Things to Do in Belfast

The Victoria Square Shopping Centre is one of the biggest and most expensive developments in Northern Ireland. It includes both residential and commercial space, with the British department store House of Fraser as its anchor tenant. The square's iconic feature is undoubtedly its glass dome that offers panoramic 360-degree views of the city. The 35-meter diameter dome has two covered, multi-level streets linking in, and an ornate Jaffee Fountain sits below the dome in what is the hub of the entire area.

Daily tours of the dome are offered, with guides providing information on some of the sights to see. Important buildings like Belfast Castle, Harland & Wolff Cranes, Belfast City Hall, Belfast Courts of Justice and the Albert Clock are some to be pointed out.

Retail outlets spread out over four floors include Fossil, H&M, Apple, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Hugo Boss and more, while entertainment outlets like Odeon Cinemas, restaurants and bars are also part of the commercial space at Victoria Square. 

Now permanently berthed at Belfast's Hamilton dry dock, the SS Nomadic is the last surviving vessel from the White Star Line, the once-prominent shipping line behind the ill-fated RMS Titanic. Built in the Harland and Wolff shipyards, the SS Nomadic was the tender to the Titanic, ferrying passengers to the luxury cruise liner.

The SS Nomadic now functions as a museum, with exhibits spread across four decks. Visitors can learn about its construction and its role in the Titanic story, as well as admire restored interiors and find out about its wartime service and stint as a Parisian restaurant-nightclub. Self-guided and guided tours are available. Tickets for the neighboring Titanic Belfast Experience include free admission to the SS Nomadic. Buy tickets in advance to skip the line.

 

 

The SS Nomadic sits in Hamilton dry dock, right beside Titanic Belfast, in Belfast's Titanic Quarter. Walk here from Belfast city center in about 20 minutes, or take the train to the Titanic Quarter station, which is 10"“15-minutes' walk away. Several Metro bus routes, including the 26, 26a, and 26c stop nearby.

 

The SS Nomadic is usually busiest between June and August, especially on weekend afternoons. If you want to avoid the biggest crowds, come midweek during spring or autumn when the Titanic Quarter sees less foot traffic.

The SS Nomadic stayed afloat for decades after the sinking of the Titanic. The ship continued to work as a tender for White Star's luxury cruisers, and was used in both world wars before finally ending up as a floating party boat on the River Seine in Paris. Having been purchased by the Northern Irish government in 2002, the SS Nomadic was restored and retired to the dry dock in Belfast where it now stands.

Known for its neoclassic architecture and fine acoustics, the Victorian Customs House stands in central Belfast, and hosts regular outdoor musical events. The Italianate-style building boasts a traditionally ornamental facade, which contrasts with the modern city Belfast is today, providing excellent photo opportunities.

The Customs House steps and its adjacent square have long been popular spots for protests, public discussions, and speeches, ideas immortalized in the bronze statue of the "speaker." Take advantage of a hop-on hop-off tour to take a stroll through the square, posing for snaps and exploring up close, or absorb wider panoramas of the iconic landmark aboard a river cruise. 

Hop-on hop-off tours stop nearby, allowing easy transfer between central locations, and cruises along the River Lagan also provide impressive views of the landmark. The 505, 507, 512, and 600 buses serve Queens Square directly from Europa Bus Centre. Avoid driving if possible. 

The steps and square are both accessible throughout the year, though summer tends to bring more music and live events, which offer an immersive way to experience the landmark away from the winter drizzle.

The Customs House is the work of architect Charles Lanyon, but it's not his only impact on the city. Belfast Castle and the main building of Queen's University, both his designs, are well worth a visit for insight into his signature style. 

The turreted Scottish Baronial-style Belfast Castle stands high atop a promontory overlooking the city. It was built using the fast-diminishing funds of the third Marquess of Donegall, and the castle now serves as a restaurant, wedding reception site, and events venue. A visitor center in the basement chronicles the history of the castle and the surrounding Cave Hill Country Park with which it shares the hillside, while the ornamental gardens promise stellar views over Belfast City Centre and Belfast Lough.

 

Though most of the castle is now used as a restaurant and event venue, several key attractions on the estate keep visitors coming to this striking structure. Find the Cave Hill Visitor Centre in the basement, which tracks the human history of the hill, as well as the castle's development. The spectacular grounds are an excellent place for a stroll, with the 1,200-foot (366-meter) tall McArt's Fort lookout providing sweeping views over Northern Ireland's capital. A stop at the castle is included on most Belfast city sightseeing tours and hop-on hop-off bus tours.

 

The castle sits on the slopes of Cave Hill, northwest of the city center. Ample parking can be found on site. If you want to use public transport, take any Metro 1 bus route along the Antrim Road and allow for a 15-minute uphill walk to the entrance. Alternatively, hop-on hop-off Belfast tour buses drop off travelers closer to the castle.

 

Belfast Castle is open daily. The castle grounds are busiest on sunny summer weekends, with the playground being particularly busy during July and August. The Cave Hill Visitor Centre is open daily, Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 10pm and Sunday and Monday from 9am to 5:30pm.

 

Visitors will find nine depiction of cats hidden among the castle's ornamental gardens; some are mosaics, others are sculptures, while others are carefully crafted topiaries. These feline figures pay homage to the legend that castle residents will have good fortune as long as a cat"”and ideally a white one"”lives on the estate.

Established in 1828, the flower-filled Botanic Gardens are Belfast's loveliest green space and an ideal gray-day escape. The 28-acre (11-hectare) public park centers on the Charles Lanyon"“designed mid"“19th-century Palm House, a magnificent cast-iron and glass construction with a birdcage dome.

Belfast Botanic Gardens are a popular day-out destination for both locals and visitors, with the warm greenhouses, tropical plants, mature trees, and colorful flower beds serving as a salve on dull, rainy days. Stroll through the rose garden, warm up in the Palm House"”one of the earliest examples of a curvilinear cast-iron glasshouse"”and follow the raised walkway through the 1889-built redbrick Tropical Ravine, which re-creates a rainforest-type setting. The gardens are also home to the Ulster Museum, whose exhibits focus on key chapters from Northern Ireland's history as well natural history and art. 

The entire park features as a stop on hop-on hop-off bus tours of the city. Concerts and festivals occasionally take place here. 

Belfast Botanic Gardens are located in the University Quarter in South Belfast. The train station is Botanic, which is about a 10-minute walk away. From the station, head south down Botanic Avenue and College Park East. Alternatively, ride the Metro bus number 8 from Belfast city center to Queen's University.

The gardens open year-round at 10am; closing times vary seasonally. Spring and summer are when most plants are in bloom, while the heated Palm House and Tropical Ravine offer respite from the cold in winter. If you're going on the weekend, get there early to avoid the crowds.

The botanic gardens are packed with plant species from the southern hemisphere that you might not expect to find in this cool climate. Many of these were first introduced by the park's former head gardener, Charles McKimm, in the late 19th century. Look out for banana, cinnamon, century-old ferns, and rare orchid plants. 

The Odyssey Arena is a large sports and entertainment complex made up of several facilities that serve different functions, including its indoor arena, which holds more than 10,000 attendees for concerts and sporting events. There are several bars, restaurants and nightclubs in the Odyssey Pavilion, as well as the W5, a science exhibition center.

Major headliners such as Christina Aguilera, Lady Gaga, Metallica, The Who, and Depeche Mode have all played here at the arena. World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) events such as RAW and SmackDown! have taken place here as well. The Odyssey also hosts conferences and exhibits, like Belfast Film & Comic Con, so if you're traveling with children, check the calendar for family-friendly events and musicals. 

Cushendun, derived from the Irish for "Foot of the Dun" for its position at the mouth of the River Dun, has long been a safe harbor for travelers between Ireland and Scotland. The village was erected in 1912, based on the villages of Cornwall in England for Ronald John McNeill, Baron Cushendun. Initially consisting of a town square and seven houses, it was expanded with quaint whitewashed cottages. The town's harbor features the ruins of the 14th-century Carra Castle, and regular ferry service once ran between Cushendun and Scotland, up until the Great Famine in the 1840s.

 

The area of Cushendun has long been a favorite among artists, writers and painters. Notable artists who drew their inspiration from the region include poets Moira O'Neill and John Masefield and painters such as Humbert Craig, Maurice Canning Wilks, Theo Gracy and Charles McAuley.

Back in the early 20th century, the RMS Titanic sat in this vast 900-foot (274-meter) dock—then known as Thompson Dry Dock—while workers toiled to put the final touches on the luxurious liner. Next door, an Edwardian-era pump house, which was used to drain water from the dock, now houses original machinery and Titanic-inspired exhibits.

Having housed the Titanic in the run-up to its departure, Titanic’s Dock gives a real sense of the engineering prowess of Belfast’s ship workers as well as the enormous size of the ship itself. Visitors can embark on self-guided tours, descending 44 feet (13 meters) below ground level to the floor of the dock as well as watching rare film clips and browsing the interactive displays at the Pump-House. 

Alternatively, explore the dock in the company of a guide on Titanic-themed tours of Belfast. These tours typically focus on the Titanic Quarter. Cruises on the River Lagan often float past Titanic’s Dock, while day tours to Northern Ireland from Dublin—whether to Belfast only or combining Belfast with the Antrim Coast—may include free time at the Titanic Quarter, during which participants can visit the dock and pump house independently. 

Titanic’s Dock and Pump-House is located in the Titanic Quarter, about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from Belfast city center. Walking from the city center takes 30–35 minutes. Alternatively, Translink Metro bus routes 26, 26A, 26B, and 26C all travel between Belfast City Centre and Titanic’s Dock, as does the Airport Express 600, 600A, and 600B. 

When to Get There 

Titanic’s Dock and Pump-House is busiest during the summer months, with peak visitor hours falling on weekends. If you do go on a Saturday or Sunday, arrive at opening time to get in ahead of the crowds. 

For visitors who want to keep exploring the city’s shipbuilding heritage and Titanic connections, continue on to Titanic Belfast, the cutting-edge exhibition center that traces the story of the ship, from its construction to its tragic end. Visitors can also see the slipways from which the ocean liner set off on its first and last voyage and step aboard the SS Nomadic, the tender ship to the Titanic, which carried passengers to the ill-fated ship from the port in Cherbourg, France.