Route highlights:
Titanic Quarter
The route begins on Belfast’s high street in the heart of the city. It takes you to Queen’s Island or the Titanic Quarter, a bustling and modern area and one of the world’s largest urban waterfronts, spanning 185 acres beside the historic pump house where the mighty RMS Titanic was designed and built.
Nearby are the amazing Titanic Museum and the Titanic Paint Hall, currently being used to film the hit HBO series Game of Thrones. Here you can also see the striking H&W cranes, the most unique landmark on Belfast’s skyline.
See Custom House Square, an outdoor space that is teeming with cultural events in summertime, and the Albert Memorial Clock, commissioned by Queen Victoria in memory of her prince consort, Prince Albert.
Belfast Castle
The route includes a stop at Belfast Castle, which sits 400 metres above sea level on the scenic slopes of Cavehill Country Park. Built in a Scottish baronial style, the castle’s architecture is striking, and the whole area offers fantastic views of the city.
The west side
The route passes Queens University, regarded as one of the top 20 universities in the UK, and Belfast City Hall, a beautiful building and centrepiece to the city. You’ll pass Clifton House Graveyard, where the city’s most famous historic figures are buried. And you’ll also see the Crown Liquor Saloon, known as the most famous pub in Belfast – built as a Victorian gin palace in 1885; its ornate interiors have given it National Trust heritage status.
See the Victorian Crumlin Road Gaol where IRA prisoners were once held. It has now been transformed into one of the city’s newest attractions, a whisky distillery which produces Titanic and Danny Boy whiskeys.
See the Lagan Weir, the city’s huge tidal barrier, and the Salmon of Knowledge, an iconic piece of modern art.
And hop off at the beautiful botanic gardens, a tranquil and glorious area with rose gardens and a Palm House Conservatory. The famous Ulster Museum is set within the gardens too.
Belfast Murals
Throughout the tour, you’ll be able to spot some of the most famous political murals in Europe – there are almost 2,000 of them dotted around the city, depicting events from Northern Ireland’s turbulent history. They have become a trademark of Belfast itself and are a colourful and striking reminder of its past.