The Glens and Giant Causeway 8 Days

Settle into your B&B in this charming coastal village at the foot of the Glens. If you arrive early, looped walks around the village will stretch your legs and give you a taste of what lies ahead. The local pubs serve excellent food, and you might catch a session of traditional music before your first full day of hiking.

We will provide you with details on how to get there with public transport or a private taxi in your pre-departure info pack.

We bring you to Glenariff Forest Park, the "Queen of the Glens". Walk the famous Waterfall Walkway through ancient woodland and past cascading falls. Choose from circular trails before hiking out of the glen and back along the coast to Cushendall. Watch for red squirrels in the canopy above.

We transfer you to the start of the Moyle Way near Orra Beg. This outstanding hike takes you through woodland, across open moorland, and along ridgelines with panoramic views of the coast and, on clear days, Scotland. You descend into Ballycastle where your luggage waits at your B&B.

A short walk from your B&B takes you to the ferry for Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland's only inhabited offshore island. The RSPB West Light Seabird Centre hosts thousands of breeding seabirds, with puffins the star attraction from April to July. Walk or cycle the island's quiet roads, visit the upside-down lighthouse, and enjoy the deep peace of a place with more birds than people.

(Ferry tickets not included; must be pre-booked. Weather-dependent.)

Walk quiet country roads and forest tracks from Ballycastle to the famous Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, suspended 30 metres above the sea. Cross the bridge (if you dare) for views along the coast in both directions. Continue to the pretty village of Ballintoy, whose harbour served as a Game of Thrones filming location.

(Rope bridge ticket not included; crossing is optional.)

This is the day. The walk from Ballintoy to the Giant's Causeway is the finest coastal walk in Ireland. White Park Bay's crescent beach, Portbraddan's tiny church, the ruins of Dunseverick Castle, and then the cliff-top path drops to the 40,000 interlocking basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway itself. Legend says the giant Fionn mac Cumhaill built them; geologists credit a 60-million-year-old volcanic eruption. Either way, standing on them feels otherworldly.

Important: Sections of today's route are tide-dependent. Your route notes include tide times and alternative paths.

Your final walking day follows the coast through Portrush to Portstewart. You pass the dramatic ruins of Dunluce Castle, perched on the cliff edge, and walk the magnificent Whiterocks Beach with its limestone caves and sea arches. Ramore Head and Portrush Harbour lead to the promenade walk into Portstewart. Celebrate with a delicious meal and perhaps a dram of Bushmills.

After breakfast, your walking holiday ends. If time allows, a morning stroll along Portstewart Strand is a fine way to say goodbye. Buses connect to Coleraine for trains to Belfast and Dublin.