Things to do in Belfast
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Belfast
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Spring brings St Patrick's and the arts festival, puffins from April and manageable crowds. May is arguably best.
Best for coast, golf and festivals, but priciest and busiest, with parade season disruption around 11 to 13 July.
Best value, with Culture Night, the arts festival, lingering golf and late September as the sweet spot.
Worst for coast days and daylight, best for pubs, museums, the Christmas market and January prices.
What's on
- St Patrick's Festival 13-17 March
Concerts, a trad trail and a free festival village in the Cathedral Quarter, plus the parade.
- Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival 29 April to 10 May
Comedy, music, theatre and literature across Cathedral Quarter venues.
- Belsonic through June
Big outdoor concerts in Ormeau Park through June, usually ending around 11pm.
- AVA Festival early June
Electronic music festival that opens the summer concert season.
- Belfast Pride late July
The city's main Pride celebrations in late July.
- Féile an Phobail late July to early August
Large West Belfast community festival of music, talks and tours.
- Culture Night Belfast September
Hundreds of free cultural events across the city in one night.
- Belfast International Arts Festival October to November
Flagship theatre, dance and music festival into the autumn.
- Belfast Christmas Market mid November to just before Christmas
Continental market stalls fill Donegall Square under the City Hall dome.
Best things to do in Belfast
Titanic Belfast
Six floors on the slipways where Titanic was built, with the shipyard ride and SS Nomadic included.
Black Cab Political Murals Tour
A driver who lived through the Troubles explains both sides at the murals, Peace Wall and interface gates.
Crumlin Road Gaol
Victorian prison tours through the tunnel, condemned cell and wings that held both sides.
Ulster Museum
Free national museum with dinosaurs, an Egyptian mummy and a sober modern history gallery.
St George's Market
A working Victorian market where Belfast eats breakfast, browses stalls and hears live music.
Belfast City Hall
Free tours of the grand Edwardian City Hall that anchors every walkable route in the centre.
Duke of York
Historic pub on a cobbled lane, known for a huge whiskey collection and traditional Belfast craic.
The Crown Liquor Saloon
A National Trust Victorian gin palace of snugs, stained glass and mosaics, worth one perfect pint.
Where to stay in Belfast
Cathedral Quarter
first trip, all-round base
Restaurant, pub and music core, walkable to City Hall, both stations and Titanic Quarter.
City Centre and Great Victoria Street
transport and first night ease
Densest hotel choice by Grand Central Station, with the Cathedral Quarter a short walk away.
Queen's Quarter and Botanic Avenue
quieter, local and longer stays
Leafy streets by the university, gardens and museum, calm at night and good for families.
Titanic Quarter
Titanic focused and arena event stays
Modern waterfront by the museum and arena, but quiet at night with fewer places to eat.
Malone and Stranmillis
golf, drivers and longer stays
Calm southern suburbs on the Lagan with parking, guesthouses and easy driving south.
Think twice about
- Falls Road and Shankill Road interface, West Belfast
Residential interface areas best experienced by day on a guided tour. Do not wander them alone late at night.
- Tiger's Bay, North Belfast
Named in local guidance for late night anti-social behaviour. No visitor hotels there, so do not book a random short let.
- New Lodge, North Belfast
Named in local guidance for late night anti-social behaviour. No visitor hotels there, so do not book a random short let.
- Ardoyne, North Belfast
Named in local guidance for late night anti-social behaviour. No visitor hotels there, so do not book a random short let.
Best restaurants in Belfast
OX Belfast
Seasonal tasting menus built on Northern Irish produce in a calm room by the Lagan.
The Muddlers Club
Hidden tasting menu room with Irish produce, mood and music in the Cathedral Quarter.
Deanes EIPIC
The fine dining tasting room in Michael Deane's Howard Street cluster.
Deanes Love Fish
Upscale seafood in the Deane cluster, a step down in price from the tasting room.
Deanes Meat Locker
Steak led Deane quality in the same Howard Street cluster, below tasting menu prices.
Mourne Seafood Bar
The seafood bar locals recommend first, for casserole, squid, oysters and sticky toffee pudding.
EDO Restaurant
Busy, good-value sharing plates, best for a group that wants to taste everything.
Yugo
Asian fusion small plates with an Irish twist, from dumplings and bao to duck fried rice.
Best bars in Belfast
Kelly's Cellars
Historic cellar pub from 1758 behind Mourne Seafood, a home for traditional music sessions.
The Sunflower
Folk gig pub famous for its surviving security cage and a beloved, unpretentious session room.
Berts Jazz Bar
Jazz bar inside the Merchant for cocktails with a room and live music to match the price.
The Observatory
Top floor cocktail bar in the Grand Central for drinks with a view over the city.
Outdoor things to do in Belfast
Giant's Causeway
Basalt columns, cliff paths and the Finn McCool legend on the best day trip from Belfast.
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
A short rope bridge high above the sea to a salmon fishery island, with views to Scotland.
Royal County Down Golf Club
A blind, bunkered links under the Mourne Mountains, repeatedly ranked among the world's best.
Royal Portrush Golf Club
Open Championship links with Calamity Corner, fifteen minutes from the Giant's Causeway.
Portstewart Golf Club
World class Strand links opening from high dunes above the beach and the Atlantic.
Castlerock Golf Club
Classic Mussenden links among towering dunes, a worthy neighbour to Royal Portrush.
Ardglass Golf Club
Dramatic cliff top holes along the water, the smart pairing when Royal County Down is full.
Belvoir Park Golf Club
A Harry Colt parkland round inside Belfast, playable without giving up a whole day.
Best hotels in Belfast
The Merchant Hotel
Former bank turned flagship five star, with afternoon tea in the Great Room and a jazz bar.
The Fitzwilliam Hotel Belfast
Design led five star by the Opera House, praised most for warm service and breakfast.
Titanic Hotel Belfast
Sleep in the drawing offices where Titanic was designed, opposite the museum.
Grand Central Hotel
Tall modern hotel with the best city views and a top floor cocktail bar for groups.
Europa Hotel
Famous central four star opposite the Crown Bar, good value for its location.
The Harrison Chambers of Distinction
Victorian townhouse with themed rooms and free parking, the most characterful boutique stay.
House Belfast
Boutique rooms above a lively bar in the heart of the Queen's Quarter.
Benedicts of Belfast
Long standing hotel and lively bar on the Golden Mile, for guests who want nightlife on site.
Is Belfast expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | £60 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | £140 a person |
| Splurge | £320 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Titanic Belfast: weeks ahead
- Black Cab Political Murals Tour: weeks ahead
- Crumlin Road Gaol: a few days ahead
- Game of Thrones Studio Tour: weeks ahead
- The MAC: a few days ahead
- Oh Yeah Music Centre: a few days ahead
- SSE Arena Belfast: a few days ahead
- Giant's Causeway: weeks ahead
- Royal County Down and Royal Portrush tee times sell out months ahead.
- Titanic Belfast needs a timed ticket, ideally the first slot of the day.
- OX and The Muddlers Club need weeks for a weekend dinner.
- Carrick-a-Rede and the Gobbins need timed slots in season.
Is Belfast safe?
- Visit the Falls and Shankill by guided tour in the day, not alone late at night.
- Avoid Celtic or Rangers colours, especially around parade season and match days.
- Be curious on tours and neutral on politics in pubs, and let locals lead on place names.
- Emergency number is 999 and police non-emergency is 101.
Belfast travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Sleeping in Titanic Quarter by default, when it is quiet at night with few places to eat.
- A rushed Causeway coach that skips crossing Carrick-a-Rede or gives the stones under ninety minutes.
- The hop-on hop-off bus as your main sightseeing, when Belfast is walkable and cab tours rate higher.
- Game of Thrones detours for non-fans, when the time is better spent at Dunluce or Bushmills.
Getting around Belfast: public transport and more
- Walk the centre, City Hall to Cathedral Quarter in about ten minutes.
- Grand Central Station is the main hub, but check whether your train uses Lanyon Place.
- Belfast City Airport is ten minutes from the centre and easier than the International if prices match.
- Use the Glider east to west and Metro buses for Queen's Quarter and Cave Hill.
Who Belfast suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Great |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Great |
Make Belfast your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App Store