The Ultimate Guide to 22 Things to do in Belfast

Updated On: April 20, 2024 by   Asmaa Alhashimy

Belfast is a city brimming with history, culture, and a vibrant atmosphere. From its iconic landmarks to its charming neighborhoods, Belfast offers a plethora of experiences that cater to every traveler’s interests. Whether you’re a history buff eager to explore its tumultuous past, a foodie seeking culinary delights, or an adventurer ready to embrace the great outdoors, Belfast has something for everyone.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll take you on a journey through 22 of the most captivating things to do in Belfast. From exploring its rich maritime heritage at Titanic Belfast to wandering through its bustling streets adorned with colorful murals, each activity promises a unique and unforgettable experience. We’ll uncover hidden gems, share insider tips, and provide all the information you need to make the most of your time in this dynamic city.

So, whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or an extended stay, join us as we unravel the treasures of Belfast and discover why it’s a destination like no other. Let’s embark on an adventure and immerse ourselves in the charm and allure of this captivating city.

All The Best Attractions and Things to do in Belfast

Check out our ultimate guide to things to do in Belfast, we have made note of all the best attractions that you need to visit while on your visit to Belfast, Northern Ireland. So much to see and you won’t be bored in Belfast we can promise that!

Ulster Museum 

Located in Botanic Gardens, it’s the largest museum in Northern Ireland with 8,000 sq meters of displays from fine art especially Irish Art to archaeology.  You’ll also find treasures from the Spanish Armada and walks through the fascinating local history. There are Botany, Zoology and geology -\everything from Irish birds, mammals, and marine to rocks minerals and fossils. There are dinosaurs, Egyptian mummies and a children’s discovery zone. Also, a coffee shop & gift shop if needing a cup of tea! It is 90 years young in 2019 and best of all – it’s free! It is one of the best things to do in Belfast.

Some of our favourite exhibitions are – the Irish wolfhound – often mentioned in Irish history and legends. These dogs when standing on their hind legs can reach a height of 7 feet. They would have been used for hunting and guarding and seen as a symbol of strength and wealth back in the old days.

A more recent addition to the museum was the Game of Thrones Tapestry. A temporary exhibition was created from Linen from one of the last surviving linen mills in Northern Ireland. This dictates many of the famous scenes from the TV show and is a celebration of the show’s creation in Northern Ireland.

Botanic Gardens

Among the best things to do in Belfast is visit the beautiful 28-acre Botanic Garden is open all year long for anyone wishing to visit. It started as a private park and became public when the Belfast council purchased it in 1895. It has its own Palm House Conservatory which opened in 1840 and is one of the earliest cast-iron glasshouses in the world. There are 2 wings – the cool wing and the tropical wing include 400-year-old plants! So anyone into plants will love this stop.

Queen’s University

Part of the Queen’s Quarter of Belfast which is one of 6 cultural areas you’ll find the iconic Queen’s University. It opened in 1810, being granted university status in 1908. It’s one of the largest employers in Northern Ireland and has a global reputation for research – attracting many international students. Famous alumni include former Irish President Mary McAleese, poet Seamus Heaney and actor Liam Neeson. People love to come and visit to see its beautiful architecture and fascinating history.

Crown Liquor Saloon

Known as the best pub in Ireland, the Crown Bar opened as “The Railway Tavern” and it was sold in 1885. Renamed and refurbished in 1885 and only twice since then! Italian craftsmen were bought to Ireland to work on the many churches being built at the time. And the pub owner persuaded these guys to work in the pub after hours (maybe paid in beer). It was this high standard of work that gave the Crown Bar the reputation of being one of the finest Victorian Gin Palaces of its time.

In 1978 the National Trust purchased the pub and has completed 2 restorations on the bar. The bar now has Grade A listed status and is a must-see for any visitor!

The exterior is decorated in tiles including a mosaic of a crown on the floor of the entrance. The interior is also decorated with complex mosaics of tiles. The red granite-topped bar is of an altar style with a heated footrest underneath and is lit by gas lamps from the ceiling. There are 10 booths or snugs which were built to give privacy to the Victorians.

Europa Hotel

The Europa hotel is 4-star and is known as the “Most bombed hotel in Europe and even the world.”Having suffered 36 bomb attacks during the troubles, it is a huge part of the history of Belfast. The hotel was opened in 1971 on the site of the former Great Northern Railway station. It has 272 bedrooms – a lobby bar, and a Piano Bar Lounge – great for tea and looking out on Belfast going by. President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton stayed here and had a suite renamed the Clinton Suite!

Belfast City Hall

Belfast City Hall opened in 1906 and it stands on the site that was once the White Line Hall. An international Linen Exchange. The City Hall cost £369,000 to build in 1906 and the city hall in Durban, South Africa is an exact replica of the Belfast City Hall.

The site is 1.5 acres and has an enclosed courtyard – the building has towers in each of its 4 corners and a copper dome which dominates the city photography. There is a Titanic Memorial on the site. Often you will see people taking their lunch break on the grounds. There are statues around the grounds, including that of the founder of Harland and Wolff – who was also a Belfast City Mayor from 1885 to 1886.

One of our favourite things to do in Belfast is the free City Hall tour that takes you inside the building, where you can explore further the history surrounding it. we highly recommend doing this if you are visiting Belfast any time soon.

Straight down for City Hall leads us to Royal Avenue – which takes us into the Cathedral Quarter and has been the city’s main shopping area since 1881. At the end of the street are more Victorian and Edwardian buildings including the Belfast Central Library and the Belfast Telegraph newspaper headquarters. In the middle of the street is Castlecourt – which was one of the main shopping centres until the new Victoria Square Centre opened. Castlecourt was built on the site of the old Grand Central Hotel which welcomed Winston Churchill, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones to the city. But became an army barracks during the troubles. In the 1980s, Castlecourt was built.

More Things to Do in Belfast

St Anne’s Cathedral

St. Anne’s Cathedral, also known as Belfast Cathedral, is the Church of Ireland and was completed in 1904. It was built on the grounds of an old parish church that existed since 1776 called “St Anne “. Originally only the nave of the cathedral was built – with other sections added through the years. The “spire of hope” was added in 2007 which is a 40-metre steel spire.

The Big Fish / Salmon of Knowledge

The Big Fish is a printed ceramic mosaic that is 10 metres long or 33ft and was installed in 1999. The text and images on the fish relate to the history of Belfast – each scale tells a story about Belfast. it is an amazing piece of sculpture that is part of Belfast city and you could check it out. It’s very impressive and many people like to get a photo standing next to it.

River Lagan Belfast

Birthplace of the RMS Titanic, it’s a 53.5 miles long river from the Slieve Croob mountain to Belfast where it enters Belfast Lough and inlet of the Irish Sea. The river Lagan offers stunning views of Belfast and is a great place to walk along and unwind.

Beacon of Hope

Also known as the Thanksgiving Square Beacon, the Beacon of Hope ( 19.5 metres ) was constructed in 2007. The Beacon of hope is the 2^nd largest public art display in Belfast after “the Rise” on Broadway Roundabout. Which is a 37.5-metre metal structure installed in 2011. It was created by 1,920 tubes bolted together. The Beacon of hope is an iconic part of Belfast’s landscape so make sure you check it out on your travels.

Waterfront

Another well-known building in Belfast is the Waterfront Hall which was opened in 1997 and hosts a variety of different entertainment shows from operas, pantomimes, and musicals and has smaller studios as well. If you’re looking for things to do in Belfast, we suggest catching one of the popular musicals here at the Waterfront.

St. George’s Market 

A top marker on our list of the things to do in Belfast is the popular St. George’s Market in Belfast is the much loved St. George’s Market which is the last covered Victorian market in Belfast. It was built between 1890 and 1896 and today up to 300 traders, crafters, musicians and amazing food are available on site. The market is free to enter and is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It’s also open throughout the week but is busiest on the weekends.

Odyssey Complex/Area 

The Odyssey Complex opened in 2001 as a sports and entertainment complex. Located here you’ll find the  W5 science centre for kids, movie house, bowling alley and restaurants. It also houses the Belfast Giants Ice Hockey Team ( great fun) and is also a 10,000+ arena for concerts. Everything from boxing to Disney shows to world-famous singers. A 10 years sponsor deal with the local SSE electric company changed the name to the SSE Arena and will be in place by 2025.

Belfast Harbour Marina

Another one of the top things to do in Belfast is to visit the beautiful Belfast Harbour Marina holds 45 boats and is part of the Belfast Harbour which houses George Best City Airport, Harland and Wolff, Bombardier, Catalyst Inc, Titanic Quarter and Titanic Belfast. Oh and of course the film studios of a TV show called Game of Thrones. The docks area dates back to 1613, records show that in 1663 there were 29 ships owned in Belfast. In the 18^th century, Belfast replaced Carrickfergus as the most important port in Ulster.

SS Nomadic

You cannot come across a list of the best things to do in Belfast without spotting the SS Nomadic. The well-known shape was launched in 1911 and owned by the White Star Line. It was a passenger ship to the RMS Olympic and RMS Titanic and is the only White Star Line vessel in existence today. It was built in slipway 1 Olympics were in slipway 2 and the Titanic was in slipway 3. On 10 April 1912, she transported 274 1^st and 2^nd class passengers to RMS Titanic. It worked in France for many years and came home to Belfast in 2006. You need to put this on your list of things to do in Belfast.

Samson & Goliath Cranes

Symbolise Belfast like no other building or monument has, Harland and Wolff Cranes are a recognisable part of the Belfast landscape that holds plenty of history. The cranes were built in Germany – Goliath was put in place in 1969 and Samson in 1974. They have a combined lifting capacity of 1,600 tonnes – one of the largest in the world.

At its height, H&W had 35,000 employees but after the cranes arrived the business declined. Shipbuilding has ceased but the cranes are retained as part of the dry dock and are still in use today. The docks now service oil rigs and there is a growing cruise ship business – servings and bringing in new tourists to Belfast.

Titanic Belfast

Titanic Belfast is one of our top things to do in Belfast, it opened in 2012 and is a monument to Belfast maritime history on the former site of the H&W shipyard where the Titanic was built. The museum tells the complete story of the Titanic which sunk after hitting an iceberg in 2012. It has been voted one of the best tourist attractions in the world. The museum was designed to replica the ship standing at 126 feet – 38 metres the same height as the Titanic hull.

There are 2 restaurants in the centre and serve great food. In the exhibition, you will walk around “Boom time Belfast”, The Shipyard, The Launch, The Fit Out, The Maiden Voyage, The Sinking, The Aftermath, Myths & Legends from the ship, Titanic Beneath.

The Great Light Maritime Mile

The light maritime is 130 years old and weighs more than 10 tonnes and is 7 metres high. A very rare artefact that produced one of the strongest lighthouse beams ever to shine! It was originally made in 1887 for Tory Island Lighthouse of Donegal. It was moved to Mew Island in 1928. Then it was removed in 2014 and converted to solar power and then to Belfast in 2018. It’s free to visitors and tells the history of the light around its base. If the blinds are down it’s to protect the light from strong sunlight.

Titanic Studios

One of Europe’s largest film studios – has attracted production companies such as HBO, Universal and more to make shows like Game of Thrones, Your Highness and City of Ember. It was originally a Paint Hall for H&W Shipyard hence the building is so big. It now has purpose build sound stages, its own power substation, high-level walkways and rigging for film production and 2 large spaces of 21,000 square feet or a combined 42,000 square ft.

HMS Caroline

Is a Royal Navy decommissioned C Class light cruiser? It was decommissioned in 2011 and was the 2^nd oldest serving ship in the Navy at the time. Having originally launched in 1914. She was a static headquarters and training ship for the Royal Navy Reserve in Belfast and then converted to a museum ship in 2017. Caroline is one of only 3 serving Royal Navy warships from the First World War. She came to Belfast in 1924 and has played a part in the Navy ever since.

Titanic Dock and Pump House

One of the top things to do in Belfast is to stop by the last place where the Titanic was on the dry ground was at the Titanic Dock and Pump House. Here you can see the pumps where the docks were emptied in 1.5 hours, a great tourist attraction in Belfast that provided a guided tour which tells you all about the history of Dock and Pumps House.

Belfast is a great city that we highly recommended visiting as it offers so many things to do in Belfast from historical buildings to art and music venues to the home of the Titanic there is something for everyone! Make sure to let us know all your favourite things to do in Belfast!