Belfast travel guide
Tours, attractions, events and places to stay, picked by people who know the city.
Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland, a Victorian shipbuilding city on the River Lagan where Titanic was built. Its compact centre runs from City Hall to the Cathedral Quarter's pubs and the waterfront Titanic Quarter, while the murals of west Belfast and the hills of Cave Hill are a short bus ride away. The Giant's Causeway and the Game of Thrones Studio Tour make easy day trips.
- Currency
- Pound sterling (£)
- Main airport
- Belfast International (BFS); George Best Belfast City (BHD) is closer
- Time zone
- GMT, BST in summer
- Paying for transport
- Contactless on Metro buses, capped at £4 a day
Most-booked tours
Ratings and prices from verified bookings.
ViatorA History of Terror - Belfast City Centre Walking Tour
2.5 hoursFrom £26
ViatorGiants Causeway Sightseeing Day Tour from Belfast
9.5 hoursFrom £35
ViatorBelfast: McConnell's - Belfast's Newest Distillery Experience
1 hourFrom £16
ViatorCab Tours Belfast Famous Black Taxi Tours
1 hourFrom £72.23
ViatorFamous 1.5 hour Belfast Murals Tour
1.5 hoursFrom £50
ViatorBelfast Troubles Tour: Walls and Bridges
2.7 hoursFrom £24
ViatorGame of Thrones and Giant's Causeway Full-Day Tour from Belfast
9.5 hoursFrom £35
ViatorBelfast Centre Food Tour of 12 Local Irish Dishes and Drinks
3 hoursFrom £89.99
Day trips from BelfastGiant's Causeway, Game of Thrones Studio Tour, Banbridge, The Dark Hedges and moreTop attractions
The sights most visitors build a trip around.
Titanic Belfast
Titanic's story on the slipways where she was built, plus SS Nomadic
Tickets from £26.95Belfast City HallFree
Free: the building and grounds, with £6 guided tours of the council rooms
Giant’s Causeway
Basalt columns on the Antrim coast; walking to the stones is free
Crumlin Road Gaol
A Victorian prison, used until 1996, on a self-guided tour
Tickets from £18.50Ulster MuseumFree
Free: art, Egypt, dinosaurs and the Troubles in Botanic Gardens
St George’s MarketFree
Free: Victorian market hall with food and crafts, Friday to Sunday
More attraction tickets
Tickets via Tiqets. Prices checked at each build.
What's on
Tickets via Ticketmaster and Tiqets. Updated nightly.
Where to stay
Pick a neighbourhood first. Each one suits a different kind of trip.
City Centre
City Hall, the main shopping streets and Grand Central Station for airport buses and trains · 15 places we rate
Cathedral Quarter
Cobbled lanes of pubs, live music and restaurants around St Anne's Cathedral · 9 places we rate
Titanic Quarter
Titanic Belfast, SS Nomadic and the waterfront, with the Glider into town · 5 places we rate
Queen’s Quarter
Quieter streets near Queen's University, the Ulster Museum and Botanic Gardens
Local guides
Plans and tips for getting the most out of Belfast.
Christmas in Belfast 2026
The City Hall Christmas Market, a twilight market at St George’s, Father Christmas at Titanic Belfast and the Grand Opera House panto: Belfast’s 2026 festive dates.
Read the guide · 5 minFirst time in Belfast: a 2-day itinerary
Two days in Belfast: City Hall, the Cathedral Quarter and Titanic Belfast on day one, then Crumlin Road Gaol, the murals and the Ulster Museum on day two.
Read the guide · 5 minFree things to do in Belfast
A free national museum, Victorian glasshouses, City Hall, Stormont tours, Cave Hill and the murals of west Belfast: the best of Belfast without a ticket.
Read the guide · 5 minGame of Thrones in Belfast and Northern Ireland
How to visit the Game of Thrones Studio Tour in Banbridge, the Dark Hedges and the Causeway Coast filming locations from Belfast, with prices and transport.
Read the guide · 5 minDay trips from Belfast
Easy days out by train or coach.
Getting around
Buses and fares
Translink runs the city's buses: Metro buses on routes fanning out from the city centre, and the Glider, a rapid bus that links east and west Belfast and the Titanic Quarter with the centre. On Metro buses you can tap a contactless card or phone on the driver's ticket machine: the first journey of the day costs £2.30, the second £1.70, and further journeys that day are free, with the daily price capped at £4. Use the same card for every journey. Translink's mLink app sells an adult Metro and Glider day ticket for £4, which also covers the Glider, and dayLink smartcards can be loaded with day tickets. On the Glider, buy a ticket from the machine at the halt or use the app.
Trains
Belfast Grand Central Station is the city's main bus and rail terminus. It opened for buses in September 2024 and for trains on 13 October 2024, replacing Great Victoria Street, and it is where the Enterprise to Dublin starts. NI Railways trains run to Coleraine (for the Giant's Causeway), Bangor (via Cultra for the Ulster Folk Museum), Larne and Portadown. Lanyon Place station is on the east side of the centre, and Titanic Quarter station is about 15 minutes' walk from Titanic Belfast. You can buy train tickets with contactless at ticket offices, machines or from the conductor.
Walking
The centre is compact. City Hall, the shopping streets, the Cathedral Quarter and St George's Market are all within walking distance of each other. Titanic Belfast is 2.4km from the city centre, a walk of 25 to 30 minutes along the river, and HMS Caroline about 30 minutes from the Big Fish along the Maritime Mile. Crumlin Road Gaol is 1.7km from the centre.
Airport transfers
From Belfast International Airport, the Airport Express 300 runs seven days a week to Belfast Grand Central Station, every 15 minutes at peak times on weekdays; the journey takes about 40 minutes. From George Best Belfast City Airport, the Airport Express 600 leaves from the front of the terminal every 20 minutes at peak times and reaches Grand Central in around 10 minutes. You can also walk to Sydenham rail halt along the Sydenham Bypass and take the train into Lanyon Place or Grand Central, but the station has a footbridge with steps.
Compare Belfast airport transfers and book ahead →
Taxis
George Best Belfast City Airport is a 10 to 15 minute drive from City Hall, and Belfast International Airport 20 to 30 minutes. Both airports have taxis, and Titanic Belfast has its own taxi drop-off and pick-up point.