The Giant’s Causeway is a mind blowing place, made of hexagonal columns created by a massive lava explosion more than 50 million years ago.

It’s also Northern Ireland most famous location, and it’s definitely worth a visit.

But did you know you could visit for free?

 

discover northern ireland - giant's causeway

 

In this travel guide about the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, you’ll find in the table of contents below everything that we’ll see.

If you want to read how to visit for free, simply click on the table to expand it, then click on the part you’d like to jump to.

 

Where is the Giant’s Causeway?

The Giant’s Causeway is located on Ireland’s North Coast, as you can see on the map below:

The place is part of County Antrim, one of the 6 counties of the country, that is also home to the Dunluce Castle and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge.

 

the giants causeway in northern ireland

 

Giant’s Causeway History

Are you fond of facts? I know I am! I love learning more about a place and its history with some quick & interesting facts, so I’ve gathered a few about the Giant’s Causeway for you:

  • scientific explanation: a giant lava explosion more than 50 million years ago created this wide lava plateau made of basalt and chalk
  • mythologic explanation: here’s the Giant’s Causeway story: the Causeway was built by Giant Finn MacCool, who wanted to fight his Scottish neighbor, Benandonner. When Finn realized that the other giant was way bigger than him, he ran back home, and his wife hid him in their baby’s bed. Benandonner, who had chased him home, saw the “baby”, he was frightened that the father of such a big baby would be absolutely massive. He ran away back to Scotland, and destroyed the Causeway behind him. There is a similar causeway in Scotland, in Fingal’s Cave.
  •  there are more than 40 thousand basalt pillars in the area
  • the Giant’s Causeway has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986

 

lone walker on the giant's causeway

 

Exploring the Giant’s Causeway

During my trip to Northern Ireland, the Giant’s Causeway was a mandatory stop. Did you know it’s even considered as the 8th marvel of the world by the Irish? Yep, and it’s definitely high up on the list of best places to visit in Europe!

After visiting Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, I was on my way to another part of the Irish coast, to visit the Causeway. Northern Ireland is pretty small, so it only took me 15 minutes to reach it.

 

moody sky in giant's causeway wide version

 

When you get to the area, follow the road parallel to the main car park. This will lead you through a small tunnel, and you will end up on the path going down to the Giant’s Causeway.

You don’t have to walk in the visitor center, despite what the signs say. Don’t follow the signs. You can just go through the tunnel for free.

 

path going down to the giant's causeway

The start of the path

 The path is a gentle walk down, along the coast, that goes all the way to the sea and onto the Giant’s Causeway. Be careful because the path is actually a road, used by shuttles going up and down; walk on the sidewalk.

All along the path, you’ll see dirt trails going to the side, that you can take to have a beautiful vantage point of the area around, and stunning views.

 

the coast of giant's causeway northern ireland

 

panorama of the coast next to the giant's causeway

 

the coast of giant's causeway

 

10 minutes is all it takes to reach the end of the road, and the Giant’s Causeway itself.

As I got closer and closer, I started to notice more details, and the view got more and more impressive. From afar, it’s a big stretch of land going to the sea. Then, you notice the weird forms of the ground, almost like lego blocks. And finally, as you reach it, you notice the hexagonal basalt columns, that make this spot so special.

 

last light on the causeway coast

 

glorious light on the giant's causeway northern ireland

 

It definitely felt very weird to walk on these strangely shaped rocks, and for a while you almost forget that you’re on Earth. The columns are all sort of shapes, some small, some big, some have 4 sides, some have 5 or 6.

As you saw in the facts above, there are more than 40,000 of these columns all over. Now I have one question… who the hell counted them all?!

 

weathered rocks of giant's causeway

 

40 thousand pillars on the coast

 

giant's causeway pillars up close

 

abstract of the columns of giant's causeway

 

 

The 6 Unique Shapes to See

Some of the rocks of the Giant’s Causeway have very special shapes: they have been given a name, based on what they look like. They are 6 of them: you’ll find them all below, ranked from the first one you’ll see on your walk, to the last one.

 

1 – The Camel

The first one looks like… you’ve guessed it, a camel.

 

the camel at the giants causeway

Linda Bailey / Camel’s Back, Giants Causeway / CC BY-SA 2.0

 

2 – The Wishing Chair

This one is pretty hard to find, as it looks almost like any other pillar in the area… Good luck on finding it!

 

the wishing chair at the giants causeway

 

3 – The Chimney Tops

When you’re arriving to the Giant’s Causeway, you can see the Chimney Tops in the distance, above that red mountain. To have the best view of them, you can actually walk up the cliffs via a path, that will take you directly above the Chimney Tops.

 

the chimney tops of giant's causeway

 

4 – The Giant’s Harp

This rock formation is right below the previous one, the Chimney Tops. You can see it from the end of the path; it has a distinct shape, with the pillars all curved unlike the other pillars in the area that are straight.

 

the giants harp at the giants causeway

Image by David Hawgood / CC BY-SA 2.0

 

5 – The Giant’s Boot

This one is pretty hard to miss, as it’s basically a huge stone sitting in the middle of an open field.

 

the giants boot at the giants causeway

Image by Daniel Bron / CC BY-SA 3.0

 

6 – The Organ

The last unique shape in the Giant’s Causeway is the Organ. It’s an absolutely massive concentration of pillars, that are way taller than the other ones you’ll find in the area.

I mean, just look at the size of that tiny person next to them!

 

the organ at the giants causeway

Image by Joseph Mischyshyn / CC BY-SA 2.0

 

There are supposedly many other unique shapes in the Giant’s Causeway, all with a name given by the locals: the Honeycomb, the Giant’s Eyes, the Granny, … Let me know if you find them!

 

Hike the Causeway Coastal Route

Giant’s Causeway is a very lovely location for hiking, and there are several hikes that you can do in the area.

The best hike to do in the area is the hike up the cliffs, the Causeway Coastal Route.

Start of the hike: Dunseverick Castle

End of the hike: Giant’s Causeway

Duration: 2 hours one-way

You can find below the hike on a map:

 

Key Points:

  • Stunning views from the top of the cliffs
  • Go down the 162 panoramic stone steps at Shepherd’s Steps
  • See the Organ below the steps
  • see the Amphitheatre, a wonderful panorama of the coast
  • reach the Giant’s Causeway

 

the mountain of coastal northern ireland

 

This is a long hike, around 2 hours to go from Dunseverick Castle to the Giant’s Causeway. If you parked your car in Dunseverick Castle, you can go back inland, this will be shorter and take only 1h15 to go back to your starting point.

 

Giant’s Causeway Entry Fee – Visit for FREE

Visiting the Giant’s Causeway is FREE.

Yes, you read that right. You don’t have to purchase any ticket to visit the Giant’s Causeway, and you don’t need to pay a single dime for it.

 

the pillars of giant's causeway

 

There is a big misconception that you have to pay to visit the Giant’s Causeway: you don’t.

The misconception comes mainly from the fact that the search results are dominated by National Trust sites: National Trust recently built a huge visitor center at the Giant’s Causeway, and they’ve put signs that are misleading to the public: it makes people believe you have to pay to enter.

In fact, the £12.50 entry fee gives you access to the visitor center itself, audioguides, and allows you to park your car in the Giant’s Causeway car parks.

 

But entry to the Giant’s Causeway is free.

 

You can find free parking right next to the Giant’s Causeway, in places such as Nook Cafe, the Causeway Hotel or other places around.

 

polygonal rocks of the giant's causeway

 

Giant’s Causeway Opening Times

There is also misconception around the opening times. The opening times listed online are opening times for the Visitor Center.

The area is free to access. As such, it’s always open, there are no restrictions to getting there.

 

You can go to the Giant’s Causeway whenever you want.

 

How to Get to the Giant’s Causeway

You can either get to the Giant’s Causeway by car, or by train.

 

moody sky in giant's causeway

 

Get to Giant’s Causeway by car

The Causeway is at the very north of Ireland. You’ll find below the travel times from nearby major points:

 

afternoon stroll in giant's causeway northern ireland

 

Get to the Giant’s Causeway by train

If you don’t have a car during your Ireland trip (I strongly recommend renting one), you can still visit this spot, by taking the train and a bus.

  • From Derry/Londonderry:  1h45 travel time
  • From Belfast: 2 hours travel time

 

Book your train tickets here: Ireland Trains

 

Tips for Visiting the Giant’s Causeway

To help you make the most out of your trip, you can find below a few tips:

  • you don’t need to pay to visit
  • there is a bus that goes up and down from the visitor center to the causeway: it costs 1 pound sterling
  • look out for all the uniquely shaped rocks around
  • be careful when walking on the columns, some are unstable, and they can get very slippery with water

 

sunset in giant's causeway

 

Below are some tours that might be a good option for you to explore Northern Ireland

 

 

 

Where to Stay near the Giant’s Causeway

If you’re visiting the Giant’s Causeway and the Causeway coast, you have several options for where to stay:

Budget: Finn McCools Giant’s Causeway Hostel. Very cheap accommodation, around 18€ per night for a bed in a 6 beds dorm room. Voted #1 hostel in Northern Ireland by ratings on Hostelworld.com, it’s right next to the Giant’s Causeway, and it also comes with a free breakfast!

Comfy: Causeway Coast Independent Hostel. Comfy room for around 46€ per night, it comes with a private bathroom, free parking, free wifi, and a 1€ breakfast. It’s right in front of the sea, and a short 20 minutes drive to the Giant’s Causeway.

Luxury: Causeway Hotel. The best hotel in the area: spacious room, nice beds, private bathroom with care products, free parking, free (huge!) breakfast, balcony with a view and patio. Highly recommended, for around 170€ per night.

 

glorious light on the giant's causeway

 

epic sunset over the cliffs above giant's causeway

 

Visit Northern Ireland

Planning a trip to Northern Ireland? You can find below several other articles about this wonderful part of the United Kingdom to help you plan your trip

I hope you enjoy your trip to the Giant’s Causeway and Northern Ireland!

If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below, I always reply.