1st visit to Northern Ireland

Hi
We are planning our first visit to Northern Ireland next June (2021). We are going for a week and we have no idea where to stay or what to do. We are travelling from the UK and will hire a car and distance is not an issue as my hubby drives for a living... We prefer quieter, more scenic places as we don't like hussle and bussle or big crowds. We will do 1 day in Belfast but, other than that, we are open to suggestions.
cheers

Hi June,

Northern Ireland has so much to offer and I don't want to bombard you with suggestions. The one thing I will say is you will go home from here wishing you had longer than a week to explore it.  You could easily spend a week exploring just Belfast.

Here are some of the highlights.

10 things to do in Northern Ireland
6 day tour of the causeway coast
3 day tour of Belfast
Charming Towns and Villages

So There are a few things I would recommend to everyone that arrives here.

While in Belfast you should definitely visit the Titanic Exhibition and if you like museums, the Ulster Museum is a great experience. If you are after a traditional pub experience, The Crown in Belfast is a beautiful pub. If you want some trad music though, The John Hewitt has sessions regularly throughout the week. 

Outside Belfast, Obviously the Giants Causeway and Carrick-a-rede rope bridge are must-sees, (both in that 6-day tour) but I would also recommend Carrickfergus castle and Dunluce Castle. ( there are a number of great castles worth visiting)  

As I said I am in danger of bombarding you with information. So I will leave it at that for now, but if you need more or just want to define things a little better. Let me know. I could chat about Northern Ireland all day long.

Hello Gordon and Thank You for the information. It will come in very handy. We will deffo do the Belfast things and will use the villages guide. Thanks June

Hi June! 

You've already received some wonderful suggestions from Gordon! I recently went on a staycation around Northern Ireland and saw some beautiful things. You can find the thread with more ideas and tips here. :) 

If you like history, I also recommend the Crumlin Road Gaol tour. The guides there are amazing and know so much, and you really learn more about the city's past. 

If you ever want to know more, please don't hesitate to reach out to us here. The Community is always happy to help! 

Thank Melin, I shall add your info to my scrapbook. I wish it was next June now.

From the little I've  explored so far, I really like the sound of the Omagh area. For our first visit, where would be a good base to stay? And, if we do a slight whistlestop tour, how much could we see in a week? 

Hi June!

There's actually a very helpful accommodations finder right on the Ireland.com website, which I can't recommend enough. I went ahead and searched for accommodations in the Omagh area and there are plenty of wonderful spots to call home during your stay. You can also search by star rating and accommodations type, narrowing your search down based on what kind of experience you'd like to have. For example, you could search for hotels, B&B's, or even historic houses, depending on which strikes your fancy.

As for how much you could see in a week, there is plenty that you could fit into that time! I do see that there have been quite a few spots recommended already. Would you mind if I asked which you're most interested in visiting? That'd really help ensure I'm giving the best possible information.

Kindly,

Rochelle

thanks Rochelle I think we will do Belfast and the Titanic and museum. Other than that we are happy to cruise about and stop where the fancy takes us. I would have to be somewhere and miss something because we weren't aware of it though.  Thanks June

Hi June, It is great to see things are starting to come together for you.

If your liking Omagh I would say you have to visit the Ulster American Folk Park. It is a fantastic day out and you get a real taste of what Ireland used to be like. You can actually have a go at a few things there. My fondest memory of the place is getting to make soda bread over an open fire, or perhaps eating the soda bread I had just made. 😄
You can check it out here.

A little further but not by much is the town of Gortin.  There are a few things worth checking out there.

Beltrim Castle & Estate, they actually have cottages you can stay in on the estate if you fancy it, but even just taking a walk around there is worth the trip. sorry, no link for that one.

Boorin Nature reserve will give you some excellent scenery as well. The hills are laced with heather and the views go on for miles.

Gortin Glen Forest Park is another personal favourite. The waterfalls alone are worth the trip.

If you fancy something a little more exhilarating there is also Gortin Accommodation Suite And Activity Centre which offers archery, wall climbing, canoeing and a whole host of other activities and they will work around your schedule. 

The last one I will mention is An Creagán in Creggan. simply due to its unusually charming aesthetic.  I will let the pictures talk for themselves

So that would be my top things to do in Omagh. I am also a big sucker for ancient sites like tombs and standing stones, but I realize that is not everyone's cup of tea. If you want more info on those let me know and I will list the ones in the area.

Also if you want a little more info on the town it's self I can give you more on that too.

Anyway, talk soon.
G.

THANK YOU GORDON you have gone above and beyond. I shall add the items of interest to my Scrapbook. I may quiz, you further down the line, more about Omagh…...we were going to go to the Ulster American Folk Park anyway....:cool::):cool: