City centre
First-timersAround City Hall and the shopping streets.
Belfast city guide
Things To Do In Belfast
The shipyard that built the Titanic, a Victorian market, murals on every gable wall and a pub scene that punches well above the city's size. Belfast has changed faster than almost anywhere in Europe.
6
Hostels in the city
8.2
Average, from 37,905 reviews
1911
The Titanic launched here
1998
The Good Friday Agreement
2h
To Dublin by train
A city that changed in a generation
Belfast grew rich in the nineteenth century on linen, rope and ships, and the Harland & Wolff yard built the Titanic here. The grand Victorian centre, with the domed City Hall at its heart, dates from that boom.
For thirty years it was defined by the Troubles, and the evidence is still there: murals on the gable walls of the Falls and Shankill roads, and peace walls that still divide some neighbourhoods. Since the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, the city has turned into a lively, friendly place for a weekend, with the Titanic Quarter on the old shipyard and a bar scene centred on the Cathedral Quarter.
Belfast is also the base for the Causeway coast. Two or three days covers the city, and a day or two more takes in the coast.
Where to stay
The centre is compact and walkable. Stay near the Cathedral Quarter or the city centre, or around Queen's for a quieter stay.
Cathedral Quarter
NightlifeCobbled streets of pubs and venues.
Queen's Quarter
A calmer stayThe university, the Botanic Gardens and the Ulster Museum.
Titanic Quarter
SightsThe old shipyard and Titanic Belfast.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 5 top-rated hostels. Map © MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Belfast
Take a black taxi tour along the Falls and Shankill roads, past the murals and through the gates in the peace wall. The drivers come from both communities, and they explain the Troubles more directly than any museum.
Titanic Belfast, on the slipway where the ship was built, tells the story of the city's industry as much as the ship, and the SS Nomadic, the Titanic's tender, is moored alongside. Crumlin Road Gaol, the Victorian prison, runs guided tours.
In the centre, the City Hall has free tours, and St George's Market, a Victorian covered hall, is at its best on Friday to Sunday. The Ulster Museum, in the Botanic Gardens by Queen's University, is free.
Climb Cave Hill above the city for a view over Belfast Lough; its outline is said to have inspired Gulliver's Travels.
Free things
Free things to do in Belfast
The Ulster Museum, the Botanic Gardens and the Palm House are free, and so are the City Hall tours.
The murals and peace walls can be seen on foot, though a taxi tour explains them better.
Cave Hill Country Park and the walk along the Lagan towpath are free. St George's Market costs nothing to wander.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Belfast
The Ulster fry is the breakfast: eggs, bacon and sausage with soda bread and potato bread, £8 to £12, and enough for the day.
St George's Market is the best place to eat cheaply, with street food and local producers on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Belfast's restaurant scene has improved sharply, particularly around the Cathedral Quarter and the Lisburn Road.
Pub lunches run £10 to £15. Try a pastie supper, a Belfast chip-shop speciality, at least once.
Nightlife
Going out in Belfast
The Cathedral Quarter is the night out: cobbled streets and old pubs like the Duke of York, with its walls of whiskey bottles, and the Harp Bar, with live trad and a friendly crowd.
The Crown Liquor Saloon, a Victorian gin palace with carved snugs and gas lamps, owned by the National Trust, is worth one drink. Kelly's Cellars is one of the oldest pubs in the city.
A pint is £5 to £6. The student bars are around Botanic Avenue.
Getting around
Getting around Belfast
The centre is walkable. The Glider rapid bus runs east to west and to the Titanic Quarter.
From Belfast International Airport, the Airport Express 300 bus reaches the centre in about forty minutes. George Best Belfast City Airport is ten minutes away by bus.
Belfast Grand Central, the new transport hub opened in 2024, handles trains and buses. Trains reach Dublin in about two hours and Derry in about two and a quarter, along the coast. The Giant's Causeway is about an hour and a half by car.
There are no checks at the border with the Republic, but visitors who are not British or Irish citizens need a UK ETA to enter Northern Ireland, including overland from Dublin.
Costs
What Belfast costs
Belfast is cheaper than Dublin and most of England. Dorms start around £18, a pub meal is £10 to £15, a pint £5 to £6. A careful day is £45 to £60.
The costs that add up are Titanic Belfast, at around £25, and tours to the Causeway coast.
The currency is the pound sterling. Cards work almost everywhere, including contactless on buses.
Safety
Staying safe in Belfast
Belfast is safe, and the centre is comfortable at night.
The legacy of the Troubles needs awareness rather than fear. Around the Twelfth of July, parades and bonfires are peaceful in most places and tense in a few. Interface areas near the peace walls are best avoided late at night. Flags, murals and painted kerbs mark community, not decoration.
Emergency number is 999 or 112.
Day trips from Belfast
The Causeway coast is the great day out.
Giant's Causeway
Forty thousand basalt columns on the north coast. The stones are free.
Derry
The walled city.
What's on
What is on while you are there
West Belfast's Féile in August is one of the biggest community festivals in Europe.
Staff pick
27 Oct – 6 Nov
Westlife
Westlife is an internationally acclaimed Irish pop group renowned for their powerful harmonies and chart-topping ballads. Since their debut in 1999, Westlife has sold…
Staff pick
13 October
Alan Davies
Alan Davies is a renowned British comedian, actor, and writer best known for his role as Jonathan Creek in the long-running BBC mystery series…
Staff pick
8 November
Moving Pictures - Rush Tribute
Moving Pictures is a tribute band dedicated to celebrating the music of Rush. They perform faithful renditions of Rush’s classic songs, capturing the energy…
1 October
Megan Moroney
Megan Moroney is a groundbreaking country singer-songwriter with an impressive list of accomplishments. She has crafted a distinctive brand of rugged, heartfelt music that…
1 October
Megan Moroney
Megan Moroney is a multi-platinum hitmaker and critically acclaimed singer/songwriter who has quickly risen to stardom. She is entering a new era with her…
7 October
Crash Test Dummies
Crash Test Dummies is a rock band from Canada formed in 1988. Consisting of four members including the lead vocalist and guitarist Brad Roberts,…
9–24 October
Kevin Bridges
Kevin Bridges returns to The SSE Arena, Belfast with a brand-new stand-up show in 2026. Known for his relatable and sharp comedy, he has…
15 October
Stephen Wilson Jr.
You can experience the dynamic and genre-spanning music of Stephen Wilson Jr. on his Gary the Torch Tour. This event offers a chance to…
Hostels
Where to stay in Belfast
The top-rated places to stay in Belfast right now, live from Hostelworld.
Botanical Backpackers
Dorms from £28 a night
See dates and book
Vagabonds
Dorms from £15 a night
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Global Village
Dorms from £16 a night
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Lagan Backpackers
Dorms from £16 a night
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Belfast International Youth Hostel
Dorms from £12 a night
See dates and book
When to go
May to September has the long evenings. July brings marching season.
Jan
Cold and wet
Feb
Quiet
Mar
St Patrick's Day
Apr
Spring
May
Good
Jun
Long evenings
Jul
Marching season
Aug
Féile
Sep
Good
Oct
Arts festival
Nov
Grey
Dec
Christmas market
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs. It rains in every month.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in pounds.
Excludes Titanic Belfast and Causeway tours.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Belfast travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Is Belfast safe?
Yes. The centre is comfortable at night. Take care around marching season in July and near interface areas late at night.
Should I do a black taxi tour?
Yes. Drivers from both communities take you to the murals and peace walls and answer questions directly.
How many days do you need in Belfast?
Two or three, plus a day for the Causeway coast.
How do I get to the Giant's Causeway?
By car or tour, about an hour and a half, or by train to Coleraine and a bus.
How do I get from the airport?
Bus 300 from Belfast International, about forty minutes. City Airport is ten minutes by bus.
How far is Dublin?
About two hours by train.
When is the best time to visit?
May to September.
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