SHAMROCKER ADVENTURES: BELFAST & BALLINTOY
The first couple of place to see where in Northern Ireland, I really loved the little town called Ballintoy. It is a cute town with a real Irish feel. Ireland is such an amazing country! Filled with lovely people, cute pubs and green landscapes everywhere!!! I petted some baby lambs, danced in Irish pubs, walked on the Giant's Causeway and saw the beauty of the Cliffs of Moher!!
I booked the 7 day All Ireland Rocker tour with Shamrocker Adventures, through TourRadar!!. I got to see so many amazing Irish gems!! Inis Mór (Aran Islands), Cliffs of Moher, Galway, The Giant’s Causeway, The Dark Hedges and Ballintoy Harbour seen in Game of Thrones, Belfast, Derry, Slea Head Drive and Dingle Peninsula.
There is so much packed into the tour that you'll never have a boring day!!. I have written a tour review post about everything you need to know about going on tour with Shamrocker Adventures --> Shamrocker Adventures: All Ireland Rocker Tour Review
I travelled to Ireland in the summer and the weather was in the mid to low 20's with no rain!! I was so surprised that I had the best weather. Even though I didn't get to experience a true Irish rainy day like in the movies, the weather was even better with blue skies and warm temperatures.
Handy Tip: While you are away exploring Ireland, star places in your google maps. This way you can see where you have been and remember all the names of those little towns that you visited along the way.
WHERE TO STAY
The first night of accommodation on the tour was spent at the Sheep Islands View Hostel in Ballintoy. This accommodation is a really cute hostel located in the town of Ballintoy. Ballintoy is a very small town in Northern Ireland, with a population of only 165 people! The rooms are very comfortable with plenty of space and a real Irish feel to it. All of the rooms are shared with the other people from your tour and each room has bunk beds and a few single beds.
I recommend walking down to Ballintoy harbour and seeing the amazing views of Ireland's coast. Ballintoy Harbour is one of the filming locations used in the Games of Thrones TV series.
Location: 42a Main St, Ballintoy, Ballycastle BT54 6LX, UK
WHERE TO EAT
Carrick-A-Rede Bar and Restaurant
This restaurant serves really delicious food and also has a bar. We had a group dinner here on the first night and got to know everybody. Carrick-A-Rede Bar and Restaurant is an Irish pub that sells traditional Irish pub food. I opted for the chicken burger and an apple cider. The food was really yummy and I would recommend it to anybody stopping in Ballintoy.
Location: 21 Main St, Ballintoy, Ballycastle BT54 6LX, UK
This Restaurant and Bar is another spot to grab something to eat or drink. The Fullerton Arms is a fantastic place to hang and listen to some live music. It is the cutest looking pub and the front door is made out of wood from the Dark Hedges.
When a storm blew over the trees along the Dark Hedges, doors were made out of the wood to save a piece of Game of Thrones history. 10 doors were carved from the wood and hung across various locations around Northern Ireland. Checkout out more about the doors and their locations on the Discover Northern Ireland page - Game of Thrones: Door of Thrones.
Location: 22 Main St, Ballintoy, Ballycastle BT54 6LX, UK
WHAT TO DO
Black Cab Tour - Belfast
I choose to go on a Black Cab Tour around Belfast, as an optional activity with the tour. I went on a historical/cultural Black Cab Tour around the city of Belfast. Learnt about the history of Northern Ireland and the segregation between the protestants and the Catholics. You can still see today the patriotism of Northern Ireland's citizens, with some houses having either Irish or British flags hung outside their houses. This shows whether they are Protestants or Catholics. I found that Belfast is full of history and is a great city to explore!
Dark Hedges
The Dark Hedges is located on Bregagah road in Northern Ireland. In 1775 James Stuart built a new house, called Gracehill House. He planted over 150 beech trees along the entrance along the road to the estate. You can see Grace hill house today and it looks amazing at the end of the street with all the trees along the road!
The street is one of the filming locations from the Game of Thrones TV Series. I am a fan of the show and loved seeing the filming locations. Even if you don't watch the show, the Dark Hedges is worth stopping at! The whole street is lined on both sides with trees. I recommend that you visit early during the day to avoid the crowds. I arrived at the Dark Hedges in the afternoon and it was full of tourists, but still got some pictures away from the crowds.
Location: Bregagh Rd, Stranocum, Ballymoney BT53 8PX, UK
Ballintoy Harbour
Ballintoy is a very small town in Northern Ireland, with a population of only 165 people! Ballintoy Harbour is a short walk or drive off the main street in Ballintoy. The harbour is a really cute location and it looks amazing in person.
I recommend walking down to Ballintoy harbour and seeing the amazing views of Ireland's coast. Ballintoy Harbour is one of the filming locations used in the Games of Thrones TV series. The harbour is the setting for the Iron Islands in Games of Thrones!
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge was on the top of my list for things to see in Northern Ireland. It is located in Ballintoy, just a short walk from the town centre. The rope bridge is suspended over the Atlantic ocean almost 30m above sea level. The bridge was built 350 years ago by a salmon fisherman, to connect his fisherman's cottage to mainland Northern Ireland.
If you want to walk across the bridge a ticket will cost £9.00. Buy your tickets on the UK National Trust website or on arrival at the ticket box. I didn't get to walk across the rope bridge cause I was there before it opened, but I could still see it up close.
Location: 119a Whitepark Rd, Ballintoy, Ballycastle BT54 6LS, UK
Dunseverick Castle
There are so many castles in Ireland! We stopped off at Dunserverick Castle, which is a ruined castle and there is not much of it left. The castle has a long history dating back to 5th century AD. The castle was destroyed multiple times, the last dating around the 1650s. A small residential tower survived until 1978 when it eventually surrendered to the sea below. All that's left of the castle is the remains of the gate lodge.
Location: 55°07'57.5"N 6°02'29.4"W, United Kingdom
