Jacqueline T.

My dad was so excited about visiting this bridge on our trip to Ireland. It's only about 15 minutes away from the Giant's Causeway so it's easy to do both in one day. You can't buy tickets ahead of time. It's 8 pounds for adults and they give you an hour time frame to cross the bridge. We were there mid September around 1 and we didn't have to wait. It's a decent walk out to the bridge -- probably 1.5-2 km. There are good views of the coast along the way. Once we got to the bridge, we had to wait about 10 minutes to cross. I thought it might be scary, but it really wasn't. It's very sturdy. The scariest part was how windy it was. I wanted to take pictures from the bridge but I was afraid my phone would blow away. They only let people cross one way at a time. The island that you go across to is very pretty and has great views of the coast. It started raining quite a bit, so we didn't stay over there very long, but you're allowed to stay for as long as you want. The rocks are very slippery when it's raining, so be careful. If you walk past the bridge on the other side, there's a good view of the bridge and you can watch people crossing if you don't want to go yourself. There's also a small cafe/gift shop back by the parking lot. This is definitely worth stopping at while in Ireland!

Yuko H.

The Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge was absolutely gorgeous and crossing the bridge was certainly interesting. Arriving with a group from a coach tour, they had ticket in advance to cross the bridge. They only allow so many people on the path, if you arrive without a group tour, first come first served, you wait for your next available spot. I saw several people just sitting and waiting at the entrance area. Crossing a bridge is quite a wait. You walk about 15 mins to get to the bridge area and wait for your turn. Staff sort of make you go along so that more people can cross. I was hoping to take some more pictures but I had to keep walking without stopping. Several said I was brave, in fact it wasn't that scary. Yes the bridge sway but steady enough. They have this fisherman area you can go down but staff said I had to wait until we have about 10-15 people interested in going down first for 10 mins tour. I waited but no one was interested in. Then she said just wait until a few people are interested in.... Eventually I gave up after waiting for about 10 mins. They could have just gave me a personal tour during that 10 mins I waited... The other area of this park was so beautiful, I enjoyed taking pictures. Pictures I posted here initially is just my iphone \photo. No editing no filters, it was just that gorgeous that day. I was very fortunate that weather became nice when we arrived there. Highly recommend stopping by here if you are visiting Northern Ireland

Ed U.

The rope bridge represented my first visit in Northern Ireland, and you truly can't tell you've crossed the border. It was quite a sight to see loutish young, beer-guzzling sluggos, usually ugly Americans of course, get all quiet and nervous like little Romanian gymnasts getting ready to get on a balance beam. But that's truly what happens on this rope bridge as it sways mightily to the ocean gales. I suppose that's what makes it a bit more adventurous than the Capilano Bridge in Vancouver even though at 66 feet, it's far shorter than its Canadian cousin, and far newer, having just been rebuilt in 2008. But that doesn't stop these boys from losing their balls deep into the Irish Sea as their girlfriends stare in shame. As for me, I skipped on it like a little girl in a pinafore hoping to upset the nasty, filthy-mouthed overweight woman in front of me. It worked. Once on the rocky island of Carrick-a-Rede, it's really just a mudslide of slapstick pratfalls as my arse slid onto the slippery slopes for all to ridicule. My pants turned brown for all the wrong reasons. And while the coastal views are pretty, there is really nothing else to do but to walk back on the wind-tossed bridge. Look, there's Mr. No-Balls and Ms. Thunder Clap Thighs shaking intensely well aware they will need to walk on the bridge again. As for me, what I found more challenging was the unexpectedly long hike to and from the parking lot where I would have set a spell were the tour guide not keeping a stopwatch waiting for his group to return to the bus. Definitely nice views with sheets of green you would expects all over the surrounding hills. But you know this is all just foreplay to the real main attraction, the Giant's Causeway about half an hour away. Admission is £ 5.09 if you're not part of an organized group.

Jennifer P.

The Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge is an amazing site! The scenery in the area is breathtaking and picturesque: the canal, the greenery, some coves, and of course the steep basalt cliffs and volcanic rock make for a beautiful setting! A bridge has been employed - first erected by salmon fishermen - at the site for over 350 years! It has taken on many forms, but the current version was made and erected by a construction company. Getting to the bridge itself was a bit of a hike - we were told 1/2 mile, but I think it was closer to a full mile. FYI, there are a multitude of steps that can be pretty steep. And of course, one you go down, you'll eventually have to go back up! There are some benches placed here and there for those that need to take a rest. I wasn't nervous about walking across the bridge until I was ON it! It's sturdy and isn't going to go anywhere, but it does sway and move with the wind! Eek! Pedestrian traffic can only go one way at a time, so there is a little queue at each side. Parking is free, but there is a charge for admission. Carrick-a-Rede was a highlight of our trip to Ireland, and I highly recommend it for those who want to take in the beautiful scenery - and, of course, challenge yourself to walk on a swaying bridge that is 30 metres (100 ft) above the rocks and channel below!

Laura G.

The Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge is located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It was erected about 350 years ago by salmon fishermen. It is a rope bridge that gives passage between the mainland and a tiny island. It is suspended about 100ft above sea level and is about 66 feet long. The day that I visited it was pretty windy and the rain made the rock slippery so we had limited access once we crossed the bridge. Tickets are sold in one hour increments and during the high season they sell out quickly. The bridge is maintained by the National Trust and their staff was very friendly. They appeared extremely accommodating and I never saw anyone step in to limit personal experiences. I was told that some visitors can not bare the walk back across the bridge and have to be taken off the island by boat. I didn't see where that was possible and maybe that was a good thing because it was a little bit scary...especially with the wind and other walkers causing the rope to sway. My stomach dropped when I heard that someone behind me lost his footing and his foot went through the rope. Looking down at the rough water did nothing to help the situation but it was over quick enough.

Cyndy K.

Cyndy's Bottom Line: A breath taking amazing site! The Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge is a must see! Notice the must see and no must do? I'm deathly afraid of heights so I went as far as I could go without crossing the bridge. Even without crossing the rope bridge it was worth the visit to see it and the breath taking views of the surrounding area. The sea is spectacular.

April H.

One of the best things I did on my entire trip was walking the bridge. Do not skip doing this! Seriously, don't, it is so worth it! Be aware that once you park there is quite a bit of a walk with plenty of uphills. Although the walk may be long it is stunning. You are walking along cliffs besides the water. Once you get to the bridge you have to talk a steep staircase down. There is an employee there to help control people crossing. The bridge is not very long and not as high up as it seems but if you are remotely afraid of heights you will probably still be somewhat freaked out. Once you cross the island is very small so you will only spend a short time here. Make sure before you go back across you take a moment to appreciate where you are and enjoy the experience.

Christina M.

We visited the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge as part of a Northern Ireland day tour that departed from Dublin. The rope bridge was the final stop of the day. It's about a 20 minute walk to the rope bridge. Once there, you descend some steps to the bridge where some guides meter the crossing. The bridge can only safely sustain a maximum amount of weight so the guides ensure that it is not exceeded. You cross the bridge to a small island where you can walk around before heading back across the bridge. Make sure you are willing to cross the bridge twice before going across because there is no other way back. Like seemingly all of the northern coastline, this is very scenic. It was a surprisingly nice day in late September. Most of our walk back we had bright rainbows in the distance. It started pouring down rain when we got back to the parking lot so for most of our tour group it became a mad dash to get back on the bus. Prior to the rain, it was clear enough to see Scotland in the distance! 3.5 stars.

Stevie M.

I can't believe I gave Carrick-a-Rede four stars in my previous review. It's a five star attraction all day long! I must have been feeling particularly critical that day. Here's why in my opinion it's worth all five stars: - Great scenery - as I said in my previous review, you'll be hard pushed to find natural beauty like this anywhere in the world. Cliffs, slopping green hills and turquoise bays, it's a photographers dream. - The facilities - the National Trust have thrown some money at this attraction and although it doesn't have the glitz and glamour of the Giants Causeway visitor centre it maintains it's rustic charm and heritage. - Cost - It's only £5.90 for an adult and you could make a day out of it. Although the walk to the bridge is short there's plenty of picnic benches and scenic outlooks that make it value for money. A few things to note: - Dogs aren't allowed across the bridge although they are more than welcome on the coastal walk. - There's a whole other walk in the opposite direction of the bridge where you can see an abandoned quarry and take in views of 'Sheep Island'. - You may have to queue to cross the bridge, it's obviously one at a time and people seem to be obsessed with snapchatting the whole thing so this may hold things up further. All in all an excellent attraction, something that makes you proud to be from NI!

Kanchan B.

There's actually two sites here - the bridge to one side and a limestone quarry on the other, so don't just concentrate on the bridge and miss out on the quarry. We lucked out with weather and it was a glorious walk along the headland to the actual bridge. And it's a good 20 min walk from the parking to the actual bridge, with tons of photo ops and 2/3 plaques describing more about the bridge + showing pictures from the early part of the century. The walk is tough in certain places - especially on the uphill slopes and the steps are rough, slippery and full of broken rock. It's also narrow in places. Also once at the actual bridge, National Park staff members might have you wait in line, as there are limits to how many people can cross the bridge at any one time. When crossing the bridge, you are walking across an ancient volcano, surrounding by noisy seagulls with the splash of seawater ringing in your ears. On the other side is an island, grassy and with outflung black rocks (ancient lava) and you can see across to Scotland and Rathlin Island. It's lovely and a 360 view of sea and sky and grass. This is when you are grateful that the staff members indeed limit how many people come over at a given time because this island doesn't get super crowded and so plenty of good photo ops without anyone spoiling the view. After coming back from the bridge, their is actually another way to go back to the car park along a scenic route which takes longer than the stairs and is more sharply uphill. If you have time, I would recommend going back this way. For £5, it's a great adventure and I absolutely recommend (note it 5 bucks as I was with a group of 10 on the tour and that gave me a wee bit of a discount). Note: #213 of Yelp 100 challenge for 2016

Rowena H.

Wait, what? OK, so, let's build a terrifying, flimsy bridge to a tiny island to avoid some hefty sheep taxes said no mad capitalists, ever. Except, they only did and this is it. I'm doing my very best not to make a political funny about tax evaders right now... Let's just get to the good bit. I'm not even really afraid of heights, bar the genetically imprinted reactionary fear, and this one had me almost holding my breath. What was truly part of the fun was taking my height-fearing tall friend (6'10" -- he's apparently officially a giant) across the bridge. Fair play, he was up for it, but he was absolutely not having a good time. Only, he kind of was in that sadistic way, but his knuckles were whiiiiiiiiite. (See the look of terror on his face, to be uploaded shortly.) The walk to the bridge is classic lovely nature and I had no idea how nervous I'd feel walking across it. Looking down is really something, what with the waves and death rocks so far beneath your feet. Once on the island you're really only a three minute wander before having to come back across, and therein lies the fun. I understand several people cross this bridge not realised they have to do it again, which tickles me greatly. On our way back, we waited for a huge group of tourists to cross so we could attempt to get a picture. Hilariously, we were stood next to the sign with the people-limit warning, and said group appeared not to have gotten the memo. Nothing more terrifying than seeing nearly 20 people gather on a small rope bridge, bouncing with not a care, and taking selfies. I could have died! Anyway, I'm here, so all's well that ends well. It's so worth the trip.

Heidi H.

A beautiful spot on the north coast, between Bushmills and Balleycastle. Very pretty views, even from the lot. On a clear day you can see the Arran islands and even Scotland in the distance. I had to wait in line to cross, so that part wasn't exactly the highlight of the trip. If there is a short line, I think the walk across the rope bridge is well worth the 4 euro. The money helps keep this place up. I expected the bridge to be a lot longer, so I was a little disappointed. Photos of this place give the illusion that the bridge is much higher and longer. Clear, CLEAR water & the softest green grass I have ever touched in my life. They don't have a gift shop, but do have a cute little ice cream shop/cafe on site.

Mark T.

I saw this place on the internet before I went to Ireland and planned to check it out. My friend Vicky was kind enough to send me a list of most dangerous rope bridges in the world and this was on the list. Hmm. I arrived at the rope bridge about 9 AM. The sun was out, although there were periods of rain. As I approached the visitor center a nice rainbow appeared over a house on the main road. The admission for the rope bridge was 4 pounds per person. It is a good half mile walk from the visitors center, down the trail with some rather steep rocks. Just as I headed down the trail, the rain started. Walking down the gravel trail and now somewhat slick rocks, the cows in the field beside the trail looked at me probably wondering why I was out in a now very steady rain. I continued the way down the cliff and finally to the checkpoint. After a group of visitors made their way up to the checkpoint, the guard let me continue. The metal steps were fairly steep and wet as well. The guard indicated they had a heavy rain yesterday which impacted the tension in the bridge, but they adjusted it this morning to remove the slack. Thanks for that! Looking like a drowned rat, I made my way across the bridge. Actually it wasn't scary at all, the views of the sea below and rocky cliffs were amazing (from what I could see through the rain, the water running down my face and my water speckled spectacles. I made it to the other side with only slight bouncing. I had planned to walk all the way to the end of the island, but decided I was too wet and was ready to go back. I had to wait again for more visitors to cross. Back across the North Channel I trekked and began the long, wet journey back to the car. Being cold and wet, I hit up the gift shop and tea room. Nice selection of gifts to choose from. I ordered a sugar doughnut and a hot chocolate. I think it was the best cup of hot chocolate ever! The views from the park and the rope bridge are spectacular and made for a great experience, even if soaked with rain. How many times will you have to cross a swinging rope bridge over the sea?