Dublin

Northern Ireland including Giant's Causeway Rail Tour from Dublin

Badge of ExcellenceDublin, Ireland

13 hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Get out of the big city and spend the day taking in the countryside of Northern Ireland during this Northern Ireland and Giant's Causeway Rail Tour from Dublin. Ride comfortably in a train and take in stunning scenery of the Emerald Isle before making a photo stop at Dunluce Castle. Then, continue on to the Giant's Causeway for some free time at the basalt columns.

Enjoy a full-day rail and coach trip from Dublin to Northern Ireland
Relish the romance of travelling through Ireland's beautiful countryside
Marvel at the mystifying basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway
Make a photo stop at Dunluce Castle along your journey

What's Included

Host on trains
Information pack
Driver/guide
Air-conditioned vehicle

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Food and drinks, unless specified
Local charge to cross the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge (Open March to October only)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Connolly
1 Amiens St, North Dock, Dublin, Ireland
Check in at the Railtours Ireland stand in the main concourse area. Our representative will be waiting at the stand with your travel pack in a bright yellow jacket. Check in is 20 minutes prior to the departure time listed.

Start time

07:35 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Dunluce Castle

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Giant's Causeway

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
This tour offers stops en route for photographs, shopping, etc.
Due to operational reasons it may, on occasion, be necessary to alter certain itineraries.
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Children U16 cannot book independently. They must be accompanied by a parent/guardian at all times.

WHEELCHAIR POLICY: Railtours Ireland First Class ltd very successfully offers hosted railtours for the independent traveller. Our tours are a combination of train and luxury coach and include a moderate level of physical activity, such as short walks to meeting points etc. Unfortunately even the most modern luxury coaches (buses) are not wheelchair friendly, thus our tours are not suitable for those with mobility issues, and regretfully walkers, wheelchairs and mobility scooters cannot be accommodated on our tours.
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 53 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Tonia_L

Joe was a wonderful guide. Super friendly! It was a beautiful day . Every stop was great. Loved learning about Ireland. Most do this again!

Reviews

4.5

313 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 313 reviews

LONG LONG Day

Brenda_B, Oct 2023

The description of this tour was a bit vague. First off the description says it is a 13 hour tour , which is a long day to begin with, but in total ours was about 15 hours. The first and last 2.5 hours are on a commuter rail without much scenery (no scenery on the return trip since it is dark). When we arrived in Belfast on the rail a van picked us up to transfer to the bus tour already in progress. Not sure we missed much on the bus tour but the drive in the van was about an hour to meet up with the bus. The views from this point were very nice. We did stop at various places for photos and then had a little under 2 hours to explore at giants causeway. This is a large group tour and, although the driver ask passengers to return to the bus at specific times, with that many people there was always some inconsiderate participants who did not comply. For our second to last stop, we had a stop at Bushmills Distillery, which the driver said was an optional stop and up to the driver whether to stop or not. We had 25 minutes there, which really was just a rushed stop with barely enough time to slam down a few samples of whiskey (we are thinking the driver must get some sort of kickback from the distillery to include the stop) In the end, we returned too late to catch the 6:00 train which is where the additional 2 hours comes in. There is not much near the train station food-wise other than the restaurant inside the Hilton. We grabbed dinner at the Hilton while waiting for the 8:00 train. Sounds like it is quite normal for participants to return on the 8:00 train rather than the 6:00 train. We would not have chosen this tour had we been given the details above, so hopefully this will help others know what they are signing up for so you can make your own decision.

Lovely day!

Melissa_G, Aug 2023

It was a nice tour of the Irish country with some beautiful view points for photographs and exploration.

A Great Time at the Giant’s Causeway

David_L, Aug 2023

Paul, the Driver and Ian our tour guide went above and beyond to make this a great experience. We stopped at a couple of extra places such as the Dark Hedges and had lots of time at every stop. It was an unforgettable tour.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Hi David, Thank you so much for your lovely feedback. We are thrilled to read you had a great and unforgettable time with us. We will make sure to pass along the feedback to our hosts. We hope to welcome you on tour again in the future! Kind Regards, Railtours Ireland.

Very memorable

Tim_W, Jul 2023

Seeing the Giant’s Causeway was the highlight of the trip.The weather was lovely. Our guide to Belfast on the train,Joe Doyle was very helpful and knowledgeable.

Could have been better

7cv8cynjpj, Aug 2022

The Giants Causeway was great. It was a beautiful day with amazing views. We had a few issues which were disappointing. Joe the tour guide was sweet and provided great insights and humor. Carl the driver tried to keep the group on track but ultimately we missed a few deadlines due to people not returning to the bus on time and did not make it back on time for our scheduled train to Dublin. We had to wait for an additional 2 hours to get the last train into Dublin which arrived after 10:30pm. We did not get to go to the ropes activity as advertised. The tour did not include tickets to Giants Causeway and we were dropped off at the entrance and walked to walk down or take the shuttle. The shuttle cost €1.20 each way and they only accepted cash. There was no ATM available so this caused some stress. Ultimately the trolley operator was able to make change and accepted a large bill. It would be nice to get this type of information in advance to avoid stress and prepare. We stopped at several Game of Thrones sites which were not advertised in the tour package. I wished that we could have skipped these activities and focus on the advertised spots which were important to us. I believe that we should be refunded for the ropes tickets since they did not incur the expense of this activity. Not sure if I would book with this tour again in the future.

Disappointed ☹️

Arlene_F, Jul 2022

I’m not one to complain and go with the flow BUT I must say that I was very disappointed with this tour. It was quite pricey ($153) and we did not get to see 3 of the sights on the itinerary, Carrickfergus Castle, morning tea in Carnlough village and the Carrick-a-Rede Rope bridge (so bummed about this one) were skipped. We switched buses along the way to meet up with another group, we were told we could get off at the switch off to see the caves on the beach where Game of Thrones was filmed but were only given 10 minutes to see them. It took us 10 minutes to walk there! I did not get to see them, only from a distance, while the other group that was there waiting to meet up with us was given sufficient time to take in the sight. I was upset, but decided to let it go and things would improve. We then stopped for lunch at a dreary pub along the way, no shops or anything else there to do, even though the itinerary stated we would be doing that. We were only able to eat there or eat lunch you had brought with you. We finally arrived at the Giant Causeway (a beautiful sight) at 2:30 pm and had to leave by 4pm to head back to Dublin. We stopped for less than 5 minutes to take a quick picture of another castle from afar and buy pastries at a quaint bakery. On the positive, the tour guide David did his best to make everyone comfortable and Ray the driver had lots of knowledge to share. Unfortunately, whoever created this tour did a poor job on time management. They should not advertise the sights that tourists will not be able to see and experience. My recommendation is to skip this tour unless it gets reorganized and price cut.

A light breakfast and...

Sarah_K, Jul 2022

A light breakfast and crossing the rope bridge were supposed to be included. They weren't. The bus tour was fine, but it's not for me. I'd rather be able to stop and go on my own time than be rushed. Giant's Causeway was pretty rad.

Beautiful!

Tonia_L, Apr 2022

Joe was a wonderful guide. Super friendly! It was a beautiful day . Every stop was great. Loved learning about Ireland. Most do this again!

Mixed

chrisbZ6101YB, Aug 2019

This was the worst experience I've ever had booking through Viator/Trip Advisor. We have booked over 30 trips through Viator/Trip Advisor both in the US and Internationally. This was by far the worst experience. The Tour operator was Railtours.com. The guides were generally friendly but the tour operator's planning was awful. The list is endless but here are a few things to keep in mind if you are thinking about booking this tour; 1. It was a rail tour from Dublin to Belfast, but we departed the train 1/2 through the trip. The rail was down from Newry to Belfast so we had to bus the rest of the way. Locals tell us this line has been having problems since mid-July (our tour was August 13th). I would have been courteous if Railtours.com would have let us know, we booked this excursion specifically because of the train ride. 2. The description of the tour said you could order breakfast on the tour, we left our hotel at 7am, however no meal service was offered. We did not stop for lunch until 2:30. 3. We ended up taking three different busses on this trip. The third bus was not even a tour bus; it was an old, unclean bus for a local football team. The teams logo was painted on the center section windows so there were 4 seats with 100% unobstructed views, unfortunately we had two of them. Disappointing given it was a scenic tour. We tried to move seats 1/2 through the trip and the bus drive emphatically told us to stay in our original seats that it was first come first seated. There is more but I would caution anyone booking through railtours.com. On the plus side Northern Ireland is beautiful and I would strongly recommend a trip to see the Carrick a rope bridge and Giant Causeway. We also really enjoyed the lunch and the trip to Bushmills distillery, great trip just don't book with railtour.com

What a Wonderful Way to Travel

Paula_S, Jul 2019

This was such a great way to spend the day. We were met at the trains station by Paddy who got us on the train and made our trip to the next stop easy and enjoyable. From there our coach driver Patrick was awesome. His stories, jokes, tales and knowledge of the country made the entire tour. It would not have been the same without him. Needless to say how beautiful the country of Ireland is. The way back to Dublin we were me at the train station by the most incredible man named Liam who kept us intranced with his knowledge of his life and history of Ireland. I am so grateful to have experienced his prescence and wisdom.

Ireland Adventures

Sue_F, Aug 2018

The title is a little misleading in that the rail is from Dublin to Belfast. The ride out to the Giant's Causeway is by bus. Our driver was very knowledgeable, entertaining and professional. We were put on a new bus, but no keys to the bathroom meant we had to stop frequently for restroom facilities. The places we stopped had good facilities and good food. So it wasn't bad. The ride out to the Causeway was absolutely gorgeous. We had a mist most of the day and heavy fog. On a clear day the views would have been even more breathtaking. I highly recommend this tour.

Beautiful Tour

SANDRAVS1, Jul 2018

I highly recommend this tour. It is a beautiful drive from Dublin and the tour guide was great. Be sure not to miss the sheep herding demonstration.

So much fun! Sean, Patrick, and...

Julia W, Nov 2017

So much fun! Sean, Patrick, and Rodney were absolute dreams to work with. Our train was delayed and Rodney was able to make up for it by stopping at some incredible sights along the way to meet up with our tour down the path. Be sure to walk all the paths and see all of the local draws!

This tour was fantastic and would...

Jenna W, Oct 2017

This tour was fantastic and would recommend for sure! It's a long day but well worth it!

We had only a limited time to spend...

Kathleen B, Oct 2017

We had only a limited time to spend in Dublin and wished we could visit the Giant's Causeway. It seemed not to be practical. Then, we found his great one day tour by rail and bus up to Belfast, and several of the most popular sights. It was perfect! Our guide was easy to find at the rail station, remained helpful throughout the day, and the trip north was smooth and fast. At Belfast we transferred to the tour bus with Troy in the driver's seat. He was a wonderful mix of humor and history and really got us into a great mood, in spite of the rainy weather. Sometimes his patter was a bit fast and the accent hard to understand, but he was fun. The stops were well planned, if a bit rushed, but with this size group, they have to stay on schedule. It did give us a chance to walk out to the Carrick bridge, adequate time at the Giant's Causeway and a quick stop at Bushmills. The pub stop at lunch was delightful and cozy, with the added plus of some Game of Thrones memorabilia available. The tour around Belfast when we returned was quick, but gave us a sample to see if we would like to return here. Everything ran according to the plan we were given and we very much enjoyed the day.

Experiencing the rope bridge and...

Kathleen M, Sep 2017

Experiencing the rope bridge and Giants Causeway were the best parts of the trip. Having to order and buy lunch at a specific pub left much to be desired. Also, our loud tour bus guide was incapable of being silent for even a second. Ended the day with a headache.

This was a great way to get some sights...

Cathryn H, Sep 2017

This was a great way to get some sights in! The guides were fantastic!

This was a great trip. We took the...

RICHARD_S, Sep 2017

This was a great trip. We took the train thinking it would be another great way to see Ireland. Really didn't see much from the train to warrant the additional expense. Save your money and take the bus tour from Dublin. Tour guides were knowledgeable and fun to chat with. Our favorite part was the Carricke rope bridge - fantastic vews of the coast. Giant's Causeway is just Ok.

Long day but amazing scenery and the...

AKASupahighway, Sep 2017

Long day but amazing scenery and the driver was rather comical and entertaining. Train trip up was nice, the stop from lunch was pleasant as were the couple of stops before and after. Loved Giant's Causeway and the swinging bridge. Lots of tourists as it was the perfect day weather wise but not annoying. Lunch at Bushmills Whiskey distillery was nice as you were able to visit the store afterwards, you paid for your own lunch. Great value for money and would highly recommend.

This was a very good tour. Everyone...

Kathleen M, Aug 2017

This was a very good tour. Everyone was very helpful with those of us with limited mobility. I was very glad for the shuttle out to the causeway. The facilities at the visitor cnter weren't great -- the better ones are inside and you have to pay extra to enter the center but that isn't the fault of the tour. I liked the O'Connel station better than the main train station. I really enjoyed the Northern Ireland perspective on the conflicts

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