Back before COVID shut down the world, I spent 4 nights in Belfast as part of a larger UK/Eurotrip. I thought I would be able to add another country to my tally, but it turns out that Northern Ireland is not technically a separate country from the Republic of Ireland. However, the United Kingdom is made up of Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales, so I was able to check off all of the UK by the end of this trip! The UK is a wonderful place to travel. I know that even though I’ve been to each country, I’ll come back to explore more 🙂
Belfast, Northern Ireland Overview
Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland and its main hub. It all feels a bit complicated to understand… Northern Ireland is part of the UK but Ireland is not. Northern Ireland is not its own country so it’s part of Ireland. Even though it’s part of Ireland, which is not part of the UK, it is part of the UK? Yea. All this conflict about geography has a lot to do with religious differences and makes Belfast a fascinating place to visit. Add in the fact that the Titanic was built here, and you’ve got more than enough to explore over 4 nights in Belfast. If you give yourself one full day to drink Guinness and nothing else, I’d support that decision too!
It’s worth mentioning that I visited Belfast as a solo female traveler on a budget. I felt completely safe the whole time and found it to be a very affordable section of my Eurotrip.
Arriving in Belfast
I came to Belfast from Edinburgh, Scotland via a bus/boat/bus situation. This way of traveling was really enjoyable because the ferry was basically a cruise ship. It felt sort of romantic to get a seat right next to a big, circular window and watch the Irish Sea pass by. The “ferry” had coffee, food, and alcohol available for purchase.
I expect many people will choose to fly into Belfast itself. The Belfast International Airport is about 30 minutes away from the city center.
Alternatively, if you are coming to Belfast from other parts of Ireland, it is less than a 2-hour drive from Dublin. If you don’t have a car, you can take a train or bus from Dublin.
Accommodation in Belfast
I mentioned earlier that I was traveling solo on a budget, so I decided to stay in a hostel during my 4 nights in Belfast. The most highly recommended hostel (Vagabonds) was fully booked.
I ended up staying at Belfast City Backpacker which was sufficient but nothing more. There were no social events planned and the atmosphere for meeting people wasn’t great. (I was traveling during the offseason, though.) Some of the staff were not helpful, and I was particularly frustrated when trying to check out. That being said, other staff members did help me book 2 tours which were fantastic. The room itself was totally fine, but the shower in the bathroom shared between 10 people never had hot water (tough to deal with in winter). I did like the location of the hostel and was able to walk to many places or catch a nearby bus.
4 Nights in Belfast: What to Do
I loved every moment of my month-long UK/Eurotrip, but my time in Belfast stands out as being particularly jam-packed and interesting in the best way. There is so much history to learn about and also proximity to one of the best coastal drives in the world. You might not think Belfast would have much to offer, but you will be pleasantly surprised. So let’s get into all the activities!
Titanic Museum
Everyone has heard of the Titanic, but did you know the ship was built in Belfast? My favorite travel vloggers, Flying the Nest, went to this museum a couple of years ago. It had been on my bucket list ever since. As Belfast’s #1 attraction and the largest Titanic exhibition in the world, it’s on many peoples’ list of must-sees! I spent about half a day between the museum and wandering around the Titanic Quarter. I highly recommend exploring this area during your 4 nights in Belfast.
The museum was super informative but definitely less emotional than I was expecting. It focused more on Belfast’s industrial history and how it came to be a place where ships were built. Then it showcased the main players in the ship-building companies as well as showing how the Titanic was built (a very impressive feat for the times but just in general). There were many interactive exhibits and tons of relics to look at, from ticket stubs and letters to replica passenger rooms. They did show the SOS messages sent to other ships once they hit the iceberg, and that was haunting.
There’s more to see outside such as the SS Nomadic (which is included in the museum ticket price). The SS Nomadic is the last remaining White Star Line ship in the world and was responsible for chartering passengers to the Titanic. I really enjoyed reading about all the passengers who sailed on this ship before getting onto the Titanic–many recognizable names and crazy stories! Also nearby are Titanic’s Dock and Pump-House. They were closed when I visited. However, even just walking by was worth it to see exactly where the Titanic was built.
Giant’s Causeway
I didn’t want to book a car on my own, so I opted for a day trip to Giant’s Causeway that I booked through my hostel. I believe it was with Allen’s Tours. By this point in my trip, I was itching to get out of cities and into nature, and I had the best day taking in the beauty of coastal Northern Ireland (and a Guinness or two). The Flying the Nest video I linked above also captures the scenery of this area. Highlights included the Dark Hedges (from Game of Thrones), Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge/hike, and of course, the famous formations at Giant’s Causeway.
Troubles Tour
This tour was quite possibly the highlight of my whole trip. (I booked through my hostel, but there are many different companies you can choose from if you search online.) I had just finished reading a book about The Troubles called Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe. All the details of this vicious time in Ireland’s history were fresh in my mind. Visiting the locations in real life with a local who lived through the whole thing was surreal. I wrote my immediate takeaways in a weekly travel recap–you can read that here.
If you aren’t familiar with The Troubles, they’re essentially a 30-year “war” between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland/Britain, with most of the conflict centered around religion and nationalism. I put war in quotes because it was never classified as one, despite the fighting armies and bloodshed over so many years. Even today, with The Troubles technically in the past, you will see during your 4 nights in Belfast that the tension remains–and so does an actual wall that separated the two sides at the height of the conflict. These peace walls are now a major tourist attraction but may not be around for much longer. I highly recommend visiting them while you can with a local guide!
Further Thoughts from The Troubles Tour
My guide David grew up during The Troubles on the Protestant side. Talking to him was absolutely fascinating. He explained how he felt it all started and that it kept going because of men’s egos… like “Oh, you did this to us, so we have to get revenge,” and it just went back & forth and got out of control. He attributes the cease-fire to efforts of women on both sides coming together and telling the men, “Enough is enough. We’re not doing this anymore.” I thought it was very feminist of David because most recollections will say the cease-fire was a deliberate move from the male leaders at the top… blah, blah, blah. It’ll be those men who go down in the history books as per usual while the women get no credit for the important role they played.
I also found it very touching to hear how much hope David has in the next generation to build bridges and put an end to it once and for all. He believes the way forward is learning to accept others, not learning to love one another, just acceptance. That’s such a poignant message the whole world could use right now.
I asked David how he stayed out of the conflict when he literally lived right in the middle of it, and he said he just never agreed with it. He felt both sides were wrong, and he wasn’t interested in violence. They tried to recruit him a few times, but they always wanted patriotic volunteers so you could say no. The 2 hours I spent with him one-on-one while he drove me around to all the sites and shared his stories was incredible.
The Crown Liquor Saloon
If you don’t get Guinness in Ireland you are doing it wrong. It’s absolutely delicious–better from the source than anywhere else. When I travel, I like to experience historic watering holes as much as possible. That led me to the Crown Liquor Saloon whilst in Belfast. It’s one of the most famous and beautiful bars in the city and dates back to 1826. You won’t regret stopping in for a pint!
4 Nights in Belfast: Sample Itinerary
Here’s a rough guide of how to plan your time in Belfast based on what I did there!
- First day: Arrive in Belfast and get acquainted with the city.
- Second day: Titanic Museum/ Titanic Quarter, The Crown Liquor Saloon
- Third day: All day tour driving the Antrim Coast to Giant’s Causeway, dinner and Guinness at Town Square
- Fourth day: The Troubles Tour, Belfast Botanic Gardens
- Final morning: Head to your next destination or home.
How Much Did 4 Nights in Belfast Cost?
What can you expect to spend on a similar trip to Belfast? Here’s how my trip added up (in US dollars).
- Accommodation: $65.06 total (4 nights in hostel)
- Transportation: $137.13 (includes getting to and from Belfast)
- Food/Alcohol: $97.57 (combo of going out to eat and making something from grocery store at hostel)
- Activities: $104.92 (Titanic Museum, coastal day trip, Troubles tour)
- Total: $404.68 ($294.24 not including transport in and out of Belfast)
I hope you found this post helpful and full of ideas for your trip to Belfast. Please share on Pinterest if you did 🙂 I know you will have the best time in Northern Ireland. Feel free to comment if you have any questions for me!
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