2 days in Belfast: A complete two day Belfast Itinerary

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Are you planning a trip to Ireland this year and want to know how to spend 2 days in Belfast?

We have lived in both Belfast and Dublin over recent years but often think Belfast is sometimes unfairly overlooked in favour of Dublin by visitors. Belfast has a rich and unique history, easy access to the Causeway Coastal Route which is a must and a growing food & drink scene with some incredible restaurants & bars.

This two day Belfast itinerary will include everything from hotels in Belfast, where to eat & drink, the best tours/activities and things to do as a family if you are visiting with kids. We will also include some lesser know options to help you get an authentic feel for the city.

How to get around Belfast

Walking:

Belfast is a very walkable city and most of the major attractions are within a 20 minute walk of another. Belfast city centre is also very flat which makes it quite easy to navigate.

Public Transport:

In the city centre you can use the local bus network through the Ulsterbus bus/glider service. The central bus station is located next to the Europa hotel, a 5 minute walk from Belfast City Hall.

Belfast has recently opened a newly develop train station as well, which can help you take further journeys if you plan to spend time in Dublin for example.

Hop On/Hop Off Tour:

If it is your first time visiting the city, the easiest and most efficient way to get around is the Hop On/Hop Off tour of the city. These guided tours are a convenient way to get around without worrying about the logistics and you can pick and choose when and where you would like to go throughout your stay.

Is 2 days in Belfast enough time?

Belfast is a small city, two days in Belfast is enough time to get a complete feel for the city The 2 day Belfast itinerary we provide will focus on giving you a sense of the culture and history of the city, as well as fitting in some time to mix with the locals.

If you only have 2 days in Belfast, the things that we would definitely recommend doing are a Belfast Taxi Tour; a trip to the Titanic Exhibition Centre and exploring the food drink scene around the Cathedral Quarter. For first time visitors to Belfast who want to minimize logistical nightmares, the Belfast hop on/hop off tour is the easiest way to see Belfast in a day.

If you are planning to spend more than 2 days in Belfast, there are a number of things we would recommend doing. The main thing we would suggest in this area is to visit the Causeway Coastal Route. This stunning drive runs from Belfast to Derry and has incredible scenery along the way. For Game of Thrones fans, you can take this tour which includes stop offs at iconic filming spots such as the Dark Hedges.

Where to stay in Belfast

The advantage of being a small city means you have more scope when it comes to finding a hotel in Belfast. You don’t necessarily need to stay in the heart of the city centre to have easy access to it. Ideally, you will want to be within walking distance of the centre but some of the recommendations below are just a 10 minute taxi journey as well.

How to spend 2 days in Belfast

Morning – Neighbourhood & Belfast Taxi Tour

For breakfast, we are going to give you a coupe of options based on your preferences. Belfast has got a a fast growing food & drink scene and if you ask a local where to go for breakfast, you will almost certainly be pointed to one place – Neighbourhood.

Neighbourhood has queues running out on to the street almost every da of the week so get here early to avoid disappointment. We would really recommend their French Toast or Turkish eggs for a great breakfast.

For coffee lovers, we would really recommend visiting Nine Squared – a brand new coffee shop in the Printworks area. This place does great coffee and has a really nice atmosphere to get your day started.

However, if you’re feeling really immersive and want the full Belfast breakfast experience, you have two alternative options. Head over to St. George’s Market where you can get the artery clogging (but delicious) ‘Belfast Bap’ – a Brioche bun filled with bacon and sauce of your choice.

Or in a similar vain, the local delicacy of the ‘Ulster Fry’ – complete with egg, bacon, pork sausage, more variations of bread than you can count on one hand, beans, mushrooms and a cup of tea to wash it all down.

Okay, breakfast is over and if you did go for the Ulster Fry, the good news is the next part involves a lot of sitting down. To really understand Belfast, its history and remarkable progress as a city, a Belfast Taxi Tour is a great way to get perspective on the city. Belfast has a unique history, filled with division, conflict and ultimately, reconciliation.

The Peace Agreement that is only 25 years old is held up as a benchmark for post conflict resolution the world over. A Belfast Taxi Tour will give you a great insight into the history of this city from uniquely positioned hosts and is a truly eye opening experience.

Afternoon – Titanic Exhibition & Stormont Estate

For your afternoon, we have two alternative approaches depending on the nature of your visit. Option 2 is geared more towards families visiting with young kids. As we have a toddler ourselves, it would be remiss of us not to acknowledge the difficulty we often have in finding options to suit our child as well on city trips.

Option 1 – Titanic Exhibition Centre

Belfast is famous for its involvement in the construction of the world’s most renowned ship – the Titanic. The Titanic Tour allows you to get a unique insight into the history of the famous vessel – including stories from the Harland & Wolff shipyard, where the ship was designed and built in the early 1900’s.

After the Titanic Centre, head to Trademarket for a great casual lunch. Trademarket is an outdoor street food spot with flavours from all over the world meaning it caters well for every taste. Our personal recommendation would be either Bodega Bagels or else Pi Guy but you really can’t go wrong with anything here, especially for a more casual vibe.

Option 2 – Stormont Estate

Another place we would recommend is mainly geared towards visits in Autumn or if you are looking for something to do for families with young children. Stormont Estate is the political centre of N Ireland and while that may not fill you with excitement, if you are visiting during autumn, it is a beautiful place to go for a walk.

The tree lined drive up to the Government buildings are filled with fallen leaves during Autumn, making it a great place for a photo shoot. There is also a great play park here for children so this suggestion is centred around family days out in Belfast.

While you are in this area, we would highly recommend trying to get a slice of pizza from Flout! Flout has become globally renowned in recent years as producing one of Europe’s best pizzas and while the queue might be long, it is worth the wait. They don’t open for very long so make sure to plan ahead of time but the pizza here is AMAZING!!

Evening – Cathedral Quarter

For your evening, it’s time to experience the Belfast nightlife. The Cathedral Quarter is the night time entertainment hub of Belfast so your evening will finish here. Filled with great bars and restaurants, this place comes alive in the evenings and because it is so compact, everything is within short walking distance of each other.

To start your evening off, you have a few great options for dinner in Belfast. For fans of Italian food we would recommend Coppi; if you would prefer Asian fusion style try out the House of Zen and for a more classic feel try James Street South. One alternative suggestion we would also make is Jumon, an Asian fusion vegetarian restaurant that is absolutely packed with flavour.

For some traditional Irish music, we would suggest stopping off at either Kelly’s Cellars or Fibber Magee’s before taking a whistle stop tour of the bars in the Cathedral Quarter. In this area you will find The National, The Spaniard, The Dirty Onion, The Harp Bar, Thirsty Goat and The Duke of York so you will not be short of a great evening of entertainment to close out your day in Belfast.

After all that, if you are still a bit hungry or you skipped a meal, you could always grab a quick burger at Bunsen Burger. This place is in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter and does a great smash burger if you decided a sit down meal wasn’t for you.

Day 2 in Belfast

Morning – Breakfast and a hike up Cavehill

Day 2 in Belfast is going to start off with breakfast and a hike. For breakfast, we would recommend trying out The Pocket, which is right next to Victoria Square Shopping Centre and has a great menu. We would recommend trying the Green eggs or the golden foccacia.

After breakfast (or before if you want to catch a beautiful sunrise), get on your hiking boots for a walk up Cavehill. To get there, you can park at Belfast Castle and the entire loop will take around 1.5-2 hours. If you would prefer to do a shorter walk, you can also park further up the route closer to the top.

Alternatively, if you don’t have access to a car we would also suggest visiting Queen’s University and taking a walk around the University grounds. This is where Katie and I went to University and the building and surroundings are a beautiful place for photos. Just around the corner, you could also take a walk around the Belfast Botanic gardens as well.

Afternoon – Belfast Castle & Shopping

After you have changed out of your hiking boots, you can head back down the hill where you will find Belfast Castle nearby. The Castle provides beautiful view of the city as well and this is a nice place to relax for the afternoon, while you can also grab some lunch inside the castle itself.

The unique facade of the castle building again provides a beautiful location for some photos to capture memories of your visit to Belfast. If you are visiting with young children, Belfast Zoo is also nearby so this could also be worth adding to your afternoon itinerary.

After the castle, we would suggest making you way back to the City Centre where you can do some shopping at Victoria Square shopping centre before getting ready for dinner.

Evening – Shopping, Dinner & Drinks

For dinner, we would highly recommend trying out Edo, a European style tapas bar with a great range of options and a really sociable vibe to kick start your evening. f you would prefer to try out more local cuisine, we would recommend trying Roam, which is just a short walk away.

After dinner, if you want to mix things up a little bit, you could try taking a beer bike tour. As the name suggests, you are essentially pedalling a cart around the city while drinking beer and blasting loud music. This usually appeals to anyone visiting Belfast for stag/hen/group trip but can be a good way to meet some new people as well for some lighthearted fun.

Otherwise we would recommend going to Margot for a cocktail. This bar has recently been renovated and is right in the heart of the city, beside City Hall. This is a stylish bar, great for a date or for a nice cocktail before exploring the rest of the city nightlife.

Afterwards, we would suggest going to a traditional Irish pub for a Guinness – our suggestion would be Kelly’s Cellars and Whites Tavern. You could also check out Bittles, which is renowned for having a great Guinness…and a not so accommodating owner to anyone who does not want Guinness.