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Tokyo to Northern Ireland: Belfast and the Causeway Coast

Tokyo → Belfast → Causeway Coast

Belfast City Hall
"Belfast City Hall 007.jpg" by Simon Burchell, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
Belfast Skyline City Quays (Belfast)
Photo: Davidw1406, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Shipyards, basalt columns & coastal castles Best season (general guide): May–Sep

Northern Ireland packs an industrial capital and one of Europe's most dramatic coastlines into a short drive. This route spends three nights in Belfast and three on the Causeway Coast. From Tokyo you'll connect through London, Amsterdam or Dublin to Belfast.

How to pace it: Spend days one to three in Belfast: day one, City Hall and the Cathedral Quarter; day two, Titanic Belfast; day three, murals and St George's Market. Then spend days four to six on the Causeway Coast: day four, drive north via the Dark Hedges; day five, Giant's Causeway; day six, Carrick-a-Rede and Dunluce Castle.

Belfast was once a great shipbuilding city, and the Titanic was built in its yards. Titanic Belfast, a museum shaped like ship bows, stands on the slipways where the liner was launched, and tells the story of the city and the ship.

The centre is dominated by Belfast City Hall, a grand domed building, and the Cathedral Quarter has pubs, music and street art. Political murals in west Belfast tell the story of the Troubles, and black-taxi tours explain them with local guides.

North of the city, the coast road passes glens, villages and sea views. The Dark Hedges, an avenue of twisted beech trees, are a popular stop on the way.

The Giant's Causeway, listed by UNESCO, is a field of tens of thousands of basalt columns formed by ancient volcanic activity, stepping down into the sea. Legend says a giant built it to cross to Scotland.

Nearby, the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge swings above the sea to a small island, and the ruins of Dunluce Castle sit on a cliff edge. The Old Bushmills Distillery, in the village of Bushmills, is one of the oldest licensed distilleries in the world.

May to September brings the longest days and the mildest weather, though rain is possible at any time.

Good to know: A car is the easiest way to explore the coast, and the roads are narrow, so drive slowly. Book the rope bridge and the causeway visitor centre ahead in summer. Try an Ulster fry for breakfast before a day outdoors.

Suggested outline

  1. Tokyo

    Start

  2. Belfast

    By air · 3 nights suggested

    Titanic Belfast, murals and the Victorian city centre.

  3. Causeway Coast

    Overland · 3 nights suggested

    Basalt columns at the Giant's Causeway, a rope bridge and clifftop ruins.

    Giant's Causeway
    "Giant's Causeway (14).JPG" by Chmee2, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Belfast — Arrive; City Hall and the Cathedral Quarter· Tokyo → Belfast (by air) — long-haul; may arrive the next calendar day
  2. Day 2 · Belfast — Titanic Belfast
  3. Day 3 · Belfast — Murals and St George's Market
  4. Day 4 · Causeway Coast — Drive north via the Dark Hedges· Belfast → Causeway Coast (overland)
  5. Day 5 · Causeway Coast — Giant's Causeway
  6. Day 6 · Causeway Coast — Carrick-a-Rede and Dunluce Castle
  7. Day 7 · Causeway Coast — Travel home from Causeway Coast· Causeway Coast → Belfast (overland), then Belfast → Tokyo (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

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Belfast

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Plan the trip: Belfast

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Causeway Coast

Nearest airport: Belfast Search fares · Belfast ↗

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