How to See Northern Ireland in 4 Days: Causeway Coast & Belfast Itinerary!

A four-day road trip through Northern Ireland, taking me from Belfast International Airport to Derry, along the Causeway Coast and back to Belfast.

*Antrim Castle Gardens – Antrim – Northern Ireland – UK – September 2026*

Northern Ireland had been on my list for some time, and in September 2026 I finally made the trip. I wanted to see as much as possible in a few days, so rather than staying in one place, I decided to hire a car and combine cities, historic sites, dramatic coastline and some of Northern Ireland’s most famous landmarks.

*St Columb’s Cathedral – Derry – Northern Ireland – UK – September 2026*

My trip lasted from Friday 18 September to Monday 21 September, with flights between Malta and Belfast International Airport. It was a relatively short trip, but with some careful planning I managed to fit in quite a lot.

*Downhill House – Castlerock – Northern Ireland – UK – September 2026*

Flying from Malta to Belfast

My journey started early on Friday morning. My Ryanair flight FR 9425 left Malta at 05:45, arriving at Belfast International Airport at 09:40. On exiting the airport, I went to collect my rental car. Having a car was important for this trip because I wanted to explore beyond Belfast and Derry and visit several places along the Causeway Coast.

*Mussenden Temple – Castlerock – Northern Ireland – UK – September 2026*

Antrim Castle Gardens

My first stop was Antrim Castle Gardens, which was conveniently located on the way towards Derry. The gardens are the remains of the historic Antrim Castle estate. The original castle was destroyed by fire in the nineteenth century, so this is not a visit to a traditional castle interior. Instead, it is a chance to explore the historic landscape, gardens, river and woodland that remain.

I spent some time walking around the gardens before continuing north-west towards Derry. It was a great way to start the trip because it was a peaceful contrast to the busy airport and the driving that followed.

*Clotworthy House – Antrim Castle Gardens – Antrim – Northern Ireland – UK* *– September 2026*

Discovering Derry/Londonderry

I then continued towards Derry/Londonderry, where I spent much of the afternoon exploring the city. The first thing that struck me about Derry was its history. The city walls are one of its defining features, and walking along them gives you a completely different perspective of the city.

*Bishop’s Gate – Derry – Northern Ireland – UK* *– September 2026*

I visited St Columb’s Cathedral, walked along Derry’s historic walls, and explored the streets around the city centre. I also visited the Free Derry Corner, the Bloody Sunday Monument, the Tower Museum, Derry Guildhall and the Peace Bridge.

The Peace Bridge was particularly interesting because of the contrast between the modern structure and the historic buildings on either side of the River Foyle. I also made time for Ebrington Square, before continuing to explore the city’s famous murals.

*Peace Bridge – Derry – Northern Ireland – UK – September 2026*

From Derry to the Causeway Coast

The following day was one of the most scenic parts of the trip. I left the Derry area and headed towards the Causeway Coast, stopping at Portstewart and White Rocks Beach. The coastline here is spectacular, with long sandy beaches, cliffs and unusual rock formations.

*White Rocks Beach – Northern Ireland – UK*– September 2026

I then continued to the Wishing Arch and Dunluce Castle, one of the most dramatic castle ruins in Northern Ireland. Dunluce sits dramatically on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Atlantic.

*Dunluce Castle – Northern Ireland – UK* *– September 2026*

Even without entering the castle, the views from the surrounding area make it one of those places that is difficult to forget.

The Giant’s Causeway

From Dunluce I continued towards the Giant’s Causeway. Rather than spending the entire day at one attraction, I included a viewpoint stop to take in the scenery before continuing along the coast.

*Giant’s Causeway – Northern Ireland – UK – September 2026*

I also visited the Portaneevy Car Park and viewpoint, which offers another excellent perspective over the coastline. The landscape around this part of Northern Ireland is one of the main reasons I wanted to make this road trip.

*Portaneevy Car Park viewpoint – Northern Ireland – UK – September 2026*

The combination of sea, cliffs, green countryside and historic ruins makes driving along the Causeway Coast a real pleasure.

*Dunkelisp Church – Northern Ireland – UK – September 2026*

More historic stops

The journey back towards Belfast included several more interesting stops. I visited Bonamargy Friary, the Dark Hedges, Carrickfergus Castle, Knockagh Monument and finally Belfast Castle.

*Bonamargy Friary – Northern Ireland – UK – September 2026*

The Dark Hedges is probably one of the most recognisable roads in Northern Ireland, while Carrickfergus Castle provided another opportunity to see the country’s medieval history.

*Dark Hedges – Northern Ireland – UK – September 2026*

By the time I reached Belfast, I had covered a huge amount of ground in one day.

*Carrickfergus Castle – Carrickfergus – Northern Ireland – UK – September 2026*

Exploring Belfast

Sunday was dedicated mainly to Belfast. I started with Lagan Weir Footbridge and then walked through the city, visiting the Albert Memorial Clock, Salmon of Knowledge, Belfast Cathedral, also known as St Anne’s Cathedral, Commercial Court and Divis Tower.

*Albert Memorial Clock – Belfast – Northern Ireland – UK – September 2026*

I continued to Peace Wall Belfast, St Peter’s Cathedral, the Grand Opera House, City Hall, St George’s Market and SS Nomadic. One of the highlights for me was Titanic Belfast.

*SS Nomadic – Belfast – Northern Ireland – UK – September 2026*

The Titanic story is such an important part of Belfast’s history, and the museum’s location in the city’s Titanic Quarter makes the experience even more interesting

*Titanic Belfast – Belfast – Northern Ireland – UK – September 2026*

I finished the day around Victoria Square, taking in some of the city’s architecture and atmosphere.

*Joy’s Entry – Belfast – Northern Ireland – UK – September 2026*

Stormont before flying home

My final morning gave me enough time for a few more stops before returning the hire car. I checked out of my accommodation and headed first to CS Lewis Square, followed by Stormont Estate.

*CS Lewis Square – Belfast – Northern Ireland – September 2026*

Stormont was particularly interesting from an architectural point of view. The long avenue leading towards the Parliament Buildings creates an impressive approach, and the surrounding estate gives the area a completely different atmosphere from central Belfast.

*Storming Estate – Belfast – Northern Ireland – UK – September 2026*

I then stopped to see the Lanyon Building, one of Belfast’s best-known landmarks and home to Queen’s University Belfast. Finally, I returned the car at Belfast International Airport.

*Lanyon Building – Belfast – Northern Ireland – UK – September 2026*

Four days, a lot of Northern Ireland

Four days is obviously nowhere near enough to see everything Northern Ireland has to offer, but I was surprised by how much I managed to experience. The trip combined historic cities, castles, churches, murals, dramatic coastline, beaches, countryside and some impressive architecture.

*Clonard Monastery – Belfast – Northern Ireland – UK – September 2026*

What I particularly liked was the variety. One day I was walking around the historic walls of Derry, the next I was standing beside the Atlantic at Dunluce Castle and the Giant’s Causeway, followed by a full day exploring Belfast. Hiring a car made a huge difference and allowed me to create my own route rather than being tied to public transport.