For years, Giant's Causeway has been on the wish list of travellers from all around the world and there is no secret why it is a top tourist destination in Ireland. It is totally worth visiting this place even though you will be surrounded by a lot of tourists especially if you happen to visit on the weekends or public holidays.  

Giant's Causeway is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is no entrance fee but if you want to visit the Visitor's Centre then the fee is £12.50 for adults, £6.25 for children, and £31.25 for a family ticket. You can get the actual price and opening hours by on their website. I didn't go to the Visitor's centre. 

Parking in Giant's Causeway can be a problem, especially during peak hours. If you can't find parking space at Giant's Causeway, drive to the nearby town of Bushmill, park the car at Bushmill Park & Ride near the Coop supermarket and take the shuttle service to Causeway. 

How was Giant's Causeway Formed

​According to the legends, Finn who was an Irish Giant was challenged to fight by a Scottish Giant named Benandonner. Finn grabbed chunks of the Antrim coast and threw them into the sea and formed a path to cross the sea and fight Benandonner. But Benandonner was incredibly massive so after seeing him, he returned back. The angry scot followed him to Ireland to finish the fight. Meanwhile, the Wife of Finn portrayed him as a baby. The angry Scot saw the baby and thought if the child was that big, the father must be really huge. So he retreated and on the way back he destroyed the causeway so that Finn wouldn't follow him. 

The Scientists say "The Giant's Causeway is the aftermath of volcanic crashing, burning and cooling". It is up to you to decide which story you want to believe in. In any case, this is an incredibly Jaw dropping place to visit. 

Giant's Causeway Walking trails  

There are three hiking trails and an option to take a mini bus  

• Mini Bus: The bus will take you to the causeway from the entrance and costs £1 one way
• Blue Trail: This path is along the coast from parking, on asphalt road and not really a hiking path.  
• Red Trail: The trail follows along the upper cliffs and views to the coastline are incredible and the best option to experience the Causeway Coast. Take the Red trail to the Causeway and come back via blue trail by making a loop. 
• Yellow Trail: This is along the entire causeway coast. 

 
Giant's Causeway Hike

From the car park, I took the Red trail to go down to the Giant's Causeway. It is a very easy and well-marked path with no elevation gained along the way. From Shepherd's steps, the trail goes down to the coast via well-built stairs. There are some viewpoints along the way from upper cliffs overlooking the Giant's Causeway.  

It took me less than 30 minutes to reach the Causeway. I was surprised to see only a few tourists around, usually, it is very crowded especially during the day and icing on the cake, the weather was getting better. I spent another 45 minutes by taking pictures and walking around on the incredible rocks. 

The sky was full of orange and red colours of sunset, perfect for photography so I couldn't resist myself walking back to the top of the cliffs by taking the same trail to shot some beautiful pictures of the coast.

It was one of the most beautiful places I visited in Ireland and felt lucky to have such a beautiful afternoon at such an incredibly special place. I already had a reservation to stay overnight in Londonderry which is little over an hour drive from Giant's Causeway. 

Best time to Visit Giant's Causeway for Photography

​Best time to visit Giant's causeway is either early in the morning to beat the crowds or later afternoon when most of the tour buses are gone. But the best time to take pictures of Giant's Causeway is definitely at Sunset as the sun sets behind the coast.  

Related: 15 Must-See Places in Ireland