Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann
1–8 Aug 2027 · Belfast
The world's largest celebration of Irish traditional music returns to Belfast for a second year. Competitions by day, and a session in every pub by night.
Belfast
Shipbuilding and linen built this city, and its Victorian and Edwardian streets still tell that story. Belfast stands on the River Lagan and is Northern Ireland's capital.
Best sites to see in Belfast
Titanic Belfast
A major museum on the site of the Harland and Wolff shipyard where RMS Titanic was built, covering Belfast's maritime and industrial story and the ship itself. The building stands beside the Titanic Slipways and the restored tender SS Nomadic.
Belfast City Hall
The civic building in Donegall Square, opened in 1906, with a copper dome, memorial gardens and free exhibitions inside. Guided tours run on a regular schedule.
Ulster Museum and Botanic Gardens
The Ulster Museum in the leafy Botanic Gardens covers Irish art, history and natural science, next to the Victorian Palm House and Tropical Ravine.
St George's Market
A covered Victorian market hall, built in the 1890s, trading food, crafts and antiques, and one of the city's best-known weekend destinations.
Where to stand, and when
- Titanic Belfast and the Titanic Quarter waterfront: Photograph the aluminium-clad building in morning light, then walk to the slipways for a wider harbour view.
- Cave Hill and Belfast Castle grounds: On a clear late afternoon, the paths above the castle give a panorama over the city and Belfast Lough.
- City Hall in Donegall Square: Evening light warms the stone facade; the memorial gardens work well for a closer, quieter frame.
Belfast through history
Belfast grew at the mouth of the River Lagan, and its Irish name, Beal Feirste, refers to the mouth of the River Farset.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries Belfast became a major centre for linen production and shipbuilding; Harland and Wolff built RMS Titanic here, launched in 1911.
Belfast became the capital of Northern Ireland when Northern Ireland was established in 1921.
The shipyards, linen mills and engineering works drew workers from across Ireland and shaped the city's Victorian and Edwardian streetscape.
Practical tips
- Book Titanic Belfast ahead at busy times, especially at weekends and in summer.
- The city centre, Cathedral Quarter and Titanic Quarter are walkable, with the Glider and Metro buses useful for longer hops.
- St George's Market is busiest at weekends, so go early in the day for the full choice of stalls and easier photographs.
Where we would stay in Belfast
Church Lane, Belfast
Hotel in Belfast
Bullitt Hotel, Belfast
Bullitt is a smart, no fuss city hotel on Church Lane, right in the middle of Belfast, built around good beds, good coffee and an easygoing bar. There is a rooftop restaurant, Tetto, and a cocktail bar, Rattlebag, for the evening, and the Cathedral Quarter is on your doorstep for trad sessions and small galleries. Google reviewers rate it 4.5 from over 500 reviews, and its prices sit in the moderate band rather than the luxury end. For a first Belfast stay, central and characterful beats grand and formal every time.
Best for: First-time visitors who want the Cathedral Quarter on the doorstep. It is an urban boutique with compact rooms built around the bed and the bar, not a grand formal hotel.
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What's on
What we would choose ourselves
The Giant's Causeway, County Antrim
Northern Ireland tours
Dunluce Castle, Giant's Causeway, Dark Hedges and Belfast (Finn McCools Tours)
The north in a day, without hiring a car or working out the border crossing, because there is not one to work out. The coach leaves Parnell Square at a quarter to seven and heads up the coast: a photo stop at Dunluce Castle, an hour and a half on the stones of the Giant's Causeway, twenty minutes under the Dark Hedges, and an hour in Belfast to finish. It carries Viator's Badge of Excellence, a 4.9 rating from nearly 5,900 reviews, from US$91.65 a head, and free cancellation to the day before.
Best for: A first run at the Causeway coast without driving. It starts at a quarter to seven in the morning and runs twelve and a half hours, and the operator does not recommend it for small children.
Some links on this page are partner links. If you buy through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It helps keep this site free, and we only list places and trips we would choose ourselves.