Small but mighty Northern Ireland packs in plenty of impressive sights, Celtic culture, cuisine, tradition and history into 32,595 square miles. From museums to festivals and fine dining experiences, this destination offers an activity for every age and a flavour for every palette.
Click or scroll through the gallery to discover our guide to the unmissable highlights of Northern Ireland, with a focus on activities for city break lovers...
Located on the very spot where the ill-fated ship was designed, built and launched, Titanic Belfast is a world-leading tourist attraction which takes visitors on an immersive journey from the bustling boomtown of early 19th century Belfast, through the conception and construction of the RMS Titanic. You'll also learn what life was like on board the completed ship and within the cabins of various classes, and finally the story culminates in the tragic sinking and devastating aftermath, with one of the largest collections of salvaged artefacts in the world.
The museum is designed for guests of all ages, with plenty of interactive elements to engage young children, and a wealth of information presented through multimedia exhibits. There’s even a short, fairground-style ride which takes passengers through the sights, sounds and smells of the shipyard as it would have been during the Titanic’s construction. Also in the vicinity and worth exploring are the SS Nomadic, the Titanic’s tender ship and the last remaining White Star Liner vessel in the world; the slipways where the ship was actually constructed; and the former Harland & Wolff headquarters where the Titanic was designed – and which is now the Titanic Hotel Belfast.
While exploring Belfast’s rapidly developing 10-km (six-mile) Maritime Mile along the waterfront, you’ll want to stop by the Titanic Distillers, a new distillery based out of a former pumphouse that once serviced the Titanic, as well as many other ships. Distillery tours take visitors on a journey through the building’s history, from its original use – as a pumphouse, it was the last spot where Titanic rested on dry ground before she set sail – to its restoration and renovation into the distillery, including an explanation of the whiskey making process.
Love this? Follow our Facebook page for more travel inspiration
The tour ends with a tasting, allowing guests to sample their Irish Whisky and award-winning Irish vodka, distilled on site. The tour is a must-do for history and whiskey-lovers alike, the perfect way to immerse yourself in Belfast’s maritime past while enjoying some of its very best contemporary spirits. There is also a fantastic gift shop if you want to bring some Titanic-branded beverages back home.
If you’re looking for an outdoor experience near Belfast that doesn’t require elite outdoorsman skills, then a hike up Cave Hill is the perfect excursion, with the added benefit that the trails are within easy walking distance of the city centre. The hike starts at the beautiful Belfast Castle, a late 19th century mansion built in the Scottish baronial style popular at the time and situated on a promontory overlooking the city. From here, hikers can choose one of several routes of varying lengths, depending on how ambitious they’re feeling.
Any hike here should include a visit to McArt's Fort, known by locals as ‘the nose’ or ‘Napoleon’s Nose.’ This promontory sits 1,207 feet (368m) above sea level and is said to resemble the profile of the French emperor Napoleon I. Napoleon’s Nose is also said to have inspired the giant in Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. This summit will provide breathtaking views out across the city, while the entire journey up the hill is punctuated with beautiful vistas of rolling farmland, leafy pastures and the occasional herd of cows.
If you’re keen to sample more of the flavours of Belfast, you should check out the variety of experiences offered by Taste & Tour, a company which specialises in various walking tours based around the city’s culinary highlights. The tours are an excellent way to see the city, while providing the low-down on the best places to eat and drink from a knowledgeable guide.
Great tour options from Taste & Tour include the Belfast Food Tour, the Belfast Gin Jaunt, the City Cocktail Circuit and the 5 Stop Brunch. Whichever tour you choose, the company ethos remains the same – highlighting local traditions and businesses, showcasing the very best of Northern Ireland’s flavours and generally creating an atmosphere of a big, portable party. We tried the City Cocktail Circuit and loved getting to sample a wide variety of artisanal drinks in locations ranging from the sumptuous and historic Merchant Hotel to a quirky underground speakeasy. And, if the thought of so many beverages in a concentrated time causes concern, don’t worry: there are plenty of tasty snacks included along the way!
Moving away from Belfast and into County Tyrone (around 1 hour 20 from Belfast by car), you’ll find another activity that’s perfect for the whole family – the Ulster American Folk Park. Popular with international tourists as well as locals, this living history museum recreates rural Irish life in the 18th century and charts the Irish immigrant’s journey from County Tyrone across the Atlantic to the American frontier. Throughout the museum’s collection of authentic 18th and 19th century buildings, costumed interpreters perform daily chores and regale guests with stories from the past.
Visitors will start in a traditional Ulster village, moving along the bustling high street from the blacksmiths to the schoolhouse, and then board the recreated ‘Brig Union ship,’ experiencing the cramped quarters and squalid conditions that immigrants endured for the 12-week journey to the US. They will then emerge in the vibrant New World and discover how Irish immigrants built new lives and communities in settlements as wide ranging as West Virginia, Tennessee and Pennsylvania. The Ulster American Folk Park also offers a range of seasonal events and workshops, particularly around the holidays.
Well into their third generation of farmers, the McKeever’s of Long Meadow Cider is a family farm situated in County Armagh, which has long been dedicated to the production of Bramley apples. The McKeevers turn the tasty fruit into award-winning juices, ciders and apple cider vinegars, with tried and tested methods that have been passed down from generation to generation.
The best way to experience all that Long Meadow has to offer is with a tour, which includes a walk through the aromatic orchard, a peek into the apple pressing and bottling room and the cold storage facilities (with the chance to try both a piece of fruit and shot of apple cider vinegar), and a fabulous finish in the glass-fronted barn overlooking the orchard with a cup of hot coffee and a piece of freshly made apple tart and cream. There is also the option to enjoy a cooking demonstration and tasting of Irish soda bread. And of course, all tours include a tasting of the various juices and ciders produced on site.
In the historic walled city of Derry/Londonderry, you’ll have the chance to experience all that the inaugural UK City of Culture has to offer. The best way to do this is to take a tour of the city walls themselves. Join a City Walking Tour for an engaging, unbiased journey through Derry/Londonderry's history, from its Christian settlement in the 6th century, up through the Troubles including Bloody Sunday, to its current reputation as a seat of music, hospitality and peace.
City Walking Tours take in exciting highlights, including the siege cannons still mounted on the city walls, St Columb’s Cathedral, and the Bogside murals, painted on the sides of buildings by local artists, which depict poignant moments from the Troubles. Plus, for fans of the hit Channel 4 TV series Derry Girls, there are quite a few familiar landmarks and references sprinkled in along the way…
In fact, there are plenty of opportunities for Derry Girls fans to immerse themselves in the world of these iconic characters while visiting the city. Perhaps the biggest attraction is the Derry Girls mural, painted by UV Arts in 2019 to honour the show’s impact on the city. The mural is a fantastic photo opp for Derry Girls fans of all ages.
There is also a fantastic Derry Girls Experience in the Tower Museum, located in the heart of the city. Here, visitors can see sets, costumes and props used on the hit TV series, as well as watch interviews with its cast and creator Lisa McGee, as they find out more about the production process. If all this walking has tired you out, you can always stop by Doherty’s Home Bakery for a cream horn pick-me-up in honour of the show's Granda Joe!
The best way to end a day in Derry/Londonderry is within the warm and welcoming confines of the Walled City Brewery. Here, the self-proclaimed “expert hipster brewers” will take you on a tour of the facilities, letting you taste the different grains used, showing you the equipment for the brewing process and explaining the history of the brewery itself, which originally opened in 1872. At the end of the tour comes the highlight – the opportunity to pull your own pint of choice, straight from the keg.
The Walled City Brewery also boasts an impressive onsite restaurant, with a menu inspired by local produce and flavours and featuring everything from steak and chips and pork fillet to gluten-free, veggie and vegan options. The restaurant is family friendly and makes an excellent spot to kick back and relax with a pint after a day of exploring, or in preparation for a night of festivities…
If you’re lucky enough to visit Derry/Londonderry at the end of October, you’ll find yourself immersed in Derry Halloween, Europe’s largest Halloween festival (taking place 28-31 October 2024). Steeped in centuries of Celtic tradition, the festival celebrates the end of the harvest season and the coming of winter or, in slightly darker lore, the moment when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is at its thinnest. While our modern Halloween traditions may have come a long way from these early Gaelic precursors, the spirit of Samhain is still alive and well in Derry.
In a rollicking marriage of old and new traditions, Derry Halloween turns the entire walled city into one enormous party, with music, dancers, acrobats, storytellers, fire artists and live performances of every kind. The festival runs for about a week leading up to the main event – an enormous parade and fireworks display that caps off the festivities. Hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world flood the city for this special event every year, all dressed to impress in their finest (or fiercest!) festive attire.
Now discover Ireland's most beautiful small towns and villages