Belfast Travel Guide for First-Time Visitors [See, Do, Plan]

Our Belfast Travel Guide includes recommended places to visit and things to do, accommodation options, and tips. Everything you need to plan your visit and essential reading for any visitor to Belfast!

If you’re planning a trip to Northern Ireland’s capital, this Belfast travel guide is designed to help you plan your visit with confidence. Belfast is a compact and welcoming city, known for its Titanic heritage, vibrant cultural scene and its location as a gateway to some of Northern Ireland’s most spectacular coastal landscapes.

In this guide, you’ll find practical advice on things to do in Belfast, recommended tours and day trips, where to stay, how to get around the city, and how to travel onwards to Dublin or Scotland. Recommendations are based on our own experience visiting Belfast and are aimed at helping first-time visitors make the most of their time in the city.

Table Of Contents

Recommended Tours Belfast

Ultimate Belfast Travel Guide

What is the best way to explore Belfast?

Belfast is a compact city and much of the centre is easy to explore on foot, particularly around City Hall, the Cathedral Quarter and the Titanic Quarter.

For first-time visitors, combining walking with public transport and guided tours works particularly well, especially if you are short on time or visiting Belfast for the first time. Buses are frequent and easy to use, and we found paying by contactless the simplest option during our stay.

One of the easiest ways to get your bearings on day one is the hop-on, hop-off bus, which loops around the main sights and gives helpful commentary about Belfast’s history and neighbourhoods. We used this on our first day and found it a great introduction before exploring further on foot.

Guided tours also provide valuable context, especially for Belfast’s more recent history. A political black cab tour is one of the most informative ways to understand the city and is strongly recommended.

Read more about how we explored the city in our 3 Day Belfast Itinerary

Plan your visit to Belfast – FAQs

Is Belfast worth visiting?

Yes. Belfast is worth visiting for its Titanic history, compact city centre, guided political tours and easy access to the Giant’s Causeway and Antrim Coast. It works well as a short city break or as part of an Ireland or UK itinerary.

How many days is enough in Belfast?

Two to three days is enough for most visitors to Belfast. This allows time to explore the city centre, visit Titanic Belfast and include a day trip to the Antrim Coast or Giant’s Causeway.

What is the best time of year to visit Belfast?

The best time to visit Belfast is from May to September, when days are longer and weather is milder. Spring and early autumn are good alternatives with fewer crowds, while winter is quieter but colder with shorter daylight hours.

Is Belfast easy to get around without a car?

Yes. Belfast is easy to get around without a car. The city centre is walkable, public buses are reliable and accept contactless payment, and hop-on hop-off buses are popular with first-time visitors.

Book your hop on hop off bus in Belfast

Are guided tours worth doing in Belfast?

Yes. Guided tours are one of the best ways to understand Belfast. Political black cab tours provide important historical context, and organised day tours make it easy to visit the Antrim Coast without hiring a car.

Recommended tours in Belfast

What are the best day trips from Belfast?

The best day trips from Belfast include:

Giant’s Causeway
Carrickfergus Castle
Dark Hedges
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
The Antrim Coast

These can be visited on organised tours or by car.

Our recommended day tours from Belfast is this Giant’s Causeway Full-Day Guided Trip with McComb’s Coach Travel.

Where is the best area to stay in Belfast?

The best area to stay in Belfast is the city centre. Staying centrally gives easy access to attractions, restaurants, tours and public transport, making it ideal for first-time visitors.

Accommodation suggestions include

How do you travel from Belfast to Dublin?

You can travel from Belfast to Dublin by train or coach. Services run frequently throughout the day and the journey usually takes around two hours, making it easy to combine both cities in one trip.

How do you travel from Belfast to Scotland? [Glasgow or Edinburgh]

You can travel from Belfast to Scotland by ferry and coach or train, or by flying. Ferry routes are popular for travellers continuing a wider UK itinerary, particularly to Glasgow.

Is Belfast safe for visitors?

Yes. Belfast is generally safe for visitors, including solo travellers. As with any city, it’s sensible to stay aware of your surroundings and follow local advice, particularly at night.

Attractions and things to do in Belfast

Belfast offers a strong mix of cultural, historical and modern attractions, making it a great destination for a short city break or part of a wider Northern Ireland itinerary.

Highlights include Titanic Belfast, one of Northern Ireland’s top attractions located on the historic shipyard site, Belfast City Hall and the Titanic Memorial Garden, the Cathedral Quarter for pubs, live music and street art, and political murals and peace walls, best explored with a guide.

Many visitors choose to combine city sightseeing with a guided day tour like this one outside Belfast, which is an excellent way to see more of Northern Ireland without hiring a car.

Best tours in Belfast

Tours play a big role in making sense of Belfast and the surrounding area, particularly if you are short on time.

We recommend political black cab tours for insight into Belfast’s history, neighbourhoods and murals, hop-on hop-off bus tours for a relaxed introduction to the city, and day tours to the Antrim Coast covering highlights such as the Giant’s Causeway.

During our stay, we joined a full-day tour with McCombs Coaches, which took us along the Antrim Coast with stops at Carrickfergus Castle, the Dark Hedges and the Giant’s Causeway. It was well organised and a great way to see a lot in one day.

Day trips from Belfast

Belfast is an excellent base for exploring Northern Ireland. Popular and easy day trips include the Giant’s Causeway, Carrickfergus Castle, the Dark Hedges, Bushmills Distillery and coastal villages along the Antrim Coast.

These can be visited by organised tour or, if you are comfortable driving, as part of a self-drive itinerary.

We share exactly how we tackled this in our Belfast itinerary and podcast episode.

Where to eat and drink in Belfast

Belfast’s food scene has developed rapidly, with a mix of traditional pubs and modern restaurants across the city.

During our visit, we enjoyed a classic Sunday roast at The Bowery, which was a relaxed and welcoming spot to finish the trip. You will also find plenty of casual dining options around the Cathedral Quarter and St George’s Market, which is a great stop for local food and atmosphere.

Accommodation in Belfast

For first-time visitors, staying close to the city centre makes exploring Belfast much easier.

We stayed at the Hampton by Hilton Belfast City Centre, which was well located for sightseeing and public transport. It worked particularly well as a base for both city exploration and early starts for day tours.

Belfast offers a good range of accommodation options, from hotels to serviced apartments, and booking ahead is recommended during peak travel periods.

Travelling from Northern Ireland to Dublin, Glasgow and Edinburgh

Belfast is well connected to both the Republic of Ireland and mainland Great Britain.

Belfast to Dublin

Regular trains and coaches run daily, making onward travel between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland easy.

Belfast to Glasgow and Edinburgh

This journey is usually made by ferry, coach or train, or by air. We travelled from Belfast to Glasgow with Hannon Coaches and found it a straightforward and scenic way to continue our trip.

We talk through this journey in detail in Episode #124 of the UK Travel Planning Podcast.

Listen: Exploring Belfast A 3-day itinerary + travel tips

If you want a practical, real-world overview of visiting Belfast, Episode #124 of the UK Travel Planning Podcast walks through our full three-day itinerary.

In this episode, we cover travelling from Dublin to Belfast, using the hop-on hop-off bus, visiting Titanic Belfast, a full-day Antrim Coast tour, a political black cab tour, and travelling onwards from Belfast to Glasgow (and then onto London)

Listen here: Episode #124

Belfast Travel Guide for First-Time Visitors [What to See, Do + Plan]