Hi all. Would like opinions from locals or previous travelers on a potential itinerary for my family of 5. My husband has been to Ireland 3 times and I have been twice, but our children have not yet been and we are very excited to share it with them. My children are 18, 16, and 13 and our family loves to hike, be outdoors, see castles, play along beaches, etc. My husband and I have both visited central and western Ireland (Dingle, ROK, Galway, Connemara, Kilkenny) but have yet to visit Northern Ireland. We are debating if we should visit some of our favorite spots with them or if we should stay primarily in Northern Ireland so it will be new to us as well. We will have about 8 days in June, but don't want to try to see it ALL because we know driving for many hours at a time can be stressful. If anyone has an opinion either way on if you'd repeat the areas you know you love or go see Northern Ireland, I'd appreciate your input. Thanks.
Posted by
Lynnwood, Washington
8854 posts
I really enjoyed Northern Ireland. I think it is a great place to spend time. I've put in a link to a three bedroom cottage rented out by the Bayview Hotel in Port Balintrae. There is a lot do do in this area and I think you would enjoy this accomodation.
Posted by
76 posts
There's a tremendous amount of things to do in the north, but I wouldn't limit myself to just Northern Ireland. Since you sound like the outdoorsy types, I can, from experience, suggest Fanad Head, Malin Head, Horn Head, Grianan of Aileach...pretty much the entire northern area of co. Donegal. In fact, the entire county is spectacular. Slieve League, Muckross Head, Murder Hole Beach, the remote area known as Port..I could go on and on. County Donegal is probably our favorite.
The sites in Northern Ireland can all been see in a few days. Some folks make the mistake of seeing just the "big ticket" items...places like Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, and Titanic Belfast. Some other incredible places that a lot of people miss are Dunluce Castle (a lot of people just drive by..big mistake), Dunseverick Castle (not much of a ruin, but the setting is amazing, and the hiking is fantastic), Dunseverick Falls, Ballintoy Harbor, The Dark Hedges, Kinbane Castle (which is an absolute adventure) and The Gobbins. Google image these suggestions to see if any interest you. There's more, but you get the picture.
Hope this helps.
-Russ