Top 5 Attractions in Belfast, Chosen by a Local Guide
Stand under the hull shaped walls of Titanic Belfast in the morning and look up at the peace walls of West Belfast in the afternoon, and you have seen the two stories that made this city. Belfast is small enough to cover in a day and has far more in it than most people expect, which is exactly why a short list helps.
These are the top 5 attractions in Belfast I would suggest to a friend on a first visit. Between them they cover the shipyards, the Troubles, the civic pride of the linen years and the best view in the city, and four of the five cost nothing at all.
The catch is that three of them sit on opposite sides of the city. Titanic Belfast is in the docks to the east, the murals and the peace walls are in the west, and Belfast Castle is up on Cave Hill to the north, so you will want a taxi or a tour between them rather than trying to walk the lot.
Below you will find each of the five, what it is, what to expect and how long to give it, followed by how to fit all five into one day. I am out in this city every week, so I have also put in the bits worth knowing before you go, including where each one is, how to get there and what needs booking.
What Is in This Guide
Titanic Belfast
Titanic Belfast stands on the old Harland and Wolff shipyard, on the site of the slipways where Titanic and her sister ship Olympic were built. It opened in 2012, and the building itself, with its four points shaped like the bows of ships, is as much a landmark as anything inside it.
Inside are nine interactive galleries. You start in Belfast as the boom town it was in the early 1900s, ride up through a recreation of the shipyard’s huge steel gantry, and then follow the ship from the launch and the fitting out to the maiden voyage, the sinking and the discovery of the wreck on the seabed. Your ticket also covers SS Nomadic in the dock outside, the tender that carried passengers out to Titanic at Cherbourg and the last White Star Line ship left in the world.
Give yourself time outside as well. The slipways where Titanic and Olympic were built are right beside the building, with their outlines marked out on the ground, and a short walk along the water brings you to the Harland and Wolff Drawing Offices, where the ship was designed, and the Hamilton Graving Dock.
Book a timed ticket in advance and allow two to three hours. It is the attraction people most often rush.
Visitor information
Where it is: 1 Olympic Way, Queen’s Road, Titanic Quarter, BT3 9EP. About 25 minutes on foot from City Hall along the river, or a short taxi ride, with a car park on site.
Tickets: Adult £24.95, child aged 5 to 15 £11, under fives free, and a family ticket for two adults and two children £62. SS Nomadic is included. Tickets are timed, so book online in advance.
Opening times: Open every day, with hours that change through the year. Last admission is 1 hour 40 minutes before closing, so check the times for your day.
The Peace Walls
The first peace walls went up in 1969, at the start of the Troubles, as temporary barriers between nationalist and unionist streets. They were meant to last a few months. They are still there, and they have grown higher and longer since.
Today there are still around 116 peace walls across Northern Ireland, adding up to about 21 miles. The wall on Cupar Way is the tallest of them, at around 45 feet. A target set at Stormont in 2013 to take them all down by 2023 was not met.
The best known stretch runs along Cupar Way, between the Falls Road and the Shankill Road. Some of the gates along it are still closed at night. The wall is covered in murals and in messages written by visitors from all over the world, and you can add your own.
It is free to visit at any time, but it makes far more sense with a local guide who can explain what you are looking at.
Stand at the foot of it, with the backs of the houses right up against the wall on the other side, and the history stops being something you read about. It is a short visit, and half an hour is plenty, but it is the stop that makes sense of everything else in the city.
Visitor information
Where it is: Cupar Way, BT13 2RX, between the Falls Road and the Shankill Road. About 25 minutes on foot from City Hall, or a short taxi ride.
Cost and times: Free and open at any time, although some of the gates along the wall still close at night.
The International Wall and the Falls Road
A few minutes from the peace wall, on the Falls Road side, the International Wall is a long run of murals that changes every few months. Rather than the Troubles alone, it covers causes from all over the world, civil rights, anti apartheid campaigns and current events, painted by local artists.
Walk the Falls Road beyond it and you find the murals that commemorate the people and events of the Troubles from the nationalist side, with the Shankill Road murals telling the unionist story only a few hundred yards away. Seeing both on the same morning is the best way to understand the city.
Visitor information
Where it is: Divis Street, at the bottom of the Falls Road, about 15 minutes on foot from City Hall.
Cost and times: Free to see at any time. The murals change every few months, so it is never quite the same twice.
Belfast City Hall
Belfast City Hall stands in Donegall Square in the middle of the city. It was completed in 1906, at the height of the linen and shipbuilding boom, with a Portland stone front and a copper dome that still dominates the centre.
Walking in is free. Guided tours of the interior take 45 to 50 minutes and show you the grand staircase, the rotunda and the whispering gallery. They cost £6 for adults and are free for children, and tickets are given out at reception on the day, first come first served.
In the grounds you will find the Titanic Memorial Garden, with the names of everyone who died on the ship, and a statue of Sir Edward Harland, who founded the shipyard that built her.
Visitor information
Where it is: Donegall Square, BT1 5GS, in the middle of the city centre.
Cost: Free to walk in. Guided tours cost £6 for adults, children go free but still need a ticket, and only card and contactless payments are taken.
Guided tours: 45 to 50 minutes, on weekdays at 11am, 2pm and 3pm, with weekend tours at some times of year. There is no online booking. Tickets are given out at reception on the day, first come first served, so arrive 15 minutes early.
Belfast Castle and Cave Hill
Belfast Castle sits on the lower slopes of Cave Hill, north of the city, with the best view over Belfast and the lough you will get without climbing. The castle you see was built in the 1860s in the Scottish Baronial style, and it is free to walk around the grounds.
Look for the cat garden, with nine cats hidden in the mosaics, sculptures and planting, from the story that a white cat brings luck to whoever lives in the castle. The garden is very nice, and the castle also has its own café, the Tavern Coffee Shop, and a restaurant, the Cellar Restaurant, along with a small visitor centre for Cave Hill Country Park. We always have our tea or coffee there, with a beautiful view of Belfast city, the harbour and the sea.
From the castle, trails climb up Cave Hill to the cliff known as Napoleon’s Nose. The story goes that the profile of the hill, like a sleeping giant, gave Jonathan Swift the idea for Gulliver’s Travels. Give the walk to the top at least two hours, and wear proper shoes.
Visitor information
Where it is: Antrim Road, BT15 5GR, about four miles north of the city centre, ten to fifteen minutes by taxi or car.
Cost: Free to visit the castle and the grounds, with no need to book, and free parking on site.
Opening times: The castle is open Sunday and Monday from 9am to 6pm, and Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 9pm, although the ground floor can close for private events. The grounds open at 7.30am every day.
Food and drink: The Tavern Coffee Shop is open every day from 10am to 5pm. The Cellar Restaurant is open Tuesday to Thursday from 12 noon to 7pm, Friday and Saturday until 8pm, and Sunday until 6pm, and it is closed on Mondays.
Seeing the Top 5 Attractions in Belfast in One Day
All five fit into a single day if you plan the order. Start at Belfast Castle in the morning, when the view is clearest, then cross to West Belfast for the peace wall and the murals. Come back into the centre for City Hall and lunch, and give the afternoon to Titanic Belfast.
Taxis are easy to find across the city, and a private tour takes the driving out of it altogether. If you want a local guide to take you round them, that is what our Belfast mural tour and our Belfast City Tour do, and our full guide to things to do in Belfast has plenty more if you have longer.
Top 5 Attractions in Belfast FAQ
What are the top 5 things to do in Belfast?
Titanic Belfast, the peace walls on Cupar Way, the International Wall and the Falls Road murals, Belfast City Hall, and Belfast Castle on Cave Hill. Four of the five are free.
What should you not miss in Belfast?
Titanic Belfast and the peace walls. Between them they tell the two stories that made the city, the shipyards and the Troubles, and you can see both in one day.
Is Titanic Belfast worth visiting?
Yes. It tells the story of the ship from the city that built her, on the site where she was built, and your ticket also covers SS Nomadic in the dock outside.
How long does Titanic Belfast take?
Allow two to three hours for the nine galleries and SS Nomadic. Add another half an hour if you want to walk out onto the slipways and along to the Hamilton Graving Dock.
Is Titanic Belfast free?
No. Adult tickets are £24.95, children aged 5 to 15 are £11 and under fives go free. Tickets are timed, so book online in advance.
Is Titanic Belfast good for kids?
Yes. The galleries are interactive, the ride through the shipyard is a favourite with children, and climbing aboard SS Nomadic is included in the ticket.
Where is the peace wall in Belfast?
The best known stretch is on Cupar Way, BT13 2RX, between the Falls Road and the Shankill Road in West Belfast. It is about 25 minutes on foot from City Hall, or a short taxi ride.
Do the peace wall gates still close?
Yes. Some of the gates along the walls in West Belfast still close at night. The wall on Cupar Way is free to visit at any time during the day.
Is Belfast City Hall free to visit?
Yes, it is free to walk in. Guided tours of the interior cost £6 for adults, children go free with a ticket, and tickets are given out at reception on the day.
How long is the Belfast City Hall tour?
The guided tour takes 45 to 50 minutes. Tours run on weekdays at 11am, 2pm and 3pm, with weekend tours at some times of year, and you should arrive 15 minutes early.
What are the Belfast Castle opening hours?
The castle is open Sunday and Monday from 9am to 6pm, and Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 9pm. The grounds open at 7.30am every day.
Is there a café at Belfast Castle?
Yes. The Tavern Coffee Shop is open every day from 10am to 5pm, and the Cellar Restaurant serves lunch and early dinner from Tuesday to Sunday.
What are the best free things to do in Belfast?
The peace walls, the International Wall and the Falls Road murals, walking into City Hall, and the castle and gardens at Belfast Castle are all free.
What can you do in Belfast for a day?
Start at Belfast Castle for the view, cross to West Belfast for the peace walls and the murals, come back to City Hall for lunch, and give the afternoon to Titanic Belfast.
Can you visit Belfast without a car?
Yes. The city centre is compact and walkable, and taxis are easy to find for the trips out to the peace walls and Belfast Castle.
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