The 7 Best Whiskey & Distillery Tours in Northern Ireland

1.McConnell’s Distillery Experience with Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 278 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $27Our pick

Tour McConnell’s Distillery in Belfast’s former Crumlin Road Gaol with an expert host such as Sam or Gerald. Learn how a 1776 Belfast whisky brand returned, see the distilling process, and taste a welcome drink, five-year whisky, Sherry Cask whisky, and new make. Finish at the bar, café, or shop.

“Really good experience which really came to life due to sam’s passion and enthusiasm for what she was doing. I would recommend this experience to anyone .”

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2.Titanic Museum and Whiskey Distillery Exploration with Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 25 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $130

Spend about four hours exploring Titanic Belfast, the former shipyard and SS Nomadic with a guide such as Petra, Nicky, Marty or Shirley. The tour adds a 60-minute distillery visit and Irish spirit tasting, with plenty of walking over cobblestones, hills and stairs. Under-18s may attend with an adult but cannot drink.

“The museum is amazing! Our guide Petra was key, as she added so much that a self guided tour might have missed. The distillery is relatively new with a neat backstory and hopeful future!”

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3.Explore & Taste: Distillery Tour at Titanic Distillers

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 25 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $34

Spend about an hour inside Belfast’s historic Thompson Dock Pumphouse with a guide such as Johno, learning how whiskey and other Irish spirits are made. You’ll trace the dock’s Titanic connection, hear why Belfast’s whiskey trade disappeared, and finish with a sensory tasting. The small group is capped at 15 people.

“This distillery visit was wonderful. The staff were kind and knowledgeable. It was the perfect combo of information about the location and docks, and whiskey making. This is a must do while in Belfast.”

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4.Taste & Tour: Guided Gin Tour in Belfast

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $119

Explore Belfast’s gin scene with a guide such as Paul, Dave, or Rae, visiting five distinctive bars in about 3.5 hours. You’ll taste traditional gin, three contrasting gins, a gimlet, a local honey cocktail, and gin with ginger ale, plus a light snack. Groups are capped at eight.

“Fun experience, Paul was a fantastic guide. He interacted with everyone and made the tour a fun experience. I would recommend it.”

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5.Private Tour – Causeway, Castles & Whiskey Tour – Game of Thrones

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · 8 hours (approx.)

From Belfast, your private guide takes your group of up to four along the Antrim coast to Carrickfergus Castle, Torr Head, the Dark Hedges, Dunluce Castle, Giant’s Causeway, and Bushmills Distillery. Guide Adrian can adjust the day to your interests, with pickup available and admission included at several stops.

“Wonderful private tour. Our guide was very kind, knowledgeable and accommodating to our group’s requests. He was a very safe driver and courteous. All members of our group say 5 star rating.”

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6.Giant’s Causeway and Whisky Distillery tasting tour from Belfast

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 10 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $74

Spend nine hours touring Northern Ireland’s coast from Belfast, with two hours at the Giant’s Causeway, a quick Dunluce Castle stop, the Dark Hedges, and a guided tasting at Titanic Distillers. Your English-speaking guide handles transport and entry fees. Guides may include Noel, Vedrun, Patrick, or Dominique.

“this tour was okay, however a some of the stops were just to see a sight from a far distance and i have no idea why anyone would want that - i would prefer fewer sights but more time/closer view to interact and really BE there. Also the tour guide had some good insights and stories, but talked most of the time hindering the ability to talk to my seat mate. Also, nearer the end he mainly talked about his political and environmental views which seemed a bit soap boxy to me. Otherwise it was a fairly good trip and the giants causeway was nice, and the titanic museum was…”

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7.The Single Cask Whiskey Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $68

Meet Sam above Hearth Bar on Belfast’s Upper Newtownards Road for a one-hour tasting of five single-cask, single-malt whiskies. You’ll sample pours from Scotland, Ireland, and beyond, learn how to appreciate each one, and explore the idea of creating an original spirit. Groups are limited to seven.

“Sam was a great host, interesting and very knowledgeable. We tasted 5 excellent whiskies and had an excellent evening. Highly recommend.”

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