Top Hidden Gems Day Trips from Belfast
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The top Hidden Gems Day Trips from Belfast include Collin Glen, Grey Point Fort, Churchill Tank, Blackhead Lighthouse, The Gobbins Cliff Path, Grey Abbey, Chaine Memorial Tower and Cranfield Church & Holy Well.
Belfast makes a fine base for exploring, with quirky corners of Antrim and Down all within a day's reach. On the western edge of the city, Collin Glen offers wooded riverside walks below Black Mountain.
Head out along the northern shore of Belfast Lough and you will find Grey Point Fort near Helen's Bay, the Churchill Tank on the Carrickfergus promenade, and further round, Blackhead Lighthouse above the rocks near Whitehead. Keep going up the Antrim coast to reach the Gobbins Cliff Path on Islandmagee, then Chaine Memorial Tower at the mouth of Larne harbour.
Swing southeast onto the Ards Peninsula in County Down and Grey Abbey waits with its roofless Gothic arches. West of it all, on the shore of Lough Neagh, the ruined Cranfield Church and its holy well sit in peaceful isolation.
Together these spots take in cliffs, coastline, ruins and green glens, each an easy outing from the city. Here are eight hidden gems for a day trip from Belfast.
Collin Glen
Photo: Eric Jones via Geograph.org.uk
Explore Collin Glen Tucked against the western edge of Belfast, this wooded glen and forest park follows the Colin River as it runs below the slopes of Black Mountain. A path threads through the trees, passing a series of small waterfalls along the way.
Over the years the place has grown into something of an adventure hub, with an alpine coaster and ziplines strung through the woodland, yet the gentle glen walk still draws families year-round. Seasonal trails add variety with the changing months.
Being so close to the city, it offers a generous stretch of green ground barely a few minutes from the busy streets.
Grey Point Fort
Photo: Albert Bridge via Geograph.org.uk
Visit Grey Point Fort A short drive east along the shore of Belfast Lough brings you to this coastal gun battery near Helen's Bay in County Down. Built in the early 1900s to guard the mouth of the lough, it still holds two long six-inch guns sitting in their original emplacements, hauled here from forts further south.
The old observation post and searchlight positions remain alongside them. The battery lies within Crawfordsburn Country Park and is looked after by a heritage group who open it up to visitors on certain days.
From the emplacements, the guns point out across the water toward the open sea.
Churchill Tank
Photo: Albert Bridge via Geograph.org.uk
See the Churchill Tank Over on the northern shore of Belfast Lough, in the County Antrim town of Carrickfergus, a restored Second World War tank stands on the seafront promenade. This forty-ton Churchill has been set up as a public monument close to the castle and the town war memorial, gazing out over the water.
It takes its name from a tank that fought with the North Irish Horse during the Italian campaign. There is a genuine local connection too, as prototypes of the Churchill were developed here in the town through the war years.
It makes an unexpected sight on a stroll along the front.
Blackhead Lighthouse
Photo: Eric Jones via Geograph.org.uk
Discover Blackhead Lighthouse Standing white against dark basalt at the northern mouth of Belfast Lough, this octagonal stone tower has watched over shipping since it was first lit in 1902. It sits near Whitehead in County Antrim, a drive up the coast well worth making.
The keepers are long gone, and their old houses beside the tower are now let out as holiday lets, so you can actually stay at the lighthouse itself. Reaching it is half the pleasure: the Victorian Blackhead Path, laid out in the 1890s, winds along the shore below the town, crossing little bridges and slipping through a tunnel cut in the rock.
The Gobbins Cliff Path
Photo: Mike Faherty via Geograph.org.uk
Walk the Gobbins Cliff Path Further up the Antrim coast, the basalt cliffs of Islandmagee hide one of the region's most thrilling walks, open by guided tour only. A route of steel bridges, a tunnel and narrow walkways clings to the rock face just above the breaking waves, taking in sea caves, stacks and noisy colonies of nesting seabirds.
A railway engineer first built the path in the early 1900s to draw visitors, though it later fell to ruin before being rebuilt and reopened in 2015. Tours set off from a visitor centre and are demanding, with countless steps, a head for heights and a decent level of fitness needed.
They run only when the weather allows.
Grey Abbey
Photo: N Chadwick via Geograph.org.uk
Wander Grey Abbey Southeast of the city, out on the Ards Peninsula in County Down, the village of Greyabbey holds the roofless ruins of a Cistercian abbey founded back in 1193. Tall pointed arches of the old church still rise from the grass, counted among the earliest Gothic building in the north of Ireland, with the low footings of the cloister spread out beside them.
Inside the ruins lie carved tomb figures of a knight and a lady. A recreated medieval physic garden, planted with the kinds of herbs the monks once grew for medicine, fills part of the grounds, and the whole site is free to wander.
Chaine Memorial Tower
Photo: Kenneth Allen via Geograph.org.uk
Find Chaine Memorial Tower North of Belfast, at the mouth of Larne harbour in County Antrim, a tall stone tower rises in the shape of an ancient Irish round tower. Climbing around ninety feet to a pointed conical cap, it was raised by public subscription in memory of James Chaine, a local man who did much to develop the port.
Since 1899 it has served a practical purpose as well, working as a navigation light that guides vessels safely past the offshore rocks. You will find it at Sandy Point, reached along Chaine Memorial Road, a quiet spot to pause and look out over the water.
Cranfield Church & Holy Well
Photo: Kenneth Allen via Geograph.org.uk
Seek out Cranfield Church & Holy Well For something quieter still, head west to the shore of Lough Neagh, where the ruined medieval church of Cranfield sits in its old graveyard at Churchtown Point in County Antrim. Little more than the low flint walls now survive, and just to the east, right on the shore, lies a holy well long tied to a local saint.
Pilgrims have made their way here across the centuries, most often in early summer, drawn by the well and its old associations. The ruin and the well rest together in a peaceful spot beside the vast inland water, a fitting end to a day's wandering.
FAQs
How far is the Gobbins Cliff Path from Belfast?
The Gobbins sits on Islandmagee, around 25 km from Belfast, roughly a 45-minute drive up the Antrim coast. Because it is walked by guided tour only and depends on the weather, it is worth booking ahead before you set out.
Can you stay overnight at Blackhead Lighthouse?
Yes. The former keepers' houses beside Blackhead Lighthouse, near Whitehead in County Antrim, are now let out as holiday accommodation, so you can stay right at the lighthouse rather than only visiting for the day from Belfast.
Which of these day trips suit families?
Collin Glen, on the western edge of Belfast, is a strong family choice with its riverside walk, alpine coaster and ziplines. Grey Point Fort near Helen's Bay and the Churchill Tank at Carrickfergus also appeal to younger visitors.
Conclusion
From wooded glens on the city's doorstep to lonely ruins by the water, this corner of Northern Ireland rewards anyone willing to travel a little way out. A morning at Collin Glen or Grey Point Fort pairs neatly with an afternoon further afield, whether that means the dramatic walkways of the Gobbins, the arches of Grey Abbey or the quiet shore at Cranfield.
The coastline strung around Belfast Lough and up into Antrim packs in lighthouses, gun batteries and old towers, while the Ards Peninsula and Lough Neagh add ruins and reflection. Pick a direction, check tour times and tides where they matter, and you will have a full and varied day.
Whichever route you choose, these are the hidden gems for a day trip from Belfast.
