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Best of Ireland from Belfast (7 days)

Posted by on

Hi all!

My mom has dreamed of going to Ireland for many decades, and I am attending a conference in Belfast this September, so she'll be coming along with me. With the conference, my 'home base' for travels will be Belfast, but I want to try to maximize our time and get the best/most out of time in Ireland, so I'm wondering how best to spend our time. I'm completely unfamiliar with Ireland, so I'm just not sure what we should prioritize or how far away things are. For day trips, up to 2.5 hours one-way would be OK.

In terms of what we'd probably want to see, when traveling in Europe, my favorite spots are cathedrals, museums (art, history), and low key gathering places (like parks or plazas). My mom, I think, would be most interested in the natural beauty, the outdoors, just soaking in the lush greenness of Ireland :-) But for hiking, etc., we'd want that to be pretty low intensity. We both also love to try new foods and have been known to plan entire days around a good meal :-)

So, with 7 days for exploration (+1 travel day before and after), in Belfast and surrounding areas, what would you all suggest?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Posted by
1440 posts

To stay within day trip distance, I think you'll mostly want to be visiting places in Northern Ireland, though you should have time for a day trip to Dublin. You could also probably fit in a trip to Bru Na Boinne which is near Drogheda, in the Republic in between Belfast and Dublin.

You can get around this area on public transport, but a car always makes things a little easier and gives you more flexibility. Some of my favourite places you can go in a day from Belfast:
-Mourne Mountains (Newcastle is the main town)
-If you like cathedrals, the one in Downpatrick is where St Patrick is (said to be) buried
-The Ards Peninisula is very nice, but I think you need car- Mount Stewart House in particular is a nice spot
-Lots of lovely places along the Causeway Coast- if you don't have a car, you could look at doing one of the tours, and visit Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede, etc
-Rathlin Island (ferry from Ballycastle)
-Derry is also doable as a day trip
-If you have a car, you can also visit County Fermanagh, the area around Lough Erne/Enniskillen is particularly nice

Within Belfast, if you like museums, definitely the Ulster Museum and the Titanic Belfast, if you like history definitely Crumlin Road Gaol, and consider a black taxi tour, and if you like shopping at all (even if you don't), St George's Market. For parks, you have the Botanical Garden next to the Ulster Museum, and low intensity hiking in Cave Hill Country Park (including a great view of the port and Samson and Goliath) and Lady Dixon Park. For a museum just out of town, Ulster Folk Park is a great place to see historic buildings.

I hope you and your mother have a wonderful time!

Posted by
1892 posts

I'm confused about your schedule. Will you be in Ireland for a total of 7 days, including your conference? Or 7 days before/after the conference? Will you have any full days that you don't have obligations related to the conference? I'm asking because distances are short in Ireland, and while Belfast is a fine base, you might consider also spending a couple of nights in Dublin, which is only an hour away by train or bus, and has a lot to see and do. If you have 7 days in addition to the conference, I would encourage you to travel more widely.
Derry is an excellent day trip from Belfast, and I highly recommend it. Direct trains run about every hour between Belfast and Derry. The trip takes about two hours, and much of the route is along the coast, so very scenic. If you can get a seat on the right side of the train going and the left side on return, you'll get the best views. In Derry, you can walk the city walls, with or without a guide, and visit the Museum of Free Derry and the nearby Bogside Murals (again, with or without a guide).
Here is some information about train travel in Ireland:
https://www.seat61.com/train-travel-in-ireland.htm#Belfast-to-Londonderry

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