The crossing itself takes about twenty seconds. That is the first thing to know, because people build this up in their heads into something enormous and it is a short walk over a small bridge.
The bit that actually gets people is not the bridge. It is the steps down to it.
I have been across it and I would recommend it without hesitating. But there are a few things worth knowing before you book, starting with the fact that it shuts when the wind gets up, which catches out more visitors than anything else here.
Some links in this guide are affiliate links. If you book through one I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I only link to things I would use myself.
Driving the coast? Here is the whole Causeway Coastal Route on one map, Belfast to Derry, with every stop and what each one charges.
Carrick-a-Rede tickets: what it costs, and you have to book
Carrick-a-Rede is National Trust. Peak prices start at £16 for an adult, £8 for a child aged 5 to 17 and £40 for a family of two adults and up to three children. National Trust members go free.
Pre-booking is essential. This is not a place you turn up at and join a queue. You book a slot, and in summer the good slots go.
The car park is open 09:00 to 18:00 and the bridge itself 09:00 to 16:30, so the bridge shuts an hour and a half before the car park does. Worth noting if you were planning a late afternoon.
If you have National Trust membership, bring it. Between here, the Giant’s Causeway and Downhill and Mussenden Temple, two or three stops along this coast pays for a membership in a single day.
Flying from the US?
Most Americans pay too much to get to Ireland.
I send one email a week with the best fares from US airports into Dublin, Shannon and Belfast, plus what to actually do when you land. $14.99 for the year, refunded if it does not pay for itself.
It closes in high winds
This is the one to plan around. The bridge shuts when it is too windy, and on this coast that is not a rare event.
Check before you drive out. If it is blowing, you may well get the walk and the views and not the crossing, and while the walk is genuinely lovely, it is not what you booked for.
The walk down
It is a kilometre from the car park to the bridge, on a cliff path with steps and uneven ground in places.
The walk is beautiful and is a decent chunk of what you are paying for. You are on the edge of the Antrim coast the whole way with Rathlin out in front of you and Scotland behind it on a clear day. Do not rush it to get to the bridge.
Allow an hour and a half for the whole thing, more if you stop.
What the crossing is actually like
The steps down to the bridge are the scary part, not the bridge. If you are uneasy with heights, that is where you will feel it.
The bridge is very safe. It is inspected, it is properly built, and people cross it all day every day. Knowing that does not always help in the moment, but it is true, and if you are going to talk yourself out of it, talk yourself back in.
Once across, you are on the island, and you can walk round it before coming back. That is the part people forget to allow time for, and it turns the crossing from a twenty second novelty into an actual walk.
Dogs cannot cross
Dogs are welcome on the coastal path down, on a lead, but they are not allowed over the bridge.
The National Trust’s own suggestion is that your dog stays with somebody while the rest of you cross, and that is exactly what we did the last time. I waited at the near side with the dog, the children went over with a friend, walked round the island and came back. It worked fine, and nobody felt hard done by.
Worth planning if you are travelling with a dog and there is only one adult.
You get a certificate
They will ask if you want a certificate for crossing the bridge. It is a small thing and children love it.
I believe there is a charge for it normally, and we got ours as part of our National Trust membership, so ask rather than assume either way.
Why there is a bridge here at all
Salmon fishermen. For something like 350 years they strung a rope bridge across to the island so they could get out to check their nets, because the salmon ran round the headland and the island was the place to catch them.
The fishery is gone. The last salmon was taken in 2002. What is left is a bridge with no job, kept up because a quarter of a million people a year now want to walk over it, which is its own kind of ending.
The version the fishermen crossed was a good deal more alarming than the one you will cross.
Doing it without a car
Most Causeway Coast day tours from Belfast take in this stretch along with the Causeway and the Dark Hedges. Check whether your tour actually includes crossing the bridge or only stops at the car park, because some do the latter.
While you are on this stretch
Ballintoy Harbour is minutes away and worth the detour on its own. The Giant’s Causeway is fifteen minutes west and the Dark Hedges about twenty minutes inland.
The full guide to things to do in Northern Ireland has the rest, and if you are pairing this with Donegal, the guide to crossing the Irish border covers the currency, speed limits and hire car insurance.
Where to stay
Belfast
Stay central if you are out in the evening. Taxis and Ubers in Belfast are harder to come by than you would expect.
- DoubleTree by Hilton Belfast City Ten Square. Directly behind City Hall. It was Ten Square before the Hilton rebrand.
- Bullitt Hotel. Cathedral Quarter, better value, already among the bars and restaurants.
- Titanic Hotel Belfast. The old Harland and Wolff drawing offices. I stayed here and really liked it, but it is not right in the middle.
Derry
- Bishop’s Gate Hotel. Inside the walls, Hotel of the Year 2026 at the Ulster Tatler Awards.
- Shipquay Boutique Hotel. Also inside the walls, small, everything on the doorstep.
- Maldron Hotel Derry. Central and usually the cheapest of the three.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Carrick-a-Rede?
Peak prices from £16 adult, £8 child, £40 family. Free for National Trust members.
Do you have to book Carrick-a-Rede?
Yes. Pre-booking is essential and slots sell out in summer.
Is Carrick-a-Rede scary?
The bridge is short and very safe. The steps down to it are the part that bothers people with a fear of heights.
Can dogs cross the rope bridge?
No. Dogs are welcome on the walk down on a lead, but not across the bridge.
How long does it take?
Allow an hour and a half. It is a kilometre each way from the car park, plus the crossing and a walk round the island.
Why does it close?
High winds. It happens regularly on this coast, so check before you set off.
Pin this for later
Planning a trip? Save this to Pinterest so you can find it again.
Written by
Diana Greenlee
I live in County Down and write Tales of Irish Travel. After years living abroad I came home during Covid and started properly exploring the island. I write about the history and the story behind a place, not just the place. More about me.