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DISCOVER

Every place in Belfast

Family days out in and around Belfast, each one written up honestly with the details parents actually need.

163 places · page 2 of 7

Four performers singing on stage with microphones under pink and blue stage lighting, against a dark curtain backdrop.from £34.50

Cabaret Supper Club

Belfast · adults only (18+)

An 18 and over cabaret night in Belfast with drag and variety acts, a set dinner, and a post-show party.

Booking requiredGroup bookingsRestaurantVegetarian options

Man in period costume holding a lit candle in a dimly lit corridor with decorative wall panels.

Cahoots NI

Belfast

Physical theatre, puppetry and circus-style shows that mix magic illusions with dance and music.

Cairn Wood

Cairn Wood

Newtownards

Three woodland walks through mixed forest, with unsurfaced tracks that get steep in places.

Dog friendlyFree parkingPicnic area

Wooded walking path with dense green canopy of trees and dappled sunlight filtering through leaves.Free

Carnmoney Hill Local Nature Reserve

Newtownabbey

Free trails up a proper hill, from an easy loop to a steep climb, plus an orienteering course to try.

Accessible toiletFree parkingToilets

Lisburn City LibraryFree

Carryduff Library

Belfast

Rhymes, storytime and craft sessions for young kids, plus free books, computers and wifi for everyone else.

Accessible toiletBaby changeParkingToilets+2 more

Ruined stone structure with a dark doorway opening, surrounded by overgrown grass and wildflowers in a rural landscape.Free

Castle Lug

Carrickfergus

A free-to-see fragment of a late medieval tower house looking out over Belfast Lough.

Castlewellan Forest Park

Castlewellan Forest Park

Castlewellan · ages 4-11

A maze that takes about 40 minutes to crack, a woodland playpark, and miles of trails and bike tracks around a lake and Victorian castle.

CaféDog friendlyFood on siteOutdoor play+3 more

People gathered on a street viewing a large colourful mural on a brick building, with a black car parked nearby.from £12

City Tours Belfast

Belfast · ages 0+

Hop on and off an open-top bus round 19 stops, from Titanic Museum to the Peace Walls, with a ticket that lasts one or two days.

Wheelchair accessible

A red and yellow open-top double-decker tour bus on a city street with modern office buildings behind it.from £4

Citysightseeing Belfast Tour Shop

Belfast

Hop on and off an open-top bus round 19 Belfast stops, with Titanic Belfast and the Giants Causeway thrown in as add-ons.

CaféFood on siteToiletsWheelchair accessible

Clearsky Adventure Centre Northern Ireland

Clearsky Adventure Centre Northern Ireland

Downpatrick · ages 4+

Over 20 outdoor activities across an 800 acre estate, from archery and mountain biking to a sea safari to spot seals in Strangford Lough.

CaféParkingPicnic areaWi-Fi

Woodland path lined with birch trees in autumn, with fallen leaves and undergrowth.Free

Clements Wood, Larne

Larne

A free woodland walk through hazel copses, marshland and grassland, with spring flowers to spot and no entry charge.

Outdoor playParking

Two women hold a Maryann Mccracken Foundation sign on the lawn in front of a brick Georgian building with a church spire.from £14

Clifton House

Belfast

A guided or self-guided walk through a working Belfast heritage building, telling the story of Mary Ann McCracken and the old Poor House.

Accessible toiletBooking requiredFree parkingGroup bookings+4 more

Ruined stone tower standing on top of a grass-covered mound beneath blue sky.Free

Clough Castle

Downpatrick

Free earthwork castle with a stone keep you can still climb up to, perched on a mound outside the town.

Coleman's Garden Centre

Coleman's Garden Centre

Templepatrick

A garden centre day out with a café, farm shop and dog-friendly wandering rather than a fenced-off kids' zone.

CaféGroup bookingsFood on siteRestaurant+1 more

Lisburn City LibraryFree

Colin Glen Library

Belfast · ages 0-12

Free rhymes, Lego and homework help for kids, with regular sessions running right through the week.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingParking+3 more

Golf green with bunkers and a flag, surrounded by trees and rolling grassland.from £15

Colin Glen River Entrance

Belfast · ages 8+

An outdoor activity park with an Alpine Coaster, zipline, high ropes and a scare walk that's strictly for ages 8 and up.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredFree parkingGroup bookings+2 more

Rocky beach with shallow blue water and dense woodland along the shoreline on a clear day.Free

Crawfordsburn Beach

Bangor

A sandy stretch by the country park where you can dig, paddle and let the day drift, with free parking on hand.

CaféFree parkingToiletsWheelchair accessible

Crescent Arts Centre

Crescent Arts Centre

Belfast

An arts centre with a family book festival, baby raves and free drop-in activities alongside its theatre programme.

Accessible toiletBaby changeCaféChanging Places+4 more

DC Tours - Belfast Walking Toursfrom £24

DC Tours - Belfast Walking Tours

Belfast

Guided walks through Belfast's city centre history, from the Troubles to the Golden Mile, on foot with a local guide.

Booking requiredDog friendlyToiletsWheelchair accessible

Dansa - The Studio Belfast Limited

Dansa - The Studio Belfast Limited

Belfast · ages 2+

Dance, acrobatics and performing arts classes for kids from age two upwards.

Free parkingParking

Woman posing in artist studio with vibrant fairground-themed painting in background.

Dawn Crothers Artist Studio

Belfast · ages 0+

Art classes and workshops for children and adults, run by an artist who also does school visits and an exhibition at W5.

Heritage steam locomotive with red and black livery pulling vintage passenger carriages through countryside.from £18

Downpatrick and County Down Railway

Downpatrick · ages 0+

Ride vintage steam and diesel trains out to a ruined abbey, with dressing-up, a footplate visit and a model railway to drive.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBooking requiredGift shop+6 more

Rolling green countryside with stone ruins, gorse bushes, and a distinctive hill in the distance under clear blue sky.Free

Drumena Cashel

Newry

Free to visit, an underground stone passage you can duck into and explore beneath an old rath.

Dundonald International Ice Bowl

Dundonald International Ice Bowl

Belfast

Ice skating on an Olympic size rink, tenpin bowling and jungle-themed indoor play, all under one roof.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesBlue badge parkingBooking required+6 more

THE WEEKENDER

Next weekend, sorted. Every Thursday, free.

The best family things happening around Belfast, one hidden gem, and a rainy-day backup plan, from a dad who's been there with a bored seven-year-old.

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