Northern Ireland: One-Week Itinerary

Seven days is enough. Not enough to see everything — Northern Ireland has a density of landscape, history, and character that would take months to fully absorb — but enough to understand why people fall for this place. This itinerary covers Belfast, the Causeway Coast, the Fermanagh lakelands, and the Mourne Mountains, moving in a roughly clockwise loop with overnight stops that keep driving distances manageable and leave time for the unplanned discoveries that are always the best part of any trip.

You’ll need a car. Public transport connects the main towns but won’t reach the coastal headlands, mountain trailheads, and rural lanes where Northern Ireland is at its most compelling. Total driving across the week is roughly 600 km — all of it on good roads, much of it spectacularly scenic.

Day 1: Belfast

Base: Belfast city centre

Arrive and settle into Belfast. The city deserves at least a full day, and this itinerary gives it one — but if you can spare two, you’ll be glad of it. Our best things to do in Belfast guide covers the city comprehensively.

Morning: Start at Titanic Belfast, the world’s largest Titanic visitor experience, built on the actual slipway where the ship was constructed. The exhibition is intelligent, moving, and takes roughly two hours. The Titanic Quarter around it — shipyard cranes, dry dock, the SS Nomadic — adds context.

Afternoon: Walk through the Cathedral Quarter for lunch — St George’s Market if it’s a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, or the independent restaurants along Hill Street and Commercial Court. After lunch, take a black cab tour of the political murals in west Belfast. This isn’t a typical tourist activity — it’s a conversation about the Troubles, led by drivers who lived through it. Our Troubles history guide provides background. It’s essential.

Evening: Dinner in the Cathedral Quarter or along the Lisburn Road. Belfast’s food scene has improved enormously — see our Belfast food scene guide. Afterwards, a drink in the Duke of York or the Crown Liquor Saloon, the most ornate pub in Ireland.

Day 2: Belfast to the Causeway Coast

Base: Bushmills, Ballycastle, or Portrush area | Drive: ~100 km

Morning: Leave Belfast heading north on the A2 coastal road. Stop at Carrickfergus Castle — a Norman castle on the edge of Belfast Lough that has been standing since 1177. Continue along the coast, stopping at The Gobbins cliff path if you’ve pre-booked (essential — it’s guided only).

Afternoon: Continue north through Carnlough and Cushendall — the heart of the Glens of Antrim, where deep valleys run from the hills to the sea. Stop in Cushendall for lunch at one of the village pubs. Drive on to Ballycastle, checking in to your accommodation.

Evening: Explore Ballycastle — a handsome harbour town with good pubs and restaurants. Walk the seafront and look across to Rathlin Island, which you’ll visit tomorrow.

Day 3: Causeway Coast

Base: Same as Day 2

This is the big day — the Causeway Coastal Route in its most concentrated section.

Morning: Drive to Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge (book tickets online in advance). The bridge connects the mainland to a small island used by salmon fishermen for centuries. The crossing is short but the views are extraordinary. Continue west to the Giant’s Causeway. Arrive early if possible — the site is busiest between 11am and 3pm. Walk down to the stones, explore the columns, and take the clifftop path for the best views. Allow two hours minimum.

Afternoon: Drive to Bushmills for a late lunch and, if time allows, a tour of the Old Bushmills Distillery — the oldest licensed distillery in the world. Continue west along the coast to Dunluce Castle, a ruined medieval castle perched on a basalt cliff edge above the sea. End at Portstewart Strand or Benone Beach for a late-afternoon walk on some of the finest sand in Ireland.

Evening: Dinner in Portrush or Bushmills. The north coast has excellent seafood.

Day 4: North Coast to Derry~Londonderry

Base: Derry~Londonderry | Drive: ~50 km

Morning: If you haven’t already, visit the Dark Hedges — a tunnel of ancient beech trees made famous by Game of Thrones. It’s a short detour inland from the coast road. Then drive west along the coast through Castlerock and Downhill, stopping at the Mussenden Temple — a small, circular library perched on a 120-foot cliff above Downhill Beach. The setting is absurd in its beauty.

Afternoon: Continue to Derry~Londonderry and check in. Walk the city walls — the most complete set of city walls in Ireland, dating from the early 17th century. The circuit is about 1.5 km and offers views across the city, the Bogside, and the River Foyle. Visit the Tower Museum for the city’s history, and walk across the Peace Bridge — a modern footbridge symbolising the connection between the two sides of the river.

Our Derry~Londonderry city guide has the full picture.

Evening: Derry has an excellent food and pub scene. Try Pyke ‘N’ Pommes for street food, or Walled City Brewery for craft beer and gastropub fare. Live music is easy to find — Peadar O’Donnell’s bar is a reliable bet.

Day 5: Derry to Fermanagh

Base: Enniskillen area | Drive: ~130 km

Morning: Leave Derry heading south through the Sperrins — Northern Ireland’s most undiscovered mountain range. The road through Gortin Glen Forest Park is beautiful, or take the B47 across the open moor for a wilder route. Stop at the Ulster American Folk Park near Omagh — a living history museum telling the story of Irish emigration to the Americas. It’s one of Northern Ireland’s best museums and worth 1.5–2 hours.

Afternoon: Continue south to Enniskillen, the island town at the heart of the Fermanagh lakelands. Check in, then visit Enniskillen Castle and walk along the lough shore. If time allows, drive to Devenish Island (seasonal ferry) — a monastic site on an island in Lower Lough Erne with a remarkable round tower.

Evening: Dinner in Enniskillen. The town punches above its weight for food. Afterwards, walk along the waterfront as the light fades over the lough — the water here is extraordinarily still at dusk.

Day 6: Fermanagh to the Mournes

Base: Newcastle or Kilkeel area | Drive: ~170 km

Morning: Visit the Marble Arch Caves — a guided underground boat trip and walk through one of Europe’s finest show caves. The caves are part of a UNESCO Global Geopark. Allow 1.5 hours. Then drive to Florence Court, a beautiful 18th-century house with gardens and woodland walks, or Castle Coole, a neoclassical mansion near Enniskillen.

Afternoon: Drive east across Northern Ireland to Newcastle, at the foot of the Mourne Mountains. The drive takes you through the heart of the country — drumlin countryside, small market towns, and gradually rising ground as the Mournes appear on the horizon. Check in to your accommodation.

Evening: Walk along Newcastle’s promenade with the mountains behind you and Dundrum Bay in front. Dinner in Newcastle — the town has improved its restaurant scene notably in recent years.

Day 7: The Mourne Mountains

Base: Newcastle area, or return to Belfast for departure

Morning: Hike Slieve Donard — Northern Ireland’s highest peak at 850 metres. The walk from Donard Park takes 4–5 hours return. Our Mourne Mountains hiking guide has the route details. If a full summit day is too ambitious, the walk to Trassey Track to Hare’s Gap is shorter and equally beautiful.

Alternatively, if hiking isn’t your plan, drive the Mourne Coastal Road from Newcastle to Kilkeel — granite mountains on one side, the Irish Sea on the other — and explore the fishing harbour at Annalong and the Kilkeel shops selling fresh-off-the-boat seafood.

Afternoon: Drive north to Strangford and take the ferry across the lough narrows to Portaferry (or vice versa) — a five-minute crossing with fine views. Explore Strangford Lough if time allows, or head directly back to Belfast (about an hour’s drive).

Evening: If departing, Belfast International and Belfast City airports are both easily reached. If you have one final evening, return to the Cathedral Quarter for a farewell dinner and the quiet satisfaction of having covered a remarkable amount of ground in seven days.

Practical Notes

• Accommodation: Book ahead in summer (June–August), especially on the Causeway Coast and in Derry. Shoulder season (May, September) is ideal — fewer crowds, often better weather than you’d expect.
• Budget: See our Northern Ireland on a budget guide for cost-saving tips. Accommodation ranges from £40/night for a B&B to £150+ for boutique hotels.
• Weather: Pack layers and a waterproof jacket regardless of season. Conditions change quickly, especially in the mountains and on the coast.
• Driving: Roads are good throughout. Allow extra time on the coast road — it’s winding and you’ll stop constantly for views. See the speed limits and rules in our driving guide.
• Flexibility: This itinerary is a framework, not a schedule. The best moments in Northern Ireland are often unplanned — a conversation in a pub, a lane that looked interesting, a beach you stumbled across. Leave room for them.

One week gives you the shape of Northern Ireland. It shows you the dramatic coast, the quiet interior, the complicated, compelling city that Belfast has become, and the mountains that close the southern horizon. It’s enough to understand the place. Whether it’s enough to satisfy your curiosity is another question — most people who come for a week start planning their return before they leave.