Northern Ireland Family Guide

Maldron Hotel Belfast International Airport is the perfect hotel near Belfast Airport and a strategic base to explore Antrim because of its location. It is ideal for a quick weekend getaway or an overnight family trip! Special offers and room packages await families who want to book early!

Located conveniently at the heart of Belfast City, Maldron Hotel Belfast City is within walking distance of many shops, attractions, and historic landmarks! The large family rooms are ideal for a quick family getaway in Belfast City!

Check out the family-friendly special offers that combines different activities in the city, whether it’s a tour or a shopping spree!

Do you want a taste of the world? Well, the next best thing is an all-you-can-eat buffet at Cosmo, situated in Victoria Square! With their freshly prepared dishes from around the world, kids will surely love everything — from pizzas to the chocolate fountain! And the best part is, kids also get a special discount!

Kids will have fun at Little Wing Pizzeria, serving Naples-style pizzas made with the finest fresh ingredients! Aside from a kids’ menu, kids can also enjoy both colouring-in and toys while you wait for your order.

Enjoy Ulster cooking at Ballydougan Restaurant & Coffee Lounge at Bloomvale House, a restored Linen Barn where once home produced linen was prepared and sorted. It’s also a historic listed grade II thatched house was built in 1785 by a Huguenot family named Gasgoine.

Nothing beats home-cooked meals at your nan’s! And if you’re craving for this type of food, make sure to stop by Granny Annie’s where there’s something to suit everyone in the family. Try Granny’s special recipe steak and Guinness pie or banana split for dessert. While waiting for your order, have a look around and check out their quirky decor and family heirlooms on display.

Clements Coffee shops are scattered throughout the city and for a good reason. Passionate about their coffee and food, they’re famous for their unique blend of espresso based coffee concoctions. Don’t forget to also try their homemade soups, sandwiches, or their enormous tray bakes!

Located in the heart of Ballymena, The Grouse is place for people who want a bit of rest from shopping and stop by for afternoon tea. You and your family can simply relax in the elegant surroundings and enjoy sandwiches, scones with cream and jam, cakes, pastries and something from the tea and coffee menu. Well, the grown ups can also have a glass or two of Sparkling Prosecco Afternoon Tea.

Feel at home at Dock Cafe and their wide range of Sukí teas, including Belfast Brew. They grind their own Dock Blend and other coffee beans. They also have scones, breads, biscuits, traybakes, and buns that are handcrafted by the French Village bakers!

Drink for a cause! Located at Belfast City Hall, one of Northern Ireland’s most iconic buildings, Bobbin serves drinks together with a variety of sweet and savoury snacks!

What’s interesting about Bobbin is that it provides training and work experience places for people with a learning disability or autism. The café’s profits go to its parent organisation NOW Group, a social enterprise supporting people with learning difficulties.

The Ulster Museum in the Botanic Gardens in Belfast, has around 8,000 square has collections of fine art and applied art, archaeology, ethnography, treasures from the Spanish Armada, local history, and more! The whole family is sure to learn a thing or two at the largest museum in Northern Ireland!

Walk through CS Lewis Square, which commemorates Belfast-born CS Lewis, and rediscover The Chronicles of Narnia! Dropping by the square is a definite photo op moment with the fam! Pose with the bronze sculptures from ‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’, including Aslan, The White Witch, Mr Tumnus, The Beavers, The Robin and The Stone Table!

The kids will surely enjoy Belfast Zoological Gardens, home to more than 140 species of animal. The zoo is also one of the oldest visitor attractions in Northern Ireland because it has been home to many animals since 1934. Currently, it is a leading and award-winning visitor attraction with more than 200,000 visitors each year.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Giants Causeway comprises around 40,000 thousands of hexagonal basalt columns descending gently into the sea. It’s one of the most visited sites in Northern Ireland. There are also guided and educational tours, where you can learn that the stones were formed either by an underwater volcano’s or by a giant named Finn McCool.

Discover the Titanic story in a unique, insightful, and interactive way at Titanic Belfast is the world’s largest Titanic visitor experience!

There are nine interactive galleries to explore and you can also walk the decks of the last remaining White Star vessel. And you can do it all in Titanic Belfast, in the city where it all began.

Are your kids animal lovers? Then you shouldn’t miss Ark Open Farm where they can get up close and hand feed over 200 tame and friendly animals. Ark Open Farm is set in 40 acres of beautiful countryside, with indoor and outdoor play areas, such as Kangaroo Jumper, bumble quad ride, tractor and carriage rides, pony rides, zipline and a huge purpose built ark.

Looking for wide open spaces bursting with wetland nature? You and your kids will surely enjoy Castle Espie Wetland Centre where you can explore an extraordinary wetland paradise, whatever the weather! Here, you can also meet Northern Ireland’s largest collection of native and exotic ducks and geese from around the world.

Pickie is one of the top ten visitor attractions in Northern Ireland and it’s no surprise at all! Families especially like rides such as the Pickie Puffer steam train and the giant Pickie pedal swans! There’s also a splash pad, children’s electric cars and an 18-hole nautical themed mini golf course. When you get hungry, retreat to the park’s café with stylish interiors and views over Bangor Marina and Belfast Lough.

If you and your kids are feeling a bit adventurous, We Are Vertigo is your bet. It is Northern Ireland’s only indoor skydiving centre! With gusts of wind over 120mph, you will feel the sensation of skydiving! You an also try the Ninja Master Course, a 110 foot obstacle course of walls, hoops and challenges, suitable for all ages. For the young ones, there’s also the Inflata Park with 30,000 square feet of inflatable playground with inflatable floors, doors, and more!