Belfast travel guide

Belfast Tourism | Belfast Guide

You're Going to Love Belfast

With a population of 274.770, Belfast is the largest city in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom by the number of inhabitants. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. We recommend you stay at least 4 days in order to fully appreciate everything Belfast has to offer.

Activities & attractions in Belfast

Where to Eat in Belfast

City Centre is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Belfast. These include popular favourites such as Nico's Pizzeria Restaurant (54 Lisburn Rd), Bank Square Brasserie (56-58 Berry Street) and Jumon Belfast (Unit 6 McAuley House Fountain Street). If you’re looking for affordable options, Coppi (Unit 2 Saint Anne's Square) and 2Taps Winebar (Cotton Court 30-42 Waring St) are great picks. For delicious green meals, The Bowery (701-703 Lisburn Road) and Margot (18 Donegall Square East) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Belfast.

When to visit Belfast

Belfast in February
Estimated hotel price
€111
1 night at 3-star hotel
Belfast in February
Estimated hotel price
€111
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Belfast in July, when the average temperature is 16 °C, and the highest can go up to 20 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 2 °C, with an average temperature of 5 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in October, when precipitation is around 90 mm. In contrast, April is usually the driest month of the year in Belfast, with an average rainfall of 50 mm.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Belfast

Plane

Belfast is served by 2 airports: Belfast City Airport (BHD) and Belfast Intl Airport (BFS). The closest to the city centre of Belfast is Belfast City Airport, which is located 4 km from the city centre. Further away is Belfast Intl Airport, 20 km from the centre of Belfast.

Train

Located 0.8 km from the city centre, Belfast Central Railway Station is the busiest station in Belfast. Another popular train station is Belfast Great Victoria Street, located 0.5 km from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Belfast is to pick up a car hire from Edinburgh, which is about 229 km from Belfast. You’ll find branches of INTERRENT and GREEN MOTION , among others, in Edinburgh.

Bus

The most popular bus station is Belfast Belfast Stena Terminal, located 5 km from the city centre of Belfast. Belfast Albert Quay is also a commonly used station, and is 1.9 km from the city centre.

Plane

Belfast is served by 2 airports: Belfast City Airport (BHD) and Belfast Intl Airport (BFS). The closest to the city centre of Belfast is Belfast City Airport, which is located 4 km from the city centre. Further away is Belfast Intl Airport, 20 km from the centre of Belfast.

Train

Located 0.8 km from the city centre, Belfast Central Railway Station is the busiest station in Belfast. Another popular train station is Belfast Great Victoria Street, located 0.5 km from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Belfast is to pick up a car hire from Edinburgh, which is about 229 km from Belfast. You’ll find branches of INTERRENT and GREEN MOTION , among others, in Edinburgh.

Bus

The most popular bus station is Belfast Belfast Stena Terminal, located 5 km from the city centre of Belfast. Belfast Albert Quay is also a commonly used station, and is 1.9 km from the city centre.

Airports near Belfast

Airlines serving Belfast

Lufthansa
Good (4,035 reviews)
KLM
Good (756 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,499 reviews)
British Airways
Good (3,812 reviews)
Air France
Good (897 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,407 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,475 reviews)
Malaysia Airlines
Good (149 reviews)
Ryanair
Good (3,400 reviews)
Japan Airlines
Excellent (888 reviews)
Aer Lingus
Good (755 reviews)
easyJet
Good (1,379 reviews)
Qantas Airways
Good (457 reviews)
American Airlines
Good (5,584 reviews)
Virgin Atlantic
Good (534 reviews)
Kenya Airways
Good (125 reviews)
Jet2
Excellent (77 reviews)
Loganair
Excellent (13 reviews)
Neos Air
Excellent (33 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Belfast

From 5-star hotels such as the The Fitzwilliam Hotel Belfast to great affordable options like the Hampton by Hilton Belfast City Centre, Belfast offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around €100 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to €177 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Lagan Backpackers and Paddy's Palace Belfast. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Belfast, with prices from €8 to €1,513 per night. City Centre is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Belfast are about 1% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.

Where to stay in popular areas of Belfast

Most booked hotels in Belfast

The Fitzwilliam Hotel Belfast
Excellent (9, Excellent reviews)
€163+
Europa Hotel
Excellent (8.6, Excellent reviews)
€99+
Holiday Inn Belfast City Centre
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
€86+
Leonardo Hotel Belfast
Excellent (8.1, Excellent reviews)
€82+
Ramada by Wyndham Belfast City Centre
Excellent (8, Excellent reviews)
€76+
Etap Belfast
Good (7.2, Good reviews)
€61+

Hiring a car in Belfast

Hiring a car in Belfast costs €38 per day, on average, or €150 if you want to hire it for 4 days. Budget, Sixt and Hertz are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to hire a car in Belfast is the Budget branch at Belfast International Airport, which is 20 km from the city centre.

You’re likely to save money by hiring your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 53% more expensive than at Belfast City.

Expect to pay €1.74 per litre in Belfast (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between €20.79 and €27.72. The most frequently booked car type in Belfast is Mini (Kia Picanto or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact car hire (Ford Focus Sedan or similar) is, on average, 77% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Hiring a car in Belfast costs €38 per day, on average, or €150 if you want to hire it for 4 days. Budget, Sixt and Hertz are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to hire a car in Belfast is the Budget branch at Belfast International Airport, which is 20 km from the city centre.

You’re likely to save money by hiring your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 53% more expensive than at Belfast City.

Expect to pay €1.74 per litre in Belfast (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between €20.79 and €27.72. The most frequently booked car type in Belfast is Mini (Kia Picanto or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact car hire (Ford Focus Sedan or similar) is, on average, 77% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.