Best Picnic Spots in Belfast

The perfectly manicured lawns surrounding City Hall contain a wealth of memorials to the history, people and events associated with the city. They also can play the perfect spot to sit on a sunny day with friends or family for a picnic.

Botanic Gardens is an important part of Belfast’s Victorian heritage and a popular meeting place for residents, students and tourists. Enjoy a picnic on the grass before viewing Belfast from a height with their panoramic wheel, or visit the Palm House and Tropical Ravine.

Visitors to Cave Hill Country Park can enjoy panoramic views across Belfast from vantage points on the hillside. Park features include Cave Hill Adventurous Playground, archaeological sites, Cave Hill Visitor Centre, an ecotrail, gardens, orienteering routes, refreshments in Belfast Castle, scenic views and waymarked walking trails suitable for casual walkers or serious ramblers.

Helen’s Bay Beach is one of two excellent beaches found in Crawfordsburn Country Park. These beautiful sandy beaches are by far the best within the Belfast area and as such are exceptionally popular and well used. Take advantage of the picnic sites present and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Relish 3.5km of lovely beaches and riverside rambles. One of the way marked nature trails takes walkers through a deep wooded glen to the waterfall near The Old Inn hotel in Crawfordsburn village. Take a break during your trail and stop for a packed picnic and enjoy the wildlife that lives within the woodland glen.

Visit Hillsborough Castle and Gardens and discover Northern Ireland’s royal residence. Immerse yourself in history and royal splendour in the Castle, explore the 100 acres of beautiful gardens and discover the Imaginary Menagerie play trail. Highlights of a visit to the gardens include ornamental lawns, meandering waterways, peaceful woodlands and picturesque glens.

WWT Castle Espie is an extraordinary day out for the whole family. Escape the everyday, reconnect with nature, and experience the wonder of wetlands on the picturesque shores of Strangford Lough. Whether you’re looking for an action-packed family adventure or a relaxing day immersed in nature, there’s a world of wetland wildlife waiting to be discovered by you at WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre.

Ormeau Park is the oldest municipal park in Belfast, Northern Ireland, having been officially opened to the public in 1871. It is one of the largest and busiest parks in the city and contains a variety of horticulture, woodland, wildlife and sporting facilities.

The park is home to Victoria Park Playing Fields, which contains soccer pitches, a bowling green and a cycling and BMX track. The park also has two walking trails that centre around the lake.

Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park in south Belfast is one of the city’s most popular parks. The park is home to the City of Belfast International Rose Garden, which attracts thousands of visitors to Rose Week celebrations which take place in July each year. Covering more than 128 acres, the park is made up of rolling meadows, copses, woodland and gardens and is home to a wide range of plants and animals.