One Day in Belfast Itinerary: The Best of Belfast in a Day
After spending a day in Belfast last month, I’ve put together all of the top things you can’t miss into an amazing one day in Belfast itinerary! This will help you hit all the top sites easily and get a true taste of the character of Northern Ireland in just 24 hours.
I’ve been to Belfast, Northern Ireland quite a few times by now, and, honestly, it’s not somewhere that you need to spend more than one day. Overall, one day is the perfect amount of time to spend in Belfast
Obviously, you certainly can’t see everything in Belfast in just a day. But you will be able to pack in the top attractions and some of my favorite things to do.
⭐ ONE DAY IN BELFAST ITINERARY AT A GLANCE!
✅ 8 am Breakfast at St George’s Market ✅ 10 am Explore Belfast City Centre ✅ 11:30 am Ulster Folk Museum ✅ 2:30 pm Titanic Belfast Museum
✅ 5 pm Dinner at Holohan’s Pantry
✅ 7 pm Black Cab Tour
✅ 9 pm Crown Liquor Saloon
Planning a Trip Soon? Use My Favorite Resources Below!
Booking a Flight: Use Skyscanner to find the best prices!
Accommodations: I love Booking.com!
Travel Insurance: SafetyWing Is the best in the industry!
Things to Do: Use Viator for amazing experiences!
Car Rental: In Europe, I recommend DiscoverCars
Can you See Belfast in one Day?
Yes! One day is plenty of time to visit Belfast. This is the perfect amount of time to see some of the city center, experience the top attractions and things to do in Belfast, and even visit some of the iconic restaurants or pubs.
One Day in Belfast Map
Your Itinerary For 1 Day in Belfast!
With one day in Belfast, you can cover a lot of ground! Here’s what I recommend you do:
Stop at St. George’s Market For Shopping & Breakfast
⏰ 1-1.5 hours | 💰 £5-15 for breakfast | 🚶 Getting There: walk to city centre
Saint George’s Market is the perfect place for you to start your morning in Belfast. And, I have to tell you that St. George’s market was one of the most fantastic things I did on my entire trip to Ireland and Scotland.
It exceeded my expectations so much that I can’t even put it into words. St. George’s Market is an indoor covered market, almost like a farmers market, that is filled to the brim with all kinds of craftsmen, artisans, bakers, and merchants selling just about anything you can think of! Spend some time, roaming the stalls and find the perfect gift for that special someone back home, or try some amazing Irish coffee.
I’m pretty sure that by the time I was done here, I had picked up a 15 different Christmas presents for those back home. Truly, there’s a little bit of something for everyone, but most of all, it is a fantastic place to grab breakfast.
You’ll quickly smell the fresh-made quiches and sausage rolls, and even sweet and savory scones and cakes. (Can you tell I sampled them all? lol!).
⭐ Hot Tip: Arrive hungry! The market is packed with incredible local food vendors, and it was easily one of my favorite experiences in Belfast.
Explore Downtown Belfast
⏰ 45-60 minutes | 💰 Free | 🚕 Getting There: Walk from St. George’s Market 10 minutes
After you finish up at St. George’s Market, this is the perfect time to walk around some of the areas in downtown Belfast City if you’re up for it!
You’ll find nearby the magnificent Belfast City Hall. While its architecture is beautiful, I found myself drawn more to the Titanic Memorial Garden, which is located to the side of the Belfast City Hall building.
If you’re looking for other great places to shop, your best bet is to spend some time this morning walking over to The Victoria Square shopping mall. It’s massive and includes some great places to grab traditional Irish souvenirs.
Visit Ulster Folk Museum (The Most Underrated Museum in Northern Ireland)
⏰ 2-3 hours | 💰 £13-15 entrance | 🚕 Getting There: 15 minutes by taxi from Belfast city centre.
Your next stop is the Ulster Folk Museum. It is located about 15 minutes outside of the center city of Belfast, so you will need to take a cab there.
However, I promise you- it’s so worth it. I’ll be honest…Ulster Folk Museum was one of those spaces that I slept on. I didn’t even know why it was on my itinerary to begin with, but I was so blown away by how fun it was.
For reference, I took 40 students with me on this trip, and the Ulster Folk Museum was one of the top-rated things that we did during our entire itinerary!
This museum is unique because it’s somewhat like an outdoor living museum. If you’re familiar with Colonial Williamsburg in the United States, it’s kind of like that. There are tons of different houses, businesses, and other buildings that line the streets of what looks to be an old town.
You can take the hill route or the country route through the grounds and explore pastures filled with Harry Coos (Highland Cows), sheep, and other animals as you pass by working farms, old school houses, and some of the most beautiful landscapes that I had the pleasure of seeing in all of Northern Ireland.
On top of that, you’ll be able to see demonstrations from many artisans like the blacksmith, hat makers, print Masters, and even in-home chefs. What was really cool is that they have on property an old time working pub as well as a tea room!
This is the perfect chance to get out outside and get some fresh air while you explore. When you’re done, I definitely recommend you sit down at the tea room and enjoy some of their scones, sandwiches, and soups. Our meal here was so much better than I anticipated it would be, and it was just like I was enjoying an afternoon tea in the United Kingdom.
⭐You’ll notice that the Ulster Folk Museum is attached to the Ulster Transport Museum. Just because you’re short on time, I don’t recommend that you visit the transport museum. I didn’t personally visit myself- we spent all of our time at the Folk Museum. And, to be honest, we could’ve spent more time there even still.
Titanic Museum Belfast: A MUST on Your One Day in Belfast Itinerary
⏰ 2-3 hours | 💰 £25-30 entrance | 🚕 Getting There: 15 minutes by taxi from the Ulster Folk Museum
Even though you only have a day in Northern Ireland, I have to recommend that you visit the Titanic Museum. My most recent trip was the second time that I’ve explored this visitor attraction, and it was just as cool the second time!
The Titanic Belfast is located in what is called the Titanic Quarter, which comprises the actual shipyard where the Titanic was built way back in 1909. Yeah- you’ll be standing exactly where the Titanic was built!
The Titanic Belfast is jam-packed full of facts, artifacts, interactive exhibits, and so many interesting personal stories from those who were on the Titanic when it sank. The museum is a one-way path that leads you through the history of building the Titanic, the launch of the Titanic, and even a virtual reality experience that shows what walking through each room on the ship would’ve been like based on evidence and research that we currently have.
Check out one of the things that floored me in the picture below…
Finally, you will learn the fate of each passenger as you read about their personal history and see artifacts or personal belongings that might have been on board
While it’s obvious that the Titanic Belfast is meant to commemorate and memorialize the lives of those who died on board, it shouldn’t be taken lightly that this is a difficult place to visit. It is certainly somber, and while it is intriguing and interesting and so well done as a museum, it’s important to respect the magnanimity of the tragedy that occurred.
Definitely grab a bite to eat in one of the restaurants on the first floor of The Titanic Belfast. The museum has a sit-down restaurant, and it also has a quick grab and go café. I personally loved the restaurant where I had some amazing fish and chips with mushy peas, but I’ve also tried the sandwiches in the grab-and-go shop, and they were just fine too!
⭐ Book Tickets for the Titanic Belfast Museum here!
Have Dinner at Holohan’s Pantry
⏰ 1-1.5 hours | 💰 £20-35 per person | 🚕 Getting There: 10 minutes by taxi from Titanic Belfast.
Head back into central Belfast city for a bite to eat at Holohan’s Pantry. This restaurant is constantly ranked among the top places to eat in Belfast and recently earned the #1 restaurant award in Belfast in 2023.
I love this place because it is the perfect way to get a taste of authentic Irish food. Try their popular boxty, the leek sausages and gravy, or the strange (but delicious) chocolate and Guinness mousse.
Take a Black Taxi Cab Tour
⏰ 1.5-2 hours | 💰 £20-30 per person | 🚶 Getting There: Most tours depart from Belfast city centre.
I’ll be honest…the Black Cab tour wasn’t my favorite thing on our Belfast itinerary. But I’m still glad we did it because it is an experience that is unique to Belfast.
A Black Cab Taxi Tour is the perfect thing to do as evening approaches in Belfast. The tour covers the unique political history of “The Troubles” that surrounds the separation of the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland throughout the 1960s-1990s.
You’ll see the many political murals found along the Falls and Shankill Road areas as well as the Peace Wall that separates the two sides of the city of Belfast. Our tour stopped at six separate places including murals, Crumlin Road Gaol, the Bloody Sunday memorial, and Bombay Street.
When we took this tour, our cabbie lived on one side of the wall, but he was able to show us all over the city of Belfast, explaining in great detail to us exactly why the fighting began to occur between political parties.
I was so shocked by how unbiased and informative the tour was overall. The Black Taxi Tour is well worth your time if you’re even slightly interested in the political history of Belfast.
⭐ This is the Black Cab Taxi Tour that I did and highly recommend. It was informative and well worth the money!
Have a Nightcap at Crown Liquor Saloon
⏰ 1-2 hours | 💰 £5-10+ for drinks | 🚶 Getting There: short walk from most hotels and restaurants.
I am all about trying the coolest bars and pubs and every single city I go to because- duh, I have to try all the local beers. The Crown Liquor Saloon is one of the most unique bars I have literally ever been in, and, lucky you, it’s right in central Belfast.
In fact, we could actually walk about five minutes to it from our hotel, so you might be able to too depending on where you’re staying!
The Crown Liquor Saloon almost looks like it was picked straight out of a scene for Peaky Blinders. It has been referred to as a Victorian Gin Palace. Seriously, think old wooden bar tops, friendly bartenders and locals singing and having a great old time. Add to that plenty of scotch whiskey, and even the little stalls or private cubicles with doors that shut for your own little private soirée!
inside the bar we grabbed one of these awesome nooks with six of our friends, and we sat there and drank all night. It was such a blast. It almost seemed like we went back into the past.
The ornate bar, stained glass, private drinking nooks, and artistic tilework are all part of what has created this Belfast marvel that is now protected by the National Trust.
Other Things To Do In Belfast If You Have More Time
Although one day in Belfast is definitely more than enough, there are other great highlights you should add to your itinerary if you have time.
Belfast City Hall
Belfast City Hall is one of the most well known landmarks in Belfast. The Baroque building is from 1906 and is surrounded by beautiful gardens and several monuments. Even if you don’t have time for a guided tour inside or aren’t interested, it’s really worth wandering through the grounds to check out the architecture and the Titanic Memorial Garden.
Cathedral Quarter
The Cathedral Quarter is where it’s at if you’re looking for the hear of the city. This neighborhood is my favorite part of the city, and is filled with street art, live music, traditional pubs, and really cool restaurants. Don’t miss walking the streets here in the evenings since this is where you can paint the town red in Belfast.
Albert Memorial Clock
This clock is Belfast’s version of the Leaning Tower of Pisa! It was built in the 1860’s and started leaning fairly quickly after it’s construction because of the marshy ground it was built on. It’s actually one of the city’s most photographed spots nowadays. It’s a quick stop, but I loved its unique history and Victorian design.
Crumlin Road Gaol
If you’re a history buff won’t want to miss Crumlin Road Gaol. It’s a former prison that operated for more than 150 years. You can take a guided tour that will take you through the cells, tunnels, and execution chamber! The best part is getting to hear the stories of the prison’s most famous inmates. .
SS Nomadic
Right beside Titanic Belfast, the SS Nomadic is the last White Star Line vessel in the world. This beautifully ship was restored and originally used to transport first and second-class passengers to the Titanic before its maiden voyage. This very cool connection that Belfast has with the Titanic history makes for a great few hours, especially with kids.
Belfast Castle
Up on top of Cave Hill, Belfast Castle offers some of the best views in the city. It’s a Scottish Baronial-style castle and is surrounded by gardens, walking trails, and scenic viewpoints over Belfast Lough. It’s a great place for a pic nic or just to get away from the city center
⭐ Hot Tip: If you have a second day in Belfast, I’d combine Belfast Castle, Cave Hill, Crumlin Road Gaol, and the Cathedral Quarter. Together they show a completely different side of the city!
Can You Spend One Day in Belfast Without a Car?
Absolutely! Belfast is one of the easiest cities in the UK and Ireland to explore without a car. The city centre is very walkable, making it easy to visit most attractions on foot. Even places that are less central can easily be reached by public transport, taxi, or a nice walk along the waterfront.
If you’re following this itinerary, the only place you’ll need a taxi to get to is the Ulster Folk Museum, which is outside the city centre. Besides that, you won’t need to worry about driving, traffic or parking, which means you’ll get to focus on what’s important – great Irish food and great whisky!
FAQ: One Day in Belfast Itinerary
If you’re headed to spend a day in Northern Ireland and Belfast, here are a few questions you might need answered:
Is Belfast Walkable?
Yes! Belfast is a very walkable city, especially around the city centre. Many of the top attractions, including Belfast City Hall, Victoria Square, St. George’s Market, the Cathedral Quarter, and the Crown Liquor Saloon, are all within walking distance of one another. You may need a taxi or public transport to reach attractions further afield, such as the Ulster Folk Museum, but you can easily explore much of Belfast on foot.
How much time do you need in Belfast?
Most people find that one or two days is more than enough to see Belfast. This is enough time to get the lay of the land in the city, explore all of the major things to do in Belfast, and have some free time. Any longer than that, and you’ll have a hard time filling your day with things to do.
What Food Should You Try in Belfast?
Belfast is a fantastic place to sample traditional Irish cuisine. Some local favorites include boxty, a potato pancake often served with various fillings, Irish stew, soda bread, and fresh seafood. If you have a sweet tooth, be sure to try fifteens, a popular Northern Irish tray bake made with biscuits, marshmallows, and cherries.
Can You Visit Belfast on a Cruise Stop?
Yes, Belfast is an excellent cruise port and a popular stop on many British Isles itineraries. Most cruise passengers have enough time to visit attractions such as Titanic Belfast, St. George’s Market, and the city centre during their visit. If your ship is docked for a full day, you can comfortably follow much of this one day in Belfast itinerary.
What is the Most Famous Thing in Belfast?
The most famous thing in Belfast is the Titanic Belfast Museum. It is housed in the Titanic Quarter of the city right on the docks where the original Titanic oceanliner was built back in the early 1900s.
Why Do Tourists Visit Northern Ireland or Belfast?
Tourists visit Northern Ireland and Belfast for the history they can’t experience anywhere else. Many are drawn to Belfast in particular for the Titanic Belfast museum and the famous Black Taxi Tours.
What Is the Best Area to Stay in Belfast?
For most visitors, the best area to stay in Belfast is the city centre. You’ll be within walking distance of many of the city’s top attractions, restaurants, shops, and pubs. If you’re looking for nightlife and a lively atmosphere, the Cathedral Quarter is another excellent choice, while the Titanic Quarter offers modern hotels close to Titanic Belfast and the waterfront.
Wrapping Up An Amazing 24 Hours in Belfast
There you have it! all of the top things you need to fit into your schedule if you just have one day to spend in the beautiful northern Ireland city that is Belfast.
Although it’s not a ton of time, you can still fit plenty into your itinerary, even if you only have 24 hours. After all, you’ll get to hit all of the main sites, including the Titanic Museum, the Ulster Folk Museum, and the most popular bar in Northern Ireland, the Crown Liquor Saloon.
I’ve made a way for you to fit all of it, so don’t worry- you’ll have a blast in Northern Ireland and get such a great taste of the city, but you won’t feel like you’re missing out on too much! In my opinion, Belfast is a highly underrated international trip location, so enjoy it!
