Two hours for the causeway and visitor centre; three to four hours if you add the clifftop Red TrailHow long
TicketedEntry
All agesBest for
On leadsDogs
FreeParking
Giant's Causeway — 40,000 hexagonal basalt columns to clamber over, and the legend of Finn McCool thrown in for free.
What you'll see: 40,000+ hexagonal basalt columns, sea cliffs, rock pools, Giant's Boot, Wishing Chair, Organ Pipes formations. Spring brings primroses, bluebells and gorse on the clifftop. Seabirds year-round.
Season: Coastline open dawn to dusk year-round. Visitor centre opens 9am daily; closing time varies by season (typically 5pm, later in summer, earlier in winter). Closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Confirm hours before travelling.
Dogs: Dogs on leads welcome across the entire World Heritage Site — the stones, clifftop paths, visitor centre, café and guided tours. Water bowls at front and rear of visitor centre.
Parking: On-site reserved car park for Visitor Experience ticket holders and NT members — pre-booking essential. Blue Badge spaces first-come, first-served. Innisfree Farm car park (60 Causeway Road) approximately £12 via JustPark app. Park and Ride from Bushmills Dundarave Car Park.
Food: Café in the visitor centre with hot and cold drinks and snacks.
Toilets: Inside the visitor centre (ticket holders and members). Exterior toilets also available. Changing Places facility with RADAR key access.
Plan your visit
What the kids actually do here
The stones are the main event — and they are genuinely extraordinary to play on. Children hunt for the named formations: the Giant's Boot, the Wishing Chair (a natural seat in the columns where you can sit), and the Organ Pipes (a wall of tall columns that do look like a pipe organ). Rock pools sit at the water's edge at low tide. The Blue Trail path down to the formations is flat and paved, suitable for buggies; the Red Trail takes the clifftop route back up via the 162 Shepherd's Steps — steep and sometimes slippery, best for children confident on their feet. The guided Clifftop Experience is recommended for age 12 and up. Sensory bags (ear defenders, fidget items) are available to borrow, and there are Birds of the Causeway worksheets for children at the visitor information desk.
UNESCO World Heritage Site — over 40,000 basalt hexagonsCoastline and stones free to access all yearElectric shuttle bus from the visitor centre to the stonesLow-level scrambling suits toddlers and confident climbers alikeDogs on leads welcome across the whole site, including indoorsFree wheelchairs and mobility scooters for ticket holders
Good to know before you go:
The National Trust runs seasonal guided walks, holiday trails and children's activity sheets through the year. The storytelling-led guided tours run hourly from the visitor centre. Check what's on close to your visit.
Before you set off
What to bring
🔭BinocularsHalf the fun is spotting the birds, seals or deer before they spot you.
👟Walking shoes or welliesPaths can be soft, grassy or muddy after rain — comfy waterproof feet win.
🧥A coatOut in the open the weather changes fast; dress for it and enjoy the fresh air.
💧Water and a snackReserves are quiet places — few have a café, so pack a little something.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Cost
Coastline and stones free, all year. Visitor Experience (includes reserved parking, audio guide, guided tour, exhibition, café): £16 adult, £8 child (5-17), under-5s free, £40 family (2 adults + up to 3 children), £24 single-adult family. National Trust members free. Book online for lowest rates.
Opening / season
Coastline open dawn to dusk year-round. Visitor centre opens 9am daily; closing time varies by season (typically 5pm, later in summer, earlier in winter). Closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Confirm hours before travelling.
Best for ages
All ages. Toddlers love the flat hexagonal tops; teens enjoy the clifftop routes. Shepherd's Steps (Red Trail) suits age 8+ who are confident walkers; the guided Clifftop Experience is recommended 12+.
What you'll see
40,000+ hexagonal basalt columns, sea cliffs, rock pools, Giant's Boot, Wishing Chair, Organ Pipes formations. Spring brings primroses, bluebells and gorse on the clifftop. Seabirds year-round.
Food
Café in the visitor centre with hot and cold drinks and snacks.
Toilets
Inside the visitor centre (ticket holders and members). Exterior toilets also available. Changing Places facility with RADAR key access.
Parking
On-site reserved car park for Visitor Experience ticket holders and NT members — pre-booking essential. Blue Badge spaces first-come, first-served. Innisfree Farm car park (60 Causeway Road) approximately £12 via JustPark app. Park and Ride from Bushmills Dundarave Car Park.
Dogs
Dogs on leads welcome across the entire World Heritage Site — the stones, clifftop paths, visitor centre, café and guided tours. Water bowls at front and rear of visitor centre.
Accessibility
Blue Trail to the stones is flat and paved, suitable for buggies and wheelchairs. Free loan of wheelchairs and mobility scooters for ticket holders and members. Electric shuttle bus is accessible. Sensory bags available to borrow. AccessAble guide available online.
How long to allow
Two hours for the causeway and visitor centre; three to four hours if you add the clifftop Red Trail.
Address
44 Causeway Road, Bushmills, County Antrim, BT57 8SU
Questions
Before you go
Is it free?
Coastline and stones free, all year. Visitor Experience (includes reserved parking, audio guide, guided tour, exhibition, café): £16 adult, £8 child (5-17), under-5s free, £40 family (2 adults + up to 3 children), £24 single-adult family. National Trust members free. Book online for lowest rates.
What will we see?
40,000+ hexagonal basalt columns, sea cliffs, rock pools, Giant's Boot, Wishing Chair, Organ Pipes formations. Spring brings primroses, bluebells and gorse on the clifftop. Seabirds year-round.
When is the best time to go?
Coastline open dawn to dusk year-round. Visitor centre opens 9am daily; closing time varies by season (typically 5pm, later in summer, earlier in winter). Closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Confirm hours before travelling.
Can I bring the dog?
Dogs on leads welcome across the entire World Heritage Site — the stones, clifftop paths, visitor centre, café and guided tours. Water bowls at front and rear of visitor centre.
Where do I park?
On-site reserved car park for Visitor Experience ticket holders and NT members — pre-booking essential. Blue Badge spaces first-come, first-served. Innisfree Farm car park (60 Causeway Road) approximately £12 via JustPark app. Park and Ride from Bushmills Dundarave Car Park.
Getting there
Giant's Causeway is at 44 Causeway Road, Bushmills, County Antrim, BT57 8SU. On-site reserved car park for Visitor Experience ticket holders and NT members — pre-booking essential. Blue Badge spaces first-come, first-served. Innisfree Farm car park (60 Causeway Road) approximately £12 via JustPark app. Park and Ride from Bushmills Dundarave Car Park. Tap below for directions.
Around 60 million years ago, a vast volcanic eruption poured molten basalt lava across what is now the Antrim plateau. As the lava cooled, it contracted and cracked — and because it cooled slowly and evenly, it formed the characteristically hexagonal columns you can count today. Most are six-sided, though you'll find four, five, seven and even eight-sided columns among them. The tallest reach around 12 metres.
The local legend tells it differently. The Irish giant Finn McCool built the causeway by hand to reach his Scottish rival Benandonner across the sea. Benandonner turned out to be even bigger than expected, so Finn's wife Oonagh disguised her husband as a baby. When Benandonner saw the size of the 'baby', he fled back to Scotland — tearing up the causeway behind him. The matching basalt columns at Fingal's Cave on the Isle of Staffa in Scotland are part of the same lava flow, which is why the two legends fitted together so neatly.
The site has been in the care of the National Trust since 1961 and became Northern Ireland's only UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. The current visitor centre opened in 2012 and was designed to sit low in the clifftop so as not to compete with the geology.