Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland, and one of the main places to visit on the island of Ireland. As a notorious home to many of the events of the Troubles, the ethnic/nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland in the late 20^th century, Belfast already has a bit of a reputation for itself. Today, parts of the city are still a bit gritty. But it’s a fantastic place to visit for a city break, or as part of a larger trip around Northern Ireland. Here is my city guide to Belfast!

What to See in Belfast

There’s lots to see in Belfast, and you can certainly spend a weekend in the city exploring. Here’s what all you should see and do in Belfast!

Titanic Belfast

Belfast is the home of the iconic ship RMS Titanic, which was built in Belfast in the early 1900s. This state of the art museum explores every aspect of the ship and its journey. Admission charges (£19 for adults) might seem steep, but trust me it’s worth it. The museum starts with an overview of industrial Belfast, and includes a ride! The ride takes you through a recreation of a shipyard, before you can explore what life was actually like on board. There are replicas of each cabin type, and you can go on the journey with the ship.

One of the most poignant parts of Titanic Belfast is the part on the sinking of the ship. There is a recording of survivors’ recounting their experiences and memories. Another fantastic part is the Discovery Theater, which shows video recordings from Robert Ballard’s famous ‘discovery’ of the ship. I am fascinated with everything to do with the Titanic, and have been since I was a kid. This was such a great experience and well worth a few hours of your time in Belfast!

City Hall

Belfast’s City Hall is a beautiful building in the heart of Belfast. There is a statue of Queen Victoria, as well as a Titanic Memorial in the gardens of City Hall. They offer public tours every day (for free!), for an opportunity to visit the inside. You can find more information on tours on their website.

The Big Fish

This fun sculpture was constructed in 1999 and is installed on Donegall Quay near the water. The fish is made up of various ceramic tiles that exhibit photos and texts relating to Belfast’s history. It’s really fun walking around the Big Fish to see what you recognize!

Albert Memorial Clock

Another one of the best known landmarks of Belfast is the Albert Memorial Clock. Located not far from the Big Fish, the clock was built in 1869 in honor of Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert. The tower leans four feet off balance, so if you can’t make it to Pisa you can check out this lesser-known leaning tower in Belfast!

Europa Hotel/Grand Opera House

Two of the most notable buildings in the city center of Belfast are the Europa Hotel and the Grand Opera House. Thanks to being a target during the Troubles, the Europa Hotel claimed the title of the ‘most bombed hotel in Europe’ – it suffered 36 bomb attacks. The Grand Opera House is a beautiful building right next door to the hotel. During bombings at the Europa, the Opera House was damaged from time to time as well. You can book a room at the Europa or a show at the Opera House—and they’ve both been renovated!

Victoria Square Shopping Center

Now, it’s not usual for me to put a shopping mall on a city guide of stuff to do in a city! But if you get a chance, swing by the Victoria Square Shopping Center, and take the elevator up to the dome. You get a great view of the city from the top, and best of all it’s completely free!

St. Anne’s Cathedral

The main cathedral in Belfast is the gorgeous St. Anne’s Cathedral. As this is a Catholic cathedral, and it faced some difficulties during the Troubles, security is pretty tight. There is an entry charge of £5 per person to visit the cathedral.

Commercial Court

Is this the most Instagrammable street in Belfast?! Probably! Commercial Court is a gorgeous small sidestreet in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter. It’s full of pubs, bars, and cafes, so this is a great place to come for an evening out. There are quite a few other areas off of Donegall Street that open up to beer gardens or courtyards, but this is definitely the prettiest street in Belfast in my opinion!

Queen’s University

Belfast’s most prestigious university is Queen’s University. While most of the campus is just normal buildings, the Lanyon Building (located right off University Road) is just stunning. This particular building dates back to 1849, and is definitely one place to see in Belfast.

The Ulster Museum and Botanic Gardens

By far one of my favorite places in Belfast is the area near the university with the Ulster Museum and the Botanic Gardens. The Ulster Museum is a fantastic local museum—they have loads of exhibits covering local history, natural history, science, and more. My favorite exhibition is the one on the Troubles. Before I visited Belfast for the first time in 2011, I had never even heard of the Troubles. I learned so much here and I would definitely recommend it. Best of yet, it’s free to visit!

The Botanic Gardens are also free to wander around. My favorite area is the Palm House, which is also a great place for taking photos in Belfast (definitely an Instagram hotspot). There are lots of different greenhouses and gardens, so hopefully if the weather is nice you can go for a wander!

The Murals and Peace Wall

It would be impossible to write a city guide on Belfast and not mention the Murals and the Peace Wall. For many people who live here, the issues surrounding the Troubles are deeply personal, and they shape their everyday lives. There are some fascinating murals to see around Shankill Road and Falls Road. The Peace Wall, a giant physical barrier between the two loyalist/Protestant and unionist/Catholic neighborhoods, is still there today—now parts of the walls near the gates are covered in murals.

Some of the most well-known murals are the Battle of the Boyne mural, the UVF mural, the Bobby Sands mural, and the murals on the gates of the Peace Wall.

You can walk around and see the murals yourself if you’d like (during the daytime), however I do not recommend this. Certain parts of these neighborhoods felt very sketchy to me—even though I was with Adam, I still didn’t feel completely right. There was a point where we both felt it was time to leave, and we left and headed back to the city center. I found this blog post really useful, but I would not recommend doing this on your own (especially if you’re a woman traveling solo). On my first trip to 2011, I didn’t do any of this—there had been big riots and a journalist was shot on the day I was leaving the US for my trip. Because I didn’t know what was safe and didn’t want to take any chances (this was my first independent trip abroad!), I didn’t do any tours or see any of the murals.

I’d highly recommend taking either a Black Cab tour, or a guided walking tour. Some of the walking tours are run by former political prisoners—one is even divided so you have two different guides, one for each side. Not only will it be much safer, but you’ll learn SO much more by hearing about it from a local. You can book tours like these ones below.

Crumlin Road Gaol

If you want to learn more about the Troubles without seeing the murals, I’d definitely recommend a visit to the Crumlin Road Gaol. This is another very interesting place to visit. I was really surprised to see was the tunnel that ran under the road from the prison to the courthouse. This was so they could transport prisoners to court without taking them out in the open. The guided tours depart regularly and you learn so much about the history of the prison (there is much more to it than just the Troubles). Tours cost £12 per person, but you can save up to £3 if you book online in advance. This is definitely one place to visit in Belfast!

Belfast Castle

Belfast Castle is quite a distance from the city center—it’s too far to walk, and you’ll probably need to take a bus. But if you’ve got extra time (or if you’ve got a car!), you can head out to check out the castle. Today, Belfast Castle is really just an event space, as opposed to a tourist attraction. Provided there aren’t any events on, you’ll be free to walk around and enjoy the space. Probably the best part are the views from the gardens out across the city—you can see for miles on a clear day! The castle is located in Cavehill County Park, which is also a great place for a walk if the weather is nice.

Daytrip: The Causeway Coast

I don’t think you can visit Northern Ireland and not check out the Causeway Coast! This is a beautiful part of the country, and should be a must on any trip to Northern Ireland. While I’d recommend a few days to drive the whole coast (check out my 3-day Causeway Coast itinerary!), if you’re short on time you can book a daytour from Belfast. Most tours are pretty similar, visiting both the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge and the Giant’s Causeway. The Giant’s Causeway is one of my favorite places in the UK, and not to be missed! You can take a look at booking tours below.

 

Where to Eat and Drink in Belfast

Belfast has a lot of great places to eat and drink. Something I was surprised about was how affordable eating out was in Northern Ireland, compared to other parts of the UK (including where I live in York!). Lots of places have deals, either for lunchtime menus, or for a free starter or dessert with your main. It definitely helped my Northern Ireland budget! Here are the best places to eat and drink in Belfast!

Maggie Mays

GO HERE. Literally the best café in Belfast, and very affordable. There are three different locations, two near the university, and one in the city center. Their sandwiches are great value for money and the cakes are delicious. But you can’t miss out on trying one of their shakes. The shakes are huge and so big—we even went back a second time to get another shake! It might be busy for brunch on the weekends, but even if there’s a line trust me when I say—it’s definitely worth it.

Holohan’s

Have you ever heard of a boxty? Well, it’s basically a potato pancake, and can be served either savory or sweet. Holohan’s is meant to be the best place in town for a boxty—unfortunately I ran out of time and didn’t make it there. They also have the Holohan’s at the Barge if you want something a bit more unique. Make sure to check opening times online, as they are closed on Mondays!

Ryan’s Restaurant and Bar

This pub is located quite a ways out of the city center, but if you’re staying near the university I’d definitely recommend it. The food is excellent, and it’s fantastic value for money! Two courses (including a boxty for the main course, pictured above) is just £11. It might be tricky to get a table during a busy weekend night, but it’s a great atmosphere, and a good selection for drinks.

McHughes

If you’re looking for good quality food and drinks in the city center, McHughes is a great choice. It’s near the Albert Memorial Clock and the Big Fish, so if you’re walking over to Titanic Belfast you could stop here before or after. They have a huge restaurant area upstairs, so don’t be put off if the main floor looks busy!

Maddens

One of the best places in Belfast for live music is Maddens. This is a traditional Irish bar and if you’re in Belfast over a weekend, definitely come for a pint! It’s very much a local pub—we started chatting with the people next to us, and they were shocked that we found the place! They do music starting from 9pm, both downstairs and a more casual trad session upstairs.

Crown Liquor Saloon

One of the fanciest and most unique bars in Belfast is the Crown Liquor Saloon. It’s currently run by Nicholson’s pubs, but it’s one of the best examples of a Victorian gin palace. The interior is superb, and fitted out with booths—to get a booth, you’ll need to be patient and be there all day! Drinks are pricey here but it’s all about the experience.

The Basics

Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland. The population of Belfast is about 280,000, and the population of Northern Ireland as a whole is about 1.88 million. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, but is not a part of Great Britain (which is just England, Scotland, and Wales). The official language is English and the official currency is pounds (GBP). Unlike in the Republic of Ireland, all speed signs and distances are done in miles in Northern Ireland, as opposed to kilometers. It’s also worth noting that the Republic of Ireland uses the Euro. There is no border crossing between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as per the Good Friday Agreement. Even if you’re just planning on visiting the Republic of Ireland and/or Dublin, it’s easy to visit Belfast with regular buses.

Getting Around

Belfast’s city center covers a fairly large area. It’ll take about 20-30 minutes to walk from near the University into the city center. There are plenty of local buses to get you around, which cost £2.10 for a single journey. If you’re wanting to visit Titanic Belfast, they do have a ‘glider,’ which is a bus/tram that goes from the city center to the Titanic Quarter. You need to buy a ticket and validate it before boarding for the glider—for bus tickets, you can just buy it from the driver like normal.

Where I Stayed

On this trip to Belfast I stayed at a really nice Airbnb near the university. It wasn’t a very central location, but great for exploring near the university. The room was lovely, our host Emily was really nice, and it was an excellent price. On my first trip in 2011, I stayed at Paddy’s Palace Hostel. It was a nice hostel, nothing special but easy to get to. I can’t comment on what it’s like now, since it’s been a long time since my stay!

Planning Your Trip

Belfast is easily accessed by regular (and cheap!) budget airline flights from the rest of the UK. I always use Skyscanner to get the best flight deals. If you’re visiting Belfast and Northern Ireland as part of a bigger trip around Ireland, you might want to take a look at booking trains in advance through Trainline. You can search for hostels in Belfast here, and for hotels here! You can also sign up to and book accommodation through Airbnb here. Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

Belfast is such an interesting place, and a great destination for a weekend away. Whether you’re visiting just Belfast, or traveling around Northern Ireland (and/or the Republic of Ireland!), there’s lots to do to keep you busy. I hope this city guide helps you in planning a trip to Belfast!

Have you ever been to Belfast before? What were your favorite things? Share your experiences in the comments!

You might like my other posts:

How Much Does It Cost To Travel Northern Ireland For 5 Days?

A 3-Day Itinerary For The Causeway Coast In Northern Ireland

Exploring The Giant’s Causeway At Sunrise

A Weekend In Dublin

How Much Does It Cost To Spend A Weekend In Dublin?

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