Hotels in Hillsborough

Hillsborough, formally Royal Hillsborough since 2022, is a small Georgian village in County Down that punches well above its size thanks to Hillsborough Castle, the royal residence in Northern Ireland and the setting for some of the most important political talks of the Troubles era. The castle's gardens and state rooms are the main draw, and the steep main street of handsome terraces, old coaching pubs and independent shops makes for a pleasant afternoon. Hillsborough Forest Park and its lake offer easy walks just beyond the centre.

With only a few thousand residents and a handful of places to stay, this is a quiet base rather than a destination for nightlife, and evenings wind down early. Belfast's bigger sights, such as Titanic Belfast, the Botanic Gardens and Belfast Castle, are within a reasonable drive, and Belfast International Airport is also manageable by road, so a car makes life much easier. Stay on or near Main Street by the castle gates, where you can walk to the gardens, pubs and restaurants without needing to drive.