11 Fun & Cheap Things to Do in Belfast (Less than £20ish)

If you’re visiting the city on a budget, you’ll be happy to know there are tons of affordable and cheap things to do in Belfast. From visiting monasteries and museums, to parks, castles, coasts and so much more, find my recommendations for a budget-friendly trip to Belfast below.

Belfast’s nightlife is buzzing, the parks are clean and green, and the city is filled with history. Just two of Belfast’s many claims to fame include the fact that the Titanic was built here, and the other is that C.S. Lewis found his inspiration for Narnia in the many open spaces. So you can already tell it’s a really interesting city to explore.

Over the years, Belfast has also spawned a great wealth of musical talent, and whether they’ve made it worldwide or locally it’s certainly a town that loves its music. These include Van Morrisson, The Undertones, Gary Moore of Thin Lizzy, Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol and many others. So if you’re around Belfast, one of the best things you can do here is make the most of the live music scene.

In lots of places, it can be difficult to do all the things you want to do if you’re travelling on a budget. But fortunately Belfast is a city with free cultural attractions, copious amounts of natural beauty and lots of low-cost activities like gigs, pub crawls, tours and more. So if you’re looking for cheap things to do in Belfast, here are my recommendations.

1. Soak up some history

Visit the political hotbed of Failte Feirste Thiar in West Belfast. In between Clonard Monastery and the many cemeteries you’ll be faced with political murals challenging ideals and leaders in history and from the modern day. The walls are often painted over and redone and serve as a quiet protest ground for residents.

If you’re on the search for history in Armagh, check out Armagh County Museum – with its unique architecture it’s easy to spot. It’s also free to get in and you’ll get a taste of what it was like to live in the city throughout the ages.

For more stunning design find your way to the ornate Belfast Cathedral, commonly known as The Cathedral Church of St. Anne (top). It’s stunning from the outside, but you’re welcome to go in and learn more about its place in the community.

Cost: All free

2. Mourn the Titanic

Belfast was the building ground of the infamous Titanic ship, and they have a whole area of the city dedicated to its memorial. The new 110 million Titanic Belfast exhibition is now open, charting the ship’s story from its Belfast birth to its discovery on the ocean floor.

You can also board the SS Nomadic for a look around. Built in 1911, this ship carried the first and second-class passengers out to the ill-fated Titanic from the French port of Cherbourg.

Cost: £24.95 for adults when you buy through the website.

3. Visit drinking haunts

If you’re fussy about where you’ll sup your gin and tonic, what about a National Trust protected bar? The ornate Crown Liquor Saloon, built in 1826 and in the centre of Belfast, is one of the city’s best-known landmarks, and serves a tasty pint.

Cost: free entry / Fish and Chips £14.75

To carry on the historical pub crawl, try the Kitchen Bar just 1⁄2 a mile away. It’s a bit more modern, by 33 years anyway, dating back to 1859. The Kitchen Bar serves ‘real ale and real food’ and they boast that their chef ‘does not merely believe in feeding you, he also wants to fatten you!’ Be careful.

Cost: free entry / Beef and Guniness Pie £16

To top off all that boozing, or to get it started, take a tour around the Old Bushmills Distillery. It’s Ireland’s oldest and you can still watch them at work today, plus you can have a wee taster while you’re at it.

Cost: free entry / £9 for adults, £5 for children, £8 for seniors

4. Walk along Belfast’s seafront

Just half an hour away from Belfast city centre you’ll find beautiful coastal walks and Ireland’s largest marina in Bangor. You can take a shoreline stroll to the Sunken Gardens to see the McKee Clock and Bregenz House – HM Coast Guard HQ. During the summer you’ll find a funfair and open-air events going on. You’ll also find Eisenhower Pier – perch yourself on the end and you can get some great pictures of the Irish Sea.

If you fancy a bit more than just a stroll, aim for the North Down Coastal Path – it’s the most varied shoreline in Ireland. Over 16 miles from Holywood to Portavoe you’ll enjoy natural feature and beautiful habitat. Again, great for taking some piccies.

Cost: free

5. Get close to animals

Visayan warty pigs, monkeys, zebras, flamingos, blue-bellied rollers and over 130 more species call Belfast Zoo home. Located on Cave Hill the 55-acre site has stunning views over the city. They run breeding programmes for endangered species who just wouldn’t thrive in their natural habitat. Giraffes are their speciality, with 28 born in the last 15 years, awwww.

If you can’t cope with all those animals looming over you with their long necks, fat trunks and human-like hands, you might prefer Streamvale Open Farm. You can cuddle the baby cows, rabbits and lambs, go for a wildlife walk and take a tractor or pony ride to feed the deer. You can even milk a cow, or, or, race a sheep!

Cost: Zoo £14 for adults, £7 for children / Farm £11 for adults, £10 for children, or get special family deals. It’s cheaper if you book online (up to 12pm the night before for the farm, and up to 9.30am on the day for the zoo).

6. Stay inside on a rainy day

It’s raining, so why not go somewhere even wetter? Lagan Valley LeisurePlex is the biggest waterpark in Ireland. Complete with a 25-metre competition pool, diving pool, leisure pool, huge galleon, master-blasters and thrilling water rides, it’s a great day out.

If you don’t fancy being that wet, the Exploris Aquarium has tanked all the marine wonders of the Irish Sea – including some cool seals – and made them all accessible via pool demonstrations and interactive experiences.

Depending on how rainy it is and whether you’re expecting to see a star, the Armagh Planetarium is great fun on a rainy day. It supports the work of the Armagh Observatory in its quest to raise interest in astronomy. They hold star shows, 3D digital theatre viewings, telescope nights, rocket building classes, and talks on space robots, dinosaurs and electricity.

Cost: Lagan Valley LeisurePlex £9.50 / Exploris Aquarium £14.50 / Armagh Planetarium £9

7. Feed your sweet tooth

For something sweet while you’re hotfooting it around Belfast pop into Aunt Sandra’s Candy Factory. The reclaimed windows, old Belfast brick walls and slate floor has been carefully done to replicate the original 1953 shop. Sweets are delicious and you can even try your hand at chocolate-making at their workshops that take place every other Saturday.

Cost: all free entry / food less than €25 / chocolate-making workshop, £12 children, £10 adults

8. Chill out in the park

Belfast is full of lush, green parks for you to take a picnic or indulge in a little ultimate Frisbee. For blooming lovely parks head to the Carrickfergus Borough, they’ve won ‘Ulster in Bloom’ seven times, try Shaftesbury Park or Bashfordsland Wood for the best spots.

Ormeau Park is the oldest park in Belfast and still one of the largest – it’s filled with woodland, wildlife and sports areas. Check around for summer listings – they also have concerts and band performances.

If you’re in the south of Belfast Lagan Meadows has a variety of wildflowers, birds, butterflies and other animals managed by the Ulster Wildlife Trust.

Cost: free

9. Go on a tour

If you’re only in Belfast for a few days taking a tour can help you to make the most out of the city. Allen’s Open Top City Bus Tour allows you to hop on and off as you please and covers all of Belfast’s main attractions. If you’d rather have more control over your route, hire a bike and head out alone, or join one of the Belfast Bike Tours to experience the city’s natural beauty from a closer viewpoint.

For a tour with a twist how about treading in the steps of Mr Narnia himself, C.S. Lewis? He was born in Belfast and the city reportedly gave him much of the inspiration for the Chronicles of Narnia. You’ll pass his family home, stand where he was born and see his church and school, as well as getting a tour of Belfast into the bargain.

Cost: Open bus tour £18

10. Absorb some of Belfast’s natural beauty

The Giant’s Causeway is a geological phenomenon on the North Antrim Coast. With renowned amphitheatres made from layered basalt stone columns left from volcanoes and immense natural beauty, the site has World Heritage status. Walk the 12-mile path and you’ll end at the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. Please note, I’ve never crossed this – just look at it!

This does actually make for one of the best road trips in Ireland if you’ve got a car while you’re in Belfast. You can go to Derry and see lots of the landscapes of Game of Thrones, if you’re into that show.

Cost: If you’re walking or cycling it’s free. If you come by car it will cost you to park

11. Listen to live music in Belfast

There’s a range of bars, clubs or live music venues you could listen to live music in Belfast. After all, the city does have a rich history when it comes to sprouting out top musicians. But if you want cheap things to do in Belfast, then heading to a bar is probably a good option.

The Dirty Onion is a safe bet, as it has live music and free entry every night. Weekly live music events include acoustic sessions, small pipe lead sessions, and more.

How to have a budget-friendly trip to Belfast

Flights from the rest of the UK to Belfast are usually cheap given the short distance and low-cost airlines that operate in the city. This makes it a good start to keeping the overall trip to Belfast fairly affordable.

Once in Belfast, the city can be explored easily by foot, with many attractions within walking distance of each other. There are extensive public bus routes, and tourists can save money by purchasing a tourist card or Smartlink card that offers discounts.

Depending on what you like, there are lots of options when it comes to accommodation too. You can actually find highly-rated hostels can be found within a mile of the city centre, priced as low as £10 per night. Or you could always check airbnb.

Then of course it’s all about making the most of all the free and cheap things to do in Belfast. The list above covers lots of different options and can easily fill up a week in the city.

Quicklist of cheap things to do in Belfast

1. Soak up some history
2. Mourn the Titanic
3. Visit drinking haunts
4. Walk along the seafront
5. Get close to animals
6. Stay inside on a rainy day
7. Feed your sweet tooth
8. Chill out in the park
9. Go on a tour
10. Absorb some natural beauty
11. Listen to live music in Belfast

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