A Titanic Day Out In Belfast

A visit to Belfast wouldn’t be complete without visiting the Titanic Experience to explore the story of the RMS Titanic. But many people are missing out on experiencing the full Titanic and maritime story Belfast has to offer. Here’s a guide to a full day out to explore more things related to Titanic in Belfast.

9am - City Centre Titanic Memorial

Start at the City Hall go to the Titanic Memorial Gardens, The Titanic Monument, statues of Edward Harland and the memorial to William Pirrie. Here, amongst sensitive landscaping and planting you will see the names of all who perished on the ship listed by alphabetical order and rightly not split by class of travel.

William Pirrie was the chairman of Harland & Wolff at the time Titanic was built. Along with Thomas Ismay and JP Morgan, Pirrie was responsible for the concept of the Olympic Class ships – the largest and most luxurious ships that ever sailed. Visit Belfast across the road will have some lovely Titanic souvenirs and cards.

10am - Titanic Maritime Walking Tour

Join the Titanic Maritime Walk by Hometown Tours Belfast for a fascinating tour with one of our expert local guides!

Meet at the Albert Clock (a 15-minute walk from the City Hall) explore how Belfast developed from a small hamlet on the River Farsett to one of the great maritime trading and shipbuilding cities.

This 5-star rated Titanic Maritime Belfast walking tour leaves at 10am (with advanced booking needed) takes 2.5 hrs and includes the development of Belfast docks from a shallow river you would walk across at low tide to the man-made harbour it is today. We pass the Big Fish Sculpture and hear about the development at Queen’s Island where Edward Harland started to work in Belfast.

Next up is the life story of SS Nomadic which was the tender ship built at the same time as Titanic and which ferried first and second-class passengers who boarded at Cherbourg in Northern France on 10th of April 2012. All on the Maritime Mile – see the fab map – how did you get on with the 10 questions?

Walk the original concrete slipways of Harland & Wolff and hear stories of the building of this great ship, the sinking, the rescue efforts and hearing more about the passengers who very sadly died. Titanic was on these very slipways for 26 months before going to the quay for fit out.

We finish the Titanic Maritime Belfast Walking tour with the beautifully restored Art and Heritage Trail of Titanic Hotel Belfast, which includes visiting Thomas Andrews Office, the Drawing Office where over 1000 ships were designed and the Presentation Room where Harland & Wolff staff met their clients. See if you can spot the references to the linen industry as Belfast was the world’s biggest linen producer in the 1800’s.

12.30 - Titanic Quarter Lunch Options

The Titanic Maritime Belfast Walking Tour finishes at 12.30 and you have options for lunch or refreshments. Our favourite location is the Titanic Hotel Belfast in the stunning surroundings of the Drawing Office. The bar is lined with memorabilia from the Olympic Class ships and there are 8 fabulous paintings by Colin H Davidson as well as a large wooden model of Titanic. After lunch or refreshments take some time to revisit the Corridor of Power in the hotel to read up on the posters and drawings from Harland & Wolff ship builders – at one time the largest in the world.

Other options for lunch include Titanic Belfast which has two cafes, Hickson’s Point Bar (opens during busy season), Subway, Spar has a good selection of hot food to take away and Greggs (opening May 2025) at Abercorn Basin where you will also get great coffee , wraps and bagels in Paper Cup – there are picnic tables if you want to sit and watch the yachts in the Marina.

There is no pub here now which would surely be a good addition to the area. If you just want a coffee and scone the beautiful Dock Café is the spot to go in Abercorn Basin under Arc Apartments. Check out this blog from the early days of the Dock community before Titanic Quarter was world class tourist destination. The Dock has great photos and posters of the area and very welcoming volunteer staff. (closed Sundays and Mondays).

2pm - The Titanic Belfast Experience

After lunch continue your Titanic Maritime day out by visiting the Titanic Belfast Experience. It is worth allowing at least two hours.

They also have great souvenir shop with reasonably priced Titanic gifts/ books and even sailor hats for sale – ahoy there! Book Titanic Belfast in advance as tickets do sell out in the summer.

4pm - SS Nomadic

Your morning Titanic Maritime Belfast Walking Tour stops at SS Nomadic – but your ticket from Titanic Belfast also includes entry onto the Nomadic, which you really must do.

Saved from the scrap yard in 2006 by a great community campaign this ship was brought back to Belfast to the dry dock where it was fitted out way back in 1911.

It has been fully restored and now gives you a strong feel for what the Titanic would have looked and felt like, with the wood panelling and White Star Line cutlery.

4.30pm - Maritime Mile

Walk the 20 minutes along the Maritime Mile to the Titanic Distillers which is located in the old pump house of the Thompson Dry Dock. This lovely walk or cycle along the Titanic Walkway gets you close to HMS Caroline, the last British Royal Navy ship from the Battle of Jutland and once a training ship for naval volunteers in Belfast. (tours can be arranged).

You can walk through the Distillery, at no cost, to view the Thompson Dry Dock – when built in 1907 it was the largest in the world and it a truly awesome sight. Spot the link to Belfast’s significant contribution to revolutionising bicycle comfort through the tyres of John Boyd Dunlop. The Distillery has a great tour and taste session starting at 5pm daily.

Getting back to the City Centre

Put your feet up and get the Glider bus G2 which takes 10 minutes back to the City hall (buy your ticket at the Glider stop just before you get on board). Or book an Uber (uber.com) or Valuecabs 028 9080 9080 or Fonacab 028 9033 3000 – taxis must be ordered in advance as you can’t just hail one from Thompson Dock.

Or walk the fabulous traffic free Maritime Mile riverside path with the view of Titanic Quarter, the docks of Belfast Harbour and the Belfast Hills. The walk from the Thompson Dock to the Big Fish will take 30/40 minutes and is beautiful with lots of maps and information panels as part of the Maritime Mile .

If you walk back catch a coffee and traybake at Native Coffee on the riverside path just by the Weir footbridge and look across to the fabulous Belfast Custom House.

For those arriving by bike there is cycle parking dotted along the route and a secure unit across Queen’s Road from Titanic Hotel which is good especially if you are touring and have all your gear in paniers – Only 50p a day and book via the Spokesafe app

We encourage you to take a full day to explore all aspects of the Titanic & Maritime Mile in Belfast and contact us to see how we can help you with your visit! Private tours are also available.