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City guide

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been variously described as a country, province or region.

Type PlacePopulation 1,903,175

Why go

  • Part of the United Kingdom.
  • Served by Blackhill Airstrip.

History

Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares an open border to the south and west with the Republic of Ireland. At the 2021 census, its population was 1,903,175, making up around 3% of the UK's population and 27% of the population on the island of Ireland. The Northern Ireland Assembly, established by the Northern Ireland Act 1998, holds responsibility for a range of devolved policy matters, while other areas are reserved for the UK Government. The government of Northern Ireland cooperates with the government of Ireland in several areas under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. The Republic of Ireland also has a consultative role on non-devolved governmental matters through the British–Irish Intergovernmental Conference.

Airports

Belfast International Airport (BFS) 8.3 mi to the centre
Belfast, NIR, GB — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 5 airlines (easyJet, Jet2.com, Thomas Cook Airlines, Lufthansa Cargo…) · direct flights to 29 destinations incl. Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Faro, Malaga, Newark… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 5 airlines, 29 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor
George Best Belfast City Airport (BHD) 22 mi to the centre
Belfast BT3 9JH, UK — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day. ✈ 6 airlines (Flybe, Aer Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways…) · direct flights to 18 destinations incl. London, Aberdeen, Birmingham, Cardiff, East Midlands… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 6 airlines, 18 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor | Outdoor
Coalisland Airstrip 12 mi to the centre
NIR, GB
Outdoor
Tarsan Lane Microlights 13 mi to the centre
Portadown, NIR, GB
Outdoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

When to go

Tourist season
May – September

The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.

Shoulder season
April, October

Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.

Worth avoiding
Deep winter

Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Blackhill Airstrip; 7 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below.

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Northern Ireland. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Trains & rail

National rail

Coaches & shuttles

Intercity coach
Intercity coach

Private aviation

On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.

Broker · Any aircraft via operators worldwide · Global charter broker with 30+ offices; private jets, group charters and cargo.
Broker, marketplace · Operator network worldwide · Online charter marketplace, part of Directional Aviation; instant quotes.
Marketplace · Operator network · Transparent on-demand jet charter marketplace showing the operator and tail.
FBO, charter, management · Managed fleet · FBO network and management across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
Fractional, jet card · Embraer Praetor, Bombardier Challenger & Global, Gulfstream · Fractional ownership and jet cards in North America and Europe.