When planning our trip to Northern Ireland we decided we would hire a car so we could explore a little more. The were two places that were top of our list – Giant’s Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. The Giant’s Causeway is obviously the more famous of two with it being a UNESCO Heritage Site, but the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge is an absolute must do.

This is our honest Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge review.

Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge National Trust sign

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge Review : History

The rope bridge is 66ft long and is suspended at almost 100ft above sea level. The bridge was first erected by salmon fisherman around 350 years ago to enable them to cross over the Atlantic Ocean from the mainland onto a tiny island.

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge Review : Location

Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge is situated near Ballintoy in County Atrim, and is just a 15 minute drive from the Giants Causeway. There’s a carpark on site, including an overflow carpark which we parked on. The over flow carpark actual leads down to Larrybane which is featured in Game of Thrones. The car park is free to everyone, not just National Trust members.

Carrick-a-Rede view of Larrybane

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge Review : Price

To cross the bridge it costs £9 for adults and £4.50 per child over five years old. You can get a family ticket for two adults and two or three children for £22.50. However one of the many National Trust membership benefits is free entry to both Giants Causeway visitor exhibition and Carrick-a-Rede.

It is essential to prebook tickets to give you an allocated time. We were lucky as we managed to get tickets on the day but it seems much easier to do it online. You can pay online and National Trust members can select the free option and it means you’re guaranteed the time you want.

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge Review : Our experience

We arrived at around 1.30pm and hadn’t prebooked our tickets. We made our way to the entrance and were told the next time available would be 2.30pm. It’s a 1km walk to the bridge so we were told to come back at 2.15pm to allow us enough time to get to the bridge for 2.30pm. We took the opportunity to have a look around the shop and cafe and the 45 minutes soon passed. There’s also benches to sit and have a picnic or to simply take in the stunning view.

The walk to the rope bridge isn’t a particularly easy one and has a lot of steps so it can be quite hard to work for little legs. Luckily our days out with kids usually involve a lot of walking so our three were used to it! The views are you are approaching the bridge are absolutely stunning.

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge Review : Crossing The Bridge

When it comes to crossing the bridge itself you firstly need to walk down a few steep steps. My husband is terrified of heights. He wouldn’t stand on the glass floor at Blackpool Tower Eye so I wasn’t sure how he would find the journey across the bridge. He maintained he was fine until he approached the bridge and realised just how high we were! I thought for a moment he might lose his nerve but with three kids cheering him on he led the way across the bridge. Our kids, including our four year old, fearlessly marched across without a care in the world! Even though I’m not overly scared of heights, it was quite unnerving to think there was just some planks and ropes stopping us from falling 100ft to the sea below! I found the experience exhilarating and the view from the bridge was breathtaking.

children crossing Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge

We made our way across to the island and were again presented with some fantastic views. My husband admitted it was scarier than he had anticipated but he was glad he had done it (which was a relief because he had to do it again on the way back!) The kids loved it and enjoyed exploring the small island.

For those not wanting to cross the bridge there’s a viewing point which enables you to see everyone crossing. We stopped at the viewing point on the way back. This was partly for the view and partly for a rest, since the walk back is all uphill!

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge Review : Shop and Cafe

There was a small cafe with a shop inside so we purchased a fridge magnet like we do from every place we visit! We also stopped in the cafe for a drink and a slice of cake. The lemon cake was slightly underwhelming (not as good as my dad’s!) I wished I’d chosen the carrot cake instead!

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge Review : Summary

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend a visit to Carrick-a-Rede. It’s not the easiest of walks and the crossing itself can seem a bit daunting, but it’s 100% worth it. The children loved it too and are still talking about the “high bridge” now!