Days Out NI
Hand-written · Fact-checked · Free

Guides & Top Lists

The best of Northern Ireland, properly researched — every entry links to a full visitor guide with prices, parking and the honest need-to-knows.

The Giant's Causeway stones at sunset

30 Best Days Out in Northern Ireland (2026 Guide)

The flagship · All six counties

A world wonder, castles, caves, strands and the real Winterfell — the definitive thirty, kept current for 2026.

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Sweeping clifftop view over Binevenagh and the coast

50 Free Days Out in Northern Ireland

The big one · All six counties

Fifty brilliant days out and not one of them costs a penny to get into — the famous ones first.

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Family boat ride on the underground river at Marble Arch Caves

10 Best Rainy Day Days Out

All-weather · Across NI

Rain doesn't cancel a day out here — it hands you the excuse for the indoor greats.

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Golden sand at Benone Strand with Mussenden Temple in view

10 Best Beaches for a Family Day Out

Summer · All free to visit

Drive-on strands, sheltered shallows and a seawater lagoon that refills on every tide.

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Sunset blazing through the arch of the Cushendun Caves

Game of Thrones Filming Locations

10 locations · Most free

Westeros wasn't built on a green screen — the Kingsroad, Winterfell and the Iron Islands are here.

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Titanic Belfast at sunset with the TITANIC letters

10 Best Things to Do in Belfast with Kids

City days · 3 free

World-class children's days out, most of them minutes apart — and three completely free.

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Dunluce Castle ruins on the clifftop above the sea

10 Castles You Can Actually Explore

All year · 4 free

Norman keeps, clifftop ruins and a royal palace — real drawbridges-and-drum-towers stuff.

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Colourful play park equipment at Roe Mill, Limavady

10 Best Play Parks in Northern Ireland

9 of 10 free · Every corner

Treetop trails, zip wires and a giant's lair — play parks genuinely worth driving for.

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Children bottle-feeding lambs at Streamvale Open Farm

10 Best Animal Days Out

Hands-on · All ages

Bottle-feed lambs, meet penguins, hold an owl and wave at rescued seals.

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White limestone cliffs and golden sand at Whiterocks Beach

10 Best Things on the Causeway Coast

Summer · 6 free

One road, ten brilliant days out — from the Causeway stones to ice cream on the prom.

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The Dragons Den play area at the Ark Open Farm

10 Best Days Out with a Toddler

Under-5s · 2 free

Lamb feeding, swan boats, touch tanks and soft play — with the buggy and nappy logistics sorted.

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The Mourne Mountains reflected on the wet sand at Murlough Beach

Best Days Out in the Mournes & County Down

County Down · 8 free

Granite mountains, forest parks, castles and warm shallow beaches — one corner of Down, one short drive.

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Waterfall and boardwalk in the Glenariff gorge

10 Best Forest Parks & Big Walks

All year · Walking free

Waterfall gorges, the Stairway to Heaven and Game of Thrones forests — walking is free at every one.

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Aerial view of the Devenish Island round tower on Lough Erne

Best Days Out in Fermanagh & Lough Erne

Fermanagh · 3 free

Cave rivers, an island monastery, grand houses and the famous boardwalk — the lake county has the lot.

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The Gobbins tubular bridge over the crashing Atlantic

10 Days Out That Feel Like an Adventure

Mostly ages 8+ · Book ahead

The cliff path, the rope bridge, the underground river — ten days out that come home as stories.

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Dusk aerial over Carrickfergus Castle, the lough and the town

12 Day Trips From Belfast (By Car + Train)

12 trips · 5 by train · 6 free

Twelve proper escapes from Belfast — five by train — out after breakfast, home for dinner.

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The floating aqua park slides at Let's Go Hydro

15 Things Teenagers Won't Roll Their Eyes At

Ages ~12+ · 3 free

Water parks, real Iron Throne sets, cliff paths and an underground river — days that survive the toughest audience.

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Rock pools on the limestone foreshore at Ballintoy at low tide

20 Best Rock Pooling Spots in NI

A local's guide · Go at low tide

From Dunseverick's deep pools to an Exploris touch-pool finish — twenty spots locals actually rate, nineteen free.

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The deep natural rock pool at Dunseverick with swimmers

14 Special Places to Swim in NI

Most free · No lifeguards at wild spots

The swims locals keep quiet — a 1933 tidal lido, waterfall pools with a natural slide, and a cove where they've jumped for generations.

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The empty strand at Downhill Beach beneath the Mussenden cliff

10 Best Dog-Friendly Days Out

Dogs welcome · Mostly on-lead

Forest parks, a seven-mile beach and grand estates where the dog is genuinely welcome.

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