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Is Belfast worth another day?

Hello fellow travelers,

We are signed up for the 14 days in Ireland tour in June. We have an extra day at the end of the tour (Belfast) and am wondering whether anyone thinks it would be worth another day--vs. heading back to Dublin, where we fly out for home the following day. We spend the last day in Belfast, and RS guidebook says one day in Belfast is enough..... yet I'd like to get anyone's opinion who may have been there.

FYI, we will have 3 extra days in Dublin before our tour begins, so I think we'll have enough time in Dublin. Either way, we'll take a train from Belfast to Dublin, either Saturday or Sunday.

Thanks for your feedback.
Paulette

Posted by
1518 posts

Some friends of mine just got back from Belfast. They just raved about the Titanic Museum. Evidently it is a fabulous multimedia experience. There is a web site that shows some of the exhibits in 3D or 360 views. And there are hologram people! These folks are college professors; so they are not easily impressed. So that could be worth an extra day.

Posted by
9221 posts

I'd stay just to have the fresh mussels and a bowl of seafood chowder at Mournes next to the Kelly Cellars pub. But that's just me.

Titanic museum IS fabulous as is taking a black tour tour to learn about The Troubles. Remember NI is another country so you'll need pounds as opposed to euros.

Yes I think enjoying another day in Belfast is worth it.

Posted by
275 posts

Paulette,
We took the 14 day tour last year in late June - a great tour with Declan and Lynne sharing duties as guides. If I remember the day in Belfast the bulk of the time ~ 3.5 hours at the Titanic Museum, a bus tour of the city and it's mural arts remembrances of the troubles, and a walking tour of Queen's University. We arrived in the late afternoon at the Europa Hotel and headed straight across the street to The Crown where we filled an snug and shared a few final pints together.
If time had permitted I might have stayed an extra day to explore Belfast but we had an early departure from Dublin and left at the crack of dawn on an Airport Express bus. Our extra day in Dublin prior to the tour when combined with the tours two was more than sufficient; but, I did not seek out sights, tours, activities in Belfast knowing that we'd be off in the early morning ...
You'll have a great time. Cheers.

Posted by
4257 posts

We were in Belfast in 2014. Yes, the Titanic Museum is fabulous. We did the HOPO bus and had a live guide so we learned about the troubles and current events. Other then that, I found Belfast very depressing, a city still evolving, but with undertones of the division still there. I would read up on the city and decide what you want to see. If there is enough to keep you busy for the extra day, then by all means stay.

Posted by
2980 posts

We enjoyed Belfast very much, but it looks as though the RS tour already covers most of the highlights.
If you're up for an off-the-beaten path excursion I'd recommend the Ulster-American Folk Park near Omagh ... about a 1+20 drive from Belfast. We found it to be a fascinating place - does a great job of presenting the history of Scots-Irish emigration to American that began around 1715. My own ancestors traced from Ulster and were caught up in the out-migration of that time so it was especially interesting to me. Might pique your interest as well.
Here's their website: http://nmni.com/uafp
Another possible side trip on your way back to Dublin would be Newgrange and the Boyne Valley just north of the airport. Lots of Irish history in a compact area. The Hill of Tara is near there too.

Posted by
1601 posts

I will disagree with the majority here. I spent 2 weeks in Ireland and Belfast was my least favorite city. If you are flying out of Dublin and have some extra time I would highly recommend going to Newgrange in the Boyne Valley. This was one of my favorite spots and is in between Belfast and Dublin.

Posted by
70 posts

We (my wife and I) spent an extra night in Belfast. We used the time after the tour for an "extended" breakfast and a leisurely afternoon as well as walking the city (Cafe Nero is a great place for coffee) and enjoying the hotel bar / restaurant. We had tickets for the Opera house that night, so we spent the entire day without using any transportation outside of walking. If you prefer more time in Dublin, or have access to a car, and your desires dictate; I would go elsewhere, but the extra day before going back to Dublin to fly home was well worth it. (Then again, we had another two nights in Dublin after Belfast too, so that was a factor). My opinion, you do not need more than an extra day in Belfast unless you had a specific reason or site to visit.

I wouldn't sweat it too much, since you already had extra time in Dublin, but would go back if you had a specific reason.