What Is the Giant’s Causeway Like? A Walker’s Guide
The Giant’s Causeway is one of those places almost everybody has seen in photographs. Thousands of strangely regular stone columns disappear towards the sea on the north coast of Northern Ireland, making it one of the country's most recognisable landscapes.
But what is it actually like to visit?
For us, the best way to experience the Giant’s Causeway isn't simply to arrive, look at the stones and leave. Walk there.
Approaching on foot along the Causeway Coast gives you time to see the landscape change around you, explore the cliffs and bays along the way and eventually arrive at the basalt columns with a much better sense of where they sit within this remarkable stretch of coastline.
And the Causeway itself is really only part of the story.
What is the Giant’s Causeway?
The Giant’s Causeway is an area of around 40,000 interlocking basalt columns on the County Antrim coast of Northern Ireland. Most are hexagonal, although you'll find columns with different numbers of sides too.
They were created by volcanic activity around 60 million years ago. As lava cooled and contracted, it fractured into the distinctive patterns visible today. The Giant's Causeway is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
That's the geological explanation, anyway.
Local legend offers a considerably more entertaining version involving the Irish giant Finn McCool, who is said to have built the causeway across the sea to Scotland.
Whichever explanation you prefer, seeing the formations up close is very different from seeing them in photographs.
Is the Giant’s Causeway worth visiting?
Yes – but I'd recommend seeing more than just the main stones.
The Causeway can get busy, particularly around the most easily accessible formations. If that's all you see, you're missing much of what makes this part of Northern Ireland so good.
The surrounding Causeway Coast is superb walking country, with clifftop paths, rocky bays, small harbours, castle ruins and long views across the sea.
Walking also gives you the chance to approach the Giant's Causeway rather than simply arriving in the middle of it.
That's always been one of my favourite things about visiting.
Walking to the Giant’s Causeway
On our current Large Outdoors trip, we spend a full day walking the coastline towards the Giant's Causeway.
The route takes us along coastal paths and through quieter bays, with seabirds often visible along the shoreline. We pass the ruins of Dunseverick Castle before continuing along the headland towards the Causeway.
Gradually, the geology that makes this coast so distinctive begins to appear.
Then you reach the famous stones themselves.
Arriving on foot makes a difference. Rather than the Giant's Causeway being an isolated attraction, it becomes the culmination of a day exploring the landscape that created it.
We can spend some time amongst the formations before eventually finding somewhere for that other essential component of a Large Outdoors walking day: tea and cake.
My Top Tip: Go Back for Sunset
The Giant's Causeway can get very busy during the day, particularly around the main stones and visitor centre. But later in the evening, once most visitors have gone, it can feel like a completely different place.
My top tip is to head back down for sunset if the weather is playing ball.
When we're staying nearby and conditions look promising, we'll often try to return to the Causeway in the evening. It's much quieter, there's no rush, and watching the sun go down from amongst the basalt columns is a very special way to experience it.
Of course, this is the north coast of Northern Ireland, so a sunset is never guaranteed! But if you get the opportunity, it's well worth heading back.
What is walking on the Giant’s Causeway actually like?
You don't need to be a mountaineer to explore the main Giant's Causeway formations.
The famous basalt columns create uneven surfaces and can become slippery when wet, so decent footwear and a little care are sensible. Beyond the main visitor area, the wider coastal paths give you a much better opportunity to stretch your legs.
Our own Giant's Causeway break is graded Leisurely, so this isn't a trip about covering huge distances or racing along the coast.
It's about having enough time to explore.
And because the weather on this coast can change remarkably quickly, don't be surprised if you experience several different versions of Northern Ireland in the same day.
There’s much more than the Giant’s Causeway
This is probably the thing I'd most like people to take away from the article.
Don't come to this part of Northern Ireland solely for the Giant's Causeway.
The wider Causeway Coast and Glens deserve several days.
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
Carrick-a-Rede is another of the coast's best-known landmarks. The rope bridge crosses a narrow channel to a tiny island just off the mainland.
Crossing it is optional – and if dangling above the sea isn't particularly your thing, the surrounding coastal walking and viewpoints still make it worth visiting.
Ballintoy Harbour
A little further along the coast is Ballintoy Harbour.
It's a small working harbour surrounded by cliffs, rocks and sea stacks and makes a lovely stopping point while exploring this section of coastline.
Fans of Game of Thrones may recognise the area too, although you certainly don't need to have watched the programme to enjoy it.
Rathlin Island
When the ferries and weather cooperate, Rathlin Island adds a completely different walking day.
The island sits just off the north coast and is particularly well known for its seabirds. During puffin season, there's the opportunity to visit the RSPB reserve as part of the day.
As with any island trip, however, the weather gets the final say.
The Glens of Antrim
Head away from the headline coastal attractions and you'll find another side to the area.
The Glens of Antrim offer woodland, hills and quieter walking, and they're particularly useful when conditions make an island or exposed coastal day less appealing.
It's one reason we keep our itinerary flexible rather than promising exactly the same walk every time.
The Dark Hedges
And yes, there are the Dark Hedges.
This avenue of mature beech trees became particularly famous after appearing in Game of Thrones. It's not somewhere you need hours to explore, but it makes an interesting stop while travelling between Belfast and the north coast.
When is the best time to visit the Giant’s Causeway?
There's no single perfect time.
Spring and summer give you longer daylight hours, while the wildlife can add another dimension to the coast. If seeing puffins is important to you, you'll obviously need to visit during their breeding season.
Outside the busiest summer period, the coast can feel considerably quieter.
But I'd be wary of choosing purely on the promise of good weather.
This is Northern Ireland's Atlantic coast. Sunshine, cloud, mist, rain and wind can all be part of the experience – occasionally rather efficiently on the same day.
Bring the right clothing and enjoy whichever version you get.
Can you visit the Giant’s Causeway without a car?
Yes.
You certainly don't need to drive around the Causeway Coast to enjoy it, although organising all the different places you want to visit can require a little planning.
Our own Giant's Causeway walking break is deliberately car-free. We collect the group in Belfast and provide the transport needed throughout the trip, returning everyone to Belfast on the final day.
For me, that's particularly useful here. It allows us to do linear coastal walks without worrying about getting back to wherever somebody left a car.
“I loved walking through the beautiful scenery in an unhurried way. Our host was exceptional and had a wealth of knowledge.””
Exploring the Giant’s Causeway with Large Outdoors
Our current Walking the Giant’s Causeway, Coast and Glens break gives us three nights and four days to explore this part of Northern Ireland.
We stay in a hotel at Ballintoy and keep the group to a maximum of eight people. The trip combines the Giant's Causeway with other sections of the coast, with Rathlin Island or the Glens of Antrim depending on conditions and the time of year.
And, as with most Large Outdoors trips, most people come on their own.
So if the Giant's Causeway has been sitting on your list for years but you've never had anybody to go with, you don't need to wait.
See the current Giant's Causeway walking break and upcoming dates:
