Guides · Family days out
Days out,
already planned.
Whole days worked out for you: where to start, when to stop for lunch, how to get between places and what to do if it rains. Every stop links to its own page with opening times, prices and a map.
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Northern IrelandTitanic Quarter on a wet day
Belfast
Spend a rainy day under cover in Belfast's shipbuilding quarter. Start with the story of Titanic, grab lunch from the food stalls at a Victorian market hall, then climb aboard a real First World War warship.
Titanic Belfast and SS Nomadic → St George's Market → HMS Caroline
One dayAges 8–12Rainy dayCost ££
Northern IrelandFree museum and park day in south Belfast
Belfast
A no-cost day in Belfast's university quarter: dinosaurs and a mummy at the Ulster Museum, a wander through the glasshouses and lawns of the Botanic Gardens, then a playground stop across the river.
Ulster Museum at Botanic Gardens → Botanic Gardens and Palm House → Ormeau Park
One dayAges 3–7Free
Northern IrelandZoo and adventure playground on Cave Hill
Belfast
A gentle day for small children on the slopes of Cave Hill: a morning with the animals at Belfast Zoo, then lunch and a big adventure playground in the Belfast Castle grounds next door.
Belfast Zoo → Belfast Castle Visitors Centre
One dayToddlersSunny dayCost ££
Northern IrelandGiant's Causeway, castle ruins and Portrush sands
Bushmills
The classic north coast day out: clamber over the Causeway's basalt columns, lunch at the old schoolhouse by the entrance, explore the clifftop ruins of Dunluce, then finish with a run on Portrush's long beach.
Giants Causeway and Visitors Centre → The Nook at the Giant's Causeway → Dunluce Castle → East Strand Portrush
One dayAll agesSunny dayCost ££
Northern IrelandCauseway Coast and Glens over two days
Ballycastle
Two days on the north-east coast. Day one crosses Carrick-a-Rede and explores hidden harbours and beaches; day two heads into the Glens of Antrim for a riverside walk, a bucket-and-spade stop and a castle garden.
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge → Ballintoy Harbour → White Park Bay Beach → Ballycastle Beach + 3 more
WeekendAges 8–12Sunny dayCost ££
Northern IrelandWalls, museums and history in Derry~Londonderry
Derry~Londonderry
A history-rich city day for teenagers: walk the complete 17th-century walls, explore the city's story and an Armada wreck at the Tower Museum, lunch in the Guildhall, then visit the Museum of Free Derry in the Bogside.
Derry City Walls → Tower Museum → The Guildhall Derry → Museum of Free Derry
One dayTeensCost £
Northern IrelandGlens, clifftop temple and a seven-mile beach
Limavady
A sunny-day loop on the far north coast: woodland gorge walks at Roe Valley, the clifftop Mussenden Temple with views over the Atlantic, and an afternoon on the huge sands of Benone Strand.
Roe Valley Country Park → Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne → Benone Strand
One dayAll agesSunny dayCost £
Northern IrelandMourne forest walk, castle ruin and dunes
Newcastle
A low-cost day in the shadow of the Mournes: stepping stones and follies in Tollymore, a climb up the free Norman castle at Dundrum, then boardwalks through Murlough's dunes to the beach.
Tollymore Forest Park → Dundrum Castle → Murlough National Nature Reserve
One dayAges 3–7Sunny dayCost £
Northern IrelandStrangford Lough: castle, ferry and aquarium
Strangford
A lough-side day with a little boat trip in the middle. Explore the grounds, farmyard and play area at Castle Ward, cross the Narrows on the car ferry, then meet sea creatures and rescued seals at Exploris.
Castle Ward → Strangford Lough Ferry → Exploris Aquarium
One dayAges 3–7Cost ££
Northern IrelandCaves and a country house in Fermanagh
Enniskillen
A Fermanagh day that works in any weather: a guided tour through underground rivers at the Marble Arch Caves, a walk round Florence Court's walled garden and sawmill, then a castle museum back in Enniskillen.
Marble Arch Caves → Florence Court → Fermanagh County Museum
One dayAges 8–12Rainy dayCost ££
Northern IrelandStars, a palace park and Iron Age Armagh
Armagh
Armagh packs a lot into a small city: a planetarium show and the Astropark, a picnic and play in the free Palace Demesne, then the ancient royal site of Navan Fort with its Iron Age characters.
Armagh Planetarium → Palace Stables Heritage Centre → Navan Centre and Fort
One dayAges 8–12Cost £
Northern IrelandEmigrant ships and dark skies in Tyrone
Omagh
Follow Ulster emigrants from thatched cottages onto a life-size sailing ship and into the American backwoods at the Ulster American Folk Park, then head into the Sperrins for a guided tour of the OM Dark Sky observatory.
Ulster American Folk Park → OM Dark Sky Park and Observatory
One dayAges 8–12Cost £
Written by Tumble from each place's own published information, checked October 2026. Times are suggestions, not bookings. Opening hours and prices change, so check each place's page before you set off.