Where to stay

Stay in Central Belfast to take tours of the city and discover some of the filming locations from Game of Thrones, including stopovers at The Dark Hedges in Ballymoney with its ancient beech trees. Book hotels in the north of the city center to be close to the city's showstopper, Belfast Castle. The Grand Opera House in Central Belfast is worth a look for its awesome interiors, while for the Titanic Belfast museum and unusual boutique hotels, the Titanic Quarter is a quick walk from the city center. Hotels in the Cathedral Quarter are perfect for an artier atmosphere and many of the city's street murals. Wherever you stay, the Giant's Causeway is just a day trip away.

Live music can be heard almost everywhere in the city, from food markets to The Great Room at The Merchant. Consider accommodations in Belfast City Centre to see street performers in Victoria Square, and to enjoy numerous nightlife options. Hotels near the "Golden Mile," running south along Great Victoria Street to Shaftesbury Square, are good to experience the latest trend of rooftop bars. Accommodations in the Cathedral Quarter are closer to Babel on Ann Street, a hip, local bar. Jazz fans should consider staying near Bert's Bar with its 1930s New York vibe. But for the buzz of a student neighborhood and to drink craft beers at the popular pub, The Cloth Ear, accommodations in the Queens Quarter are ideal.

Food fans are spoilt for choice in Belfast, and accommodations in the Titanic Quarter are close to excellent seafood restaurants with views of the quay and shipyards. Consider a stay in Belfast City Centre to make reservations at Michelin restaurants, or to visit the covered St. George's Market. This is the last surviving market in the city from the Victorian era, and one of the best places to taste local specialties. Just north of the airport in Holywood, the Rayanne House guesthouse recreates the nine-course Titanic menu monthly. Book accommodations in Castlereagh, about seven miles out of town, to sample local produce such as Mourne lamb and Comber potatoes.