Private Ards Peninsula St Patrick Trail with Winterfell Strangford Lough Ferry

What's included

What you'll see and do

1. Scrabo Tower

   Scrabo Tower is a 135 feet high 19th-century lookout tower or folly that stands on Scrabo Hill near Newtownards in County Down, Northern Ireland. It provides wide views and is a landmark that can be seen from afar. We will climb up and admire the splendid views! It was built as a memorial to Charles Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry and was originally known as the Londonderry Monument. Its architectural style is Scottish Baronial Revival.(Howley 1993) Scrabo Hill rises to a height of 540 feet (160 m) above mean sea level. The viewing platform or parapet walk of the tower, reached by climbing 122 steps, provides views over Strangford Lough and its islands, as well as the towns of Newtownards and Comber. As the area to the south and southwest of Scrabo Hill is part of the Ulster Drumlin Belt, this glacial landform can be very well observed from the tower. On clear days Helen's Tower in the north, the Copeland Islands with their lighthouse and the Scottish coast (Mull of Kintyre, Ailsa Craig and Rhins of Galloway) beyond the North Channel in the northeast, the Isle of Man in the southeast, the Mourne Mountains in the south, as well as Divis Mountain and Cave Hill over Belfast in the west can be seen.

   30 minutes here

2. Strangford Lough

   Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, amazing scenery and wildlife abound.

   30 minutes here · Admission included

3. The Saint Patrick Centre

   Learn all about St Patrick

   60 minutes here · Admission not included

4. Down Cathedral is a Church of Ireland cathedral. It stands on the site of a Benedictine Monastery, built in 1183. Saint Patrick's Grave Outside Down Cathedral on the highest part of Cathedral Hill lies the grave of Saint Patrick, the apostle of Ireland. By the early medieval period Patrick’s grave had become an important site for the developing church and an important monastery had grown around it. At this time the tradition of the hill being the burial place of saints Brigid and Columcille had been added to the legend of Patrick, giving rise to the well-known couplet: “In Down, three saints one grave do fill, Patrick, Brigid and Columcille.” A massive granite stone marker was placed on Cathedral Hill in the early 1900’s to protect the grave from the many pilgrims who visited, some of whom were known to take scoops of earth from the grave abroad with them when they emigrated. Location: Down Cathedral and Saint Patrick’s Grave are located on Cathedral Hill beside the Saint Patrick Centre. Saint Patrick's remains are buried on the site. Magnificent stain glass windows, box pews and beautiful organ case enhances this interesting building.Visit Saint Patricks Grave and get your own private tour of Down Cathedral! Opening times Monday - Saturday 09:30 - 16:00 Sunday - 14:00 - 16:00

   30 minutes here · Admission included

5. Slieve Patrick Statue

   we will climb a mountain! Amazing views from the top!

   30 minutes here · Admission included

6. Saul Church

   Irelands first Christian church, beautiful

   10 minutes here · Admission included

7. Inch Abbey

   A must for Game of Thrones Fans! Inch Abbey is a large, ruined monastic site 0.75 miles north-west of Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland, on the north bank of the River Quoile in a hollow between two drumlins and featuring early Gothic architecture. The site is mostly in State Care and is at grid ref: J477455, off the main road to Belfast Located on the north bank of the Quoile River, Inch Abbey was founded by John de Courcy in atonement for his destruction of Erenagah Abbey. The buildings are mainly from the 12th and 13th centuries while it is believed the church is older than that at Grey Abbey which was built about 1193. Inch Abbey Game of Thrones Filming Location Cast your eyes over the remains of a Cistercian abbey on the north bank of the River Quoile and one phrase will come to mind: “THE KING OF THE NORTH!” Why? This 12th century building was where Robb Stark’s bannermen rallied to their leader after taking victory (and Jaime Lannister prisoner) at the Battle of the Whispering Wood.As well as being the camp of The Houses of the North and the Riverlands in Game of Thrones, Inch Abbey is home to a breathtaking view of the River Quoile – in the distance you can see Downpatrick Cathedral, burial place of St Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint. Which episode was filmed here? Season 1, Episode 10: Fire and Blood used Inch Abbey as a filming location.

   30 minutes here · Admission included

8. Struell Wells

   Visit to the HOLY HEALING WELLS. Well and Men's bath house, Struell Wells, October 2009 Struell Wells (Irish: Toibreacha an tSruthail; Ulster-Scots: Struell Waals)[1] are a set of four holy wells in the townland of Struell, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland (grid ref: J513442).[2] The wells date from before the time of Saint Patrick, and even today are used for people seeking cures. On Mid-Summer Eve (St John's Eve) and the Friday before Lammas, hundreds of pilgrims used to visit Struell.[3] The earliest written reference to the wells is in 1306, but none of the surviving buildings is earlier than about 1600. Pilgrimages to the site are well documented from the 16th century to the 19th century

   30 minutes here · Admission included

9. Cross Strangford Lough from Portaferry village to Strangford Village on the Car Ferry! Get out and take pictures, the lough contains many marine life including Dolphins, basking sharks and native birds. Vehicle up to 6m Single £5.80 Passenger Fares Passengers Ordinary fare: Single £1.00 Example Group of 6 with vehicle=£11.80

   20 minutes here · Admission not included

10. Down County Museum

    Welcome to Down County Museum, where the rich heritage of County Down is brought to life in fascinating exhibitions, lively events, hands-on activities and award winning education programmes. Visitors can explore the history of the old Gaol, enjoy our permanent exhibitions and see one of our special, temporary exhibitions displaying objects from our varied collections. The Museum's extension, containing three new permanent galleries and a brand new tearoom is now open. The Museum is located in the historic buildings of the eighteenth century County Gaol of Down. The Gaol was opened in 1796 and until its closure in 1830 housed many thousands of prisoners. The County Gaol of Down was opened in 1796. Built and administered by the County Grand Jury of Down, the Gaol housed prisoners convicted of a wide variety of offences. During its period of operation (1796-1830) the Gaol saw many changes in attitudes to crime and punishment. Georgian gaols had been notoriously unregulated and haphazard in their operation of prison legislation. As the eighteenth century gave way to the nineteenth the Gaol became increasingly outmoded and unable to implement increasing bureaucracy and stricter attitudes to separating classes of criminals. The Gaol closed in 1830. Today visitors to the Museum can see one of the most complete surviving Georgian gaols in Ireland. A floor of restored cells conjures up something of the atmosphere of over 200 years ago.

    30 minutes here · Admission included

11. Belfast

    Finally drive back to your Belfast accommodation, driving through beautiful little towns and villages along the way

    40 minutes here

12. Parliament Buildings

    Drive up for photo opportunity at the Northern Ireland Parliament

    10 minutes here · Admission included

13. Castle Ward

    HBO's Game of Thrones at Castle Ward. Castle Ward’s historic farmyard is the location of Winterfell, the backdrop for the series pilot and much of season one. It’s also where you will find the Whispering Wood and key scenes including Robb Stark’s Camp, the Baelor battle and when Brienne confronts the Stark men. HBO's Game of Thrones® spent eight weeks at Castle Ward building the set of Winterfell ahead of the pilot episode and hundreds of actors and crew worked on the filming here. Castle Ward is an 18th-century National Trust property located near the village of Strangford, in County Down, Northern Ireland, in the townland of the same name. It overlooks Strangford Lough and is 7 miles from Downpatrick and 1.5 miles from Strangford.

    60 minutes here · Admission not included

14. C.S. Lewis Square

    Visit C S Lewis Square in East Belfast and the Lion and the Chronicles of Narnia!

    15 minutes here · Admission included

Where it starts and ends

Before you book

Cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Languages

en

Ticket

Mobile Only

Runs on

Every day

Group size

Up to 14 travelers per booking

Operated by

Giants Causeway Tours

Know before you go

• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Photos

Traveler reviews

1 verified traveler reviews for Private Ards Peninsula St Patrick Trail with Winterfell Strangford Lough Ferry. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.