With over 700,000 visitors a year the Belfast botanic gardens are by far the most popular park area in the city. It covers a huge space of over 28 acres and boasts a huge variety of vegetation and flowers, making it a great place to relax and explore its natural beauty.

One of the main attractions in the garden is the beautiful palm house. This stunning piece of architecture was built by Richard Turner in the 1800′s and is one of the earliest types of glasshouse built in the whole world. Inside the glasshouse you can find a type of plant called Xanthorrhoea which is believed to be over 400 years old!

The best time of year to visit would have to be the summer months from June to August as the weather is more pleasant and you could enjoy picnics in the gardens with friends and family.

The best way to get to the park is by car, the park is signposted when you get nearby and there is also a dedicated car park on site so you don’t have to worry about where you are going to leave your car. If you have not yet booked your car hire for your next trip then you can find out the best quotes by filling in a few details into the Vroom Vroom car search feature on this site. You can also collect your car from both the city centre or Belfast airport if it is more convenient for you.

If you are visiting Belfast and want to know more about this history of this city then the Belfast Famous Black cab tours are a great way to do it. You will get a pick up by taxi from where you are staying and then will be driven around all of the historic places and buildings and given the history of the conflict between the Catholics and protestants over the years. It is a very informative trip and a great way to see parts of the city that you would not normally have visited. The guides are all people who have had first hand experience of the conflict and so they add a personal touch, as well as getting the historical information there are also personal accounts and stories. The tours are unbiased though, providing information about both sides so that you are left to make up your own opinion as to what you think about the troubles. The taxi will make stops for you to be able to take a look at some of the sites and take photographs and as it is a personal tour you are able to ask as many questions as you wish.

It is also more restful as you can leave the hire car behind for once and be a passenger, let someone else do the driving for a change! Many people who have done the tour say it was the best thing about their trip so it is well worth consideration as an addition to your itinerary.