Going to Dublin for a short trip but you want to see the Giant’s Causeway? Not sure if you have time or not?
It is can be possible and can be easily done with tour companies like the Paddywagon Giant’s Causeway Tour from Dublin. All you need is a day!
Related post: A Non-Drinkers/ Family Guide to Dublin
As promised in our other blog post, here is our review of experience with Paddywagon Tours.
We set off early in the day and we got picked up by a very Irish looking green coach at 7:20am next to Dublin Tourist Office, Suffolk Street (next to Molly Malone Statue).
The Coach
Schedule
This tour makes several stops during the day so you are not only getting a tour of the Giant’s Causeway, it gives you a chance to experience the highlights of Northern Ireland.
· Dark Hedges (made famous by Games of Throne)
· Carrick- A-rede Rope Bridge (followed by lunch)
· Giant’s Causeway
· Dunluce Castle
· Belfast
At the Dark Hedges, we were able to leave the bus and take photos of the infamous Games of Throne location.
You have a choice to pay a small fee to cross the Carrick-a-rede rope Bridge. There is a 15min walk from where you are dropped off to the start of the bridge. People with reduced mobility might find that a little bit difficult. Crossing the bridge was extremely exciting and when you cross over to the other side, you can explore the little island to your heart’s content before crossing the bridge back.
After the rope bridge, we were taken to a small restaurant for a spot of lunch (price not included in the tour). Their beef and Guinness pie did not disappoint!
Next stop was the eagerly awaited Giant’s Causeway. What we loved about this Paddywaggon tour is that the price of the visitor centre is also included. It may not sound like much but it is the only way to use the public bathrooms!
The Giant’s Causeway itself was simply amazing. You begin to wonder how the 40,000 interlocking basalt columns magically appeared in that space. You are provided with an information headset and we really enjoyed listening to the stories and tales behind the Giant’s Causeway.
The stop at Dunluce Castle was very brief, just a quick stop for you to take photos of the remains of the castle.
Finally, the last stop of this tour was Belfast. With only an hour, there isn’t much you can do there. We had time to visit the beautiful town hall and hit a few shops before we returned to the coach.
Tips
· Bring snacks (no hot food allowed on the coach)
· Bring warm, water proof clothes as the weather can be unpredictable
· You can bring as much as you want on to the bus and leave it on the bus when you are out exploring
· Bring ear phones for the headset at Giant’s Causeway
· Always be on time returning to the bus, otherwise, you are delaying everyone else’s experience
· Bring some £ as you will be in Northern Ireland the majority of the time
· There is no need to bring a passport even though you are crossing the border from Ireland to UK!
Final Thoughts
We really enjoyed this tour and it was by far the best part of our trip to Ireland. The journey was comfortable and a lot less stressful than driving ourselves. We feel that the schedule was well planned and it enabled us to see as much as we could in the time given. Finally, the driver really made our trip very enjoyable with his constant jokes and entertaining facts!
Thank you Paddywagon Tours for such a fantastic time!
*Disclaimer: We were invited as guest on this tour by Paddywaggon but all photos and opinions are our own*
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