Giant’s Causeway
Experience many of the classic locations from Game of Thrones including “Winterfell” and the Dark Hedges
Travel through the land of St. Patrick – Ireland’s patron saint

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