Northern Ireland is known across the globe for its beautiful scenery, booming tourism industry and undeniable charm.
With the sun (hopefully) preparing to grace us this summer, now is the perfect time to start planning to pack up the car and take a tour of what home has to offer.
Whether you are planning to take a few days to travel across each country or are planning a day trip to see the sights, here are some road trips in Northern Ireland to consider.
Read more: NI coastal route ranked in top 10 for UK summer road trips
Causeway Coastal Route
A recent study ranked the Causeway Coastal Route on NI's north coast as one of the top stops to explore in the UK 2022 and it is not hard to understand why.
The dramatic road trip has been called one of the most scenic drives in the world by National Geographic and is 120 miles of stunning panoramas and sea fronts.
Points of note are the world-famous Giant’s Causeway, the striking 800-year-old Carrickfergus Castle, Carrick–A–Rede rope bridge, the gems of the Glens of Antrim and Mussenden Temple.
Be sure to check out the likes of the Old Bushmills Distillery and the Gobbins, which is an exhilarating cliff path adventure while you take in the beauty of the north coast.
The Mourne Mountains and Ring of Gullion
Prepare to take in some of the most beautiful views of Northern Ireland.
There is no better place to explore on a fun road trip than the dramatic Mournes landscape.
Drive to St John’s Lighthouse for an impressive sight and take in the views across Dundrum Bay towards the Mournes.
Head to the Slieve Gullion Forest Park to access the trail leading to the top of the mountain itself, which is home to Ireland’s highest surviving passage tomb.
Be sure to stretch your legs with a big hike to tell all your friends about.
Game of Thrones Door Tour
Game of Thrones put the Northern Ireland film industry on the map and it hasn't looked back since.
In 2016, Storm Gertrude destroyed trees at the Dark Hedges, which served as the backdrop for the Kingsroad in the hit HBO series and an idea was formed to turn the disaster into a tourism opportunity.
Ten intricately carved doors, depicting moments inspired by the sixth season, were carved from trees blown down in the storm and were fitted in pubs near iconic filming locations.
These locations littered across NI make the perfect road trip route for any GoT fan in search of a good pub crawl.
They are located at The Cuan Co Down, Fiddler’s Green Co Down, Percy French Co Down, Blakes of the Hollow Co Fermanagh, Frank Owens Co Derry, Fullerton Arms Co Antrim, Gracehill House Co Antrim, Mary McBrides Co Antrim, Ballygally Castle Co Antrim and The Dark Horse Belfast.
Sperrin Mountains
Jump in your car, turn up your favourite song and head towards what national geographic considers one of the world's 101 scenic drives.
Check out Northern Ireland’s most extensive mountain range which spreads across several counties and can be explored on four scenic driving routes.
Experience Barnes Gap which is a striking glacial feature comprising of a deep incision in the ridge of hills lying to the south of the beautiful Glenelly Valley.
Drive up to the Pigeon Top, which is a prominent viewpoint and picnic area offering amazing views of surrounding hills.
Strangford Lough
Awarded an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Stanford Lough is a must-see for road trippers.
It is Northern Ireland’s first marine nature reserve and the British Isles’ largest sea inlet with stunning scenery and well-known attractions.
Visit the Floodgates which are located a short distance out of Newtownards on the road to Portaferry and enjoy beautiful views across mudflats to the iconic Scrabo Tower.
Take a drive to Kearney Village where you can explore this carefully restored, traditional fishing village which has beautiful views of Scotland and the Isle of Man.
Culture vultures will enjoy a visit to Nendrum Monastery which occupies a beautiful location overlooking Strangford Lough and its islands.
Fermanagh Lakelands
It is hard not to want to take in the beauty of Fermanagh when exploring NI.
Experience a unique paradise with lots of stunning beauty spots as the county is dominated by Lough Erne and offers a range of breath-taking drives and views.
Visitors can park and explore Lough Navar Forest or drive to Marlbank Scenic Loop to take in the unique limestone landscape of the Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark and impressive views over Lough MacNean.
For a taste of rural Fermanagh drive to the southeast of the county to visit Carnmore viewpoint which offers beautiful sights of rolling drumlins and small loughs.
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