Northern Ireland Itinerary

If you can extend to 10 days that would be better as there is so much to do and see.

The Antrim Glens are great for scenery, and each of them is very different. You could easily fill a couple of days explring them from a base in either Cushendun or Cushendhal. Glenariff has plenty of opportunity for walking. The waterfalls trail is stunning.

Bushmills as already mentioned, makes a good stop for the Causeway Coast. I'm assuming Giant's Causeway is on the list. Try and visit at low tide when more of the rocks are uncovered. There is a very good walk starting from nbehind the visitor centre which climbs up and then runs along the cliffs giving wonderful views down on the Causeway with the tourists scurrying around like ants below.

While on the Causeway coast, don't miss the ruined Dunluce Castle and do walk across Carrick a Rede rope bridge....

There are also some lovely walks in the Sperrin Mountains. Have a look here for ideas.

Possibly a bit off your route but well worth a visit is the Ulster American Folk Park.which tells the story of Ulster immigrants to America in the C19th. The history of the families has been researched andin the 'irish section' their houses have been reassembled here. There is a model of one of the immigrant ships that took them to America. They didn';t know how long the voyage woudl take or exactly where they would land. It all depended on the winds... In the 'American section' of the park are reassembled homes of teh settlers. Costumed interpreters talk about the difficulties facing them in a strange land . Food was a biigy - maize instead of oats and potatoes... It is a fascinating place and you could easily spend many hours here.

Lisa, you might check The Harrison Chambers of Distinction in Belfast…serious one of my VERY all time favorites of small boutique hotels…a bit quirky with a wonderful staff and in a lovely neighborhood. Wonderful breakfast choices and there is parking in the rear of the building.

Lisa, we will be visiting Ireland and Northern Ireland this May, so my information is not based on first-hand experience but on advice I received from people here and on the Fodors Forum.

As Cathy recommends for Belfast, we are staying at The Harrison Chambers for 3 nights.

In Derry, we are staying at the Shipquay Hotel for 3 nights.

For the Causeway Coast, we are staying at the Causeway Hotel for 1 night. This hotel is located on the site of the Giants Causeway. The Giants Causeway Visitor Center is a 5-minute walk, and all guests of the hotel receive free entry to the Visitor Center. Another benefit to staying here is that you don't have to worry about parking. The Bushmills Distillery, which we plan on visiting, is a 5-minute drive from the hotel. Dunluce Castle, which we plan on visiting, is less than 5 miles away.

Some of my favourite things in NI:

Belfast- St George's Market, small pubs around the Entries, Duke of York pub, Titanic museum is very good, Crumlin Road Gaol for history, Ulster Museum also for history, Crown and Liquor Saloon (historic National Trust pub), and I would definitely do a black taxi tour

For walking, Cave Hill is very nice and you have great views of the city and the port.

Derry- city walls, Walled City brewery, if you have time- driving into Donegal

Antrim Coast- in addition to the Causeway Coast, you could also take a ferry to Rathlin Island from Ballycastle

This isn't on your itinerary, but if you have time to venture into County Down you can see the beautiful Mourne Mountains.

This is a beautiful area of the world, good luck with your planning!