Titanic Belfast, the Causeway Coast, a walled city and lakeland in a compact part of the UK
Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, in the north-east of the island of Ireland, and shares an open border with the Republic of Ireland, which is a separate country. Belfast, the capital, has Titanic Belfast on the site of the shipyard where the Titanic was built, Victorian civic buildings around Donegall Square and the narrow alleys of the Cathedral Quarter. The Causeway Coast to the north has the Giant's Causeway, Dunluce Castle and the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge.
Derry~Londonderry in the north-west has seventeenth-century walls and museums covering the civil rights era and the 1689 siege. To the south, the Mourne Mountains rise behind the seaside town of Newcastle, and the Fermanagh Lakelands around Enniskillen have island monasteries, National Trust houses and limestone caves. This guide covers places in Northern Ireland only.
Areas
Each area has its own mini guide with 88 sights, places to eat and drink, and where to stay across the city.
Civic landmarks, historic pubs and the alleys of the Cathedral Quarter
Open the mini guide →
Shipyard heritage on the Lagan, then C. S. Lewis, Stormont and east Belfast high streets
Open the mini guide →
Basalt columns, ruined castles and sea cliffs between Portrush and Ballycastle
Open the mini guide →
A walled city on the River Foyle with museums, cathedrals and a footbridge across the water
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Granite mountains, forest parks and a seaside town at the foot of Slieve Donard
Open the mini guide →
Lough Erne islands, National Trust houses and limestone caves around Enniskillen
Open the mini guide →Sights
A sight from each area. Every area guide lists the rest, with directions and official links.
Grade A listed civic building in Donegall Square, home of Belfast City Council.
Visitor attraction on the former Harland & Wolff shipyard site, opened in 2012, telling the story of the Titanic and her sister ships.
About 40,000 interlocking basalt columns on the north coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986.
Seventeenth-century walls built between 1613 and 1619 around the old city, which Visit Derry describes as completely intact.
Highest mountain in Northern Ireland and Ulster at 850 metres, rising behind Newcastle.
Sixteenth-century castle on the River Erne that houses the Fermanagh County Museum and the Inniskillings Museum.
Romanesque-style Anglican cathedral on Donegall Street that serves two dioceses and anchors the Cathedral Quarter.
Former White Star Line tender launched in 1911, the last surviving White Star Line vessel, now on display in Hamilton Dock.
1 / 12Animal attractions, railways, science centres, beaches and caves from our Northern Ireland guide, grouped by type. We hold no age ratings or child prices: check each place’s own site for age limits, height rules and family tickets.
SS NomadicHistoric ship, Titanic Quarter & East Belfast
W5Science centre, Titanic Quarter & East Belfast
Belleek PotteryPottery and visitor centre, Fermanagh Lakelands
White Park BayBeach, The Causeway Coast
Portstewart StrandBeach, The Causeway Coast
Newcastle seafrontPromenade and beach, The Mournes & Newcastle
Marble Arch CavesShow caves, Fermanagh LakelandsPractical help: travelling with children and where to stay in Northern Ireland.
Theatre
7 theatres and performance venues across 2 areas: see where each one is, how to get there and where to find what is on.
Filter 7 venues by area, type of show and step-free access.
Open the directory →One link to each venue's own programme page, plus seasonal highlights.
See what's on →An 1895 theatre on Great Victoria Street with a main auditorium and a studio, programming touring musicals, plays and dance shows.
Venue page →Itineraries
Short routes that stitch the areas together.
Getting there
Northern Ireland has two airports for Belfast, a regional airport at Derry~Londonderry, ferry ports at Belfast and Larne, and a rail and bus network run by Translink. Always check the operator for current times, fares and disruption.
Belfast International Airport is about 13 miles north-west of Belfast, and George Best Belfast City Airport is beside Belfast Harbour, about three miles from the centre, according to Wikipedia. City of Derry Airport serves the north-west. Translink's airport services page lists coach services to the two Belfast airports.
Belfast Grand Central is an integrated rail and bus station in the city centre, and Lanyon Place station has trains to Derry~Londonderry, Bangor and Larne. Translink also sells tickets for the Enterprise train to Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland.
Stena Line lists sailings between Cairnryan and Belfast and between Liverpool and Belfast. P&O Ferries lists Cairnryan to Larne. Check each operator for timetables.
Journey times and fares are not published here; use the operators' own sites.
Translink runs buses and trains across Northern Ireland. Its site has journey planning, timetables and travel updates.
Glider is a bus rapid transit service run by Translink. Route G1 links west and east Belfast and route G2 links the city centre with the Titanic Quarter.
Translink's site lists contactless payment, travel cards and a Belfast Visitor Pass. Check which suits your trip before you buy.
Many of the sights on the Causeway Coast, in the Mournes and around Lough Erne are some distance from stations. A car, or a tour from Belfast, is the easiest way to reach them.
Translink (Metro, Glider, iLink)
Translink (Northern Ireland’s buses and trains).Translink runs buses and trains in Northern Ireland. It says contactless payment is available on board its buses, and that on Glider services you buy a ticket from the machine at the halt before boarding (cash or card).Translink tickets (opens in new tab)
Best time to go
Northern Ireland's weather changes quickly in every season, so pack a waterproof whenever you go. Opening times at castles, boats and National Trust sites can vary by season, so check each site before travelling.
A good time for coastal walks and gardens as the days lengthen. Some seasonal attractions begin to open.
The longest days for the coast, mountains and lakes. Popular sights such as the Giant's Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede are busiest in school holidays.
Quieter at the main sights, with changing colours in the forest parks. Check ferry and attraction hours as the season ends.
Short days and some reduced opening hours. Belfast and Derry~Londonderry have indoor museums, theatres and pubs.
Day trips
Ideas for a day away from Northern Ireland. Check the operators for times and tickets.
A city with two cathedrals named after Saint Patrick, Georgian architecture and an observatory founded in 1790.
visitarmagh.com →
A nineteenth-century house and garden on the shore of Strangford Lough, cared for by the National Trust.
nationaltrust.org.uk →
An eighteenth-century mansion on Strangford Lough, used as a Game of Thrones location, cared for by the National Trust.
nationaltrust.org.uk →
Museum at Cultra, about 11 km east of Belfast, illustrating the way of life and traditions of people in Northern Ireland.
nationalmuseumsni.org →FAQ
Three to four days covers Belfast and the Causeway Coast at an easy pace. Add a day for Derry~Londonderry and another for the Mournes or Fermanagh.
Yes. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom and shares an open border with the Republic of Ireland, which is a separate country.
Some visitors who do not need a visa need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) for the UK, including when they arrive from the Republic of Ireland. GOV.UK says people who live in Ireland and travel from Ireland do not need one (those aged 16 or over must carry an accepted Irish document), and British and Irish citizens do not need one. Check GOV.UK for the rules that apply to you.
The Republic of Ireland is a different country with its own entry rules, and this guide does not list places across the border. Check the rules for your nationality before you cross.
The city is called Derry by many people and Londonderry by others. Visit Derry, the official tourism site, uses Derry~Londonderry, and so does this guide.
Belfast and Derry~Londonderry are easy to explore on foot, with Translink buses and trains between towns. The Causeway Coast, the Mournes and the Fermanagh lakes are easiest by car or on a guided tour.
Northern Ireland banknotes are denominated in pounds sterling and widely accepted by larger merchants elsewhere in the UK, but they are not legal tender anywhere in the UK.
Nearby places
Our closest other guides, by straight-line distance between centres. Road and rail distances are longer: check a journey planner.
More in Northern Ireland · Places A to Z · Getting between regions
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
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