IrishTourist.com

Your definitive guide to Ireland on the web

  • Places to Stay
    • Hotels
    • Bed and Breakfast
    • Guesthouses
    • Self-Catering
    • Hostels
    • Camping and Caravaning
  • Things to Do
    • Top Attractions
    • Museums and Galleries
    • Heritage Sites
    • Historic Buildings
    • Parks and Gardens
    • Theatres and Cinemas
    • Tourist Offices and Centres
    • Recreation
    • National Parks or Islands
    • Concert Venues
  • Eat and Drink
    • Cafés
    • Casual Restaurants
    • Chinese Restaurants
    • European Restaurants
    • International Cuisine
    • Irish Restaurants
    • Nightlife & Nightclubs
    • Pubs
    • Seafood Restaurants
  • Tours
    • Cultural and Theme Tours
    • Day Trips and Excursions
    • Food, Wine and Nightlife
    • Outdoor Activities
    • Tours and Sightseeing
    • Walking and Biking Tours
  • Events
    • Arts Events
    • Exhibitions
    • Festivals
    • Film Festivals
    • Literature and Literary Events
    • Music and Music Shows
  • Q&A
  • Tourist Info
    • General Visitor Information
    • Getting to and around Ireland
    • Airports in Ireland
    • County-by-County Local Transport Guide
    • Maps of Ireland
  • Destinations
    • Dublin City
    • Belfast City
    • Cork City
    • Galway City
    • Kerry
  • Trip Ideas
    • Self-Drive Tour Ideas and Suggestions
    • Self-Guided Walking Tours of Dublin
  • Car Hire
Home > United Kingdom > Co. Antrim > Belfast City > Destinations in Ireland > Co. Antrim > Belfast City

Belfast City Tourism Guide


Belfast is not just any city - politics, history and religion are inescapable parts of its fabric. For visitors it is compact, with relatively light traffic and conveniently located points of interest. The major central landmark is Donegall Square, surrounded by imposing remnants of the Victorian era. It is in the west of the city that the poverty shows and that (Protestant) Shankill Rd and (Catholic) Falls Rd run - Six O'Clock News names if ever there were. Separate taxi services run tourists around the two mural-lined precincts for around £10.

Donegall Square is dominated by the City Hall, a true example of muck-and-brass architecture. Also on the square is the Linen Hall Library, which houses a major Irish literary collection. The area north of High St is the oldest part of Belfast, and is known as the Entries. It was badly damaged by bombing during WWII, and today only a handful of pubs are left to reflect the character of the past. The River Lagan runs through Belfast, and the cranes of its shipyards still dominate the western skyline. Queen's Bridge, a lovely bridge with ornate lamps, is just one of those spanning the Lagan. The Crown Liquor Saloon displays Victorian architectural flamboyance at its most extravagant. As much a museum as hostelry, the Crown's exterior is covered in a million different tiles, while the interior is a mass of stained and cut glass, mosaics and mahogany furniture. It's impossible to get a seat, and even standing room is rare, but the Crown is well worth putting on your itinerary.

The Grand Opera House across the road is another of Belfast's great landmarks. It's been bombed several times, and at the moment has been restored in an abundance of purple satin. History and culture are on show at the Ulster Museum near the university; the collection includes items from the wrecked Spanish Armada of 1588. On the outskirts of Belfast are its splendidly located and well laid-out zoo; the Cave Hill Country Park; Belfast Castle, which dates in theory from the 12th century, but the existing structure was built in 1870; and Stormont, the former home of the Northern Ireland parliament, and now home to the Northern Ireland Secretary.

The bulk of Belfast's restaurants and accommodation cluster south of Donegall Square and along the inner-urban stretch known as the Golden Mile.

Map of Belfast City

No Records Found

Sorry, no records were found. Please adjust your search criteria and try again.

Google Map Not Loaded

Sorry, unable to load Google Maps API.

  • Places to Stay
  • Things to Do
  • Restaurants and Pubs
  • Events

Getting To and Around Belfast City

For information on getting to and around Co. Antrim, see our Co. Antrim Transport Guide.

Public Transport to and around Belfast City

400 Custom House Quay, stop 135271 Bus route operated by Dublin Coach
400 Glengall Street, stop 156091 Bus route operated by Dublin Coach

705-x Europa Buscentre Belfast Bus route operated by Aircoach
705-x The Gresham Hotel Bus route operated by Aircoach

X1 Busáras - Glengall Street Bus route operated by Bus Éireann
X1 Glengall Street - Busáras Bus route operated by Bus Éireann

931 Bus route operated by Patrick Gallagher

Public transport route information is Irish Public Sector Data licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence

Browse Places to Stay

  • Hotels 46
  • Guesthouses 12
  • Bed and Breakfast 9
  • Hostels 3

Browse Things to Do

  • Museums and Galleries 16
  • Top Attractions 13
  • Historic Buildings 11
  • Parks and Gardens 6
  • Tourist Offices and Centres 3
  • Churches 3
  • Concert Venues 3
  • Libraries 3
  • Theatres and Cinemas 2
  • Heritage Sites 1

Browse Places to Eat and Drink

  • European Restaurants 76
  • Irish Restaurants 45
  • Pubs 35
  • Indian Restaurants 22
  • Cafes 21
  • Casual Dining 21
  • American Restaurants 18
  • Chinese Restaurants 17
  • Bistro Restaurants 17
  • French Restaurants 14
  • Steak Restaurants 14
  • Italian Restaurants 12
  • Steak and Seafood Restaurants 11
  • Vegetarian Restaurants 11
  • Sunday Lunch 11
  • Pub Grub 11
  • Brunch Restaurants 10
  • English Restaurants 10
  • Seafood Restaurants 10
  • Fine Dining Restaurants 9
  • Delicatessens 9
  • Breakfast Restaurants 9
  • Asian Restaurants 9
  • Gastro Pubs 9
  • Cocktails 9
  • Fish Restaurants 8
  • Coeliac options 7
  • International Restaurants 7
  • Brasseries 7
  • Healthy Eating 7
  • Thai Restaurants 6
  • Wine Bars 6
  • Spanish Restaurants 6
  • Pizzerias 5
  • Mediterranean Restaurants 5
  • BYOB Restaurants 4
  • Nepalese Restaurants 4
  • Japanese Restaurants 4
  • Asian Fusion Restaurants 4
  • Tapas Restaurants 4
  • Fast Food Restaurants and Takeaways 3
  • Bakeries 3
  • Girls' Night Out 3
  • Traditional Irish Restaurants 3
  • Tex-Mex Restaurants 3
  • Greek Restaurants 2
  • Mexican Restaurants 2
  • Cookery Classes 2
  • Carveries 2
  • Pakistani Restaurants 2
  • Cheap Eats 2
  • Halal Restaurants 1
  • Indonesian Restaurants 1
  • Pan-European Restaurants 1
  • Korean Restaurants 1
  • Malaysian Restaurants 1
  • Lebanese Restaurants 1
  • Kids Menu 1
  • Sushi Restaurants 1
  • BBQ Restaurants 1
  • Vegan-friendly Restaurants 1
  • Argentinean Restaurants 1

Events in Belfast City

  • Balmoral Show Balmoral
  • Belfast Film Festival Belfast City
  • Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival Cathedral Quarter, (Venues near St. Anne's Cathedral)

Places to Stay in Belfast City, Co. Antrim

Find Places to Stay in Belfast City, Co. Antrim on Booking.com

Find a Place to Stay

Type:
Where?
Arrive:
Depart:
 

Search IrishTourist.com

Hotel and Accommodation Offers

Booking.com

Ireland Hotels and Accommodation

Ireland Hotels

Dublin Hotels

Cork Hotels

Kerry Hotels

Galway Hotels

Belfast Hotels

Places to Visit and Things to Do

Places to Visit in Ireland

Places to Visit in Dublin

Top Attractions in Ireland

Tours of Ireland

Latest Tweets

16 Jan: Announcing the launch of our new look for 2020: Check out IrishTourist.com

Follow IrishTourist.com

  @IrishTourist

  IrishTourist

© 1999-2021 IrishTourist.com, its partners and suppliers; except where otherwise noted
Privacy, Terms & Conditions - Contact Us - Ireland Hotels - Dublin Hotels - Appear on IrishTourist.com

Change Location
Find awesome listings near you!