Northern Ireland completely surprised me. I knew it would be beautiful, but I wasn’t prepared for just how much we would love the dramatic coastline, ancient ruins, tiny towns, sheep-covered mountains, and the ability to stumble across places that were thousands of years old without another person in sight.

My daughter Juliet and I spent several days road-tripping from Dublin through Northern Ireland, using Dromara as our home base. Here’s the itinerary I’d recommend if you want to recreate it!

Getting to Ireland on Points

We flew round trip to Ireland in Aer Lingus Business Class for just 87,000 American Express Membership Rewards points TOTAL for two people. This was actually a cash mistake fare that I booked through the Amex Travel portal using points, so we paid $0 in taxes and fees.

We rented a car from National and had a great experience. I paid with my Chase Sapphire Reserve for the rental car coverage, but because Ireland and Northern Ireland can have different rental-car rules, I called ahead to confirm coverage and printed the documentation to bring with me.

After landing in Dublin, we stopped at the Aer Lingus Arrivals Lounge to shower and freshen up before starting our trip. After an overnight flight, this was HEAVEN.

Dublin: One Night Before the Road Trip

Our first night was at The Wilder Townhouse, a Mr & Mrs Smith property that I booked for 22,125 points. Our room was tiny but adorable, and the location was perfect for exploring Dublin on foot.

We wandered through St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre and Grafton Street, visited the EPIC Irish Emigration Museum, grabbed gelato at Gino’s, and picked up a few things we had forgotten to pack.

We had much bigger Dublin plans, but after our emergency-passport adventure and an overnight flight, exhaustion won!

Day 1: Dublin to Dromara

The next morning, we grabbed supplies at Aldi and started driving north.

Our first spontaneous stop was Quayside Cafe in County Louth, a beautiful little spot overlooking the water with great toasties. We continued through Carlingford, where we pulled over to explore a castle before heading toward one of my favorite surprises of the entire trip: Tollymore Forest Park.

Tollymore is GORGEOUS. We only had time for a short walk down to the river, but I wish I had planned several hours here. There are trails, bridges, forests, and incredible scenery everywhere. Parking was only about £5.

From there, we continued to our Airbnb in Dromara, which became the perfect home base for exploring Northern Ireland. We paid about $530 for three nights, partially using Fetch Airbnb gift cards and Capital One points.

Day 2: The Epic North Coast

This was our BIG sightseeing day.

We started at Mussenden Temple, perched dramatically above the Atlantic. The ruins and surrounding estate are beautiful, but make sure you also drive down toward the beach below the cliffs.

Next was Dunluce Castle, one of the most spectacular castle ruins I’ve ever visited. From there, we continued to the Giant’s Causeway. You do NOT have to purchase admission to see the Causeway itself. We parked near the Bushmills Railway, walked down to the rocks, and then hiked back up.

Next came Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, which does require a timed ticket and should be booked in advance. The bridge itself is fun, but the coastal scenery is what makes this stop so incredible. Give yourself extra time—the walk from the parking area to the bridge takes around 20 minutes.

We finished the day at Glenshane Country Farm for a private sheepdog demonstration. This ended up being one of our absolute favorite experiences. We learned about the farm, watched the border collies work the sheep, met the dogs, and even got to hold lambs.

It was a LONG day, but absolutely worth it.

Day 3: Ancient Northern Ireland Without the Crowds

Juliet was ready for a break, so I spent the morning exploring on my own—and this may have been my favorite part of the entire trip.

I hiked Slieve Croob, where the summit contains the remains of an ancient burial cairn. From there, I found Legananny Dolmen, a roughly 5,000-year-old Neolithic portal tomb consisting of a massive capstone balanced on three upright stones.

Then I went underground at Finnis Souterrain, an ancient stone-lined passage believed to have been used as a refuge or storage area during the Early Christian period.

The craziest part?

These places were practically EMPTY.

I was standing beside structures thousands of years old without tour buses, entrance fees, or crowds—and they were all within roughly 20 minutes of our Airbnb.

That evening, we watched the sunset from Windy Gap Viewpoint and grabbed burgers and fries from Maguire’s Takeaway in Dromara. Dinner was around £20 total, but bring cash!

Day 4: The Antrim Coast

After checking out, we headed north again.

Our first stop was the Giant’s Ring, another Neolithic site featuring a portal tomb surrounded by a massive earthwork enclosure.

We drove through Carrickfergus, and if I did this trip again, I would absolutely make time to stop at Carrickfergus Castle.

Our main activity was horseback riding at Islandmagee Riding Centre. The countryside was gorgeous, the staff was wonderful, and at around £30 per person for a 45-minute ride, it was also incredibly affordable. I think this would be a fantastic option even for someone without much riding experience.

Afterward, stop at The Rinkha for homemade ice cream and then continue to Portmuck Harbour for gorgeous coastal views and time to explore the rocky shoreline.

One thing we DIDN’T have time to do that I would add to this itinerary: The Gobbins cliff path.

From there, we made the drive back toward Dublin.

Back to Dublin—and Home

For our final night, we stayed at the Hilton Dublin Airport. We had a $60 credit to use, so room service was essentially covered, and my Hilton Gold status got us free breakfast the following morning.

National also made returning the rental car incredibly easy. Because of my elite status—which I receive through my Chase Sapphire Reserve—we were able to return the car directly in the parking garage rather than going to the off-site rental facility.

Our Aer Lingus Business Class tickets gave us priority check-in and security, and after U.S. preclearance we relaxed in the Aer Lingus Lounge before flying back to New York.

After one final hotel night in New York and a Southwest flight home to St. Louis, our adventure was officially over.

Would I Recommend Northern Ireland?

One thousand percent.

Northern Ireland gave us everything I love about travel: jaw-dropping scenery, castles, ancient history, outdoor adventures, tiny towns, friendly people, and experiences that didn’t feel manufactured for tourists.

But my biggest recommendation is to leave room in your itinerary to wander. Some of my favorite moments weren’t the famous attractions. They were finding an ancient tomb on the side of a country road, walking through a stone tunnel built centuries ago, watching sheep wander across a mountain, or pulling over because the view was simply too beautiful to drive past.

Northern Ireland is the kind of place where the journey really is part of the trip—and I already want to go back.

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