Belfast is growing at a rate of knots, and with so much to see and do, we thought we would give you the run-down of how to best spend your time in our wonderful city. So without further ado, here is PastieBap’s guide to 24 hours in Belfast’s up and coming Titanic Quarter.
Titanic by name, Titanic by nature, Belfast’s Titanic Quarter is one of the world’s largest urban-waterfront regeneration projects. Master-planned over 185 acres on the site where RMS Titanic was designed and built, Titanic Quarter is redefining what it means to work, live, play and stay in central Belfast. We can help you build your future among the inspiring legacy of Belfast’s maritime and industrial past.
Start the day off right with a sumptuous breakfast at Cast & Crew on the Titanic Quarter’s Queen’s Road to fuel you up for the day ahead. From the same people who brought you the award-winning James Street South and Hadskis, Cast & Crew is located at the former First Trust banking building and offers a much more laid-back all-day brunch Monday – Friday from 8.30am – 5pm and 9am – 5pm at the weekends. Cooking with local ingredients and serving up both traditional and modern fayre, Cast & Crew is the perfect spot to wake yourself up with a coffee or two before exploring what Belfast has to offer.
The star attraction of the Titanic Quarter, no trip to Belfast would be complete without a visit to the World’s Leading Tourist Attraction, Titanic Belfast. This multi-million-pound investment is a celebration of the engineering and ingenuity involved in creating the infamous Titanic, located in the exact spot that the iconic ship was built. With 9 interactive galleries, a short shipyard ride, a recreation of the grand staircase and even the Bistro 401 restaurant, it’s not difficult to while away a whole day inside this truly modern museum experience. For opening times, prices and location info click here. We would advise that you book your slot in advance, so you can fit in all the other fun things there are to do in the area too!
A perfect way to end your tour to the home of the Titanic, the enormous Thompson Dry Dock is a Scheduled Historic Monument and is exactly the way it was in 1911 when the Titanic last sat on dry land. Here you can take a self-guided tour and descend almost 50 feet into the dock. A small Visitor Centre is also located in the pump house beside the dock, where you can learn even more about the site.
Run by volunteers, the Dock Cafe works on an honesty system, so there’s no price list, you just pay what you want. An ideal spot for a quiet lunch by the Lagan, you can enjoy freshly ground coffee, award-winning locally sourced Sukí tea and a bite to eat while uploading your Instagram-worthy Titanic Quarter pics to social media thanks to the free wi-fi on offer here too. Be sure to pop over to see the nearby SS Nomadic, the world’s last remaining White Star Vessel while you’re here.
It doesn’t get much cuter than a hop on hop off tram that trundles around the Titanic Quarter showing you the sights. You can even wear a ‘duncher’ (the old shipyard worker’s hat) while you learn more about the history of the Titanic Quarter. The Wee Tram is modelled on the old tram cars that used to run around the shipyard back in the day, and they depart from Titanic Belfast and the SS Nomadic every half hour from 12pm – 5pm during the Autumn/Winter months, with the schedule changing for summer. You can buy tickets online or on board.
With big chains like Pizza Hut, the Red Panda and Soda Joes, you can grab some dinner at the expansive Odyssey Pavilion before visiting Odyssey Bowlfor a game or two, or heading upstairs to the Odyssey Cinemas see the latest blockbuster. If you’re lucky enough to be here during ice hockey season you can even experience the thrill of a Belfast Giants game in the adjoining SSE Arena, or take the kids to the exciting Interactive Discovery Centre of W5.
Hi, I'm Laura. I'm 30 years old and have a degree in Journalism with Photo-Imaging at the University of Ulster. I have an undying love for Belfast and all that it has to offer, an undying love for sleeping, Tegan and Sara, trashy tv shows, foreign snack-foods and being irresponsible with money. I also quite like origami, reading, jazz, hip-hop, dubstep, anything acoustic and Food Network TV. I've written for The Big List, Culture NI, Chatterbox and The Echo, as well as writing for BBC Across the Line.
View all posts by Laura Caldwell
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