Northern Ireland with kids: Antrim Coast
Some of the most iconic photos from the Emerald Isle are often of Northern Ireland’s east coast. In two days on the Antrim Coast, you can easily visit well-known natural treasures, while also taking a beach day. Here’s our family friendly guide to the Giant’s Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede bridge, and the beaches of Portrush.
Giant’s Causeway with kids
1. Giant’s Causeway
The Giant’s Causeway is on everyone’s Northern Ireland bucket list. If you want to visit with a child, you need to be prepared for some walking in order to get to the hexagonal structures. There is a well-paved sidewalk and roadway to walk down. It will take about 30-40 minutes, but with a child, I would prepare for longer. Along the way you will find sandy pathways down to the rocks where your little ones can explore and look at the tidal pools.
On the way back, it’s a bit steep, so you might want to bring some bribery candy or a carrier (affiliate) in order to make it back to the main entrance. As an alternative, once you are past the visitor’s center, you can also take a shuttle bus to the far end for £1.
Cost: free entry if you walk or take the bus/ prices start at £13.50 for adults and £33.75 for a family if you park a vehicle
Timing: The best time to visit the Giant’s Causeway is later in the day; if your family can walk a couple kilometers, we would recommend arriving around 5pm so you can still use some of the facilities before you head out on your walk. Just be aware that bathrooms will close at 5:45.
Where to stay near the Giant’s Causeway: There are also a few hotels within walking distance of the Giant’s Causeway, so alternatively you can simply walk from your hotel (affiliate) once the crowds have subsided. There’s no fee to see the natural area itself; the fee primarily covers parking and the visitor’s center.
Is the Giant’s Causeway worth it? To be honest, this was our least favorite natural wonder that we visited. I’m glad we did not pay for it, but it was nice to check it off the list. I much preferred the Cliffs of Moher, the Great Blasket Island, and driving along the Dingle Peninsula.
Giant’s Causeway cost- courtesy of National Trust
Giant’s Causeway with Kids
2. Carrick-a-Rede
In my imagination, the Carrick-a-Rede bridge was a sketchy rope crossing that might not be suitable for young children. In reality, this is a well-cared for bridge that is perfectly safe to cross. Our 5-year-old managed just fine for most of the walk and had an easy time crossing the bridge. The bridge itself is monitored by staff to make sure there are not too many people crossing at once. The trail to and from Carrick-a-Rede is not stroller friendly, and there are over 100 steps, but you could easily bring a hiking carrier or soft-carrier to give your kiddos a break.
Cost: We booked our visit to Carrick-a-Rede online the day before via the National Trust website.
Timing: I would recommend arriving early if you want to be able to enjoy the walk to the bridge and take photos; we showed up at opening time, and the parking lot already had a handful of cars in it.
Tip: Even if you have your tickets to the bridge, do not skip the booth at the start of the coastal walk. They hand out a kid-friendly map and activity paper. This can help keep your kiddos interested in the walk, especially if they are just old enough to read it themselves.
Carrick-a-rede price, courtesy of National Trust
Carrick-a-rede bridge with a kid, Northern Ireland
Carrick-a-rede bridge, Northern Ireland
Carrick-a-rede. On a clear day you can see Scotland!
3. Portrush Beach- East Strand
If you are driving through Northern Ireland, for some time and you get to Portrush, you will see more houses, cars, and people than you will have seen since you left Derry or Belfast. Portrush is the fun beach town that offers miles and miles of coast conveniently located next to the town. There is lots of parking, plenty of restaurants, and oodles of shops to purchase toys for your sand-loving children. We stopped by the East Strand beach for an afternoon, and ended up spending most of the day there. The beach is incredibly flat, so our daughter could wade out without going under the water too far. It was the perfect place to splash and play.
Parking: Parking is only £1 per hour at the beach-side parking lot. Bring your credit card or download the parking APP upon arrival. You can continue to add time throughout the day.
Food: We found lots of good options for takeaway
Rentals/ gear for hire: If you want to try out some water sports, than Troggs Surf School offers boards, kayaks, and wetsuits.
Bathrooms and showers: East Strand has free access to toilets and showers; just be prepare to bring your own TP because it gets very busy in the summer.
Ice cream: There is a soft-serve ice cream shop in the parking lot by East Strand beach.
Tip: It will be cold wherever you swim in Ireland and Northern Ireland; we purchased a wet suit from Mountain Warehouse (non affiliate link) for our daughter and traveled with that for our entire trip.
East Strand, Portrush Beach with kids
East Strand, Portrush Beach with kids
4. Curry’s Fun Park
Do you remember that episode of Derry Girls where everyone was leaving the city for the day to head out to Portrush and they get stuck at the top of the roller coaster? This is the reason that we visited Portrush, and the reason that I knew I had to bring my daughter here on our summer holiday to Ireland and Northern Ireland.
If you visited Northern Ireland before 2022, you would have been visiting the famous Barry’s Amusements. However, this space has been rebranded and reopened as Curry’s Fun Park. The main thing missing is the large roller coaster, but there are still plenty of family-friendly rides and games in the amusement park. We were surprised to find so many rides inside, which means you can visit even on a rainy day. Our very tall 5-year-old was large enough for every ride on site. From the carousel inside to the small roller coaster outside, she had a great time during our afternoon at Curry’s Fun Park.
Carousel at Curry’s Fun Park, Portrush with kids
Little kid bumper cars, Curry’s Fun Park, Portrush, Northern Ireland
Want to see more of our travels in Ireland and throughout Europe? Check out our trip reports.
When people think of Dublin, they might first think of pubs and not add it to their family trip to Ireland. However, we thought Dublin was a great city to visit with our daughter. We felt welcomed in all restaurants, and it is an easy city for walk around. If you are roadtripping around Ireland, you will probably want to spend more time in the countryside, but you should not skip Dublin and the surrounding area.