Dote

Date spot in Belfast

Cave Hill and McArt's Fort

Start at Belfast Castle and climb through the woods and heath of Cave Hill Country Park to McArt's Fort, the rocky summit above the city.

The grassy slope of Cave Hill rising to a rocky crag, with Belfast and the lough spread out far below

Cave Hill Country Park, from Belfast Castle, north Belfast

Belfast Castle, Antrim Road, Belfast BT15 5GR
  • Outdoors
  • Free
  • Active

Why it's a good date: It's a proper climb, and the reward is the whole of Belfast and the lough laid out below you. Wear good shoes, keep back from the cliff edge, and finish with a cuppa at the castle.

Add to Dote

Photo: Sourabh.biswas003, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)

More from our Belfast guide

  • The Palm House's white iron and glass dome and wings behind a lawn with bright flower beds, under a blue sky

    Botanic Gardens and the Palm House

    Botanic Gardens, Queen's Quarter

    College Park, Botanic Avenue, Belfast BT7 1LP
    • Outdoors
    • Free

    Wander the lawns and rose beds of the Botanic Gardens, then step inside the curved iron and glass of the Victorian Palm House and the steamy Tropical Ravine nearby.

    Why it's a good date: A free afternoon that works in any weather: stroll when it's dry, and warm up among the palms when it isn't. The Ulster Museum is at the other end of the gardens.

    Add to DoteDirections

    Photo: Ardfern, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)

  • The Ulster Museum's pale stone front with tall columns, joined to a blocky modern extension, behind a wide flight of steps

    Ulster Museum

    Botanic Gardens, Stranmillis Road

    Botanic Gardens, Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AB
    • Culture
    • Rain-proof ☔
    • Free

    Browse art, natural history and the story of Ireland's north under one roof, from fossils and an Egyptian mummy to Irish painting and the history of the Troubles.

    Why it's a good date: It's free, it's got a bit of everything, and it's easy to split up and meet again at whatever you each liked best. Pair it with the Palm House for a whole afternoon in the gardens.

    Add to DoteDirections

    Photo: Bazonka, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)

  • Inside the Crown, a row of carved wooden snugs with stained glass panels down one side of a long bar under a patterned ceiling

    The Crown Liquor Saloon

    Great Victoria Street, city centre

    46 Great Victoria Street, Belfast BT2 7BA
    • Bar
    • Rain-proof ☔
    • Cosy

    Squeeze into a carved wooden snug at Belfast's famous Victorian gin palace, all coloured tiles, stained glass and gas lamps, and ring the bell for a drink.

    Why it's a good date: A snug to yourselves in a room this beautiful is about as romantic as a pint gets. It's busy, so go early in the day or the evening to get one, and the Grand Opera House is just across the road.

    Add to DoteDirections

    Photo: Suzanne Mischyshyn, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)

From our guide to date ideas in Belfast

Run this place? Claim it on Dote for Venues