Making giant memories in beautiful Belfast

During a recent short break in Belfast, influencer Emma O’Leary (@Lifewithtinyhumans) had lots of fun. Here’s what Emma, her husband Michael and three kids got up to...

Day One

We absolutely love taking short breaks as a family and where better to do so than Belfast. It’s such a vibrant city with a welcoming atmosphere and lots of activities for the whole family to enjoy.

As soon as I told our kids about our plans for the weekend, there was lots of excitement and a mad dash to the car. Packing for this trip was a breeze as there were no luggage limits to worry about, it was just a case of making sure it all fit in car.

We drove to Belfast from our home in County Clare - travelling at your own pace with children is such a treat - it really removes any element of stress from the journey! We took breaks when needed and made sure to hit all our favourite UK shops including Sainsbury’s, Home Bargains and Asda, no trip would be complete without these three gems. The kids loved the awe-inspiring scenery on the drive. And when we arrived at our hotel, the AC Hotel Belfast, we were all left speechless by the view – it is right on the River Lagan and the view which takes in Titanic Belfast, the SSE Arena and a host of other attractions on the maritime mile really is a sight to behold, especially as the sun starts to set.

There is no compromise at this hotel, there is such a beautiful view, the room’s are so modern and stylish and it is just a 10 minute walk from the city centre. On the night we arrived we ate in Novelli’s at the hotel. The food was great, I had the Novelli Tagine which was just delicious and there was no complaints from Michael or the kids as they all wiped their plates clean.

Excited about what was in store on our giant family adventure, we made the decision to get an early night and recharge our batteries, so we went for a short walk after dinner.

As we were exploring we came across an epic mural of a DeLorean (the car used in the Back to the Future movies and built in Dunmurry). The street art in Belfast is breathtaking there is something beautiful to see around almost every corner.

Day two

After a great night’s sleep, we were up bright and early and ready for adventure. The breakfast was perfect for everyone – there were lots of options to choose from with lots of freshly baked breads, fresh fruit and yoghurt. Michael ordered a cooked breakfast while the kids and I enjoyed the continental options. Well-fed and ready for the day ahead, we made our way to Colin Glen. This is a fantastic space with so much for everyone to enjoy. There is a brilliant Gruffalo trail for younger kids (my youngest two boys really enjoyed it) but they were all eager to tackle the epic alpine coaster - the Black Bull Run.

This coaster is the first and only one of its kind on the island and is suitable for kids 3+ and kids 3-7 ride free with a fee-paying adult.

Everyone had a such a great time riding this and the brake in the cart to control the speed of our descent meant we could tailor the experience to each of our desired thrill levels – it wasn’t just a case of screaming if you want to go faster!

After we finished on the alpine coaster, Luke asked me if we could try the zip line and I couldn’t say no. Just before it was time to fly, my heart was in my mouth but as we soared through 700m of forest I can honestly say it was an absolutely brilliant experience that we both loved every second of. If you are adrenaline junkie, you won’t want to miss this.

We made our way back into the centre of Belfast for lunch – we’re a family of pizza lovers and Orto Pizza really hit the spot! The buffalo focaccia was delicious and I even had some of Michael’s braised ham hock pizza and the kids loved their pepperoni pizzas. After lunch, we made our way to the SSE Arena and to W5. We have visited Belfast before but have never been here and it really didn’t disappoint. The only word I have to describe it is ‘wow’. The kids were in heaven and honestly, you could easily spend 4+ hours in here, there are just so many interactive/educational exhibits to enjoy and it was so much fun. We all walked away from W5 very impressed and eager to return. Next time we are back in Belfast we will be making sure to visit. After heading back to the hotel to freshen up we made our way to Fish City for dinner. This is Belfast’s first sustainable seafood restaurant and its menu includes Carlingford oysters, Strangford Lough mussels and of course, fish & chips. Fish City has such a gorgeous atmosphere and a truly dreamy menu. I had the prawn tacos and I will be dreaming about them for weeks.

After dinner we went for a walk around the city, it really is such a beautiful place and I just love how it looks as the sun begins to set.

Day three

With yet another fun-filled day planned, we started bright and early on Sunday morning and enjoyed another delicious breakfast at the hotel before we checked out. We then took a trip to one of Belfast’s oldest attraction’s, St George’s Market.

This is great spot for those easy Sunday mornings! There was such a lovely atmosphere and so much to see and taste. If you’ve never been, I’d really recommend visiting it.

In Northern Ireland you’re only a small step away from a giant adventure and on our way home we took the short drive to Banbridge to do the Game of Throne Studio Tour.

Both Michael and I are big fans, so we were beyond excited but were a bit unsure about what to expect in terms of our kids’ levels of enthusiasm for the visit.

We need not have worried, they loved it. There are so many interactive elements to the tour that we were all really immersed in the world of Westeros.

There was so much to see, the kids loved seeing the giant, dragon skulls and learning how the different characters were created and putting their faces in the hall of faces.

We spent three hours at the studios altogether but could easily have spent more. If you are a fan of the show and wondering if the kids will enjoy it, fear not there is loads for them to see and do.