DAY 1
Morning
Take the now famous Belfast Black Taxi tour to get a good overview of Belfast City.
Local guides will give you the insight scoop to Belfast with plenty of local stories and wit. Start your tour in the City Centre, then move through the Shipyards and see where HMS Titanic was built and launched from. See the political districts which have bore the brunt of conflict over the last thirty years before seeing the elegant University Quarter and Museum district. www.belfasttours.com
Midday
Titanic Belfast Visitor Attraction
The new Titanic Belfast visitor experience is a must on your Belfast itinerary. The newly opened exhibition tells the story of RMS Titanic - from its construction and launch in Belfast to the drama of its first and final voyage. The iconic building (shaped like ship’s bows) comprises of 9 galleries over 4 floors, allowing the visitor to travel through time - from Edwardian ‘Boomtown Belfast’, (telling the stories of the men who built her, the passengers who travelled on her) to the present day with video footage showing where the ship lies at rest. www.titanicbelfast.com
Afternoon
Experience the broader story of Titanic Belfast and sample one of the following:
Titanic Walking Tour Take a journey into the past and walk in the footsteps of Titanic’s creators with a guided tour of Queens Island where Titanic was designed, built and launched. Titanic’s Drawing Office, Slipway and Dock & Pump-House will all be accessed on the tour. www.titanicwalk.com
Lagan Boat Tour/Lagan Boat Company The Lagan boat tour offers an authentic perspective of the birthplace of the Titanic. The passenger ferry Mona will glide you past the historical site around Queen’s Island and the H&W shipyards. www.laganboatcompany.com
TITANICa Experience the full Titanic story as it is brought to life in the unique setting of the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum. Discover more than 500 original artefacts, including RMS Titanic objects recovered from the icy Atlantic. See one of the original plans of the ship with last minute design changes as well as a porthole and a soup tureen from the seabed. http://www.nmni.com/uftm/collections/transport-(1)/sea---list-test/titanic
Evening
Oh Yeah Music Centre is a former whiskey warehouse in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter, Belfast city´s cultural district. The Oh Yeah Music Centre is a fantastic live music venue that is well worth a visit anytime to experience the Belfast Music Exhibition. Telling the story of the achievements and diverse musical talents that Northern Ireland is so proud of. www.ohyeahbelfast.com
Limelight is another great Belfast music venue that is steeped in local rock history. The Limelight is part of Belfast’s rich musical heritage and offers a varied programme of both international and home grown talent. Address: 17 Ormeau Avenue, Belfast BT2 8HD Phone: +44 28 9032 5968
For a traditional Irish music session, check out:
John Hewitt: 51 Donegall Street, Belfast BT1 2FH Tel: +44 (0)28 9023 3768
Fibber Magee’s: Robinsons Bar, 38-42 Great Victoria Street, Belfast, BT2 7BA Tel: +44 28 9024 7447
Kelly’ Cellar Bar: Kelly’s Cellars, 30 Bank Street, Belfast, BT1 1HL Tel: +4428 9032 483
DAY 2
Explore the Causeway Coastal Route
Head North from Belfast along the Antrim Coast and to the spectacular Causeway Coastal Route. The Causeway Coastal Route is a way-marked 120 mile trail of outstanding scenic drives and attractions which, taken together, make up what has deservedly been described as ´one of the world´s great road journeys´.
Rent a car for the day and explore the beautiful Northern Coastline
Must sees en route include:
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, County Antrim
Carrick-a-Rede is an area of outstanding natural beauty. The geology, flora and fauna have won Carrick-a-Rede recognition as an area of special scientific interest. Of course, Carrick-a-Rede also boasts an exhilarating rope bridge experience. Traditionally fishermen erected the bridge to Carrick-a-Rede island over a 23m-deep and 20m-wide chasm to check their salmon nets. Today visitors are drawn here simply to take the rope bridge challenge! http://www.causewaycoastandglens.com/P2829-Carrick-a-Rede-Rope-Bridge-Antrim-Northern-Ireland-Ballintoy-Ballycastle.aspx
Giant’s Causeway and Visitor Centre, Co. Antrim
Walk down to the iconic UNESCO World Heritage site formed by volcanic eruptions 60 million years ago and learn about its mystical story. www.giantscausewayireland.com
Tour of the famed Old Bushmills Distillery, Co. Antrim
Home to what many regard as Ireland’s finest whiskey and the oldest licensed distillery in Ireland, in business since 1608. Watch whiskey making take place and enjoy a wee taster too as we unlock the secrets of 400 years of distilling at the home of Irish whiskey. www.bushmills.com