Old Bushmills Distillery — Tour the world's oldest licensed whiskey distillery, working since 1608.
Getting in: Ticketed guided tour; book ahead, especially for groups of 12 or more.
Tours: Guided only, with options from a standard tour up to premium tasting experiences; prices about £15-£50.
Opening: Shop & 1608 Bar Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-5pm; tours run through the day. Some tours and tastings depend on the production schedule, so check before you go.
Age limits: Under-8s not allowed on the tour; tastings are 18+ and under-18s cannot join a Premium Tasting.
Food: Gift shop and the 1608 Bar on site; the Distillery Kitchen café has closed, so eat in Bushmills village.
Parking: Parking in and around Bushmills village; check before you go.
Plan your visit
See whiskey made the way it has been for centuries
Your guide walks you through the live production line: milling the grain, the mash, fermentation, the tall copper pot stills and the warehouses where casks sit maturing for years. You will catch the warm scent of malted barley and oak the whole way round. The water comes straight from the River Bush next door, as it has for generations. Most tours close with a tasting of Bushmills single malt, and you can step up to a premium tasting if you book one of the higher-tier tours.
The distillery runs different tour and tasting tiers through the year, from a standard tour to premium tasting experiences, and special and seasonal events appear from time to time. Tours and tastings can shift with the production and maintenance schedule, so it is always worth checking the current line-up before you travel.
Before you set off
What to bring
🪪Photo IDTastings are 18+ — bring ID if you look under 25.
🚗A plan to get homeA designated driver or lift, so everyone can enjoy the tasting.
👟Comfy shoesWorking distilleries have stairs and hard floors on the tour.
💷A few poundsFor the shop and a bottle to take home.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Getting in
Ticketed guided tour; book ahead, especially for groups of 12 or more
Opening
Shop & 1608 Bar Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-5pm; tours run through the day. Some tours and tastings depend on the production schedule, so check before you go
Tours
Guided only, with options from a standard tour up to premium tasting experiences; prices about £15-£50
Age limits
Under-8s not allowed on the tour; tastings are 18+ and under-18s cannot join a Premium Tasting
Food
Gift shop and the 1608 Bar on site; the Distillery Kitchen café has closed, so eat in Bushmills village
Family-friendly
Suited to older children and adults rather than toddlers; under-8s cannot take the tour
Parking
Parking in and around Bushmills village; check before you go
Accessibility
Working distillery with stairs and uneven floors in places; contact the distillery about access needs before booking
How long to allow
Around 1 to 1.5 hours for a standard tour and tasting
Address
The Old Bushmills Distillery, 2 Distillery Road, Bushmills, Co Antrim BT57 8XH
Questions
Before you go
Do I need to book?
Ticketed guided tour; book ahead, especially for groups of 12 or more
What tours are there?
Guided only, with options from a standard tour up to premium tasting experiences; prices about £15-£50
What are the opening times?
Shop & 1608 Bar Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-5pm; tours run through the day. Some tours and tastings depend on the production schedule, so check before you go
Is there an age limit?
Under-8s not allowed on the tour; tastings are 18+ and under-18s cannot join a Premium Tasting
Is there food or a bar?
Gift shop and the 1608 Bar on site; the Distillery Kitchen café has closed, so eat in Bushmills village
Getting there
Old Bushmills Distillery is at The Old Bushmills Distillery, 2 Distillery Road, Bushmills, Co Antrim BT57 8XH. Parking in and around Bushmills village; check before you go. Tap below for directions.
Bushmills traces its licence to distil back to 1608, when a grant was made in the area, and that record is why it is described as the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world. The distillery sits in the village of Bushmills on the County Antrim coast, drawing its water from the River Bush that runs alongside.
It has produced Irish whiskey on the site ever since, and today it is best known for its single malts. The combination of a working distillery, a centuries-old story and a spot minutes from the Giant's Causeway makes it one of the most visited drink producers in Northern Ireland.