Whether you’re wandering through the Titanic Quarter or enjoying a harbour tour, Belfast is a city with a big heart that you’ll adore exploring. Here are 5 ways to do it!
1. Take a taxi with a twist
A Belfast Black Taxi Tour is one of the best ways to see Belfast and learn about the city’s past. These taxi drivers are experts on their city and their colourful commentary, full of local tidbits and fun facts, brings the dramatic history of Northern Ireland to life.
Sign up for a tour, and you’ll be guided through Belfast’s famous murals; striking works of street art that illustrate the city’s history and its Titanic past. We bet that once you’re done, you’ll remember this as one of the most enjoyable tours you have ever taken.
2. Speed across Belfast Harbour
Feel the wind in your hair and the sea spray in your face on a boat trip that takes you to the city’s exceptional waterfront sights. Climb aboard one of the Lagan Boat Company’s cruisers and take a tour around the fascinating harbour while your guide tells you the real story of Titanic: the Ship of Dreams.
Get up close and personal with the Titanic Quarter and the changes it has undergone in the last hundred years, as it has evolved from an industrial hub to a sleek, modern, urban space. Oh, and keep your eyes peeled for friendly seals in Musgrave Channel – it’s Belfast’s largest seal colony!
3. Whizz through the Titanic Quarter
The Titanic Quarter covers a hefty chunk of the waterfront, so a Segway might save you some legwork. Segway NI’s route brings you from the beautiful Odyssey Theatre to the historic “Samson and Goliath” – two enormous yellow cranes that rise above the city’s docklands as a constant reminder of its shipbuilding past.
Glide around the Quarter and indulge yourself in Titanic history, including the old drawing offices, the dry dock, and the White Star Line’s only remaining ship, the SS Nomadic at Hamilton Dock. Another maritime history highlight is the HMS Caroline – one of only a handful of World War I ships left in the world.
The tours are fully guided, with informed and experienced Belfast natives giving a unique local insight into the city’s culture and heritage.
4. Grab a taste of the city
If you’re a foodie of any sort, the Belfast Bred Food Tour will whet your appetite. Part guided tour, part performance, the tour takes you around the city that has become famous for its innovative food scene and lets you experience the best of Belfast flavors in an afternoon.
Along the way, you’ll be introduced to some of Northern Ireland’s culinary delights, from caviar to chocolate, as well as visiting some of the city’s famous eateries, and, of course, stopping at the iconic St George’s Market, a Belfast institution dating back to 1604. The best part of the Belfast Bred Food Tour, though? Well, that has to be the mouth-watering free samples at every stop.
5. Get on your bike
Want to get to know the city as fast as you can? Belfast City Bike Tours are perfect if you want to pack a lot into a short time! The guided tours take riders around the city in small groups, giving the lowdown on where to eat, where to drink and where to head when night falls.
Belfast City Bike Tours offer six different routes, so you can pick one that suits you – there’s even a route that takes you to the award-winning Hilden Brewing Company by the banks of the River Lagan, or the LaganSide Pedal and Paddle Bike Tour, which combines cycling with serious fun on the water. Of course, if you fancy your own trip across the city, Belfast Bikes are easy to access and you can take things at your own, leisurely pace.
Credit to Ireland.com for this article.
