Best things to do in Belfast, including free and rainy-day options

Belfast splits into four clusters: the Titanic Quarter east of the river, the city-centre streets around City Hall and the Cathedral Quarter, the museum and Botanic area south of Queen's, and west Belfast with the murals and peace walls. Most visitors can walk between the first three; west Belfast is a short bus or taxi ride.

If you have one full day, do Titanic Belfast in the morning and a Black Taxi Tour in the afternoon. With two days, add Ulster Museum, Botanic Gardens and St George's Market. A third day is best spent outside the city on the Causeway Coast.

Titanic Belfast sits in the old shipyard, on the slipway where the ship was built. The building is the exhibition: nine galleries over several floors covering the design, the launch, the sinking and the aftermath. Allow two to three hours. Book a timed slot online in summer; walk-up queues are long on wet weekends.

A Black Taxi Tour is the standard way to see the murals and the peace walls in west Belfast. Drivers are usually local and give a first-hand account of the Troubles; tours last about 90 minutes and are priced per taxi, not per person, so four people travelling together pay the same as one. Agree the route and price before you set off.

Ulster Museum in Botanic Gardens holds the region's main collections: archaeology, art, natural history and the Troubles gallery. Entry is free. Next door, the Botanic Gardens and the Palm House are also free and make a good half-day with the museum.

St George's Market, near the river in the city centre, runs on weekends and is part market, part food hall. Come Saturday morning for the fullest version. The Cathedral Quarter, a few minutes' walk north, has the bars and the painted entries; it is the evening district rather than a daytime sight.

Crumlin Road Gaol, north of the centre, is a former prison turned visitor attraction with guided tours. City Hall offers free guided tours of the building on a first-come basis; check times on arrival. For a longer day out, the Ulster Folk Museum at Cultra shows reconstructed buildings and rural life, about 20 minutes by train towards Bangor.

Belfast is cheaper than London or Dublin. The main paid sights are Titanic Belfast and a Black Taxi Tour; almost everything else on this page is free or low cost. Prices below are 2026 estimates and should be confirmed before booking.

Rain is the main planning risk. Keep one indoor option in reserve each day: Titanic Belfast, Ulster Museum or Crumlin Road Gaol all work. Bring a waterproof layer rather than an umbrella; the wind in the city centre and along the river makes umbrellas awkward.

Book Titanic Belfast and any Causeway Coast tour ahead in July and August. Black Taxi Tours can usually be arranged the same day at the taxi ranks near City Hall, but booking ahead is safer at weekends.

West Belfast murals are in a residential area. Go with a guide or a taxi rather than wandering alone, and be aware that some walls are still politically sensitive. The city centre itself is compact and easy to walk day and night.

The Causeway Coast is the classic day out: the Giant's Causeway, the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge and the coastal road north. Organised coach tours run from the city centre and take a full day; doing it by public transport is possible but slow, and a car gives the most freedom.

Closer options include the Ulster Folk Museum at Cultra, about 20 minutes by train, and Bangor on the coast for a half-day. Ballycastle and Larne are both on the coast and work as bases if you want to stay overnight rather than rush back.