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. Belfast deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

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 3Cs Social Club (43A Rosemary St) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Belfast.

When to visit Belfast

Belfast in February
Estimated hotel price
$160
1 night at 3-star hotel
Belfast in February
Estimated hotel price
$160
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 3 miles from the city centre. Further away is Belfast Intl Airport, 12 miles from the centre of Belfast.

Train

Located 0.5 miles from the city centre, Belfast Central Railway Station is the busiest station in Belfast. Another popular train station is Belfast Great Victoria Street, located 0.3 miles from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Belfast is to pick up a car hire from Edinburgh, which is about 142 miles from Belfast. You’ll find branches of GREEN MOTION and Hertz, among others, in Edinburgh.

Bus

The most popular bus station is Belfast Belfast Stena Terminal, located 3 miles from the city centre of Belfast. Belfast City Hall is also a commonly used station, and is 0.1 miles 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 3 miles from the city centre. Further away is Belfast Intl Airport, 12 miles from the centre of Belfast.

Train

Located 0.5 miles from the city centre, Belfast Central Railway Station is the busiest station in Belfast. Another popular train station is Belfast Great Victoria Street, located 0.3 miles from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Belfast is to pick up a car hire from Edinburgh, which is about 142 miles from Belfast. You’ll find branches of GREEN MOTION and Hertz, among others, in Edinburgh.

Bus

The most popular bus station is Belfast Belfast Stena Terminal, located 3 miles from the city centre of Belfast. Belfast City Hall is also a commonly used station, and is 0.1 miles from the city centre.

Airports near Belfast

Airlines serving Belfast

Lufthansa
Good (4,605 reviews)
KLM
Good (847 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,442 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,597 reviews)
Air France
Good (974 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,546 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,480 reviews)
Aer Lingus
Good (775 reviews)
Malaysia Airlines
Good (180 reviews)
easyJet
Good (1,447 reviews)
Japan Airlines
Excellent (958 reviews)
Qantas Airways
Good (538 reviews)
Ryanair
Good (3,449 reviews)
American Airlines
Good (5,773 reviews)
Virgin Atlantic
Good (515 reviews)
Kenya Airways
Good (152 reviews)
Jet2
Excellent (94 reviews)
Loganair
Excellent (14 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 $193 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $320 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Lagan Backpackers and Etap Belfast.

Where to stay in popular areas of Belfast

Most booked hotels in Belfast

Shelleven Guest House
4 stars
Excellent (9.2, Excellent reviews)
$153+
The Old Inn Crawfordsburn
4 stars
Excellent (9.1, Excellent reviews)
$321+
Europa Hotel
4 stars
Excellent (8.6, Excellent reviews)
$244+
Leonardo Hotel Belfast
4 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
$236+
Holiday Inn Belfast City Centre
4 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
$231+
Ramada by Wyndham Belfast City Centre
3 stars
Excellent (8, Excellent reviews)
$192+

Hiring a car in Belfast

Hiring a car in Belfast costs $73 per day, on average, or $146 if you want to hire it for 2 days.

You’re likely to save money by hiring your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 1% more expensive than at Belfast City.

Expect to pay $2.84 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 $33.98 and $45.31. The most frequently booked car type in Belfast is Compact (Ford Focus or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Standard car hire (Class Commercial Truck or similar) is, on average, 73% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Hiring a car in Belfast costs $73 per day, on average, or $146 if you want to hire it for 2 days.

You’re likely to save money by hiring your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 1% more expensive than at Belfast City.

Expect to pay $2.84 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 $33.98 and $45.31. The most frequently booked car type in Belfast is Compact (Ford Focus or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Standard car hire (Class Commercial Truck or similar) is, on average, 73% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.