Belfast is a city that surprises you. Walk five minutes in any direction from the city centre and you will find world-class food, a pub that has been pouring pints for centuries, or a mural that stops you dead in your tracks. Few cities carry their history so openly.
Day 1: Vintage Shops, the Titanic Museum and Live Music at the Duke of York
In the early hours of the morning, we took a flight from East Midlands Airport to Belfast. The plane looked a little exposed around the jet engine fans, and take-off was a touch precarious, but the journey itself lasted around an hour. We landed without any fanfare and collected our bags in no time. Flying domestically has its perks. No passport checks, no lengthy queues.
Accommodation:
A sunny Belfast greeted us on arrival. We hopped into a taxi to our Ibis hotel, nothing fancy but brilliantly central and easy to get around from.
We milled around the city centre for a few hours. We found some brilliant vintage stores, including Fresh Garbage, and grabbed a coffee at a popular vegan coffee house called Hustle. Nearby, we snapped a photo of Frederick Douglass, a remarkable and celebrated abolitionist.
We then walked to a handful of popular spots: Belfast City Hall, the Titanic Memorial and St George’s Market, a brilliant weekend marketplace. Inside you will find lovely little shops, but for us the real draw was the food. A popular item to try is the Irish Bacon Cob, packed to the brim with black pudding, eggs and everything in between.
After fuelling up, we headed to Victoria Square, one of the city’s main shopping centres. The architecture of the building is impressive and well worth a photo.
We had pre-booked tickets for the Titanic Belfast Museum, so we took a leisurely stroll over. Along the way we passed striking sculptures, the Albert Memorial Clock and some stunning stained glass windows featuring Game of Thrones characters.
The museum itself is exceptional. Set aside two to three hours, and trust me, every minute is worth it. You learn how the Titanic was built, and you come across real, personal stories of the people aboard the ship. Some are desperately sad. Others are stories of remarkable courage. And yes, if you love the film, there is a spot to recreate that iconic scene.
We took a cab back to the hotel and rested for a few hours before heading to Common Market, home to a rotating selection of pop-up restaurants. I ordered myself a classic: the spice bag. Chips, chicken and a whole assortment of spices mixed together into a wonderful, chaotic concoction, perfect with a pint of beer. On weekends, entry is just £1.
We closed the night at the Duke of York, one of Belfast’s most beloved pubs and reportedly the venue for Snow Patrol’s first ever concert. Getting a table is a challenge, but if you manage it, prepare for a brilliant atmosphere and great craic. My highlight was sitting with a pint of Guinness, the live music drifting across the room. That is the joy of Irish pubs. They feel communal. You talk to everyone. There is not a soul who wishes you ill. It is joyous and completely unique.
Duke of York.
Top Tip: St George’s Market is only open on weekends. If your trip includes a Saturday or Sunday morning, make it your first stop of the day.
Day 2: A Birthday Hike up Cavehill, the Ulster Museum and Sunday Lamb at Home
Luckily, Belfast stays sunny. For breakfast, we headed to a local favourite, Trait Coffee. The almond croissant was delightfully crumbly and exactly what a birthday morning calls for.
We then took a taxi to Belfast Castle. To be clear, this is not a Disney-style fortress. It leans towards the smaller end of the scale, but size is not the point here. The interior is furnished with elegant period pieces, and there is a restaurant and café if you need a break. The garden offers a lovely spot for photos and a glimpse of the Belfast skyline.
Our real purpose was the Cavehill Circular, and what a walk it is. The route takes in spectacular stops including Cavehill Cave and McArt’s Fort. You will need proper footwear. The hike is steep and I would not recommend it for beginners. The walk itself takes two to three hours.
Top Tip: Wear sturdy boots for the Cavehill Circular. The path gets steep and uneven, especially near McArt’s Fort.
From there, we took a taxi to the Botanic Gardens and made our first stop the Ulster Museum, which offers a sweeping look at Irish history and the natural world. It is free and well worth your time. There is a lot to take in, and the dragon sculptures on the top floor were a personal favourite. Afterwards, we ambled around the gardens themselves. They are compact enough to lap in twenty to thirty minutes, and again, entirely free.
We walked the Botanic Avenue area afterwards, lined with charity shops and restaurants. The hike had taken a fair amount out of us, so we stopped at Relax Thai Massage Belfast to work out some of those persistent knots. Nothing spectacular, but it did the job.
For dinner, we visited Home, a restaurant featured in the Michelin Guide. The menu blends classic French, English and Irish cuisine. I had the Sunday Lamb roast, which was utterly divine. The gravy was on another level entirely, and the Yorkshire pudding was the perfect thing to mop it all up. I rounded the meal off with an Irish Coffee to lift the spirits.
The night was not quite done. We finished at Kelly’s Cellars, one of Belfast’s oldest pubs. It sits a little off the main drag but was just five minutes from our hotel. It is a proper Irish pub, and the Guinness is suitably lush.
Day 3: Heading Home on the Belfast International Express
Our last day in Belfast. With a midday flight, we took the Belfast International Airport Express Bus to the airport. A single ticket costs around £9 and the journey takes about thirty minutes. I would strongly recommend this over getting an Uber. It is far cheaper, reliable and saves you the hassle of navigating a taxi during peak times.
Belfast, it has been a joy. Thank you to Cathy for making this trip so special.
