Ireland Travel Diary: The Dark Hedges

On my trip to Northern Ireland, I visited the Giant’s Causeway, the rope bridge and our last stop was the Dark Hedges. I’ve never seen Game of Thrones (I don’t get HBO) but visiting the Dark Hedges was the main reason I went on this tour.

Before our trip I spent some time on Pinterest coming up with ideas for places to see. When I came across some pictures of the Dark Hedges I knew that this was one stop that I had to make.

the Game of Thrones Tour

There were two stops on this tour that featured locations used on the show. Stop one was Dunluce Castle which was used as the House of Greyjoy. Dunluce Castle is located on the north Antrim Coast.

 

 

This stop was not the best. We pulled over on the side of the road and had 5 minutes to take pictures from a distance. If I’m visiting a castle, I want to get up close to it, but the tour wasn’t allowed. Luckily it wasn’t the main reason I was going on this trip.

This stop was actually the first of the whole tour. I was very happy to learn that this wasn’t how it was going to be all day!

The dark hedges

 

 

 

 

 

Our last stop of the day was visiting the Dark Hedges. The tour bus parked a distance away and we had to walk down the road to see it. Apparently buses aren’t allowed to drive down this road but while we were there another tour bus showed up and was able to get closer. Weird.

We didn’t have a lot of time so every minute counted. Getting dropped off closer would have meant more time there.

With all of the different tour buses arriving at the same time, the spot was a little crowded. With a bit of patience I managed to get some shots that weren’t filled with strangers before I had to dash back to the bus.

I really enjoy taking day tours like this one! It’s a great way to see the country that you are visiting and to discover new places.

The next time I visit Ireland though, I think I’m going to sightsee on my own. This way when I make a stop I can stay for as long as I want. A 15-20 minute photo stop when you have to walk 5 minutes to the bus is not a lot of time. I’m pretty sure I know someone who will volunteer to come with me!! 😉

If you are looking at doing a tour like this, check out the local tourist/visitor centres. There are several visitor centres in Dublin each offering different daily tours. I’m sure that you will find a tour that is perfect for you.