I was ecstatic when Tourism Ireland offered to whisk me away for a 48-hour adventure in Belfast with the sole challenge of doing as much as I possibly could while I was there. Of course I said yes and just over a week later, Matthew and I were en route to Stansted to set off on our mini holiday.

Actually, we nearly didn’t make it. We’d given ourselves plenty of time to get to the airport but our coach arrived late and bumper-to-bumper traffic out of London meant that it inched its way along the motorway. We’d lost all hope of catching our flight but by some act of good fortune, it was delayed by 30 minutes. We cut to the front of the security queue, sprinted to our gate, and made it just in time (but completely out of breath) to get on the plane. It’s only an hour-long flight, so I’d barely finished reading two chapters of Yes Please and we were landing.

I know for many people, Belfast brings to mind decades of conflict, violence, and fear. But the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent peace process transformed the city and that’s definitely the Belfast of the past. Now the city is the safest European capital to walk through at night and one of the top 10 city break destinations in the British Isles.

Arriving on Friday evening and leaving at midday on Sunday, we packed our short stay full of sightseeing, good food, shopping, wandering around markets, and hanging out in historic pubs (all of the good things!) Belfast has so much to offer, so here’s my mini guide to making the most of a quick jaunt to the capital of Northern Ireland.

What To Do

* Take a trip to Belfast Castle.
It’s free to meander around this stately home that sits at the bottom of Cave Hill but my favourite part was the cat garden (yes, cat garden) and gorgeous views of the city.

* Hike the Cave Hill Park Trail.
Okay, admittedly we only made it halfway up. We rationalized that this allowed us to see the caves and get a good view of the city, while still having time to do the rest of things on our list – and saving our legs from completely turning to jelly.

* Ride the Hop On-Hop Off tour bus.
Belfast is small enough to conquer on foot but with its rich history, this tour was perfect for seeing all of the major sights, while learning the context from the distant and recent past that have made the city what it is today. It was tricky taking decent photos as we barreled around the city but our tour guide was friendly and informative and managed to maintain a neutral disposition when discussing “the troubles.”

* Take your picture with The Big Fish.
I for one am a big fan of cheesy tourist photos and think no holiday is complete without them. Belfast’s Big Fish is the perfect quirky spot to snap a few. This 10m long statue celebrates the regeneration of the Lagan River and the return of the salmon to its waters. The fish’s ceramic sides tell the story of Belfast through photographs and newspaper clippings from the city’s rich history. We wandered down at night, so our shots were rather blurry but it was still very interesting to see up close.

* Try to spot Gulliver’s face in the mountain.
Jonathan Swift lived in Belfast and imagined that the top of Cave Hill resembled a sleeping giant safeguarding the city. It’s thought that this landscape provided inspiration for Gulliver’s Travels.

Our limited time frame meant we couldn’t see and do everything, but Belfast’s small enough that we were still able to take a lot in and get a good feel for the place. If we’d been there for all of Sunday I would have visited the zoo, the Botanical Gardens, Ulster Museum, and Titanic Belfast. If we’d had a whole extra day I would have loved to go on the Giants Causeway tour. They’ll be on the itinerary for my next visit!

Where To Stay

We were lucky enough to stay in an executive room at the Belfast Hilton. Two walls of windows looked out onto the Lagan River, and with a king sized bed and an enormous bath, it was difficult to say good-bye to our weekend digs.

The Sonoma Restauarant treated us to a fantastic buffet-style breakfast both mornings and there was complimentary wine and canapés in the Executive Lounge in the evenings. Talk about travelling in style!

The hotel was really conveniently located across from St. George’s Market and a short walk from the city centre and other tourist attractions, like Titanic Belfast.

Plus the staff were extremely friendly and helpful, which made for an especially charming visit.

Where to Eat & Drink

A quick search on Happy Cow showed that Belfast isn’t exactly bursting with veggie dining options. There’s only one vegetarian restaurant in town: Giro’s. We headed there for lunch on Saturday but found it closed. They’re a volunteer-run operation and currently only serve food on Wednesday evenings. But I’d done my research and had a list of veggie-friendly places to eat, so we still managed to eat very good – if not at all traditionally Irish – food.

* Kelly’s Cellars
One of the three pubs in Belfast claiming to be the oldest, we stopped in at Kelly’s for a couple of pints after dropping our luggage off at the hotel on Friday night. The pub’s original, 200-year old fixtures and furnishings were contrasted with young Irish people singing raucously to 90s pop songs, which created a fun yet cosy atmosphere.

* Japanese food at Sakura on Botanic Ave.
Our waitress was happy to walk us through all of the veggie options available and even offered an off-menu dish of salty chili tofu, which Matthew ordered while I opted for stir fried udon noodles. We also shared spring rolls, asparagus maki, and an avocado tofu tempura roll. Everything was delicious!

* Dean’s Deli Bistro
We stopped in for hot drinks before dinner on Saturday. The candlelit tables and simple decor made for a really homey environment. They serve a nice looking menu of sandwiches, salads, and some hot food. The veggie options were a bit limited though and I insisted I wanted “a meal worth writing about” (FYI: bloggers are a pain in the butt to date).

* The Crown Liquor Saloon
Another of Belfast’s oldest pubs, The Crown’s interior is gorgeous – complete with original tiling and ornate wooden booths. It was quite crowded on Saturday night, but we managed to find a place to sit and enjoyed a few drinks before turning in for the night.

We did eat a few meals at our hotel as they were included with our room, but also on my list of veggie-friendly places to try were Thai Village, Harlem (for a veggie fry up), and Martha’s Grill (great looking breakfast options).

Where to Shop

* Vintage boutiques and indie shops on Botanic Ave.
Belfast’s city centre is home to the Victoria Square Shopping Centre, which is hailed the place to shop in town but I was much more drawn to Botanic Ave, which is lined with offbeat, independent stores. Among my favourites were No Alibis, a bookstore specialising in books about crime, The Rusty Zip, a vintage boutique where I fell in love with an umbrella-printed dress, and The Yellow Submarine, an upscale thrift shop full of clothing and kitsch knick-knacks.

* Festive fare and unique gifts at the Christmas Market.
If you visit during the holiday season, Belfast’s Christmas Market runs from 15 November – 21 December and is definitely worth a wander. Nestled in front of the City Hall, it’s not a huge market but we enjoyed sipping Bailey’s hot chocolates while looking at the stalls and doing a bit of shopping.

* Artisan foods and handmade goods at St. George’s Market.
Our last stop before heading to the airport was St. George’s Market – a gorgeous Victorian covered market filled with antiques, homemade food, original artworks, and unique gifts. I managed to do a bit of Christmas shopping and found a vintage toothbrush holder shaped like a dolphin to take home as a souvenir. There were lots of great looking food stalls as well, so if we hadn’t been in such a hurry, it would have made a lovely place to stop for lunch.

Before we knew it, we were in our taxi driving past fields of sheep heading to Belfast International. Being such a short distance from London and with so much to offer in a small area, I can understand why the city has become a really popular city break destination. There’s so much more of Northern Ireland I’d like to see, so I hope I’ll be back again soon.

What about you: have you been to Belfast before? Were there any of your favourite parts of the city that I missed? If you’ve never been, will you be adding it to your Wanderlist?

Love, fairy lights, & weekend adventures,

Post sponsored by Tourism Ireland, but all opinions are my own.