A Day Trip To Belfast, Northern Ireland

If you’re visiting Dublin, and wish to see Northern Ireland, this day trip is so worth it

Are day trips worth it?

Well, to me they are so worth it. I love traveling, and that means that even if I only get to stay a couple of days or even a couple of hours in a new city or country, I still think that the experience is worth living.

In May, when I had just moved to Dublin, Ireland, I went to Belfast, Northern Ireland with my two best friends.

Belfast is the capital and the largest city of Northern Ireland, and a very beautiful place to see. There are many great things to do there. You can go to awesome museums, check out their local Irish pubs, spend the afternoon in a very nice historic city center, walk around their breathtaking gardens, and of course, go inside their beautiful churches and see their awesome castles.

The trip from Dublin isn’t that bad at all. Ireland is a very small country, so in a couple of hours, you can cross the entire country by car.

So, when I was researching about Belfast and I saw that it took less than 2 hours to get there from Dublin, I did not hesitate to plan a day trip there.

Getting to Belfast from Dublin

You can get to Belfast by car, bus, train or of course, by plane. Though I don’t think it’s worth going there by plane simply because of all the stress and bureaucracy that there is when you travel by plane.

Getting there by train and by bus can cost almost the same price. And buses will leave every 30 minutes or every hour, so you don’t have to book it in advance. I found out that many people live in Belfast but work in Dublin, or vice versa.

The bus ride was by the bus company Bus Eireann (which is a local bus company from Dublin) and it cost 15 euro round trip. Yes, it was that cheap. 15 euro round trip. Imagine paying less than 20 euros to visit another country. This is insane. There was free Wi-Fi on board, and outlets on the bus, and the trip was faster than I expected. I took my passport with me, but there was no immigration/customs and border at all. It was as if I was still in the Republic of Ireland.

Know before you go

My friends and I made the terrible mistake of forgetting to get some Pounds beforehand (Belfast, Northern Ireland is part of the UK. So their currency is not Euro, it’s Pounds). That means that we couldn’t use the public transportation there.

Getting around Belfast is very easy. Belfast has a good public bus transport system. But we did most things on foot, and we ordered Uber whenever we went to places that would take more than a one-hour walk.

Uber in Dublin sucks (they still have Taxis and they are a complete rip-off), but Uber in Belfast is awesome. Cheap and easy to use. As a tourist, that makes our experience a lot more practical and enjoyable.

Things to do

Belfast has a lot to offer from museums and castles to gardens and pubs. So, you will surely not be bored.

These are the places I got to see, so I hope you enjoy this little one-day itinerary.

Grand Opera House

Opened on December 23, 1895, the Grand Opera House is a theater in Belfast designed by Frank Matcham. A nice fact about it is that Charlie Chaplin performed there in 1908.

I didn’t get to see inside because I only had one day there, but if I ever go back to Belfast, going inside will definitely be on my list.

Shankill Road/Falls Road

Walking around Shankill Road and Falls Road so we could get to see the Street Murals and Peace Wall was a nice walk, but it felt a little tense when I learned about its history and past. A past that isn’t that long ago.

I enjoyed looking at the beautiful nature as well as the pubs and of course, the art on the walls.

Street Murals, Peace Wall

Following the outbreak of ongoing sectarian violence that came to be known as The Troubles in 1969, the Belfast Peace Walls were erected in a bid to reduce tensions between the Loyalist and Nationalist communities.

The Street Murals and the Peace Wall were really nice to see. I loved the art that shared a very sad history and communicated a very important message to the world about who they were and what they went through.

Belfast Castle

One of the most beautiful castles I’ve ever seen, the Belfast Castle is a turreted stone building with landscaped gardens and eco trails that are worth seeing.

The castle sits on the slopes of Cave Hill, northwest of the city center, and to get there, my friends and I ordered an Uber.

I really enjoyed visiting the castle. The garden is truly beautiful and the view you get from up there is quite breathtaking. It is in a prominent position 400 feet above sea level.

Titanic Belfast

The Titanic Belfast is the most popular attraction in Belfast and a must-see for most visitors.

Belfast was chosen as the site for the Titanic visitor attraction because the RMS Titanic was built in Belfast’s dockyards by local shipbuilding firm Harland & Wolf.

I didn’t want to go inside the museum, but I heard that it is so worth checking out.

Waterfront Area/Titanic Walkway

If you enjoy waterfront places, don’t forget to check this one out when in Belfast.

I enjoyed walking around it and seeing all the buildings that surround it as well as the water.

It is a perfect location for a day out, run, or even cycle.

St George’s Market

Located on May Street, close to the River Lagan and the Waterfront Hall, St George’s Market is definitely a must-see if you want to visit Belfast, Northern Ireland.

It is one of Belfast’s oldest attractions and one of the best markets in the UK and Ireland.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to chance to go in because when I went to Belfast it was a bank holiday, so the market was closed. It was a pity because I really love going to different markets around the world, and I was extremely excited to check this one out since I had heard so many wonderful things about it.

Belfast City Hall

This was my favorite place in Belfast. Belfast City Hall is such an iconic building, and the area around it is also really cool to see.

Belfast City Hall is the civic building of Belfast City Council and it is located in Donegall Square. It faces north and it divides the commercial and business areas of the city. A total must if you’re in Belfast for the first time.

St Peter’s Cathedral

St. Peter’s cathedral is a classical Roman catholic church in the west part of Belfast.

It was such a lovely visit. The outside is very impressive and so is the inside.

When we went inside, we had such a friendly chat with a very lovely lady who had been a member of the church for so many years. She was 76 years old and talked to us about Belfast and its other churches and history. She asked us to take a photo with us and to say a prayer together. This was definitely one of the most incredible moments I’ve ever had while traveling.

Pubs

And last but not least, if you want to have a truly Irish experience, do not forget to check out their awesome local pubs.

To end the day trip, my friends and I went to a pub for a few drinks and it was a very nice experience.

We were shocked at how cheap the drinks were compared to how much they cost in Dublin. Dublin is an extremely expensive city and though it’s fun to go out with friends, I find it a little pricey when I order many drinks. You can easily spend over 50 euros a night when out with your friends in Dublin. But in Belfast, everything was so much cheaper.

We had heard of a few popular pubs, but since we didn’t have much time to go check them all out, we just went to one that was close to our bus station. It was still very worth it and I loved it.

We truly had a nice time together, we were very lucky that it didn’t rain, and that it was so worth going to Northern Ireland’s largest city and capital for just a day.

Have you ever been to Belfast?

Would you like to visit Belfast?

I’d love to hear from you!

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