Belfast and Northern Ireland - a hidden gem in UK travel?

When you think about travelling to the UK or Ireland, Belfast or NI is unlikely to be at the top of your list - for a whole list of reasons, most likely just because it is quite separated from the rest of the country, physically and culturally. Visiting the administrative capital of Northern Ireland felt both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time - as if the nation has a semi-detached relationship to the rest of the UK. If you’re thinking of going somewhere in the UK a little different, then definitely give Belfast and NI a try - particularly if you do not have visa rights to enter the Republic. What should you get up to if you’re visiting? In this article, I’ll try to cover a little of what you could do whilst visiting this great portion of the UK and the island of Ireland.

Belfast City Hall & surroundings

Central Belfast is home to one of the most iconic buildings in Northern Ireland, it’s City Hall. The imposing building surrounded by roads is quite the sight to look at and is very impressive - it’s also pretty easy to come across owing to it’s central location. This also makes it a great location to walk across to nearby restaurants and bars (although restrictions at the time for Covid-19 made this a bit complicated). Not so fun fact, I actually tried Tim Horton’s just down the road - the Canadian café chain that hasn’t made it’s way to London yet!

Titanic Belfast

One of Belfast’s newest attractions which details the story of the Titanic, which was built at the famous Harland & Woolf Dockyard in the city. Set in a modern building, the museum is extremely interactive and will be popular for anybody from young children to any age group who want to learn more about the much storied ship. It is not cheap to enter but it is well worth the entrance fee and you can easily spend two to three hours looking around. Entrance costs GBP 19.50 and also includes access to the SS Nomadic boat outside.

Crumlin Road Gaol Experience

The correct, British English way for spelling “jail”, Crumlin Road Gaol is the spooky prison which only closed in 1996 but is now open as a visitor’s attraction. Highly interactive, you’re taken on a journey hosted by on-screen characters, based on real people’s story’s and accounts of their time at the gaol - some of which people may find distressing. The building itself is completely original and Grade I listed by the NI Government making it interesting to look at and around. Outside sits a number of vehicles from the Troubles used by the British Government for you to look at closer. The admission is GBP 10.80 if pre-booking but do note the short opening hours of 10h30 to 15h20 on Sunday to Thursday may make it awkward to visit.

Ulster Museum (National Museums NI)

This time a free museum operated by National Museums NI. Ulster Museum details all of the province’s history from pre-historic era through to the present day - there is a bit of everything for everybody. I particularly found interesting the section dedicated to the history post-Act of Union with the UK in the 1800s, the subsequent partition and personal accounts of the Troubles in Northern Ireland after the 1970s. If you’re looking for a comprehensive look at Ulster and it’s background in a relatively non-partisan manner, this is the place to come. After looking around inside, the museum is surrounded by some lovely outside space in Botanic Gardens. Also, NI Museums has a great logo!

Visit The Giant’s Causeway

Firstly, I thought the Giant’s Causeway was in the Republic not NI. Secondly, I kept' calling it Causeway Bay - which is 6000+ miles away in Hong Kong. That being said, the Giant’s Causeway is very beautiful and crazy that the rock formation is completely natural - with almost 40,000 interlocking columns of rock in hexagonal shape at various heights. Visiting takes around 70 minutes from Belfast by car or almost 3 hours on public transport. Instead maybe opt for the final recommendation which often includes a stop at Giant’s Causeway…

Take a tour of NI’s beautiful countryside and landscape

An effective method of taking in any place in a short amount of time is day coach tours. Although it will usually take you to most of the regular tourist spots, it does so in a way that maximises what you can see - including Giant’s Causeway - but other parts of Northern Ireland’s beautiful countryside. I never realised quite how picturesque and unspoilt this corner of the UK was. I’d particularly love to revisit NI again to go to some of the beach side areas in Summer which had almost-Caribbean quality sands…just with colder weather than them climates. The tour matched the tranquillity of the countryside with the humour of the tour guide, Derek, who was absolutely excellent at balancing the ability to convey information whilst making you laugh at the same time. We took a tour with McComb’s Coach Travel who offer pick-up points across Belfast in modern coaches (note: this is not sponsored) and a reasonable price to match.

Belfast and NI definitely have a lot more to offer than you think at first. Don’t write off this part of the country and definitely be sure to make a trip here sometime soon.