Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland and a city that many will have on their bucket list for a weekend away. This vibrant city is home to a lot of history, mainly known for being where the Titanic Belfast was built.

There are many other great things to do in Belfast from visiting the Botanical Gardens, eating some great food and going for a wonder around the city centre.

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Things to do in Belfast

Planning Your Trip

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Where to Stay in Belfast

There is a wide range of accommodations available in Belfast, so you will not be short on options. Here are our top suggestions for the best places to stay in Belfast for any budget.

Luxury – A stay at The Culloden Estate and Spa will be a luxurious break during your trip to Belfast. Located only a 10 minute drive from the city of Belfast, this accommodation has 12 acres of woodland to walk around. You can also expect a hot tub, swimming pool, gym and a fine dining restaurant at the Culloden Estate and Spa.

Book your stay at the The Culloden Estate and Spa here.

Mid-Range – The Warren Belfast is a beautiful accommodation located in a great area in Belfast. Continental breakast is offered.

Book your stay at the Warren Belfast Hotel here.

Budget –Dream Apartments St Thomas Hall is an affordable accommodation that offers self-catering facilities and a washing machine. It has a comfortable lounge area to relax in after a day of exploring the city of Belfast.

Book your stay at the High Street Hostel here.

Belfast City Hall

Belfast is a unique beauty, but it wasn’t always like that. The city gained its title in 1906 and to celebrate such success, Belfast City Hall was designed by the architect Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas and completed in Portland stone in 1906.

The city hall is definitely one of the major tourist attractions in Belfast, but apart from being an attraction, the place holds a key to the historical changes this city has seen.

When visitors come here, they get to enjoy the beauty of this place. City hall’s interiors are made from different types of marble like Carrara, Pavonazzo and Brescia to name a few. These extensive choices show how expensive it would look. Apart from the interiors, the hall is home to some of the finest artworks in the world. These aren’t just showpieces rather they commemorate essential aspects of the country’s history.

Paintings, busts, statues and stained glass windows all tell a story. The two most intriguing commemorations are the stained glass windows featuring King Edward VII and Queen Alexandria, who were on the throne when the City Hall was opened.

Apart from this, there is a marble sculpture of Fredrick Richard Chichester. The last Earl of Donegall and patron of arts is seen on his deathbed accompanied by his mother.

This rich collection portrays the authentic history of the country and how well preserved it is to date!

Titanic Belfast

If you have been fascinated by the majestic ‘Titanic’, visiting Titanic Belfast is surely a treat. This museum is a tourist magnet with intricating details about how the marvel ship was built and how the very idea of making this ship was procured.

Once you walk into this magical place, you would embark on a journey where the feeling of being on that very ship can be felt. The self-guided Titanic Experience tour lasts about an hour and extends over nine galleries. While you walk around, you can be a spectator of the real-life images, luxurious rooms and the whole history.

Irish Cuisine in Belfast

When in Northern Ireland, it is a must to relish the local dishes along with the global-favourite Irish coffee. According to the locals, every visitor should try out their hands at the following delicacies:

Ulster Fry
Boxty
Belfast Bap
Irish Coffee
Seafood
Irish Gin and Beer

The variety of food offers a range for the tourists’ taste scales a rollercoaster ride. Once they have a bite of any of these, they get to taste authentic Belfast.

The Botanic Gardens

One of the serene locations in Belfast is the Botanic Gardens. Free to enter, these gardens welcome everyone with the promise of offering quality time amidst nature.

Located on the South side of the city, these inviting grounds are home to some of the most beautiful gardens. The visitor favourites include the rose garden, palm house, and tropical ravine.

Rose Garden

While visiting here, you can enjoy a bed made of roses- literally! Being surrounded by thousands of roses might take you to a fragrant land. You can find different colours and species of roses here presented in various segments and sectors. Along with the segregation, you would also learn about where it was bred, the year and who discovered it.

It surely is a very floral way of learning!

Palm House

A very unique and spectacular place is the Palm House. Designed as a greenhouse, it has three different rooms wherein it is flooded with warm climate plants.

Although it doesn’t have banners or sign boards to let the visitors know much about them but it surely does not take the limelight away from them!

Tropical Ravine

Probably one of the favourite locations of tourists is the Tropical ravine.

On your entrance, you would be welcomed into a magical world of a plethora of flora. With a wide variety of plants and flowers, this ravine is divided into two sections for tropical plants and temperate plants. There are also audio files and a few games to aid in the plant learning experience.

St George’s Market

The title of one of the oldest tourist attractions in Ireland goes to St George’s Market. A famous market area in UK and Ireland, it is home to fresh, local produce with a great atmosphere. Its popularity also has another point to it. It is the last surviving Victorian-covered market in Belfast.

The market has a rich history of its own. Although today it’s a covered market, it wasn’t always like that. Before 1890, the market had its charm with it being right under the sky with nothing to cover. This was another addition to its beauty. Some say during that time, the market had a slaughterhouse and traded well in meat.

Today, the market is divided into three days- Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This created a balance and feasible for the traders to enjoy their own time here.

On Fridays, it is a Variety Market wherein they sell everything from books to fruits. Whereas on Saturdays, it is a City Food and Craft Market which offers the best from the culinary world to the visitors. During this time, they don’t restrict themselves just to food rather they also sell handmade crafts, flowers, plants and local photography, pottery, glass and metal work.

As for Sundays, the market deals in a mixture of the Friday and Saturday markets and offers the best of these two!

Belfast Castle

To discover a gem of northern Ireland, pay a visit to Belfast Castle. Built by the Normans in the 12th Century, this marvel is ready to surpass your expectations.

With the changing times, the castle saw renovations and in 1611, Sir Arthur Chichester replaced the old castle with one made of stone and timber, building on the same spot as the original castle.

Its beauty grew with time and made it more enticing and royal than it could ever be.

There is another version of its history!

In 1870, for the third Marquess of Donegall, the castle was built. It supported a Scottish Baronial style made fashionable by Queen Victoria’s Balmoral.

Its history might have many renditions but at present, it is now used mostly for weddings and other functions.

To maintain this treasure, most of the castle is closed to public access.

Another fun fact associated with this castle is that the castle’s residents will experience good fortune only as long as a white cat lives there. The importance of feline power can be found here with bushes cut in their shapes and mosaics can be found.

Hillsborough Castle & Gardens

Unfold the royal touch of Ireland with a visit to Hillsborough Castle & Gardens. For over 300 years, Hillsborough castle has shifted from being a royal residence to a political stay. This castle has witnessed pivotal moments in history and still stands to be a part of it. This magnificent sight has been a part of maintaining the peace for over 40 years as it is home to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland since the 1970s.

The castle has gorgeous gardens that were constructed in the 1760s and have been a spectacle to explore. These include ornamental grounds, peaceful woodland, meandering waterways and picturesque glens along with a variety of trees and rare plants.

Every season, these grounds present a different side of nature and a pleasing vibe to the senses.

Apart from being a tourist attraction, the castle is still a working royal and political residence. It fulfils its role as a place of recognition, entertainment, and celebration; lending elegance and style to a range of events, incentive events, product launches, awards ceremonies and gala dinners.

Street Art Walking Tour

Belfast is best explored on foot. While exploring every corner of this beautiful city, you might come across a lot of murals and graffiti art. These impressive artworks portray the rich talent of the city and how strong the ideas of people are.

Street art has found a way here and is now gained the attention and appreciation that it definitely deserves. With your weekend in Belfast, you would get to enjoy every bit of the city with the serene views and these beautiful artworks.

How to Prepare for your Trip to Belfast

Before you set off on your way to Belfast, there are a number of things you will need to get organised to ensure a smooth and enjoyable journey. These include what to pack, where to stay and what is the best insurance for your trip to Northern Ireland. All of this is discussed in detail below.