Belfast Staycation Guide: Where to Stay, What to Do and Where to Eat

Belfast is a compact, friendly capital that rewards a long weekend. The shipyards where Titanic was built have become a waterfront quarter of museums and hotels, the Victorian centre around City Hall is easy to walk, and Cave Hill and the Belfast Hills rise straight behind the streets. It is also the natural starting point for the Causeway Coast and the Mourne Mountains, so a city break here can easily turn into a wider Northern Ireland trip.

How long to stay and getting there

Two nights covers the Titanic Quarter, the city centre and the Botanic area. Add two or three more if you want to drive the Antrim coast to the Giant's Causeway. From Great Britain, you can fly, or keep the trip flight-free by taking the car ferry from Cairnryan in Scotland or from Liverpool, which lets you bring your own car for the coast.

Where to stay in Belfast

Most visitors stay in the city centre, the Cathedral Quarter or the Titanic Quarter. See every option on our Belfast hotels page.

Landmark hotels

Titanic Hotel Belfast occupies the restored Harland & Wolff drawing offices where Titanic was designed, next to the historic slipways. The Merchant Hotel, a five-star in a grand former bank in the Cathedral Quarter, has an ornate Victorian bar and a spa. The Europa Hotel on Great Victoria Street is the city's best-known hotel, with a long and eventful history, and it is rated 4.4 from over 5,300 Google reviews.

Modern and central

Grand Central Hotel Belfast is the tallest hotel in Ireland, with a bar at the top offering views over the lough and the hills. Bullitt Hotel on Church Lane suits a sociable weekend, with its bars and restaurant downstairs, and Maldron Hotel Belfast City is a practical base close to the shops and transport.

With a car

Crowne Plaza Belfast has on-site parking, an indoor pool and a gym, which makes it a good base for a road trip.

Things to do in Belfast

Our Belfast attractions page has the full list.

The Titanic Quarter is the obvious place to start. Alongside the Titanic Belfast museum and the slipways, HMS Caroline is a First World War light cruiser, launched in 1914, with restored quarters and engine rooms. Nearby, W5 is a hands-on science centre that works well for children on a wet day.

For the city's more recent past, Crumlin Road Gaol, a Victorian prison that closed in 1996, runs guided tours through its wings, cells and the tunnel to the courthouse. A black taxi tour of the murals and peace walls of west Belfast adds context that is hard to get any other way.

South of the centre, the Botanic Gardens and Palm House has a fine Victorian glasshouse, with the Ulster Museum at the gates. Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park is known for its rose garden, and Stormont Park has trails around the Parliament Buildings. Belfast Zoo sits on the slopes of Cave Hill, and further out, Hillsborough Castle and Gardens is the royal residence in Northern Ireland, with formal gardens and state rooms. Streamvale Open Farm is a good family day out.

Where to eat and drink

St George's Market is the best place for a relaxed lunch among local producers, and the Cathedral Quarter is where to go for restaurants and traditional music in the evening. The Crown Liquor Saloon, opposite the Europa, is one of the most ornate Victorian pubs in the UK. The Garrick Bar is another panelled and tiled Victorian pub with a pub menu, and Nu Delhi Lounge serves curries, grills and Indian tapas. More on our Belfast restaurants page.

A two-day plan

Day one

Spend the morning at Titanic Belfast and HMS Caroline, then walk back along the river to the Cathedral Quarter for lunch. In the afternoon, take a black taxi tour of the murals, then eat and listen to music in the Cathedral Quarter.

Day two

Start at City Hall, have lunch at St George's Market if it is open, and tour Crumlin Road Gaol in the afternoon. Alternatively, spend a lazy day around Queen's University, the Botanic Gardens and the Ulster Museum, or climb Cave Hill for the view over the city and the lough.

Day trips from Belfast

Portrush is the base for the Giant's Causeway and the Causeway Coast. Closer to the city, Bangor has a marina and coastal path, Newtownards sits at the head of Strangford Lough below Scrabo Tower, and Downpatrick is closely linked with St Patrick. Armagh has two cathedrals, both dedicated to St Patrick, and a handsome Georgian Mall.

Camping and cottages near Belfast

The Pods at Streamvale offers glamping on the edge of the city, next to the open farm. Quarterland Bay Campsite near Killinchy is a tent site on the shore of Strangford Lough, and Myrtle at Larchfield Estate near Lisburn offers glamping on a private estate. Browse camping near Belfast or cottages near Belfast.

Practical tips

Northern Ireland uses sterling, and most of central Belfast is walkable. A car makes the coast far easier. Belfast suits our guides to UK city breaks without flying and historic staycations, and the Causeway Coast links it neatly with film and TV location breaks.