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Adventure & activity Belfast

Belfast Activity Centre

Booked outdoor adventure 10 minutes from Belfast city centre, age 8 and up.

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Book aheadRequired — book ahead by phone (028 9060…
TicketedPer person
BelfastAdventure & activity
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3 hoursHow long
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Families and gr…Best for
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Belfast Activity Centre — Booked outdoor adventure 10 minutes from Belfast city centre, age 8 and up.

  • What you do: Guided outdoor adventure — climbing and abseiling, caving, archery, bushcraft, orienteering, mountain biking and canoeing/kayaking.
  • Difficulty: Scales by activity — beginner-friendly with instruction; MTB trails range green (easy) to red (harder).
  • Age / height: Minimum age 8; summer schemes for ages 8-13. Activities adapt to most ages and abilities. Check specifics when booking.
  • Booking: Required — book ahead by phone (028 9060 0132) or online; a medical form is completed before taking part.
  • Come ready: Old clothes that can get muddy or wet, full change of clothes, trainers and a waterproof.
  • Weather: Instructor-led with a medical form; weather-ready outdoor activities — dress for mud and rain. Confirm any weather-related changes when booking.
Plan your visit

What you actually do in a session

Sessions run for 3 hours and you choose two onsite activities, or one offsite activity. Onsite options include a climbing wall with abseiling, archery, caving through Ireland's largest artificial cave system, bushcraft and survival skills, orienteering, team games and a crate stack challenge. Offsite, you can mountain bike the centre's green, blue and red trails through Barnett's Demesne, or canoe and kayak on the River Lagan from the centre's boat house at Shaw's Bridge. Everything is led by instructors who teach the basics first, so beginners are looked after. Difficulty scales with the activity — the red MTB trail is harder than the green, and the climbing wall pushes nerve as much as strength.

Booking required Age 8+ Paid sessions Climbing, caving, archery MTB trails and kayaking Ample parking
Good to know before you go:

Adventure centres and trails run seasonal guided sessions, family events and holiday activities. Belfast Activity Centre runs summer activity schemes for ages 8-13 across July and August, plus residentials and group sessions year-round; the mountain bike and kayaking options have their own seasons. Check listings and the centre's booking pages for current dates.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 👟Clothes you can trashOld kit and trainers you do not mind getting muddy or wet.
  • 🎒A full change & a towelEspecially for anything on the water — you will be glad of dry clothes after.
  • 💧Water and a snackYou will have earned it once the adventure is done.
  • 🎫Your bookingAlmost everything here needs booking ahead — have the confirmation ready.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Cost
Paid — varies by activity and session; summer multi-day schemes ran roughly GBP 90 (3 days) to GBP 150 (5 days) in recent years. Confirm current prices when booking.
Booking
Required — book ahead by phone (028 9060 0132) or online; a medical form is completed before taking part.
Activity
Guided outdoor adventure — climbing and abseiling, caving, archery, bushcraft, orienteering, mountain biking and canoeing/kayaking.
Difficulty
Scales by activity — beginner-friendly with instruction; MTB trails range green (easy) to red (harder).
Age / height limits
Minimum age 8; summer schemes for ages 8-13. Activities adapt to most ages and abilities. Check specifics when booking.
Best for
Families and groups with children aged 8+ who want a hands-on, instructor-led adventure session.
What to wear / bring
Old clothes that can get muddy or wet, full change of clothes, trainers and a waterproof.
Safety / weather
Instructor-led with a medical form; weather-ready outdoor activities — dress for mud and rain. Confirm any weather-related changes when booking.
Parking
Ample parking at Barnett's Stable Yard, Barnett's Demesne.
How long to allow
Sessions run 3 hours (morning, afternoon or evening); summer schemes run 9am to 4pm.
Address
Barnett's Stable Yard, Barnett's Demesne, Malone Road, Belfast, BT9 5PB
Questions

Before you go

Do I need to book?
Required — book ahead by phone (028 9060 0132) or online; a medical form is completed before taking part.
How much is it?
Paid — varies by activity and session; summer multi-day schemes ran roughly GBP 90 (3 days) to GBP 150 (5 days) in recent years. Confirm current prices when booking.
Is there an age or height limit?
Minimum age 8; summer schemes for ages 8-13. Activities adapt to most ages and abilities. Check specifics when booking.
What should we wear or bring?
Old clothes that can get muddy or wet, full change of clothes, trainers and a waterproof.
What if the weather is bad?
Instructor-led with a medical form; weather-ready outdoor activities — dress for mud and rain. Confirm any weather-related changes when booking.
Getting there

Belfast Activity Centre is at Barnett's Stable Yard, Barnett's Demesne, Malone Road, Belfast, BT9 5PB. Ample parking at Barnett's Stable Yard, Barnett's Demesne. Tap below for directions.

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Nearby

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The story

About this place

Belfast Activity Centre is a registered charity (NI Charity Commission no. NIC 101347) delivering outdoor learning and adventure from a base at Barnett's Stable Yard in Barnett's Demesne, south Belfast, around 10 minutes from the city centre and under an hour from both airports.

Barnett's Demesne itself opened to the public in 1951 and is a well-loved green space beside the River Lagan, with an arboretum, daffodil garden, ecotrail, orienteering routes, a playground and mountain bike trails. The centre uses this setting for its offsite riding and runs canoeing on the Lagan from its boat house at Shaw's Bridge.

Alongside the Belfast base, the charity operates a residential site at Ardaluin House, Bryansford, near Newcastle, for camps and overnight trips.