3 Day Belfast Itinerary [with day trip + tips]

Belfast Itinerary Overview

We travelled via ferry from Holyhead (Caergybi) in North Wales, stopping in Dublin (Republic of Ireland), before heading to Belfast. We then returned to mainland Britain by coach and ferry to Glasgow (Scotland).

• Arrive
  • We arrived by train from Dublin Connolly railway station and then on to Belfast Lanyon station. *
  • Taxi to Hampton by Hilton Hotel
• Day 1
  • Hop On – Hop Off (HoHo) bus.
  • Titanic Belfast
• Day 2
  • Giants Causeway – Tour of Belfast
• Day 3
  • Black Cab, Political Tour of Belfast
  • Sunday lunch – The Bowery
• Depart
  • Coach from Belfast to Glasgow

• * The last part of the train journey was by coach due to long-term engineering work.
  • Overall journey time was 2 hours 30 minutes.

UKTP Podcast Episode #124: 3-day Belfast Itinerary

How to get to Belfast

Train

During our journey (Sept 2024), all trains arrived at the main railway station in Belfast called Lanyon Place. However, since that date, the Grand Central Station has become fully operational and is now the main interchange transport Terminus in Belfast.

By Air

Several airlines serve Belfast International Airport, which is 18 miles northwest of the city.

These include Ryanair, Jet2.com, TUI Airways and Easyjet.

Transfer to the City – options include:

• Taxi/private transfer
• Bus, Airport Express 300 Service, which costs around £10 per person each way.
• By train – The nearest train station to Belfast International Airport is Antrim, 5 miles away. Buses and taxis are available outside the station to cover this distance.

Car Hire

Options are available to hire cars at Belfast International Airport and within the city.

Coach/Bus

Buses and coaches from the Republic of Ireland are numerous. For coach options to and from Scotland, see the section about departing Belfast further on in this article.

Where to stay in Belfast

We chose to stay in the Hampton by Hilton Hotel in Belfast. We picked this hotel because it was only a few minutes’ walk from the Grand Central Station, where we had booked an early 06:15 departure on the day of our departure.

We were very happy with our choice of the Hampton by Hilton Hotel and recommend it if you are planning to stay in Belfast.

3 Day Belfast Itinerary

Day 1 Belfast Itinerary – HOHO Bus 

We walked the 15 minutes from our hotel (to orient ourselves to the area) to Donegal Square West to pick up the first HoHo bus of the day, and headed to The Titanic Belfast, as did most others on the bus!

Buy your ticket for the HOHO bus in Belfast

Titanic Belfast

Stop Number 5 is The Titanic Belfast. This excellent museum is well worth a visit. We didn’t buy tickets ahead of time; instead, we purchased them on the day of our visit.

• We spent around 3 hours exploring the museum, with many fascinating stories/reports from the initial ship concept, tracing the story from its inception through to the fateful maiden voyage. The factual history and personalised stories/reports are superbly portrayed and exhibited throughout.
• There are cafe and restaurant facilities on site, giving budget options and choices for all.
• The gift shop is really good for that keepsake reminder to take back home.
• Outside, you can stand on the very site where the Titanic was launched.

The same stop is also the location, next door, of the very interesting SS Nomadic, the last surviving ship of the Whitestar Shipping company.

HoHo bus – Circuit

• 19 Stops
• Without getting off, the circuit takes around 1 hour and 20 minutes.
• 50 places of interest.
• Stops include:
  • Titanic Belfast
  • Political Wall Murals
  • Belfast Peace Walls
  • Crumlin Road Gaol
  • Falls Road
• One and two day passes are available

To save time, and knowing we could not see all sites and attractions, we decided to stay on for a full circuit of the HoHo bus.  This took us to all the main sites mentioned above, with a brief audio guide available throughout for each location. This is available in several languages.

On our return to the HoHo bus starting point, we explored the Titanic Memorial Garden outside the City Hall and had a leisurely stroll on Donegal Street and the shopping area. 

Day 2 Belfast Itinerary – Giant’s Causeway Tour of Belfast

This was an excellent day tour booked in advance that took in so many sites, not only of Belfast but also included a circular tour of the Northern Ireland Antrim coastline and the magnificent Giant’s Causeway.

The day began with a 10-minute Uber ride from our hotel to the meeting point, where you are met by a guide who directed us to the appropriate coach (3 on the same route that day).

The coach left and headed through Belfast, highlighting some of the city’s sites with our brilliant and chatty driver/guide.

We then headed to Carrickfergus Castle for a brief stop before heading to Carnlough for a comfort break at one of the Game of Thrones filming locations. 

Along the way, our driver highlighted other castles and sights. Usually with a bit of story thrown in!  Passing through the stunning Glens of Antrim, we made our way down the picturesque Causeway coastal route before stopping for a view, only of the famous Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge.

After a lunch stop at the Fullerton Arms (and a photo opportunity at Door 6, Drogon, one of Daenerys’s Game of Thrones dragons), we then made our way to the Giant’s Causeway car park.

Here we were dropped off for free time to explore.

Book the Giant’s Causeway and Game of Thrones Day Tour from Belfast

Giant’s Causeway

The famous World Heritage site did not disappoint, despite the high winds and rain. The Basalt columns are a visual spectacle and blend perfectly with the local folklore that the Giant’s Causeway was built (by the Giant) Finn McCool to cross to Scotland. The scientific reasons are possibly less interesting to some.

Of the two principal paths to the causeway, we chose to split up and do both.  I took the RED path via the cliff top to view the stunning scenery from before descending the Shepherds Path steps (162 in total)  to the causeway. Tracy took the more direct BLUE route down the road, which was approximately 1 mile.  A YELLOW route exists, but it is much further to walk.

After a look around and many photos/videos later, we took the shuttle bus back to the car park. The cost was £1 pp each way for adults.

Old Bushmills Distillery

By way of a scenic stop to view the famous Dunluce Castle, the famous Irish distillery was a popular stop off for many.  The shop/bar and old building formed a great opportunity for photos to be taken.

The Dark Hedges

Our last excursion stop of the day was the famous Dark Hedges, made famous as a filming location on Game of Thrones.  The stunning visual tree canopy was used more than once in different scenes and episodes of the popular series.  Not much imagination is needed to visualise how special effects could transform the trees into dramatic scenes for the TV.

The trees are Beech trees planted around the year 1775 by landowner James Stewart in a long avenue (Bregagh Road) on the approach to Gracehill House between Armoy and Stranocum in County Antrim.

We thoroughly enjoyed this whole day tour and would recommend it to everyone, not just Game of Thrones fans but anyone wanting to see more of the stunning County of Antrim.

Day 3 Belfast Itinerary – Black Cab Political Taxi Tour/Sunday Lunch

Having grown up in the 70s and 80s in the UK, we were both familiar with the Northern Irish troubles, which were frequently in the news.  We decided to take a private local tour to explore places with familiar names and landmarks, and to hear a local’s firsthand account of living and growing up in the areas heavily involved.

The first-hand experience was something we will never forget as we listened to the history behind the troubles and how religion and politics played their part.   

The positivity of how modern Belfast is moving forward for current and future generations was inspiring.

Anyone visiting Belfast for the first time or returning, we highly recommend this tour.  We learnt so much from an excellent driver/guide and will undoubtedly book on another tour on our next visit too.

Book this Belfast Political Taxi Tour

Sunday Lunch – The Bowery

After searching for the best Sunday lunch, we settled on The Bowey because it offered something a little different from the usual Sunday Lunch. The shared carvery platter board was outstanding and excellent value for money.

We recommend booking in advance, as this is a popular place for Sunday lunch. We caught a local bus service from near our hotel, which took about 15 minutes. We were able to use contactless to tap on and pay.

Hampton by Hilton Hotel

The hotel accommodation was perfect for all of our needs. The breakfast was excellent, featuring a wide variety of hot and cold options.

The bar area we found was also a really good place to relax in the evenings with a good choice of cocktails and ample seating for all.  We found it an easy place to meet and chat with fellow travellers and visitors to Belfast.

Book your accommodation in Belfast

Day 4 – Belfast to Glasgow

With all the usual travel options to/from Belfast open to suit all budgets and timescales, we chose on this occasion to take a coach from Belfast Grand Central Station to Glasgow Buchanan Street Bus Station.

At the time of booking the coach journey, the departure location was the Europa Park bus station located next door to the Hampton by Hilton Hotel.  By the time of our visit, the Grand Central station had opened and is located across the road from Europa Park.

Hannon Coaches Belfast to Glasgow

The coach price was £44 each for the two of us, including the ferry price for the Stena Line ferry from Belfast to Cairnryan in Scotland.

We left on time at 0630 and picked up more bus passengers at the Belfast Stena Line building at the harbour. You do not reserve individual seats, but you can email and make requests if required.

Transfer to Stena Line Ferry

The coach drives straight on to the ferry, and once the driver states exactly when and where you need to return to the coach, you make your way onto the ship for the crossing, which takes around 2 hours.

We took the opportunity to have some breakfast in the on-board cafe.

On arrival in Cairnryan, you rejoin the coach for the onward scenic drive to Glasgow Buchanan Street bus station.  A good tip is to sit on the left side of the coach for the best scenic coastline views on this leg of the journey to Glasgow.

We arrived around 1 pm – 30 minutes later than scheduled. 

We found the coach to be an extremely straightforward experience, reasonably priced, easy to book, and totally hassle-free.  One to be recommended.

Book your Belfast to Glasgow transfer with Hannon Coaches

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