Indoors/Outdoors Sightseeing Tours

Whether you're an eager tourist or a curious local, a well-planned and organised tour can be an excellent way to kill a few hours.

It also seems in Northern Ireland, you'll be spoilt for choice. From food-tasting to sightseeing, or simply going your own way, all possible avenues are covered thanks to our wee country's abundance of history, local produce and culture.

So, if you're finding yourself a wee bit overwhelmed where to start, we've got you covered. Check out our list below of some fun tours to try out in Northern Ireland.

Belfast City Sightseeing

As Northern Ireland's capital, we thought Belfast would be a pretty good start if you want to get out and explore. But if you want to see every area and district of this unique city, the Belfast City Sightseeing bus tour is the way to go about it.

If you're a seasoned traveller, you'll be no stranger to the open-top hop-on/hop-off method for city sightseeing tours. However, as the only open top tour in Belfast which is 4 star rated by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, we're pretty sure visitors are in for an entertaining ride. Tours depart from Castle Place in Belfast city centre but visitors can join from any stop along the route.

Besides, with 23 stops to choose from you're spoilt for choice. However, our top three picks would be;

• Stop 4; Titanic Belfast visitor attraction; Having secured the prestigious accolade of 'World's Leading Tourist Attraction' last year, it's safe to say this will be pretty high on your list. Key highlights include the fascinating Titanic Experience, SS Nomadic (the world's last remaining White Star vessel) and for the food buffs among us, the Bistro 401 Restaurant.

• Stop 22: Crumlin Road; featuring the Crumlin Road Gaol Visitor Attraction and Conference Centre and the Old Courthouse.

• Stop 23: Donegall Street; visitors can enjoy the Clifton St. Poor House, Cathedral Quarter, St. Anne's Cathedral, St. Patricks Church and Northern Ireland War Memorial.

Tour length: Approx 1hr 30 mins long

*Make sure and bring suitable clothing, Belfast can get pretty chilly even during our supposed 'Summer'.

www.belfastcitysightseeing.com

Giant's Causeway Walking Tour

You've heard the legend, now you can visit the only World Heritage Site in Northern Ireland; the Giant's Causeway.

Renowned for its polygonal columns of layered basalt, caused by a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago, this iconic location is the perfect for tourists who want to experience nature in it's natural form.

The short two-mile walk will take you to the 'The Stookans' or 'Windy Gap', as locals refer to it, as walkers will be exposed to the wild elements of the Atlantic Ocean.

Made up of three promontories - the Little Causeway, the Middle Causeway (better known as the 'Honeycomb') and the Grand Causeway, visitors will be able to experience all the names and features associated with legendary giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn MacCool), such as the Wishing Chair, Giant's Boot, The Organ, Wishing Well & Giant's Gate.

For information on where to get started, visit www.walkni.com

Taste & Tour

For those who fancy their food, listen up. This award-winning Food Tour will showcase some of the top food and drink Belfast has to offer.

Lasting roughly four hours, visitors will have plenty of time to try out over 25 of the best local food and drink in various locations, including St George's Market, traditional bars and a top restaurant in the Cathedral Quarter.

And for those after a more traditional experience, the Belfast Bites tour has it all. Participants can bite into an award winning Ulster Fry, try a Belfast Brew, taste local seafood, sample local cheeses and much more.

But it's not just food buffs who are in for a treat. The 'Belfast Gin Jaunt', Northern Ireland's first Gin Tour, is the perfect way to unveil the wonderful world of gin to newcomers. Visitors can try out seven different gins, including three locals, across five pubs and bars.

However, if gin isn't your poison of choice, the Brewery Tour lets guests sample 11 beers from three local brewers over a fun-filled evening, complete with nibbles along the way.

For more information, visit www.tasteandtour.co.uk

Belfast Black Taxi Tour

The infamous black cab. While they're more commonly associated with London, black taxis came about in Belfast during the height of the troubles, when the city's public transportation system pretty much collapsed.

Nowadays, in addition to operating as a taxi service, a lot of companies offer personal tours around Belfast, exploring not only the city's divided past but also it's architectural and cultural heritage.

Tours will take you around Belfast's historically significant sites, such as political murals on the Falls and the Shankill roads, The Peace Line, Crumlin Road Jail and Court House, the City Hall, Harland and Wolff's yellow cranes (Samson and Goliath) within the Titanic Quarter, and much more. All guides/drivers are sure to also give visitors an insightful and educational history of the Troubles, helping visitors to understand the background to what was once Europe's last divided city.

However, if you fancy going beyond the city for a bit of exploring, other operators will also take visitors for a more personalised trip to other popular destinations around the country, such as Carrick a Rede Rope Bridge, the Giant's Causeway, Ballintoy Harbor, and the Dark Hedges in Ballymoney.

Causeway Coastal Route

Rated as one of the top scenic drives in Europe, the Causeway Coastal Route is the perfect trip for those who want to take in all the natural beauty Northern Ireland has to offer.

Starting at Belfast (or vice versa from Derry/L'Derry), this 121-mile long drive will take visitors on an epic drive featuring sandy beaches, fishing villages, gorse-covered valleys and clifftop paths.

There are so many spectacular locations to visit during your trip, but we've picked our three top highlights for you watch out for;

• The Dark Hedges – Game of Thrones fans will be familiar with this one. This iconic archway doubled as The King’s Road in Season Two of the epic series. Planted by by the Stuart family in the 18th century, today the site is one of the most photographed natural phenomena in Northern Ireland.

• The Glens of Antrim – With nine famous Glens to explore, be sure to take your time and take in the scenery and natural beauty, There are also nearby towns and villages such as Glenarm and Cushendun for you to sample some local culture.

• Old Bushmills Distillery – Traversing the Causeway Coastal Route is thirsty work. So why not stop off at the oldest working distillery in Ireland? For over 400 years some of the finest Irish whiskeys have been produced here, using the same traditional methods from the 17th century. So relax, take in the sights and enjoy some of the best Irish whiskey this island has to offer.

Image credit: www.belfastcitysightseeing.com, www.discovernorthernireland.com, www.walkni.com, www.tasteandtour.co.uk