The Causeway Coast is the stretch of coast between Portrush and Ballycastle in County Antrim, about an hour and a half north of Belfast. The Giant's Causeway is the headline attraction but the coast around it is what makes the day. A driving plan that gives you the best of it.

The route

Belfast to Carrickfergus to Glenarm to Cushendun to Carrick-a-Rede to Giant's Causeway to Bushmills to Dunluce Castle to Portrush. About 180 kilometres of driving over a full day, with stops adding up to another four or five hours. Doable as a long day trip, but better as an overnight if you can spare it.

Carrickfergus Castle

Norman castle on the edge of Belfast Lough, twenty minutes north of the city. Built in 1177. One of the best preserved Norman castles in Ireland. Worth forty-five minutes including the climb to the top of the keep. Five pounds.

Cushendun Caves

The Game of Thrones location where Melisandre gives birth to the shadow assassin. The caves themselves are accessible from the small village of Cushendun, ten minutes' walk from the village centre. Free, no infrastructure, just the sea cave. Spectacular at high tide. Allow thirty minutes.

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge

A rope bridge connecting the mainland to a small island, originally used by salmon fishermen. The bridge is twenty metres long and thirty metres above the sea. The walk to the bridge from the car park is one kilometre each way along the cliff edge. Tickets must be booked online in advance for a specific time slot. Ten pounds. About ninety minutes total.

The Giant's Causeway

The 40,000 hexagonal basalt columns formed by lava cooling 60 million years ago. UNESCO World Heritage site. Free to walk to from the public car park (a kilometre downhill); the National Trust visitor centre with the audio guide costs fifteen pounds and is more polished but less essential. Allow two hours minimum, three if you want to walk the cliff path above.

How much time do I need at the Giant's Causeway?

Two hours minimum to walk down, photograph the stones, and walk back up. Three hours if you want to also do the upper cliff path which gives you the long view of the columns from above. Many visitors rush it in ninety minutes and regret not having more time.

Is the visitor centre worth the entry fee?

The audio guide is well done and the geological exhibition is worth thirty minutes. If you have driven all the way and want the full story, yes. If you have read up on the formation already, the columns themselves are free and that is the main event.

Can I do this without a car?

Yes, on a coach tour. Several operators run from Belfast for around forty pounds, full day, hitting the Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede, Bushmills and one or two of the smaller stops. Allcroft Tours and McComb's are the long-running operators. The downside is you do not control the schedule and the time at each stop is fixed.

What about Bushmills Distillery?

Bushmills is the world's oldest licensed distillery, granted its license in 1608. The tour takes ninety minutes including a tasting at the end. Worth the stop if you like whiskey or want to break up the driving. Pre-book online; they sell out in summer. Fifteen pounds.

Dunluce Castle

The dramatic ruined castle on a clifftop, between Bushmills and Portrush. Featured in Game of Thrones as the House of Greyjoy. Worth thirty minutes for the views and a quick walk around. Six pounds, often quieter than the Causeway.

When is the best time to do this trip?

May through September for daylight (you need at least ten hours of light to see everything in winter the day is too short). June and September are the sweet spot; July and August have peak crowds at the Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede. Early start helps; arriving at the Causeway before nine means you have it to yourself for an hour.