Mountains, a great sea lough and a coast of forests and beaches — County Down is where NI comes to breathe. Here are the fifteen best days out.
Three corners to explore — the Mourne Mountains in the south (Newcastle, Tollymore, the Silent Valley), Strangford Lough & the Ards Peninsula in the east (Mount Stewart, Castle Ward, Exploris), and north Down along Belfast Lough (Cultra's Folk & Transport Museum, Crawfordsburn, Bangor). Pick a corner and make a day of it.
Every entry has a full guide. Tap through any place below for our complete guide with prices, opening times, parking and the local know-how — and it's all on the free map.
Rainy-day proof — Exploris Aquarium, the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum and Castle Espie's hides all shine in the wet, so a shower never writes off the day.
Film fans — Tollymore, Castle Ward (Winterfell itself), Inch Abbey and Audley's Castle all feature in Game of Thrones, and several sit within a few miles of each other.
Two mountains, one lough — the Mournes are the highest range in Northern Ireland, and Strangford is the largest sea lough in the British Isles. This one county has both.
1
Mount Stewart
Newtownards · Strangford Lough · National Trust
One of the National Trust's finest properties — a grand 19th-century house wrapped in world-famous gardens on the shores of Strangford Lough, warm enough to grow plants that survive nowhere else in these islands. Formal gardens dotted with quirky stone creatures, a lake walk, woodland, an adventure playground and a great café. An easy full day for all ages, and free entry for Trust members.
Half a day+Paid · NT members freeHouse opening is seasonal — gardens open year-round
The first forest park in Northern Ireland, and one of the loveliest — the Shimna River threading under old stone bridges and stepping stones, gothic follies and grottoes, and forest trails leading right into the foothills of the Mournes. It's a Game of Thrones favourite (the haunted forest beyond the Wall). Wrap up, bring boots, and let the children loose on the stepping stones.
1–3 hoursParking charge · Game of ThronesThe car park fills fast on sunny weekends — go early
The Game of Thrones Winterfell estate — you can try archery in the very farmyard where the Starks lived. Beyond the fun it's a genuinely bonkers 18th-century mansion, half classical and half gothic because the two owners couldn't agree, with woodland and lough-shore trails, a Victorian laundry, play areas and a working farmyard. A brilliant full family day on Strangford Lough.
Half a day+Paid · NT members free · WinterfellWinterfell tours & archery book up — reserve ahead
"Where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea" — and they really do, straight onto the sandy beach and lively promenade of Newcastle. It's the gateway to the whole Mourne range, with Slieve Donard, NI's highest peak, rising behind the town. Bucket-and-spade beach, ice cream on the prom, mountain walks for the willing, and the Tropicana splash park in summer.
Half a day+Free beach & promMourne walks need proper kit — the weather turns fast
One of NI's best family days out — a whole recreated old-time town and countryside you walk through, with thatched cottages, a working forge, a picture house and costumed characters, plus a world-class transport museum of trains, trams and the original DeLorean. Vast, hands-on and a mix of indoors and out, so it's a winner whatever the weather. Allow most of a day.
Most of a dayPaid · indoor & outThe site is big & hilly — comfy shoes, and check what's open
Northern Ireland's only public aquarium, right on Strangford Lough at Portaferry — touch tanks, sharks and rays, an open seal sanctuary, and reptiles and meerkats too. Small enough for little legs, hands-on enough to hold their attention, and completely indoors: the classic County Down rainy-day rescue. Combine it with the little car ferry across the lough for extra adventure.
2–3 hoursPaid · indoor · touch tanks & sealsBusy on wet days — book online to skip the queue
A beautiful lake-and-mountain forest park with a fairytale castle, a national arboretum and one of the world's largest permanent hedge mazes — the Peace Maze, whose centre bell you ring when you finally reach it. Flat lakeside paths that suit buggies, a play area, and the Mournes as your backdrop. A cracking, mostly-free family day (you just pay to park).
1–3 hoursParking charge · maze & lakeThe maze can flummox little ones — bring patience
A hidden reservoir cradled deep in the heart of the Mournes, ringed by the famous dry-stone Mourne Wall. It's the postcard of the mountains — a gentle, scenic valley walk to the dam and the water's edge with the high peaks all around, an information centre and café, and a shuttle bus up to Ben Crom in summer. Peaceful, dramatic and easy underfoot.
1–3 hoursParking charge · caféGates close in the evening — check the times before you go
A WWT wetland reserve on the edge of Strangford Lough, home to the largest collection of ducks, geese and swans in Ireland — the kind of place where toddlers hand-feed friendly ducks and older ones spot brent geese from the hides. Woodland and lough-shore trails, a brilliant natural play area and a good café. Gentle, wild and lovely in any weather.
2–3 hoursPaid · hand-feed ducks · hidesPaths get muddy after rain — wellies for little ones
The landmark that watches over the whole of north Down — a 19th-century tower on a volcanic hill above Newtownards, with country-park woodland and old quarries below. Climb the hill (and the tower steps when it's open) for one of the best free views in the county: Strangford Lough one way, Belfast and the hills the other. A short, sharp, rewarding leg-stretch.
1–2 hoursFree · big views · woodlandThe tower's inside opens seasonally — the hill is always free
A big, friendly country park on the shores of Strangford Lough with something for everyone — Ireland's longest miniature railway, a large adventure playground, a walled garden, a heron sculpture trail and open lough-shore walks with views to the Mournes. There's camping and a café too. Easy, spacious and great for letting children run themselves out.
2–3 hoursFree entry · railway & playgroundThe railway runs select days only — check before you go
A gem on the north Down coast — two sandy beaches, a wooded glen with a waterfall and a dramatic railway viaduct, and easy paths linking Helen's Bay and Crawfordsburn along the shore. There's a visitor centre and café, and the coastal path runs on to Bangor. Free, gentle and lovely, with rock pools at low tide and the Belfast Lough shipping to watch.
1–3 hoursFree · beach, glen & waterfallThe glen paths are slippy after rain — mind small feet
A seafront institution on Bangor's waterfront — the famous giant swan pedal boats, a little train, a splash pad, an adventure play park and mini-golf, all right on the promenade. Walk in free and pay for the rides you fancy. Sea air, ice cream and the marina next door make it an easy, cheerful half-day for younger children, whatever the season.
Half a dayFree entry · pay per rideSome rides are summer-only — the play park runs year-round
The spiritual heart of the county — Down Cathedral crowns the hill of Downpatrick, and in its churchyard a great granite slab marks the traditional grave of Saint Patrick himself. Next door, the Saint Patrick Centre tells his story with an interactive exhibition. Add the nearby Inch Abbey — another Game of Thrones location — for a proper day of history in Lecale.
1–2 hoursCathedral free · Centre ticketedCheck the Centre's opening days before you travel
A gorgeous forest park above the pretty village of Rostrevor, where the Mournes tumble down to Carlingford Lough — the very forest that helped inspire C.S. Lewis's Narnia. There's a Narnia trail, a cracking mountain-bike trail centre, a play park and, up top, the Cloughmore Stone with jaw-dropping views across the lough to the mountains of the south. A wild, free, all-ages day.
1–3 hoursFree · Narnia trail · bike trailsThe drive up to Cloughmore is steep & narrow — take it slow
