My friend and I spent 4 days and 3 nights exploring a little of what Northern Ireland has to offer. We flew into Belfast City Airport, about a 5-minute drive into the city center, with a rail line and express buses also available. There is another airport to the west of Belfast that is about a 30-minute drive to downtown which is the Belfast International Airport.
Day One - A short walk to explore
After settling into our hotel we took a walk through the city over to the Ulster Museum. On our way, we stopped to look at Queens University Belfast which has a stately main building that we walked through, and the small but in-bloom Botanical Gardens. The walk itself is about 30-40minutes. I like to start out walking in a city to get my bearings and a feel for a new place.
Photo credit - Cee Cee
The Ulster Museum
The Ulster Museum was a great starting point to understand the history of Northern Ireland from the modern past through 'The Troubles' and current times. We spent over two hours just soaking in the history of Northern Ireland completely missing the exhibits filled with mummies, insects, and other curiosities in the remainder of the museum. The exhibitions we focused on were Modern History and The Troubles and Beyond.
The Crown Liquor Saloon
On the return walk, we stopped in The Crown Liquor Saloon not to be missed even for just a look inside. Dating back to 1826 it still boasts a gorgeous interior that matches its exterior. If you can snag one of the 10 snugs for a private tipple. This is truly worthy of the name Gin Palace - a lavish pub selling gin.
Peeking out from our cozy snug we spotted both locals and tourists enjoying
beer, wine, and of course a few G&T's.
Black Cab Tour
The following morning of day two, we booked a private Black Cab Tour. This is an absolute must-do, make sure you listen and take notes there is so much that is covered in only 2 1/2 hours. The private tour took us across both sides of the conflict - on one side the Catholic community - referred to as Nationalists and Republicans based on their political outlook and the desire for Northern Ireland to be united with the Republic of Ireland. And on the other side was the Protestant community, Loyalists and Unionists, who wanted Northern Ireland to remain under British rule.