Belfast port guide: What to see, do & eat in Northern Ireland capital

Words By Nick Dalton

Belfast port sits in a major working harbour at the end of which the dramatic architecture of Titanic Belfast houses the story of the doomed liner which was launched here in 1911.

You’ll find busy streets lined with fabulous architecture – such as the City Hall – and relaxing parks.

Belfast is a place to wander, taking in grand maritime traditions while also enjoying a major shopping destination. Belfast is an increasingly popular stop-off for cruises (a record 170 in 2023) from major companies, but it is also growing as a place from which voyages depart – Ambassador Cruise Line has 12 cruises from Belfast port in 2024, double the previous year.

How do I get to Belfast Port?

George Best Belfast City Airport sits almost alongside the port [below] but involves a three-mile circular drive, £10-13 by taxi. If you are heading from airport to city centre for a hotel stay there’s the regular Translink 600 bus, £2.20 single and £3.30 return (valid for a month). A cab from the city centre to Belfast port cruise ships is £10-13.

BA flies here from Heathrow, easyJet from Gatwick, Luton, Liverpool and Bristol while Aer Lingus connects with Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, Newcastle, Southampton, Manchester and Birmingham, Exeter and East Midlands, making it an easy departure point for visitors from around the UK as well as locals.

It’s also possible to arrive by ferry, although the Belfast cruise terminal is on the other side of the bay, around six miles: Stena Line from Liverpool and Cairnryan in Scotland, P&O from Cairnryan and Isle of Man Steam Packet Company from the Isle of Man. Trains (two hours 15 minutes) arrive at the city from Dublin eight times daily.

Is there a free shuttle from Belfast Port?

Generally, yes. Belfast city runs shuttle buses every few minutes between the cruise terminal and the large Visit Belfast Welcome Centre across the road from City Hall although it’s up to cruise companies if they charge guests. Belfast cruise terminal has plenty of visitor information and a sizeable shop selling everything from foodie items to chunky Irish wool socks.

Can you walk from a cruise ship into Belfast?

No, while the cruise port is most definitely in Belfast, it is two miles from the city centre along busy roads that are far from pedestrian-friendly.

– READ MORE: Find your perfect cruise from Belfast here –

Titanic Belfast

Dramatic, gleaming and metallic, the Titanic Belfast museum [below, left] sits beside the slipway, next to the drawing offices of Harland and Wolff shipyard where Titanic was designed and launched in 1911. It’s an imaginative and hi-tech adventure that goes from creation to disaster to discovery of the wreck. Outdoors, walk the decks of SS Nomadic, Titanic’s tender ship.

Maritime Mile

A waterfront walk that takes in the Titanic attractions (including the enormous Thompson dry dock) along with historic ships, dockyard buildings and striking modern sculptures.

HMS Caroline

Part of Maritime Mile, here is maritime history on a ship that took part in World War One’s Battle of Jutland, now a floating museum.

City Hall

A monumental domed building [below, right] designed in the 1890s and completed in 1916. A splendidly old-school exhibition on city history – paintings, wall displays and curios – is free and stretches through room after lofty room. In manicured grounds the Titanic Memorial Garden has the names of all 1,512 victims engraved in bronze.

Oh Yeah Music Bus Tour

Belfast was named a Unesco City of Music in 2021 and this Belfast bus tour outing takes in spots lined to Van Morrison, the Undertones and many more rock ‘n’ roll names. It starts at the Oh Yeah Music Centre with its award-winning Northern Ireland Music Exhibition but also takes in spots such as ornate Ulster Hall.

– READ MORE: 13 charming UK destinations you can visit on a cruise –

Hidden delights

Stormont Estate

The forested grounds [below, right] of Northern Ireland’s parliament, about five miles from the city centre (accessible by bus). Six walking trails, from one to three miles, with the chance to wander amongst historic buildings including Stormont Castle and the grandiose stone parliament itself. Stormont Estate entry is free, parliament building is by ticket.

Botanic Garden

Established in 1827, Belfast Botanic Garden is actually a sprawling free public park, with green spaces amid the southern hemisphere plants, exotic trees, rose garden and an early iron-framed Victorian palm house with giant dome. About a 20-minute walk from City Hall.

Farther afield

Giant’s Causeway

Northern Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway [below, left] is the big attraction, a little over an hour away, and generally offered as an excursion. The piles of black rocks disappearing into the sea are spectacular and a great spot for a selfie but there’s more – the clifftop walk from the car park and then a path down to the beach are just as invigorating. And there’s a massive visitor centre with films and shopping.

– READ MORE: Complete guide to Cunard’s newest ship Queen Anne –

Crown Liquor Saloon

Crown Liquor Saloon is a Victorian pub owned by the National Trust and preserved in all its glory – colourful tiled exterior, dark, woody interior illuminated by the original gas lights, cosy snugs, extravagant mirrors and a gilded frieze. A gin palace with 20-plus varieties and the place for a lunchtime pie and a pint, not least Guinness.

St George’s Market

A colourful indoor affair [below, left], a Victorian hall with iron pillars, open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, filled with art, antiques, vinyl records – and food. Expect cakes, coffee, snacks and, at the weekend, even more at St George’s Market.

White’s Tavern

Belfast’s oldest pub, dating back to 1630, and now with garden and beer hall. White’s Tavern is great for fish and chips Irish stew or seafood chowder amongst the bare bricks and polished wood.

– READ MORE: 9 off-the-beaten-track British Isles destinations –

Titanic Hotel

The reimagined Harland & Wolff shipbuilding headquarters, right outside Titanic Belfast, dramatic and timeless, home to 500 works of art, artefacts and photos from the grand old age of ocean travel. Even the standard rooms at the Titanic Hotel have Art Deco touches mixed with ship’s lanterns, imposing metalwork and a superking bed. Drawing Office Two [above, right], a huge room with curved, three-storey ceiling, is the hotel’s heart (and where Titanic was designed) with central bar and contemporary restaurant for dinner.

Europa Hotel

Massive, modern 272-room hotel in the city centre. Europa Hotel is a symbol of Belfast’s rebirth –known as the world’s most bombed hotel, targeted 33 times from 1970 to 1994, it’s now stylishly contemporary after a big makeover. Perfect for pre-cruise sightseeing.

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