🇬🇧 Northern Ireland DIY Tour: One Day in Belfast

Main attractions: Titanic Museum, City Walk, St. Peter's Cathedral, Ulster Hall. Northern Ireland feels even colder than Scotland 🥶 – in June, we were wearing down jackets, while locals were in T-shirts + down vests, and kids ran around in skirts and shorts! People here are of Celtic descent – very fair skin with a rosy glow 👱‍♀️👌. Northern Ireland has a population of 1.7 million, 800,000 of whom live in the Belfast area. Belfast is highly developed in industry and shipbuilding – the Titanic was built at the H&W shipyard here. You can take the citylink bus G2 🚌 right opposite City Hall directly to the Titanic Museum. Contactless Visa card payments at the ticket machine are super convenient – £1.8 per person one-way. Tickets aren’t checked on boarding (honor system!), but random inspections do happen, and penalties for fare evasion are severe ⚠️. The museum was built in 2012 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking. The building is 34.7 meters high – the same as the Titanic 🚢. Its reflective aluminum exterior resembles an iceberg from a distance. Every moment of the Titanic – from construction and launch to sinking – is documented here. You’ll also see historical photos and be amazed at how accurately Cameron’s movie cast resembled the real people! Allow half a day for the visit. The atmosphere is sobering – the investigation into the sinking was thorough, and the findings helped improve maritime safety 🕊️. In the afternoon, we did a city walk 🚶. Belfast is full of murals – building exteriors are covered in art. The Peace Walls separate Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods, where bloody sectarian violence once erupted. Scottish immigrants in Northern Ireland are mostly Protestant, while native Celts are Catholic – conflicts have been ongoing. The walls are both barriers and canvases for free expression. We walked along quietly – very few tourists, just the occasional taxi offering tours. St. Peter’s Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church built in 1866 and designated a cathedral in 1986. Its blue decorations are very distinctive 💙. Aside from the area around City Hall, the city feels quiet and less crowded – quite different from English and Scottish cities. Northern Ireland’s music, dance, natural beauty, and deep culture create a unique charm. Many Game of Thrones scenes were filmed here 🏰⚔️. Today’s expenses: Titanic Museum: £25/person Bus: £3.6 Uber: ¥66/person Food: £23 for 3 people #OneDayTrip #UKTravel #NorthernIreland #TitanicBelfast #TravelDIY #Belfast