5 Daytrips from Belfast the Whole Family Will Love

Northern Ireland has so much to offer, and there are loads of places to visit within a short drive from Belfast. We’ve been living here for six years now, and with four young children, the desire to get out of the city and run about is strong. There are only so many times you can go to Stormont Park! 

5 Family-Friendly Daytrips from Belfast

We love a beach, a forest, a hill to climb, or a walkabout in nature. Bonus points if there’s a playpark! A cafe close by for a sweet treat and a coffee is a must, so each of the daytrips outlined below includes our favourite snack spots, too. We tend to bring a picnic, so I rarely have lunch suggestions, but a couple of the days out include those too.

1. A Trip Around the Ards Peninsula

We usually drive down along the peninsula from Newtownards before stopping at Greyabbey and a beach like Kircubbin which has a cute little café called Coan. We then drive to Portaferry and get the ferry across to Strangford. The Cuan is lovely for lunch, especially during the colder months when you can enjoy the roaring fire. In the afternoon, we usually enjoy a walk around Castle Ward which is a National Trust property. Castle Espie Wetland Centre is another lovely option for a few hours in nature on the way back up. 

2. Glenarm Forest

Start in Glenarm Forest car park and walk along the Glenarm River until you reach the waterfalls. This isn’t a very long walk, but it’s perfect if you want to get out of the city, drive in some beautiful countryside, and stretch your legs. It can also be combined with a walk along the coast in Glenarm and Carnloch. 

Glenarm Castle is another option in this part of the world, and we highly recommend Twilight coffee shop in Carnloch for snack. You may have to wait for a seat. A lunch option we have enjoyed is The Dairy.

3. Rowallane Garden

Rowallane Garden is lovely smaller National Trust property right by Saintfield. We often go and use some of the balls, bats and other simple games equipment they have outside, especially during school holidays. There’s also a wooden play area.

4. Crawfordsburn Country Park and Helen’s Bay 

Crawfordsburn is a good spot all year round, but you might want to avoid visiting if it’s rained a lot recently as there’s a portion of the path that gets very muddy.  If you’re a sea swimmer, it’s a great place for a dip. I’ve recently discovered the joys – or should I say overcome my fear of seaweed and my dislike of being uncomfortable! Now, I can’t get enough!

As we’d never leave the beach if we began with it, we usually head out of the car park at Helen’s Bay towards the wood that takes you along to Crawfordsburn. Then, we loop back round to the café and down on to the beach to end the walk. This way, the kids are exercised and can stay on the beach as long as they want before a short walk back to the carpark.

There’s a cafe at the car park of Crawfordsburn Country Park which is nice enough, but it has short opening hours, so an ice cream from the ice cream van is usually our go-to choice when we visit. 

5. Tollymore Forest Park 

We usually bring a picnic and go for a lovely day-long dander when we visit Tollymore Forest Park. You can see the Mourne Mountains around you which makes this forest feel wilder than many others. That said, it’s not an arduous walk, and we’ve done it with children as young as 3 with minimal carrying. It’s also well cared for and has a lovely river winding through it with stepping stones and bridges dotted about, giving this forest extra charm and exploring opportunities for kids. 

Tollymore is also close enough to Newcastle to pop to Cafe Mauds for ice cream or grab a fish and chips dinner before heading home

What’s Your Favourite Family-Friendly Daytrip from Belfast?

Have I missed something amazing? I love discovering new places to visit. Please comment below or share your recommendations with me via Instagram. In the meantime, if you’re looking for more Belfast inspiration, take a look at the links below...

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