Top Tips for Visiting The Giant’s Causeway

Amenities at the Giant’s Causeway – a quick overview

• The site is managed by The National Trust who have built a visitor centre at the cliff top, next to the Causeway Hotel and about a mile from the actual rocks.
• If you purchase a Visitor Experience ticket (see prices and details below) you can park in the car park by the visitor centre and make use of the facilities (shop, café, mini exhibition) as well as get your hands on an audio guide, and avail of a guided tour.
• If you don’t want to make use of the visitor centre amenities, tours and car park, you can access the site for free. However, you will need to either come by public transport, or on foot or bicycle, or park in a carpark a little distant from the visitor centre. Jump to: more about the different ways you can get to The Giant’s Causeway, and about the alternative parking options.
• Besides the Causeway Hotel, for F&B options you also have The Nook and a cafe at the station (which may not be open). There are plenty of F&B options in nearby Bushmills.
• There are no amenities at the rocks themselves.

Getting to the Giant’s Causeway site from the visitor centre:

• The famous hexagonal stones are situated about 0.8 mile / 1.2 km from the visitor centre down a road that descends quite steeply to the shore. The road is not open to private vehicles and while most people will take the 25 minute walk down to the site, there is the option to hop on a bus that runs between the rocks and visitor centre. The bus is operated by Ulster Bus (not The National Trust), and runs approximately every twenty minutes and costs £1 per person each way. This means you can walk down and get the bus back up the hill!
• The walk down the road from the visitor centre takes you past Portnaboe (Bay of the Cows) where you will probably see cows grazing, then past Port Ganny Bay and on to the Giant’s Causeway site itself. You can return the same way either on foot or on the bus, or walk on to Port Noffer Bay then walk up the steep Shepherd’s Steps and return by the cliff-top path described in the next paragraph.

• Take the cliff top path: Our preferred route to the rocks is to walk up the grassy bank by the visitor centre and follow the cliff-top path with its stunning views before coming down the Shepherd’s Steps into Port Noffer Bay, just beyond the Giant’s Causeway promontory. As well as views out to Scotland, you’ll also get a bit of a thrill walking out to the outcrop that gives you a bird’s eye view over the Giant’s Causeway – but take care if you are walking with kids or feisty dogs as there are no guard rails!
• If you have time you can walk further along the cliff top to look down into The Amphitheatre, a cauldron-like cove with steep cliffs and turbulent currents. Then walk back to the Shepherd’s Steps to descend to the Giant’s Causeway promontory. In fact, if you have a lot of time you can just keep on walking because this path is part of the Causeway Coast Way and will take you to Dunseverick Castle and beyond.

What to expect once you get to the Giant’s Causeway rocks

The causeway is made up three promontories jutting into the Atlantic ocean and covers an area about the size of a football field. This may not seem that big but the setting is magnificent with sheer cliffs towering above and, more often than not, big waves crashing in over the rocks. Even on a stormy day, you should still get some decent photos for sharing back home.

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Surprisingly (for such a heritage site) but thankfully for the intrepid visitor, you can clamber out over the stones. This can be a bit tricky, especially in the wet. Make sure you have suitable shoes!

Things to look out for:

• Look out for the rusted coins stuck between the rocks near the pass behind the rocks. We presume these have been put there for good luck.
• The Giant’s Boot – an unusually shaped rock that does look like a giant’s boot, possibly Bennandonner’s boot left behind when he fled back to Scotland?
• The Organ Pipes – if you head up the path beyond the Giant’s Causeway and continue past the Shepherd’s Steps you will see a rock formation described as the Organ Pipes. You can continue along this path at your own risk to look into the Amphitheatre Bay (described previously) from a lower angle.
• Beyond the Amphitheatre Bay is a bay known as Port Na Spaniagh where in 1588 one of the ships of the Spanish Armada ran aground with the loss of close to 1,300 lives which is horrific to imagine. Artifacts and gold from the ship, The Girona, are now on display at the Ulster Museum in Belfast.

There are no toilets or F&B outlets at the site itself so for this reason alone you might wish to buy a Visitor Experience ticket so that you can use the toilet facilities at the cliff top visitor centre. For F&B why not take your own picnic to enjoy on the rocks, or the cliff top.

Dressing for the occasion

• Dress for the weather: There is nothing more miserable than being cold and as this is a coastal site with lots of fresh air, make sure you take warm clothes and a waterproof coat.
• Dress for the walk:Even if you don’t take the 50 minute round-trip walk to the rocks, you will need flat shoes with a reasonable grip if you want to walk out over the rocks.

Food and beverage

• Have an al fresco picnic:  Our top recommendation, if the weather allows, is to take a snack or picnic so that you can sit down and soak up the atmosphere while at the rocks or on the cliff top path to enjoy the views. There are also picnic tables on the cliff tops to the west (to the left if you are looking at the sea) of the visitor centre.

There is a café in the visitor centre however this is off limits if you don’t have a Visitor Experience ticket, but there are other F&B options at the cliff top. These are:

• The Nook, an old school house located at the entrance to The Giant’s Causeway visitor centre now serving traditional pub fare. Note that you need to find a table then place your order at the bar. Many a tourist has gone quite hungry waiting for table service!
• The Causeway Hotel – this is a finer dining option with their elegant 1836 Ballroom Restaurant.
• The Heritage Railway Cafe – if open you may be able to get a snack at the café at the train station located just outside the entrance to The Giant’s Causeway visitor centre.
• There are numerous restaurants and cafés in nearby Bushmills.

Accessibility

For those in need of a little assistance to get around, the visitor centre has mobility scooters and wheelchairs available for ticket holders‘ use on a first come, first served basis. You can also make use of the bus, operated by Ulster Bus costing £1/person each way to get from the visitor centre to the rocks. As an alternative to making the journey down to the rocks, there is an accessible path that heads out on the headland from the visitor centre giving great views over The Giant’s Causeway.

2. How much is entry to the Giant’s Causeway – is it free?

• Entry fees: Entry is free for  National Trust members and for those not using the National Trust facilities. Otherwise charges (checked May 2023) are:
  • off peak**: £13.50/adult, £6.75/child 5+ years, or £33.75 for a family (2 adults, 3 children) or £20.25 for a one adult family and for
  • peak season: £15.00/adult, £7.50/child 5+ years, or £37.50 for a family (2 adults, 3 children) or £22.25 for a one adult family.
    ** Peak season – Easter fortnight, all UK and ROI bank holidays and July 17 through to September 3, 2023.
• Ticket price includes reserved on-site parking, guided tours, audio guide, and access to the Visitor Centre shop, exhibition and cafe. Visitors are encouraged to pre-book an entry timeslot.  Book tickets here.
• You can access the site for free so long as you are not using any of the National Trust’s facilities mentioned above, including the toilets and main car parks. You would also miss out on the audio guide. As you cannot use the car park by the visitor centre, you would need to park at the Causeway Coast Way Car Park (60 Causeway Road) or arrive on foot/by bicyle or public transport (see below).
• Is it worth joining the National Trust to gain access to Giant’s Causeway and other National Trust managed sites?  Family membership is £146.40 per year and while entry to Giant’s Causeway and Carrick a Rede rope bridge will set you back close to £80, you would have to visit several more National Trust managed sites to make this worth your while, eg. Castle Coole or Florence Court in Fermanagh. However, if you are a Great Britain based visitor it might be worth your while if you are likely to visit National Trust sites in GB as well.