Belfast & the Causeway Coast: Northern Ireland's Luxury Itinerary for Americans

Arrive in Belfast and check into The Merchant Hotel in the Cathedral Quarter. It is the most beautiful hotel interior in Ireland, a former Victorian bank with a jaw-dropping Great Room. Spend the afternoon at Titanic Belfast (genuinely world-class, not the tourist trap we expected). Walk through the Cathedral Quarter for dinner. We loved Ox for tasting menus and The Muddlers Club for something more relaxed. End the night in The Merchant's rooftop cocktail bar.

Morning at St George's Market. The best food market in Ireland, and we say that as people who love the English Market in Cork. The atmosphere on a Saturday is electric. Afternoon: take a Black Cab political tour through the murals of the Falls and Shankill Roads. It is sobering, essential, and told with a dark humour that is uniquely Belfast. Afternoon tea at The Merchant, then dinner at Eipic (Michelin-starred, Chef Danni Barry's cooking is extraordinary) or DEANES for classic fine dining.

This is the day that will define your trip. Drive north from Belfast on the A2 coastal route. Every turn reveals something more beautiful than the last. Stop at Glenarm and the Glens of Antrim, cross the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge (terrifying and thrilling in equal measure), and arrive at the Giant's Causeway in the late afternoon when the tour buses have left and you have the hexagonal columns almost to yourself. Check into Bushmills Inn. A coaching inn that has been welcoming guests since 1608. Dinner at their restaurant, then a nightcap of Bushmills whiskey by the peat fire.

If you play golf, this morning is Royal Portrush. The Dunluce Links hosted The Open in 2019 and the views from the 5th tee over the White Rocks beach made us stop mid-swing. Even if you do not play, the clubhouse is open for lunch and the views are spectacular. Afternoon: visit Dunluce Castle perched on its sea cliff (the most photogenic ruin in Ireland), then drive to the Dark Hedges. The beech tree avenue made famous by Game of Thrones. It is genuinely magical in the late afternoon light. Dinner at 55 Degrees North in Portrush. Floor-to-ceiling ocean views.

Drive south through the Glens of Antrim to Newcastle and the Mourne Mountains. The landscape that inspired C.S. Lewis's Narnia. If you play golf, Royal County Down is regularly voted the best golf course in the world, and standing on the 9th tee with the Mournes behind you and Dundrum Bay ahead, you will understand why. Check into the Slieve Donard Resort, which sits at the foot of the mountains next to Royal County Down. Even non-golfers will love the Victorian grandeur, the spa, and the walks along the beach. Fly home from Belfast City Airport (forty minutes) or Dublin Airport (ninety minutes).