3 day guide to Belfast


Well hello to you my reader chums! Belfast is a beautiful city and I'm glad I was able to spend a couple of days sightseeing and going on an excursion for a Game of Thrones tour, which opened my eyes to the Irish countryside.

3 day guide to Belfast

Here's my 3-day guide to Belfast...

Day 1: 30th July - Flying and steakhouse love

For our first day, I didn't have much planned - I thought I could have a mooch around the city and take it all in, however, due to unfortunate weather, things didn't go as I expected. I had booked the steakhouse, Marco Pierre White, for later that evening, and between the time of arriving at the hotel and the steakhouse, I got ready and chilled. I booked the Hilton hotel for the stay as the location was conveniently placed near the city centre, with easy access to everything around us.

3 day guide to Belfast

I hoped in a taxi over to the Marco Pierre White steakhouse for 7pm (which was actually located in the Park Avenue hotel) - and I honestly couldn't recommend it enough. The staff were super friendly and ensured everything was top-notch for us - and the food was excellent. I chose roast chicken with mac and cheese on the side (winner), and the desserts were just as tasty. I had a bottle of wine and a couple of cocktails to finish.

Day 2: 31st July - Game of Thrones tour and Irish nightlife

3 day guide to Belfast

The second day was the busiest and most exciting part of the trip, as I headed off for a Game of Thrones tour. For any big fans of the show, I would highly recommend booking it! I chose the Winterfell location tour as I thought it would be the most exciting.

The tour was an all-day excursion - I met in the city centre around 8.45am for a 9am departure into the gorgeous Northern Ireland countryside, and returned at 6pm. Aside from seeing all the famous Game of Thrones locations where scenes were filmed, it was incredible to experience the countryside.

3 day guide to Belfast - game of thrones tour

3 day guide to Belfast

I took a ferry ride over Strangford Lough and arrived at the first destination - the Winterfell castle or known as 'Castle Ward' to locals. This area was the location where Winterfell in Game of Thrones was based around and some of it filmed there. It's amazing how they are able to transform the location into what you see on screen with special effects. From Winterfell, we embarked through the beautiful area of County Down until arriving at Audley's Field and Audley's Castle. This whole region is home to many historic castles which were either used as a set or backdrops for filming including Audley's Castle.

3 day guide to belfast

3 day guide to belfast

3 day guide to belfast

The tour continued trekking up to the castle, a pit stop for lunch in the Portaferry area and then a special treat - meeting the Dire wolves from the show! When I booked the tour, this wasn't mentioned at all as they can't always guarantee it, however, I was the lucky one. The Dire wolves were super cute and tame - and I can now say I met a cast member from the show.

The last leg of the tour involved some role play and a forest hike. I got to act out Game of Thrones at the Inch Abbey and it was a lot of fun! I wore the famous capes, and had my own sword. After a bit of role-playing and cool photos, I got driven to Tollymore Forest Park. The forest park is home to some of the famous scenes in the series - and makes for a charming walk. High trees, clear-running streams and plenty of hidden coves to explore. If you're a big Game of Thrones, I'd highly recommend heading on this tour whilst in Belfast.

3 day guide to belfast

3 day guide to belfast

Following a freshen up and rest, I headed downtown for a spot of dinner. As the weather had been pretty chilly all day, I went on the hunt for a curry house and found Mumbai 27. It's located near St. Anne's Cathedral and serves up delicious grub. I chose their take on a classic korma, accompanied with a bottle of wine - and I loved it. Since I was in Ireland, I had to experience a bit of Irish nightlife and went over to Harp's Bar afterwards. The retro-style establishment had live music and a cracking atmosphere - even on a Tuesday night!

3 day guide to belfast

Day 3: Wednesday 1st August - Titanic museum exploring and a rainy day

3 day guide to belfast

3 day guide to belfast

For the last day in Belfast, I wanted to do a few of the tourist things that Belfast is known for such as the Titanic. The first stop was breakfast in the Odyssey (which is basically an entertainment complex) and then the Titanic museum. The tickets I bought covered the museum and the SS Nomadic boat outside. As they were time-specific, we had to wait until 1.45 to be let into the museum, however, the wait was worth it. I'm a bit of a history geek and love learning that it was really interesting discovering more about the Titanic that I didn't know before. I then headed over to the SS Nomadic and had a look around. Unfortunately though due to the torrential rain and not being dressed appropriately for the occasion, I didn't get the chance to walk around the rest of the Titanic Quarter or visit some of the other landmarks. However, it just means an excuse for another visit right?

3 day guide to belfast

3 day guide to belfast

Things to know before going to Belfast: 
  • Local taxis can be pretty cheap in short distances, however, if you're staying in the centre, it's worth noting a taxi is about £30 to the airport 
  • I'd recommend staying in the centre as you're nearby to the hustle and bustle, and top landmarks 
  • To avoid waiting around, purchase tickets for the Titanic museum in advance 
  • It's Ireland - learn from my mistakes and pack clothes for bad weather (even in summertime) 
  • Make a trip out to the countryside - whether it's a tour or simply a trek through the forest - you won't regret it 
  • It may sound obvious, but if you're from the UK, you don't have to go through passport control at the airport as Belfast is part of the UK 
  • This also means you can use pounds - and no need to change money up before the trip 
Belfast, unlike some cities, had that beautiful combination of city appeal and surrounding countryside, and that's what made it such a charming place to be. I can't wait to return again one day (hopefully when it's sunnier this time!) 

I hope you enjoyed this 3-day guide to Belfast. Have you ever visited this city?

Thank you for reading <3

5 comments

  1. The GoT tour looks so fun! I want to check that out!
    Seems like you had an amazing time x

    xx
    www.thedecemberdame.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. This sounds like such a wonderful trip and I hope you had an amazing time! I'd love to do the Game of Thrones tour one day because it looks amazing! 😍

    Lovely blog post, Della! 😊

    Xoxo
    Shirley | https://shirleycuypers.blogspot.be

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  3. This looks like such a good trip! I'd love to visit Ireland

    ReplyDelete

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