Northern Ireland district, Ireland

Places to visit near Derry

Derry is a town in Northern Ireland district, Ireland, home to about 83,652 people. Within 50 km by road there are 170 places to visit — 51 forts & heritage, 50 hill stations & viewpoints, 30 churches and 10 lakes, dams & reservoirs. The must-see places are Grianan of Aileach (10 km), O'Doherty's Castle (16 km) and Inch Castle (16 km).

Updated · Distances are road estimates · Open Derry on the map

Derry, Ireland
Derry, Northern Ireland district, Ireland. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Derry at a glance

Location
Northern Ireland district, Ireland
Population
about 83,652
Coordinates
54.9981° N, 7.3093° W
Places within 50 km
170 (35 must-see)
Best time to visit
October to February for forts & heritage; October to February for cool, clear air for hill stations & viewpoints; year-round for churches

Top places to visit near Derry

Ranked by how worth the drive they are from Derry: must-see places and the closest well-loved spots first. Open a place for photos, today’s visitor status, timings and directions.

More places near Derry

Things to see near Derry, by type

Forts & heritage near Derry

74 forts & heritage within 100 km of Derry. The closest is Diamond War Memorial (1 km); the best-known is Grianan of Aileach (10 km). Best time: october to february.

All forts & heritage in Ireland →

Hill stations & viewpoints near Derry

57 hill stations & viewpoints within 100 km of Derry. The closest is Holywell Hill (7 km). Best time: october to february for cool, clear air.

All hill stations & viewpoints in Ireland →

Churches near Derry

41 churches within 100 km of Derry. The closest is Carlisle Road Methodist (1 km). Best time: year-round.

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Lakes, dams & reservoirs near Derry

21 lakes, dams & reservoirs within 100 km of Derry. The closest is Enagh Lough (5 km). Best time: august to december when reservoirs are full and gates may open.

All lakes, dams & reservoirs in Ireland →

Rivers, islands & mangroves near Derry

15 rivers, islands & mangroves within 100 km of Derry. The closest is Inch (18 km). Best time: september to february.

  • Inch · river spot · Ulster · ~18 km
  • Glashedy Island · river spot · Ulster · ~45 km · Must-see
  • Island Roy · river spot · Ulster · ~47 km · Must-see
  • Deele · river spot · Ulster · ~32 km
  • Inishtrahull · river spot · Ulster · ~61 km · Must-see
  • Inishdooey · river spot · Ulster · ~73 km · Must-see

All rivers, islands & mangroves in Ireland →

Museums near Derry

10 museums within 100 km of Derry. The closest is Harbour Museum (1 km). Best time: year-round.

All museums in Northern Ireland →

A one-day trip from Derry

5 of the best places within 60 km, in driving order so you don’t double back: about 71 km on the road.

  1. Start in Derry
  2. 10 km Grianan of Aileach · heritage site, Ulster
  3. 6 km Inch Castle · heritage site, Ulster
  4. 4 km O'Doherty's Castle · heritage site, Ulster
  5. 17 km Mongavlin Castle · heritage site, Northern Ireland
  6. 17 km Altinaghree Castle · heritage site, Northern Ireland
  7. 17 km Back to Derry

Plan a longer trip from Derry — the planner adds a place to stay each night and keeps the route to one loop.

How to reach Derry

    All places near Derry by distance

    Within 15 km of Derry

    15–50 km — half-day trips

    50–100 km — one-day trips

    Count by type

    Places near Derry by type
    TypePlacesNearest
    Forts & heritage74Diamond War Memorial (1 km)
    Hill stations & viewpoints57Holywell Hill (7 km)
    Churches41Carlisle Road Methodist (1 km)
    Lakes, dams & reservoirs21Enagh Lough (5 km)
    Rivers, islands & mangroves15Inch (18 km)
    Museums10Harbour Museum (1 km)
    Other attractions7Gray Printer (27 km)
    Beaches & coast6Lough Foyle (22 km)
    Wildlife, forests & gardens6Rathmullan Wood Nature Reserve (24 km)
    Parks4Oakfield Park (27 km)
    Waterfalls4Dungeon Waterfall (10 km)
    Treks3Roe Valley Country Park (29 km)
    Caves1Pollnagollum Cave (100 km)

    Derry: questions travellers ask

    What are the best places to visit near Derry?

    Grianan of Aileach (heritage site, about 10 km), O'Doherty's Castle (heritage site, about 16 km), Inch Castle (heritage site, about 16 km), Altinaghree Castle (heritage site, about 17 km), Mongavlin Castle (heritage site, about 17 km), Harbour Museum (museum, about 1 km).

    How many tourist places are there within 50 km of Derry?

    170 places on Spotwander: 51 forts & heritage, 50 hill stations & viewpoints, 30 churches, 10 lakes, dams & reservoirs, 4 rivers, islands & mangroves.

    Which is the nearest fort to Derry?

    Diamond War Memorial, about 1 km by road; Bloody Sunday Memorial (1 km) is next.

    Which is the nearest viewpoint to Derry?

    Holywell Hill, about 7 km by road; Ardnamoyle (9 km) is next.

    Which is the nearest church to Derry?

    Carlisle Road Methodist, about 1 km by road; First Presbyterian (1 km) is next.

    What is a good one-day trip from Derry?

    Start in Derry, visit Grianan of Aileach, then Inch Castle, then O'Doherty's Castle, then Mongavlin Castle, then Altinaghree Castle, and drive back — about 71 km by road in all.

    What is the best time to visit places near Derry?

    October to February for forts & heritage; October to February for cool, clear air for hill stations & viewpoints; year-round for churches.

    Towns near Derry

    Sources: places from OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata and GeoNames; Derry’s location and population from GeoNames; see also Derry on Wikipedia. Data sources & credits.