Walking the Antrim Coast

Activity Level

Easy & Moderate

Activity

Walking & Trekking

Overview

Explore Northern Ireland’s magnificent coastline with scenery including castles and beautiful beaches. You will also have the chance to visit the famous Carrick-a-Rede bridge and the UNESCO listed Giant’s Causeway.

A 4 night walk along the wonderful Antrim Way which explores one of the most beautiful sections of Ireland’s northern coast. Boasting the fabulous Glens of Antrim, fantastic castles & beautiful beaches – to say nothing of the wonderful Bushmills distillery – it’s a pleasure to discover. On your final day, visit the famous Carrick-a-Rede bridge used as a location in the popular Game of Thrones TV series and walk across the magnificent UNESCO listed Giant’s Causeway where there are more than 40,000 hexagonal interlocking, basalt columns, formed over 60 million years ago by volcanic eruptions or maybe, as local legend suggests, built by the giant Fionn as a path to Scotland to challenge his rival there.

These way-marked trails pass through a truly wonderful region to discover, with rugged and windswept cliffs, spectacular scenery and fabulous unspoiled beaches.

Key Information

Trip Code: W04AN
Ways to Travel: Self-Guided Holidays, Short Breaks
Countries: United Kingdom

What's Included

All breakfasts
Route directions and maps
Luggage transfers
Walking transfers as required

3 days of Walking & Trekking

Terrain:

Walks on this holiday are on way-marked coastal and forest paths.

Day 2: 20 km / 12.4 miles
Day 3: 8 km / 5 miles
Day 4: 16 km / 9.9 miles

Highlights

UNESCO world heritage site of Giants Causeway, hexagonal interlocking basalt columns formed by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago
Spectacular scenery with castles and beautiful beaches
Stay in Bushmills, the home of the famous Bushmills whiskey distillery

Itinerary

First Destination: Ballycastle
Next Destination: Bushmills

Meals included:None

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

First Destination: Ballycastle
Next Destination: Bushmills

Arrival in Ballycastle.

After a transfer to Orra Beg you head north back to Ballycastle along the Moyle Way. Passing through forest tracks and along the banks of the Glenshesk River through the Breen Oakwood Nature Reserve. Continuing onward by country road with views of the Glenshesk River, Knocklayd Mountain and Coolaveely Wood before following a good forest path through Ballycastle Forest following a good forest path into Ballycastle itself where you stay for the next two nights.

Meals included:Breakfast

A return transfer take you to the start of your walk around the magnificent coastal route of Murlough and Fair Head. The path hugs the ruggedly beautiful coast with dramatic cliff drops. Return to Bushmills.

Meals included:Breakfast

Transfer to Larrybane visitor centre and the famous Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. The bridge first built in 1755 by salmon fishermen spans an 80-foot-deep chasm that renders Carrick-a-Rede an island. Continue along the coastal path to Ballintoy, a fantastic little harbour at the foot of the cliffs before reaching the beautiful White Park Bay. Stroll onwards to the village of Portbraddan and the ruins of Dunseverick Castle and on to the Giant’s Causeway. More than 40,000 hexagonal interlocking, basalt columns formed over 60 million years ago by volcanic eruptions or as local legend suggests, built by the giant Fionn as a path to Scotland to challenge his rival there. From here you take the public bus (payable locally) for the last few miles into Bushmills for you final night and where you can find the famous Bushmills whiskey distillery.

Meals included:Breakfast

Depart Bushmills after breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Dates & Prices

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Accommodation

Hotels

Glendale B&B, CUSHENDALL
Glendale is a family run B&B located on the famous Coast Road in the pictureque village of Cushendall and just 4 minutes walk from the beach. It is set in private gardens and around 100 yards from the road. It offers views of the sea and the nearby Lurig Mountain.

CORRATAVEY B&B, BALLYCASTLE
Corratavey bed and breakfast is a few minutes walk to Ballycastle seafront and harbour and is situated close to the Giants Causeway Coast & Glens.

COTTESMORE B&B, BUSHMILLS
Cottesmore bed and breakfast is set on the edge of Bushmills Village and in a designated ‘Area of outstanding Natural Beauty’. It is the perfect location for exploring the Giants Causeway, Dunluce Castle, Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge and just a 5 minute walk from the world famous ‘Old Bushmills Whiskey Distillery’. Rooms are modern and tastefully decorated.

Essential Information

Walking Conditions
Classification: Self–Guided
Activity Level: 2 (Leisurely/Moderate)
Average daily distance: 14.5km (9ml)
No. of days walking: 3
Terrain and route: Way-marked forest and coastal paths are used throughout.
Vehicle Support: This is a self-guided trip for those who prefer to walk independently, but with our assistance to take out the stress of the logistics and planning. We arrange your accommodation, provide you with route directions so that you can walk at your own pace, while your bags are transported from one hotel to the next.

It is important that you are happy following route directions, we make these as accurate as possible and they are regularly checked.

As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. There maybe others on the same departure date as you, but you will not be organised together. The routes directions contain a 24-hour emergency assistance telephone number should you need it and in emergencies, the local agent is normally able to dispatch a taxi or pick you up themselves. They may wish to charge for this service.

This holiday does not include any flights or rail.

Alternative transfers
It may be possible to arrange transfers from Belfast at an additional charge if required.

Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.

United Kingdom

Travellers from the US, Canada, and the EU normally do not need a visa to enter the United Kingdom, but do need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (or ETA), which you can apply for at www.gov.uk/eta/apply.

Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

All breakfasts included.

Irish food is not exactly famous, but what you will find is extremely good ingredients used to create basic and classic dishes, both Irish beef and Irish lamb, are certainly well known all over Ireland and further afield. You will see rack of lamb, lamb stew and shepherd’s pie, in most places. The county’s other basket is the Atlantic Ocean, and its rivers and loughs. Sea bream and Sea Bass are popular.Trout and Salmon can be served in many different ways, and there is an abundance of shell fish, local chowders are excellent and look out for crab gratin.

Wine is readily available but of course one of the symbols of Ireland is Guinness, and we can say from experience that it tastes better in Ireland, but if have a thirst after a long walk, beware the Guinness is not poured quickly, many might say there is a certain amount of time you need to leave after filling the glass halfway up the harp. However it should be left until you see a vivid distinction between the dark body and the creamy white head. Only then can the rest of the glass be filled. Learning from the
locals, you should order your second pint before you have finished your first!
Craft beer is making a name for itself in Ireland and there are some excellent local ones. Ireland in general is renowned for its whiskey and in Northern Ireland you can sample the world famous Bushmills whiskey. A visit to the distillery in Co. Antrim is not to be missed.

Northern Ireland’s climate is temperate. Most of its weather comes from the southwest in a series of low-pressure systems bringing the rain and clouds that often lend character to the landscape. It often experiences high winds particularly in the north and on the east coast where severe westerly gales are common.

Northern Ireland experiences a realtively dry spring which leads to a wet summer and a wetter winter. Daily conditions are highly changeable but there are no extremes of heat and cold.

The mild conditions in Northern Ireland have made it a beautiful, green country in all seasons.

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.