Having visited many times over the years, here are our 10 favorite things to do in Northern Ireland with kids.
We actually lived in Belfast during the early days of our marriage, so Northern Ireland has always been close to their heart. That was ten years ago, and since then the country has only grown into one of the elite vacation destinations in Europe. Exuding a warm and welcoming spirit throughout, the small country is rich in culture and boasts history at nearly every corner. Spectacular scenery is never more than short drive away. It’s also a fantastic place to take kids. We took our two young children there for the first time in 2024 and below we give a rundown (in no particular order) of our favorite 10 things to do in Northern Ireland with kids:
Northern Ireland with Kids Overview
- Titanic Belfast
- W5 Museum Belfast
- Giant's Causeway & Dunluce Castle
- Slieve Gullion Forest Park & The Giant's Lair Trail
- Marble Arch Caves
- Ulster American Folk Park
- St. George's Market Belfast
- Ulster Museum & Botanic Gardens
- Colin Glen Adventure Park
- Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
Jump to:
1. Titanic Belfast
We debated whether to take our five and seven-year-old to the Titanic Belfast Experience, but we were so glad we did. While the subject is inevitably heavy, the museum provide a map with a scavenger hunt where you have to locate different characters around the museum which our kids both enjoyed doing and kept them engaged. This is a world class museum. It tells the history of the Belfast shipping yards and the history of the building of the Titanic and the ensuing tragedy. The story is told in a very moving and graceful way. Unsurprisingly most of the details went over our five-year-olds head, but it was quite the experience for our seven-year-old. He particularly enjoyed the part that focused on Robert Ballard and his team that discovered the Titanic at the bottom of the Atlantic.
2. W5 Museum Belfast
Whenever we go on city trips with the kids we always like to check if they have a children’s museum or science museum. The W5 Museum is perfect for kids between ages of 3-12. We spent hours there and our kids never got bored. The highlights for our two littles ones were the epic 'Climbit' climbing frame, and the storybook exhibit ‘Over the Hills & Far Away’.
3. Giant's Causeway & Dunluce Castle
Anywhere we go our kids just love to climb. They’ll climb anything they can, walls, benches, fences, rocks. So there really isn’t a much better attraction than the Giant’s Causeway, a spectacularly unusual geological marvel made of 40,000 basalt stone column created by cooling lava over 60 million years ago. The science is fascinating, but our kids also loved all the stories around the site that have gone into Irish and Ulster Folklore centered around the famous giant Finn McCool.
A 10-minute drive away from the Causeway is Dunluce Castle, a stunning ruin of a medieval castle that straddles a cliff looking out over the Irish Sea. We love opportunities to take our kids to castles as they always stir their imagination. Dunluce Castle was great place for our two to play hide-and-seek and other games.
4. Slieve Gullion Forest Park & The Giant's Lair Trail
The Slieve Gullion Forest Park is a beautiful forest park, and the perfect setting for The Giant’s Lair Trail. This was truly an enchanting and enthralling experience for our seven and five-year-old that kept them engaged throughout. Along the trail you will encounter fairies, giants, and evil sleeping witches you mustn’t wake. The Trail is so thoughtfully and artfully created we couldn’t believe it was FREE. This is a great place for your kids to experience some Irish magic. There is also an excellent adventure playpark with a wide array of equipment for younger and older children. This was such a big hit with our two kids it is definitely one of our favorite things to do in Northern Ireland.
Check out our post for a more thorough guide to Visiting Slieve Gullion Forest Park with Kids.
5. Marble Arch Caves
Elizabeth loves caves and is always on the lookout for a cool cave experience, and we were truly impressed with the spectacular Marble Arch Caves in County Fermanagh. The tour guides were awesome, they had so much knowledge but explained in an entertaining and witty way, and they were great with our little ones. They enjoyed it from start to finish, particularly the underground boat ride.
6. Ulster American Folk Park
We are always keen to incorporate some history when we are travelling with our kids. As they are half-American/half-British the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh appealed to us as it tells the story of the rich history of people from Ulster emigrating to the United States. All the buildings are wonderfully preserved, and the staff in the various houses and shops were so enthusiastic and knowledgeable they really made the experience memorable (honestly every place we went in Northern Ireland we always found the staff to be so friendly). We spent two hours here, but could honestly have spent three or four.
7. St. George's Market Belfast
In the heart of the city center, this vibrant indoor market is great place to spend a few hours in the morning on a Saturday or Sunday. Our kids loved visiting all the stores, buying fresh juices and fruit. There are many places to grab a brunch or breakfast. There are multiple stalls that provide an array of crafts so St. George's Market was the perfect place for our kids to purchase a souvenir to remember their trip.
8. Ulster Museum & Botanic Gardens
If you are looking for something to do for Free with the kids, the Botanic Gardens, located next to Queen’s University and the Ulster Museum, is a beautiful spot to go for a our stroll. There are some larger open spaces for kids to run around. We were lucky enough to be there early evening on a gorgeous day and got to see a beautiful sunset, the light was stunning. The kids loved walking in the Victorian domed Palm House.
Next door is the Ulster Museum, another great attraction, with Art, History, and Nature exhibits. There is an interactive art and science area for kids.
9. Colin Glen Adventure Park
When making a list of our favorite things to do in Northern Ireland, there is no way our kids would let us leave out the Colin Glen Adventure Park. This adventure park calls itself “Ireland’s best kept secret” and it’s hard to argue with that. Our kids absolutely loved the alpine coasters we rode in Colorado and Tennessee, so they were delighted to get to ride the Black Bull Run, Ireland’s first and only Alpine Coaster. This place has something for everyone of all ages.
10. Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
Located a 15 minute drive from the Giant’s Causeway, the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge offers some of the most breathtaking coastal scenery one can hope to see. Our five and seven-year-old were a little frightened of the idea of the bridge so we didn’t do this with them on our recent trip in 2024, but Elizabeth and I walked the bridge when we lived in Northern Ireland 10 years ago. The rope bridge hangs between two cliffs over the Atlantic. It was first put here about 350 years ago (I assume they’ve updated it since then!). Keep in mind the bridge does sway, but it is perfectly safe. The scenery is dramatic in any weather, but if you’re lucky to catch it on a sunny day it is breathtaking.
The bridge is free for National Trust Members. It’s a bit pricey for non-NT members, slightly more than the Giant’s Causeway. If you’re going to pick one we’d recommend the Giant’s Causeway.
