ss nomadic tour

The Story Of SS Nomadic In Belfast (And Why It’s Worth A Nosey Around)

By Author Gillian Birch

Posted on Last updated: January 18, 2023

The SS Nomadic has a special place in history as the tender ship of RMS Titanic.

Now the only remaining vessel from the mighty White Star Line, it has been beautifully restored and a visit here is one of the more popular things to do in Belfast .

Walk the decks and brush with 100 years of maritime and social history as you explore this remarkable boat which is part of the Titanic Belfast experience.

Below, you’ll find everything from what the SS Nomadic interior looks like to how much it costs to visit in 2022.

Table of Contents

Some quick need-to-knows about SS Nomadic in Belfast

Photo by Kuiper (Shutterstock)

Although a visit to the SS Nomadic is fairly straightforward, there are a few need-to-knows that’ll make your visit that bit more enjoyable.

Note: if you make a booking through a link below we may make a small commission (which we very much appreciate).

1. Location     

The SS Nomadic is moored at Hamilton Dock in the Titanic Quarter of Belfast. It’s just a stone’s throw from the Titanic Belfast and the Harland and Wolff cranes – an appropriate resting place for this historic restored tender to RMS Titanic.

2. Opening hours

SS Nomadic is part of the Titanic Experience. Both attractions are closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays except for the summer months when they are open daily.

• May and June: Thursday – Monday 11.30am-3.30pm
• July to September: Open daily 11.30am-3.30pm
• October to April:  Thursday – Monday 11.30am-3.30pm
• Closed December 24 to 26th

3. Admission

Admission to SS Nomadic is included as part of your  Titanic Experience Tour . The price for both attractions is (note: prices may change):

• £19.50 for adults
• £8.75 for children aged 5-15 
• £48 for a family pass (2 adults and 2 children)

4. Plenty to see and do

With admission covering both the Titanic Experience and SS Nomadic there is plenty to enjoy at this fascinating historic site. Join a guided walking tour (£10) or rent multimedia guides to help you get the most from your visit. More on this below.

The history of the SS Nomadic

SS Nomadic was launched in April 1911 as a tender for the White Star Line. Designed Thomas Andrews and built by Harland and Wolff , the boat was used to transfer passengers and crew to and from RMS Olympic and RMS Titanic when they were moored offshore in Cherbourg. 

The Nomadic is 70m long and 11 metres wide with four decks plus a hold. Powered by coal boilers and steam engines, she had a service speed of 12 knots (14mph).

She could carry up to 1000 passengers at a time in lounges and open deck areas. Of course, passengers were segregated with first class at the front and third class in a cramped area at the rear of the lower deck. 

SS Nomadic in Cherbourg

Built in Belfast, the Nomadic was delivered to Cherbourg in 1911 to begin work as a tender. On 10 April 1912, she transported 247 passengers to the RMS Titanic at the start of the maiden voyage.

During WW1 the ship was used as a minesweeper in France and ferried troops to and from the harbour in Brest before returning to tendering for White Star Line. During WW2 the aging vessel was used in the evacuation of Cherbourg (18 June 1940) and was then used as an accommodation ship for the Royal Navy in Portsmouth Harbour. 

Its retirement

Saved from the breakers yard, SS Nomadic tendered for the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth liners in Cherbourg before being retired in 1968. She became a floating restaurant on the River Seine, Paris before facing being sold for scrap. 

Realising its unique historic importance, the ship was bought at auction by the Northern Ireland Government in 2006. After being fully restored by the Nomadic Preservation Society, it is now a popular Belfast tourist attraction. You can admire the ornate decoration and plasterwork in the first class lounges as part of your tour.

Things you’ll see and learn about at SS Nomadic

Photo by vimaks (Shutterstock)

There’s plenty to see and do here on the Titanic Experience Tour  which makes it a great place to visit when it’s raining. 

Below, you’ll find everything from the SS Nomadic interior and the Nomadic Experience to the various exhibitions and more.

1. The Nomadic Experience   

Tour the decks and see the difference between the comfortable decor enjoyed by first class passengers compared to those in second and third class Visit the Captain’s quarters, the cramped crew bunks and take a turn at the ship’s wheel. 

There are plenty of interactive exhibits and stories to listen to. Meet Pierre, the barman and discover the Titanic connection. Learn about the different roles the ship played during WW1 and WW2 and hear about some famous passengers. Imagine this historic tender in Paris as a floating restaurant and then follow the huge restoration project.  

2. Famous Passengers

Over the decades, SS Nomadic transported many wealthy passengers including American socialites and movie stars. On 10 April 1912, SS Nomadic transported 274 passengers to RMS Titanic for the liner’s maiden voyage.

These included New York millionaire John Jacob Astor IV along with mining tycoon Benjamin Guggenheim and millionairess Margaret “Molly” Brown who helped save other passengers. Nobel prize winner Marie Curie traveled on the Nomadic as did Charlie Chaplin and “Tarzan” actor Johnny Weissmuller.

3. The Restoration

Some 95 years after being launched from Belfast, SS Nomadic returned to the city in 2009 in a dilapidated state. Her top decks had been removed so she could sail beneath the bridges on the River Seine and most of the valuable features including the brass portholes had been stripped and sold.

Hamilton Dock, unused since the 1990s, became the new home as the ship was restored. Harland & Wolff did much of the external restoration. Once the initial phase was complete, the ship was opened to the public to raise more funding for the final stages.  

4. The History

SS Nomadic is the only surviving White Star Line vessel in existence today. Her eventful life began when she was launched in April 1911 as a tender for the RMS Titanic. The tender was exactly one quarter the size of the Titanic and was very similar in shape and design.

Nomadic was designed for the White Star Line by naval architect Thomas Andrews and built in Belfast by Harland and Wolff. The tender was then sailed to Cherbourg and used to transfer passengers and crew to and from RMS Olympic and RMS Titanic when they were moored offshore. 

5. The Dock

SS Nomadic has fittingly return to the Titanic Quarter and the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast where she was built. Moored at Hamilton Dock, she sits alongside Titanic Belfast. 

In 1864, the site of the Hamilton Dock was controversial as workers had to cross the River Lagan from their homes in Antrim and there were few bridges. However, Harland and Wolff shipbuilders insisted on its location which led shipbuilding on Queen’s Island.  

From 1867-1990 Hamilton Dock was used for repairing, maintaining and fitting out ships. As the industry declined, the dock lay unused and became the natural place for the restoration and mooring of SS Nomadic.

Places to visit near SS Nomadic

One of the beauties of SS Nomadic is that it’s a short spin away from some of the best places to visit in Belfast .

Below, you’ll find a handful of things to see and do a stone’s throw from the ship (plus places to eat and where to grab a post-adventure pint!).

1. Titanic Belfast 

Photos via Shutterstock

SS Nomadic is part of the same site as Titanic Belfast and is included in the Titanic  admission. Both are located on the slipways where RMS Titanic was designed, built and launched. The contemporary building tells the Titanic story through exhibits, replica staterooms, photos, documents and 21st century technology. You’ll see, hear and even SMELL the shipbuilding process during your tour! 

2. Harland And Wolff Cranes

Photo by alan hillen photography (Shutterstock)

Nicknamed Samson and Goliath, the massive Harland and Wolff cranes are a 3-minute walk from SS Nomadic and are hard to miss! Walk around the back of the Titanic Belfast building and you’ll see these mega yellow cranes dominating the city skyline. They are now retired and preserved. 

3. Food in the city 

Photos via Neill’s Hill Brasserie on Facebook

There’s some excellent places to eat in Belfast , with everything from brunch and breakfast to vegan food in Belfast on offer. There’s also plenty of great pubs in Belfast to nip into after a day of exploring.

4. Divis Mountain

Photos by Arthur Ward via Tourism Ireland’s Content Pool

Within sight of Belfast City Centre, Divis Mountain is a popular area for a hike with breathtaking views from the 478m summit. Managed by the National Trust, there are two routes: the short and sharp Summit Trail or the long and leisurely Ridge Trail.

FAQs about visiting SS Nomadic in Belfast

We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from what is the SS Nomadic interior like to how much a visit costs.

In the section below, we’ve popped in the most FAQs that we’ve received. If you have a question that we haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.

Can you go on the SS Nomadic?

You can indeed. SS Nomadic is part of the Titanic Experience, so you can visit both in the one go.

Is SS Nomadic actually worth visiting?

Yes! The ship has been carefully restored and it’s home to a wealth of history. The SS Nomadic interior, in particular, is a joy to explore.

How much are tickets for SS Nomadic in Belfast

You can visit the ship as part of the Titanic Experience. Tickets are £19.50 for adults.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Top ways to experience SS Nomadic and nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Also popular with travelers

SS Nomadic - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• Titanic Belfast Entrance Ticket: Titanic Visitor Experience Including SS Nomadic (From $31.72)
• Private Belfast Explore Like a Local (From $724.58)
• Belfast City Sightseeing Tour Including Titanic Museum | 6 Hours (From $1,016.95)
• Belfast’s Titanic Quarter: A Self-Guided Audio Tour (From $5.00)
• Private Titanic Trail Walking Tour in Belfast with a Local Guide (From $127.12)
• (0.13 mi) Titanic Hotel Belfast
• (0.10 mi) TITANIC:150+ 5 Star Reviews for 7 Guests | 1min walk from Titanic history
• (0.07 mi) Seconds from Titanic History: Penthouse Apartment for 4 guests
• (0.18 mi) Premier Inn Belfast Titanic Quarter hotel
• (0.14 mi) Marina Titanic View Apartment
• (0.08 mi) The Dock
• (0.06 mi) Paper Cup
• (0.05 mi) Linen Lounge at Belfast Met Titanic Quarter
• (0.10 mi) Subway
• (0.08 mi) Subway

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience and security.

https://visitbelfast.com/partners/ss-nomadic/

• What's On Homepage
• Art & Exhibitions
• Children’s Events
• Food & Drink
• Free Events
• History & Heritage
• Learning Experiences
• Lectures & Talks
• Markets & Fairs
• Music & Concerts
• Nature & Wildlife
• Pubs & Clubs
• Shows & Displays
• Virtual Events

• See & Do Homepage
• Arts & Entertainment
• Attractions
• Green Attractions
• Green Spaces
• Sightseeing Tours
• Information & Services
• Travel & Transport
• Competitions

• Eat & Drink Homepage
• Afternoon Tea
• Restaurants
• Food and Drink Experiences
• Pubs and Clubs
• Visit Belfast Food & Drink Voucher

• Ideas Homepage
• Belfast Plus
• Family Friendly Belfast
• Free Things To Do in Belfast
• Game of Thrones
• Titanic & Maritime
• Music in Belfast
• Embrace a Giant Spirit

• Stay Homepage
• Camping and Caravans
• Serviced Accommodation
• University Accommodation
• Green Stays

• Plan Homepage
• Getting Here
• Belfast Visitor Map
• Accessibility in Belfast
• Sustainable Belfast
• Getting Around Belfast
• Green Travel
• Belfast Visitor Pass
• Car Parking
• Brochures and Downloads
• Visitor Apps
• Neighbourhoods
• Sign Up to Mailing List
• Visit Belfast Welcome Centre

• Offers Offers
• Neighbourhoods Neighbourhoods
• Game of Thrones Game of Thrones
• Search Enter your search above to discover things to do, events, offers and more... Close

Description

RMS Titanic's tender ship and the last remaining White Star Line vessel has been restored to her original glory.

• Hamilton Dock
• Queen's Road

Top Reasons To Visit

• Last White Star Line ship in the world
• Transported passengers to Titanic
• Welcoming and knowledgeable crew
• Fully interactive with four decks to discover

Opening Hours

January – March 24 Monday – Sunday: 11am – 4pm

23rd – 31st March: 11am – 5pm

April – May 24 Monday – Sunday: 10am – 5.30pm

June 24 Monday – Sunday: 10am – 6.30pm

July – August 24 Monday – Sunday: 10am – 7

4th & 20th July: 10am – 6.30pm

September – October 24 Monday – Sunday: 10am – 5.30pm

November – December 24 Monday – Sunday: 11am – 4.30pm

1st – 3rd November: 10am – 5.30pm

24th – 26th December: Closed

27th – 31st December: 11am – 5.30pm

January – March 25 Monday – Sunday: 11am – 4.30pm

Get in touch

• Ask a question via Titanic Belfast’s contact form and they will respond as quickly as possible.
• Use the Live Chat function on titanicbelfast.com to talk to a team member. Monday–Sunday: 10am–1pm | 2pm–5pm

Contact Details

Current opening hours.

• Monday 10:00-15:00
• Tuesday 10:00-15:00
• Wednesday 10:00-15:00
• Thursday 10:00-15:00
• Friday 10:00-15:00
• Saturday 10:00-15:00
• Sunday 10:00-15:00

You might also like

Titanic Belfast

Titanic Belfast is the world's largest Titanic visitor experience and a must-see on any visit to Belfast and…

Irish FA Tours

Irish FA Tours tells the unique story of Northern Ireland football from 1880 to present day using a…

Museum at The Mill

Explore the history and heritage of Mossley Mill and hear the story of the people who worked there…

Albert Clock

The historic Albert clock is Belfast's very own leaning tower, Erected in 1865.

Belfast Whiskey Club

Belfast Whiskey Club is Belfast’s only fully independent and non-profit whiskey club that opens its doors to people…

Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum

Explore the rich history of Irish linen through friendly guides, interactive displays, and live spinning and weaving demonstrations.

This 10m (32ft) salmon was commissioned in 1999 to celebrate the regeneration of the River Lagan and the…

This handsome Irish gentry house is surrounded by its 130-hectare (320-acre) wooded riverside estate.

We're here to help, so if you can't find the info you're after, or you just want to ask a really odd question, then we're here for you.

Visit Belfast Newsletter

Sign up to the Visit Belfast newsletter and receive inspiring ideas, events and offers which showcase the best of Belfast and Northern Ireland.

Ask a Question

" * " indicates required fields

Choose a date

• This Weekend

If you select a location more than 15km from the Visit Belfast Welcome Centre, your location will be set to Belfast City Centre.

Hide this tool

• Your cart is empty

Experience the Restored Glory of the RMS Titanic’s Tender Ship

Embark on a captivating journey through history as you step aboard the SS Nomadic, the last remaining vessel from the White Star Line and the tender ship of the RMS Titanic. Meticulously restored to its original splendor, this iconic ship offers a remarkable glimpse into over 100 years of authentic maritime and social history.

The SS Nomadic is renowned for its role in the Titanic story, where it ferried first and second-class passengers to the ill-fated ocean liner from Cherbourg. However, this is just the beginning of its extraordinary journey spanning a century. Now restored to its 1911 glory and proudly back home in Belfast, where it was designed and built, a visit to the SS Nomadic and Hamilton Dock is an immersive experience that combines the ship’s authentic heritage and atmosphere with the captivating stories of its passengers and the dramatic ups and downs of its career.

Spread across four decks, a visit to the Nomadic allows you to relive the experience of boarding the Titanic on its ill-fated maiden voyage. Marvel at the intricate details and experience the contrasting environments of the separated class areas on board, giving you a firsthand understanding of what it was like to be a passenger on this historic ship.

Tickets to explore the SS Nomadic can be conveniently purchased as part of the Titanic Experience ticket from www.titanicbelfast.com . Don’t miss this opportunity to immerse yourself in the restored grandeur of the RMS Titanic’s tender ship and delve into its captivating history.

or sign in with

Select User Type

or continue with

Enter the e-mail address associated with the account. We'll e-mail a link to reset your password.

Top ways to experience SS Nomadic and nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Also popular with travellers

SS NOMADIC: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

• Titanic Belfast Entrance Ticket: Titanic Visitor Experience Including SS Nomadic (From £25.25)
• Private Belfast Explore Like a Local (From £576.69)
• Belfast City Sightseeing Tour Including Titanic Museum | 6 Hours (From £809.39)
• Belfast’s Titanic Quarter: A Self-Guided Audio Tour (From £3.98)
• Private Titanic Trail Walking Tour in Belfast with a Local Guide (From £101.17)
• (0.13 mi) Titanic Hotel Belfast
• (0.10 mi) TITANIC:150+ 5 Star Reviews for 7 Guests | 1min walk from Titanic history
• (0.07 mi) Seconds from Titanic History: Penthouse Apartment for 4 guests
• (0.18 mi) Premier Inn Belfast Titanic Quarter hotel
• (0.14 mi) Marina Titanic View Apartment
• (0.08 mi) The Dock
• (0.06 mi) Paper Cup
• (0.05 mi) Linen Lounge at Belfast Met Titanic Quarter
• (0.10 mi) Subway
• (0.08 mi) Subway

Savvy Travel Advice

Guide to Visiting the Titanic Belfast & Other Titanic Sites in Belfast

Last updated: April 22, 2024 - Written by Jessica Norah 10 Comments

Belfast and the Titanic will forever be linked together in history. It was in Belfast that the RMS Titanic would be designed, built, tested, and launched out to sea. In 1912, she was the world’s largest and most luxurious ship. However, it would be the ship’s tragic sinking on her maiden voyage, rather than her construction, that would make the Titanic famous around the world.

Although the world’s most famous ship may lie at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, you can still find close links to the ship in Belfast today. You can visit the Titanic Belfast, which is a large visitor attraction that tells the story of the RMS Titanic from her design and construction to the sinking and its aftermath. The Titanic Belfast is often referred to by visitors as the Titanic Museum.

The Titanic Belfast is located next to where the Titanic was built and is the largest attraction in the world dedicated to the story of the Titanic . It has become one of the most visited attractions in Northern Ireland.

In addition to the Titanic Belfast, there are several other places in Belfast you may want to visit if you are interested in seeing more places related to the Titanic . These include the slipway where the ship was built, the former Harland & Wolff Headquarters and Drawing Offices where the Titanic was designed, the dry dock for the ship, one of the tender ships built to serve the RMS Titanic , the Ulster Transport Museum, and the city’s Titanic memorial.

Of course, Belfast’s shipbuilding and maritime history consists of more than just the legacy of the Titanic and there are a number of other sites in Belfast that may be of interest to visitors. These include the city’s Waterfront area, the HMS Caroline , a distillery located in the old pump room, a maritime-themed church, and the Belfast Barge Museum.

We’ve been lucky to visit Belfast a few times and have visited all these Titanic and maritime-related attractions. We’ll share lots of information and advice on visiting the Titanic Belfast as well as the many other Titanic sites and maritime attractions in and around Belfast. We’ll also include details of how to book tickets, where to stay in the Titanic Quarter, how to make the most of your time in Belfast, and where to find out more information about the Titanic .

Table of Contents:

A Brief History of Belfast and the Titanic

Belfast had become a major industrial city by the early 19th century, with linen production, tobacco processing, rope-making, and shipbuilding being four of its major industries. By the mid-19th century, the shipbuilding industry employed more people in Belfast than any other and the Harland & Wolff shipyard was one of the world’s largest shipyards.

Harland and Wolff would establish a reputation as being the world’s leading builder of ocean liners and it built most of the ships for the White Star Line . These would include the three Olympic-class ocean liners, the Olympic  (1911),  Titanic (1912), and  Britannic (1915). These three ships were designed to be the largest, safest, and most luxurious passenger ships in the world.

In July 1908, the White Star Line approved the design and building of the ocean liners by Harland & Wolff. The ships were to be constructed on Queen’s Island (now known as the Titanic Quarter) in Belfast Harbour. The construction of the Olympic  and  Titanic took place almost in parallel with the construction of the Olympic beginning in December 1908 and the Titanic in March 1909.

The construction of the Titanic and her sister ships was a major engineering feat as ships of this size had never been built before. It required new slipways, new equipment, new dry docks, and the building of a new gantry crane, the Arrol Gantry .  The Titanic would be launched on May 31, 1911, her fitting out would be completed by the end of May 1912, and her sea trials and completion would take place on April 2, 1912.

The RMS Titanic was the largest ship ever built at the time (being slightly heavier than the Olympic ). The ship was 882 feet and 9 inches long, 92 feet and 6 inches in breadth, 104 feet in height, and 46,328 gross register tons in weight. The grand ship was designed with a capacity of accommodating 2,453 passengers and over 900 crew members.

The Titanic would leave Belfast on April 2, 1912, right after completing its sea trials. The RMS Titanic was registered in Liverpool but planned to primarily operate out of Southampton. The Titanic left Belfast and headed to Southampton to get ready for its maiden voyage. The ship would arrive into Southampton around midnight on April 4, 1912.

Titanic ‘s maiden voyage plan was to do a transatlantic crossing from Southampton, England to New York in the USA with stops at both Cherbourg, France and Queenstown (now called Cobn), Ireland. On her return east to Southampton, she was supposed to stop at Plymouth, England. The RMS Titanic set off as planned from Southampton on April 10, 1912, making her stops at both Cherbourg and Queenstown without incident.

Aboard the Titanic , sent from Belfast, were nine Harland & Wolff employees known a the Guarantee Group. These nine men had a variety of skills and occupations and included 3 fitters, 1 draughtsman, 1 plumber, 2 electricians, 1 joiner, and the chief designer Thomas Andrews. These men were chosen to join the maiden voyage because of their skills and hard work. Their job was to make sure that the Titanic had a smooth maiden voyage and to check on any issues during the sailing.

Disaster would strike on April 14, 1912, just four days into her transatlantic crossing. At 11:40 pm, the ship would hit an iceberg while sailing about 375 miles off the coast of Newfoundland. The collision would cause water to start seeping into the ship. About 2 hours and 40 minutes later the ship would be completely sunk. Around 4:00 am the RMS Carpathia , a Cunard ship, would arrive to rescue survivors. It picked up about 710 survivors from the 20 Titanic lifeboats and took them to New York City.

Tragically, about 1,512 people are believed to have perished that night. Most are believed to have died as a result of being in the freezing waters which caused cardiac arrest and hypothermia, and many others from drowning. Most bodies of the victims were never found or were buried at sea. Of the 209 victim bodies which were retrieved for burial, 150 are buried in cemeteries in Halifax, Nova Scotia and the rest were transported to victims’ families for burial.

Lots of factors likely contributed to the Titanic ‘s sinking and the huge loss of life. Most believe that both the collision and the huge loss of life could have been prevented. Factors such as ignorance by the Titanic ‘s captain about warnings of icebergs in the area, poor preparation of the crew for such an event, the lack of lifeboats aboard the ship, underfilling of the lifeboats, widespread belief that the ship was unsinkable, issues with wireless communication, and the SS California’ s (the closest ship) ignorance of the Titanic ‘s flares and distress calls likely all played some role. The sinking of the Titanic would lead to stricter maritime safety regulations.

In Belfast, as in the rest of the world, the news of the Titanic ‘s sinking and the huge loss of life came as a distressing shock. At least 22 men from Belfast are believed to have died in the disaster, including one of the ship’s architects Thomas Andrews . Funds were raised for victims’ families, church memorial services were held, and money was collected for a local memorial.

However, after the initial outrage and grief wore off, Belfast distanced itself from the Titanic and it became a somewhat taboo subject. The shipyard and the city did not want to be associated with the disaster. And for a long time, there was a sense of local shame attached to the fact that the Titanic had been built in Belfast. A long string of difficult events following the sinking—two World Wars, the Great Depression, the partition of Ireland, the decline in shipbuilding, and the Troubles—may have also contributed to a lack of interest in talking about the Titanic tragedy.

However, this attitude to the Titanic would begin to shift at the end of the 20th century due to two main events. The first was the discovery of the shipwreck in 1985 by American retired naval officer Robert Ballard which caused a lot of renewed interest in the ship and its history. It also provided new information on what had happened to the ship.

The second was the worldwide success and popularity of James Cameron’s 1997 film Titanic, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. If you were alive in 1997/1998 during “Titanic Mania” you were undoubtedly aware of this film, its actors, and its theme song “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion.

The city’s close ties to the Titanic and its significance to both its cultural history and to international tourism began to be discussed. Many people felt proud that the Titanic , and so many other ships, had been built in Belfast by local workers over the decades. In 2012, 100 years after the ship had been completed, the Titanic Belfast visitor attraction was officially opened in the newly named and revitalized Titanic Quarter.

The city’s focus on the RMS Titanic as a means of attracting tourists and the gentrification of the now-named Titanic Quarter is not universally loved by the people of Belfast. Some don’t believe that Belfast should focus so much on the ill-fated Titanic and that more needs to be told about the shipbuilding history beyond 1912. Some question whether the area’s revival will have any positive impact on the local working class who had long worked in the quarter.

Others say that the projects largely ignore the narratives of the people who worked at the shipyards as well as the sectarian politics and discrimination at the Harold & Wolff shipyard. You can read more of these perspectives in an academic eassy written by Pete Hodson here .

The Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast continued to build ships for decades, including the HMHS Britannic (sister ship to the Olympic and Titanic) and the HMS Belfast (naval light cruiser, now docked in London as a museum ship). However, shipbuilding in the UK would decline sharply after World War II. The company has had a number of owners and undergone a number of changes over the decades. Today, it remains one of the largest dry docks in Europe, and the main focus of the company is on making offshore wind turbines and tidal stream turbines.

Today, Belfast is closely associated with the Titanic and the Titanic Belfast is one of the most visited attractions in Northern Ireland. A lot of visitors come to Belfast because of the city’s association with the ship and are interested in visiting Titanic -related sights and attractions.

Titanic Belfast Visitor Guide

Here is all the information you should need to plan your trip to visit the Titanic Belfast, including how to get to there, how to book tickets, the best times to visit, what to expect during your visit, and where to find more information.

Where is the Titanic Belfast Located?

The Titanic Belfast is located in the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. It is specifically located in the eastern part of the city alongside the River Lagan in the Titanic Quarter.

The specific address is: Titanic Belfast, 1 Olympic Way, Queen’s Road, Titanic Quarter, Belfast BT3 9EP

How to get to the Titanic Belfast?

The Titanic Belfast is pretty easy to visit by car, public transit, or by walking. It is also a popular stop on city sightseeing bus tours and guided day tours from Dublin.

Depending on where you arrive into Belfast or where you are staying, you may be able to simply walk to the Titanic Belfast. The Titanic Belfast is within a 30 minute walk of most of central Belfast.

Vehicles approaching Belfast on the M1 or M2 should follow the signs to Belfast City Airport M3, taking the first exit for Titanic Quarter. You can park at the attraction. There are over 500 paid parking spaces available in the Titanic Belfast underground car park.

By Public Transit

You can also take public transit to reach the Titanic Belfast. Translink operates regular bus and train services throughout Belfast. For up-to-date information on timetables, connections, and ticket prices please see translink.co.uk .

Sightseeing Buses

In addition to the regular public buses, there are also hop-on hop-off sightseeing buses you can take in Belfast that cover all the main attractions in the city. Both the City Sightseeing Buses and the City Tours Belfast buses stop in the Titanic Quarter next to the Titanic Belfast.

Cycling can be another great option for getting around the Titanic Quarter. Titanic Belfast offers free public bicycle parking on the West Plaza outside the main building.

If you don’t have your own bike, you can hire one through the Belfast Bikes Scheme which operates throughout Belfast City Centre. Within the Titanic Quarter, docking stations can be found at the Odyssey Pavilion, near SS Nomadic, and along Queens Road near the HMS Caroline.

Finally, you can also take a taxi and there are a number of taxi companies in Belfast. You can check fares and book ahead here .

At last check, Uber does operate in Belfast, but appears to only take bookings to and from the airport.

Getting to Titanic Belfast from Belfast Airports

Belfast has two airports, the Belfast City Airport and the Belfast International Airport . Options include renting a car, taking a public bus, booking an airport transfer , or taking a taxi to reach Titanic Belfast. You can check public transit connections here .

The Titanic Belfast is about a 10 minute drive from George Best Belfast City Airport and around a 30 minute drive from Belfast International Airport.

Getting to Titanic Belfast from Dublin

From Dublin, you can fly, drive, take a train, take a coach, or join a guided bus tour to Belfast to visit the Titanic Belfast. The journey is about 2 hours by car or 2.5 hours by public transit.

Day tours from Dublin, such as this one , include your transport, guide, and entrance to the Titanic Belfast.

What is there to See & Do at the Titanic Belfast?

Before you even enter the building, you can explore the Titanic slipways and plaza just outside. It is worth it to take at least 20 minutes to explore this area on foot.

You can see the outline of both the Titanic and Olympic on the slipways where the ships were built and launched. There is also a Titanic memorial lawn located on the Olympic slipway. The names of those who died in the shipwreck are set in vertical glass panels on the slipways.

You can also admire the exterior of the building which was built between 2009 and 2012, and opened to the public in 2012. The building has an interesting angular shape and most of it is clad in individual silver anodized aluminum shards. The building’s design was inspired by different ideas, including ships, icebergs, and the Arrol Gantry.

The 6-story building stands at the same height as the Titanic ‘ s hull. Outside there is also a sculpture of a diving female figure known as the “Titanica” created by Irish sculptor Rowan Gillespie. 

Inside, you’ll walk into a large open atrium. From here you can visit the gift shop, eateries, and the information and ticketing area. To enter the galleries and exhibition area, you will need to have a ticket and we recommend booking this in advance .

The Titanic Belfast has nine interpretive and interactive galleries that tell the story of the Titanic that is called the Titanic Experience. The visit is self-guided and you follow a one-way path that takes you through the 10 galleries to learn about the Titanic in chronological order.

The first four galleries focus on the design, construction, launch, and fitting out of the Titanic while it was in Belfast. This includes a short shipyard ride in a car that takes visitors on a ride through a recreation of a shipyard that moves through a scale replica of Titanic ‘ s rudder. In the fitting out area, you get to see recreations of the interiors of different cabin classes, as well as crew quarters, aboard the ship.

The next three galleries focus on the Titanic ‘s maiden voyage, sinking of the ship, and the aftermath of the tragic disaster. The final galleries focus on myths and legends, popular culture, the discovery of the Titanic shipwreck by Robert Ballard, the current state of the shipwreck, and the modern legacy. The Titanic Experience contains a number of original Titanic, Harland and Wolff, and White Star Line artifacts. Although it contains a few items that were aboard the Titanic on its maiden voyage that have been donated or sold to the museum by survivors or their families, it does not contain any items taken from the actual shipwreck.

At the end of the visit, you can explore the gift shop and eateries inside or head outside to explore the plaza and slipways and to visit the SS Nomadic . The SS Nomadic is a short walk away and entry to the White Star Line tender is included in the price of the Titanic Experience ticket.

Titanic Belfast Ticket Prices?

A regular adult ticket (age 16+) is £24.95 (as of April 2024), and includes entry to both the Titanic Belfast and the SS Nomadic .

Child tickets (age 5 to 15) are £11.00, student and senior (age 60+) tickets are £19, and family passes (2 adults, 2 children) are £62. Note that some concession tickets for students and seniors are not available on weekends.

Tickets for children under age 5 and essential carers are free.

How to Buy Tickets to the Titanic Belfast?

You need to purchase your Titanic Belfast tickets in advance online. You can purchase combination tickets to visit the Titanic Belfast and SS Nomadic online here .

Note that entry requires a timed ticket which you can purchase directly from the attraction online, but you can purchase a dated ticket voucher without a specific time from third-party vendors at the same price. If you do not have a timed ticket, you need to bring proof of your paid voucher to one of the staffed ticket booths on the ground floor and exchange it for a timed entry ticket upon arrival.

If you are unsure of the exact time you wish to visit, then getting an untimed ticket good for the whole day is a good idea. But just be sure to exchange it at the ticket booth for a timed ticket before getting in line to enter the exhibition.

When asked if visitors can purchase same day tickets in person, I was told by the attraction that they strongly recommend that you buy your ticket online in advance to guarantee entry and avoid long waits. But on some days, based on availability, you can buy tickets in person.

Tickets can also be purchased by calling the attraction’s Welcome Team at +44 (0)28 9076 6386, or in person at the Visit Belfast Welcome Centre, 9 Donegall Square North, Belfast, BT1 5GB.

Does the Titanic Belfast Offer an Audio Guide?

Yes, there are audio guides available in several languages that you can use to help guide you through the galleries and provide more information.

These are not included with the regular ticket and you will need to purchase these separately. You can book them in advance or purchase them from the Visitor Services desk once at the Titanic Belfast.

The hand-held multimedia guides with single-use disposable earphones cost £4.

There is also a special audio guide commentary designed for children available. There are also multimedia guides available that are tailored to visually impaired guests available.

Can I Book a Guided Tour of the Titanic Belfast?

The exhibits are self-guided and there are currently no regular guide-led tours of the Titanic Experience galleries offered. Please see the information about audio guides above.

However, there is currently an outdoor Discovery Tour being offered that takes place just outside the building and includes a 1-hour guided tour and talk about the history of the Titanic . This needs to be booked in advance.

How Long is the Average Visit to the Titanic Belfast?

Visits often take between 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours at Titanic Belfast. We’d recommend planning to spend at least 2 hours here to complete your visit to ensure you have enough time and are not rushed.

Those who are very interested in the Titanic and the museum may want to leave 3 hours to visit.

Be sure to leave time as well before or after to visit the SS Nomadic if it is included with your ticket. People often spend at least 30 minutes aboard the Nomadic . Also be sure to note the last entry times for both attractions on the date of your visit to ensure you are able to visit them both.

Best Time to Visit the Titanic Belfast?

The Titanic Belfast is a popular attraction and can get very busy. Visiting near the opening time or later in the afternoon can be a good way to visit with reduced crowds.

The attraction strongly recommends avoiding arriving during the peak hours of 11:30 am to 3:00 pm during the months of July and August, and during public holidays, in order to avoid crowds and possible delays. We’d also recommend avoiding the UK school holidays if you can.

Note if your ticket or voucher does not have a time on it, you just need to go to one of the ticket desks within the ground floor atrium and get a timed ticket to enter.

Visitor numbers are currently limited and time slots are used to space out visitors. The timed ticketing system helps but it can still get very crowded during the middle of the day.

Note that the attraction currently has a last entry time that is 1 hour and 40 minutes before its closing time. So be sure to be at the attraction at least 2 hours before its closing time the day you want to visit.

You can check the official website for latest opening times and information.

Where to Eat at the Titanic Belfast?

There are three places to eat at the Titanic Belfast. Inside there is both a grab-and-go eatery which serves sandwiches, snacks, and light bites (The Galley Cafe) and a casual sit-down café and restaurant (The Pantry). There is also the Hickson’s Point pub located just outside the building.

Sometimes there is also an afternoon tea service offered in the Titanic Belfast’s event space called the Titanic Suite, which includes a replica of the Titanic ‘s Grand Staircase. If interested, I’d check in advance to see if this is being offered at the time of your visit.

Outside of the Titanic Belfast, there are also several other options located within the Titanic Quarter. These include Subway, Paper Cup (coffee shop), The Dock Cafe , a bar and grill at the Premier Inn hotel, and the eateries at the Odyssey Pavilion (Five Guys, Zizzi, and Nando’s) that are located within the SSE Arena. Just note that most of these are not open every day so good to check opening dates and hours in advance.

If you are planning to head over the HMS Caroline, Titanic Pump Room, and/or Titanic Distillers , there is also a bar & coffee shop located next to the distillery that offers coffee, hot food, snacks, pastries, and alcoholic drinks.

If you’d like to eat somewhere a bit nicer or are looking for cocktails, we suggest checking out the dining options at Titanic Hotel Belfast behind the museum, which offers two restaurants and a bar. We can also recommend booking an afternoon tea experience here! Reservations are required for afternoon tea and recommended for evening meals.

Other Facilities at the Titanic Belfast?

The Titanic Belfast also has a large gift shop, the Titanic Store, as well as additional educational, conference, and event facilities.

There are also ATMs, lockers (£1 per locker), and free WiFi on site.

Parking at the Titanic Belfast?

There is visitor parking available at Titanic Belfast. There are over 500 paid parking spaces available in the 24-hour underground car park. At last check, parking charges were £2 for the first hour and £1 per hour thereafter.

There is also parking facilities for bicycles outside of the building on the West Plaza.

Accessibility at the Titanic Belfast?

The Titanic Belfast is a modern building and is fully accessible for most people. There is step-free access to the exhibits, accessible parking spaces, and a number of wheelchair-accessible toilets. The Shipyard Ride can accommodate most standard wheelchairs but not mobility scooters.

Wheelchairs and mobility scooters can be reserved for use at the facility in advance if needed. There are also aids available for those with autism, hearing loss, sight impairments, and other disabilities.

For more information, check out their accessibility guide . Those with questions or specific concerns should contact the attraction in advance.

Is Photography Allowed at the Titanic Belfast?

Yes, personal photography for non-commercial use is allowed at the Titanic Belfast. However, flash photography and video recording is not allowed.

The use of flashes, tripods, and other specialist photographic equipment is not permitted without prior written permission .

Tours that include a Visit to the Titanic Belfast?

There are a number of guided tours that include a visit to Titanic Belfast that depart from both Belfast and Dublin. Most of these tours include your entrance tickets. Here are some options that visit the Titanic Belfast as well as a number of other sights and attractions in Northern Ireland.

• This full day trip from Belfast includes a visit to the Giant’s Causeway and the Dark Hedges, as well as a visit of the Titanic Belfast
• This day trip from Belfast includes Titanic Belfast, the Giant’s Causeway, and Game of Thrones filming locations.
• This full day trip from Dublin includes the Titanic Belfast, Dark Hedges, and Giant’s Causeway.
• If you are looking for multi-day tours around Ireland that include a visit to the Titanic Belfast, you can check tour options here .

Just note that most of the shorter city Belfast walking tours do not include a visit inside the Titanic Belfast or cover the price of the admission ticket. Always be sure to check what is included before booking a tour!

Where to Stay Near the Titanic Belfast?

Our top recommendation would be to stay next door at the Titanic Hotel which is just a 1 minute walk away. This 4-star hotel was once the Harland and Wolf headquarters and drawing offices where the Titanic and many other ships were designed. We’ve stayed here and really enjoyed it.

Another fun option is to spend the night on the water aboard this barge , where you can actually sleep in a restored barge docked in Belfast Harbour in the Titanic Quarter. Two other close options located in the Titanic Quarter are the Premier Inn and CK Serviced Apartments .

For more information on lodging in Belfast and more recommendations in central Belfast, see our accommodation section later in the article.

Visiting Other Titanic Attractions in Belfast

While the Titanic Belfast may be the main Titanic attraction in Belfast, there are several other places you can visit to learn more about the Titanic . Most of these attractions are close together in the Titanic Quarter and are easy to visit on the same day.

Titanic Slipway

As mentioned earlier, the Titanic and Olympic slipways are located just outside the Titanic Belfast building. So we highly recommend walking over here to see these before or after your visit.

To build the White Star Olympic-size ships, old slipways had to be demolished and two larger slipways built for the construction of these ships. It was here that the Titanic as well as her sister ship the Olympic (and later the Britannic) were built. Titanic ‘s construction began here in March 1909.

The Titanic was launched from the slipway into the water on May 31, 1911 in the presence of Lord Pirrie (chairman of Harland & Wolff), J. Burce Ismay (chairman of the White Star Line), and J. P. Morgan (American financier whose company owned the White Star Line), as well as a huge crowd of Harland & Wolff crew and public onlookers. The slipway was lubricated with tons of tallow and soap to allow it to pass into the River Lagan.

After leaving the slipway, the Titanic was towed over to Thompson Graving Dock (now often called the Titanic Dock) which you can still visit and we will discuss later in the article.

Today, you can see the outline of both the Titanic and Olympic on the slipways where the ships were built and launched. You can see a life-size plan of the Titanic ‘s Promenade Deck and discover the positions of certain elements of the ship like its lifeboats and funnels. Information panels provide information and facts about the ships.

There is also a Titanic memorial lawn located on the Olympic slipway. The names of those who died in the shipwreck are listed on vertical glass panels along the slipway.

These slipways are outdoors and free to visit, located just outside the Titanic Belfast alongside the harbor. There is also a great view of the slipways from inside the Titanic Belfast so be sure to take a look while inside the attraction.

If you only visit one other attraction in Belfast related to the Titanic other than the Titanic Belfast, I’d definitely choose the SS Nomadic . Whereas the Titanic Belfast is a great visitor attraction and museum, a tour of the SS Nomadic allows you to tour an existing boat that was used by passengers of the Titanic .

The SS Nomadic is a former tender ship built by Harland & Wolff in Belfast to serve White Star Line passenger ships such as the RMS Titanic and the RMS Olympic. Tender ships were used to ferry passengers, luggage, mail, and supplies between the ship and ports in locations where the ships were too large to dock.

The SS Nomadic is now the last surviving White Star Line ship in the world and the only surviving ship that naval architect Thomas Andrews helped design. Thomas Andrews, one of the designers of the Titanic and her sister ships, died aboard the Titanic on her maiden voyage.

Construction of both the SS Nomadic and a companion tender ship SS Traffic began in December 1910 and both ships were launched in April 1911. They were both built at the same time as the RMS Titanic  and both entered service as tender ships for the RMS Olympic .

However, the ships were not identical. The grander SS Nomadic was designed for the transfer of first and second-class passengers and its interior was fitted out in a similar style as the Titanic . The SS Traffic was built for ferrying third-class passengers and goods.

On April 10, 1912, the SS Nomadic was used to ferry first- and second-class passengers and their luggage onto the RMS Titanic from Cherbourg Harbor in France. Famous passengers who sailed on the SS Nomadic to board the Titanic  included millionaire John Jacob Astor IV and his wife, Lady Duff-Gordon, Margaret Brown (later known as “The Unsinkable Molly Brown”), and Benjamin Guggenheim.

The SS Nomadic would have a long service history as a passenger tender ship, later serving several Cunard ocean liners, including the RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth . During WWI and WW2, the ship was used as a minesweeper and troop transport ship before returning to being used as a tender ship. The ship was retired from service in 1968, and later was used as a floating restaurant ship on the Seine River in Paris for almost 30 years.

In 2006, the Northern Ireland government purchased the SS Nomadic and brought the ship back to Belfast to be restored and turned into a ship museum. Following extensive restoration, the SS Nomadic was opened to visitors in June 2013.

The SS Nomadic sits in Hamilton Dock, the dry dock where she was restored. The Hamilton Graving Dock was used from 1867 until the 1990’s by Harland & Wolff for repairing, maintaining, and fitting out ships. It is believed that the SS Nomadic ‘s original fitting out in 1911 may have taken place in this same dock.

Also in Hamilton Dock sits the Cassion gate, which is believed to be the oldest existing Harland & Wolff vessel. The Caisson was the original dock gate and was built in 1867. It is not exactly what most of us would think of as a gate; it is a hollow vessel built from steel and wood that was used to stop water from going in or out of Hamilton Dock. It is now pretty rusty and can be seen when visiting the SS Nomadic .

Today, visitors can tour the beautifully restored ship and learn all about its construction, uses, restoration, and history. Since the SS Nomadic was built at the same time as the Titanic and by the same company, you can get some sense of what it was like to sail on the Titanic .

We’d recommend visiting the SS Nomadic on the same day that you visit the Titanic Belfast, as the regular Titanic Belfast online entry ticket will get you access to both the Titanic Belfast and SS Nomadic on the same day. The two attractions are only a short walk apart.

The hours of the SS Nomadic are set in conjunction with those of the Titanic Belfast. The SS Nomadi c usually opens later and closes earlier than the Titanic Belfast so you will want to plan your visit accordingly. If visiting during a busy time of year, I’d recommend visiting the Titanic Belfast at its opening time and then visiting the SS Nomadic around its opening time later in the morning.

If you only want to visit the SS Nomadic (without visiting the Titanic Belfast), there used to be individual tickets you could purchase. However, these individual tickets have not been available since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and it is unclear when and if they will be sold again. So for the time being you do need to purchase a combination ticket if you want to visit.

Titanic Hotel Belfast

The Titanic Hotel Belfast is a 4-star hotel that was opened in a building that was once used as the Harland & Wolff company headquarters and drawing offices. Harland & Wolff was, of course, the company that designed and built the RMS Titanic .

Harland & Wolff built two 3-storey drawing offices around 1885, and these were combined into one building and expanded upon until the 1920s to form much of the structure that exists today. Many of the designers, builders, and craftspeople who worked on building the Harland & Wolff drawing offices, were the same who built the ships at the time. Many of the materials used were also the same used for the ships. For instance, the floor tiles on the ground floor were the same kind used in Titanic ’s first-class smoking room.

It was from these offices that over 1,700 vessels would be designed and built over the decades by Harland & Wolff. Harland & Wolff used the offices until 1989, and then for nearly 30 years the building sat unused and in disrepair.

In 2016, funding was raised and work began in repairing and restoring the building, and converting it into a hotel. The restoration work was completed in September 2017 and it opened as a hotel to the public.

It is a beautiful historical hotel that offers Art Deco-themed rooms, a bar, a restaurant, and lots of guest amenities. As it is located in the heart of the Titanic Quarter, just a minute walk from the Titanic slipway and the Titanic Belfast, it is a great place to stay for those wanting to spend time in this part of Belfast. You can check our prices and read recent reviews here.

The hotel is part museum, with lots of history, original artifacts, memorabilia, and artwork on display throughout the building. You can follow a self-guided trail map to see a number of highlights in a number of the heritage rooms in the hotel where you can view the architecture, artifacts, etc. on your own. These include the former Victorian drawing offices, and the former offices of both Lord Pirrie and Thomas Andrews. Just note some rooms or areas may be closed if in use by staff or guests.

We’ve stayed here a few nights and really enjoyed it as it is not only a great historic building but also a great central location if wanting to explore the Maritime Mile and Titanic attractions.

Even if you don’t stay the night here, it is worth a stop if you have the time. We’ve done the self-guided tour and had a lovely afternoon tea here on visits when we were not staying at the hotel. You can also enjoy drinks, coffee, lunch, or dinner. Just be sure to book afternoon tea and evening meals in advance.

Titanic Walkway

Another thing we strongly recommend for those interested in the Titanic is to make time to walk along the Titanic Walkway. The Titanic Walkway is a 500 meter (0.3 mile) walkway on Victoria Wharf which connects the Titanic and Olympic slipways to the HMS Caroline and the Thompson Dock.

The Titanic Walkway was first opened in 2018 as a way to make it easier for pedestrians to visit the various attractions within the Titanic Quarter. It is also part of the longer Maritime Mile which we’ll cover later in the article.

The walkway runs alongside Belfast Harbour and the docks. Notable attractions along the route include the Titanic Belfast visitor attraction, Titanic and Olympic slipways, Mew Light, Thompson Dock (Titanic Pump Room & Dock), and the HMS Caroline . It also contains a number of pieces of public artwork and old docks.

Most of these attractions we covered in detail elsewhere in this article, but some of the more minor sites (without any strong Titanic connections) that you’ll likely see from along the walkway include the Mew Light, the Titanic Exhibition Center (a giant conference center), Game of Thrones panels, Titanic Studios, and the Samson & Goliath cranes. There are also several pieces of public artwork.

The Mew Light, or the Great Light, is the world’s first and largest hyper-radial Fresnel lighthouse lens. It was first used at Tory Island Lighthouse in 1887 and later moved to Mew Island in 1928. It left Mew Island in 2014 and was restored and placed along the Titanic Walkway. It still works and you may see it lit up if you are in the area after dark. Interesting panels around the light tell about its history and how it works.

If you are a Game of Thrones fan, you can see the filming studios (Titanic Studios) where most of the filming for the 8 seasons of the show took place. One of the studio buildings (Paint Hall) was originally a Harland & Wolff building used for painting the hulls of large ships.

You can’t actually visit or tour this studio though but you can do a day trip to do the Games of Thrones studio tour. You can drive yourself or book a shuttle transfer from either Belfast of Dublin when you book your ticket and time slot for the tour. Laurence really enjoyed this tour.

Also along the walkway you’ll find two of the six giant stained glass windows depicting scenes from Game of Thrones that were placed here in 2019 to celebrate 10 years of filming in Northern Ireland. The windows are located near the Titanic slipway and HMS Caroline (a third one is next to SS Nomadic ). All 6 are located in Belfast. If you are a Games of Thrones fan, we recommend checking out this guide to Games of Thrones filming sites in Northern Ireland .

And perhaps the most well-known structures located in the Titanic Quarter are the Samson and Goliath cranes. These giant yellow shipbuilding cranes have become symbols of Belfast and can be seen from afar. They are owned by Harland & Wolff and were built in 1969 and 1974 (the Arrol Gantry that was used for the Titanic was demolished in 1971). You can’t get super close to them, as they sit on an active and private industrial area, but they are hard to miss.

The Titanic Walkway is a great way to connect a visit to the Titanic Belfast to either the HMS Caroline and/or the Titanic Pump Room & Dock. To start the walk, just head outside the Titanic Belfast to the Olympic and Titanic slipways, then head northeast along the walkway towards the HMS Caroline . It is an easy path to follow.

If you, or someone you are traveling with have difficultly walking, you might consider catching the Wee Tram if it is running during your visit (stopped during COVID-19 and now under new ownership). The hop-on hop-off ride includes live commentary and is particularly fun for kids and families. It connects all the attractions in the Titanic Quarter and you can get aboard at the Titanic Belfast, the slipways, or a number of other spots.

If you want a different perspective of the Titanic Quarter, consider a  River Lagan boat cruise which allows you to see all the Titanic Quarter sites from the water with onboard commentary. In the summer, there is also the chance to see seals.

Titanic Dock & Pump House (Titanic Distillers)

If you want to get a sense of the size of the RMS Titanic , then I’d recommend a visit to the Titanic Dock and Pump House. This was where the Titanic was fitted out and sat before her sea trials.

Because of the size of the Olympic-class White Star liners, larger dry docks had to be built to fit them. The dry dock was completed in 1911 and known then as the Thompson Graving Dock or Thompson Dock. It was named after the chairman of the Belfast Harbour Commission, Robert Thompson.

After both the RMS Olympic and RMS Titanic were constructed on the slipways (next to the Titanic Belfast), they were moved here to be fitted out and completed. This included her engines, funnels, superstructure, and all her interiors. The Titanic was here from about June 1911 to April 1912. It was here that she spent her final days in Belfast before setting sail for Southampton to begin her maiden voyage in April 1912.

The Thompson Dock was used until 2002. In 2010, after some restoration work, it was opened to the public for tours. Today it is often called the Titanic Dock.

The adjacent dock pump house, now called the Titanic Pump House, was used to pump out water from the Thompson Graving Dock as well as the Alexandra Graving Dock (where the HMS Caroline now sits). It is also open to the public for visits.

In April 2023, a whiskey distillery opened within the historic pumphouse called Titanic Distillers. They are the first working distillery to open in Belfast in over 90 years. The distillery also operates the tours and access to the Titanic Dock and Pumphouse.

There is a fee to visit the Titanic Dock & Pump-House and it can be done as part of a guided tour. There is currently a 1 hour dock tour you can do just of the historic dock if you are not interested in visiting the distillery. You can book the dock tour only here .

Or you can join a tour that includes both the dock and a tour of the distillery within the pumphouse that also includes a whiskey tasting. There are a couple of different tours that include both a guided tour of the Thompson dock and tour of the distillery and pumphouse, such as this premium tour .

Being able to walk around and climb down into the Thompson Graving Dock gives you a good sense of the massive size of these ocean liners. The whole footprint of the graving dock would have been the size of the Titanic ‘s hull as the ship just fit inside. Informational placards give you lots of information about its construction, the fitting out process, the lives of the dock workers, and how the pump room worked.

The distillery tour (that also includes the dock tour) is also worth doing if you want to learn about the history of whisky making in Ireland, how whiskey is made, see the stills and process, and do a tasting. It all takes place within the historic Pump House. Laurence has done this tour and really enjoyed it.

There is a small coffee shop and bar just outside and behind the distillery where you can get hot drinks, cold drinks, hot food, baked goods, and snacks.

The Titanic Dock & Pump House  is located about a 1 minute walk from the HMS Caroline and a 10 minute walk from the Titanic Belfast.

Ulster Transport Museum

The Ulster Transport Museum is a museum focused on helping visitors learn about and see a variety of methods of transportations by land, sea, and air that have been used across the centuries. It is one of the four museums that make up the National Museums Northern Ireland. The museum is best known for its large railway collection, its DMC DeLorean car, and its RMS Titanic exhibition.

The museum has a permanent exhibition on the Titanic and her sister ships, RMS Olympic and HMHS Britannic , which were all built in Belfast. The exhibition documents the construction, voyage, and eventual sinking of the ship and includes a number of artifacts, photos, and personal stories from people involved with its design, building, and maiden voyage.

A lot of what we know today about the design and look of the Titanic comes from the RMS Olympic . The two ships were almost identical and were built and fitted out within a year of each other. While both Titanic and Britannic had tragically short service lives, the RMS Olympic was in service from 1911 to 1935. Therefore there are a lot more photographs and information available for the Olympic .

Just across the road is the Ulster Folk Museum, also part of the National Museums Northern Ireland, and another great museum to visit. The Ulster Folk Museum helps visitors experience what village and rural life was like over 100 years ago in Ireland through old buildings, period furnishings, and costumed guides.

The Ulster Transport Museum (and Folk Museum) are outside of Belfast but can be accessed by public transportation or by car. The easiest way via public transit is to take the train from Belfast to Cultra train station. The museums are about a 15-minute walk from the Cultra train station. If driving, it is about a 20-minute drive from central Belfast, and there is free parking for visitors on site.

Titanic Memorial Gardens

The Titanic Memorial Gardens is a small terraced memorial garden located at the Belfast City Hall that includes both a memorial statue and a memorial plinth.

The Titanic Memorial statue was erected in 1920 and funded by subscriptions from local people in Belfast. The marble statue contains four figures which depict an allegorical representation of the disaster with the female personification of Fate holding a laurel wreath over the head of a drowned sailor who is held above the waves by a pair of mermaids.

The statue’s plinth lists the names of 22 men from Northern Ireland who died in the disaster. According to author Stephen Cameron, it is now believed that 28 people from Northern Ireland perished aboard the Titanic . Additionally, eight Harland & Wolff workers (5 of whose names are known) are also believed to have died during the construction of the Titanic.

None of the nine Harland & Wolff members of the Guarantee Group sent from Belfast to ensure the smooth sailing of the Titanic on her maiden voyage survived. They are each listed on the memorial but there are also 9 individual plaques across Belfast commemorating each man who was part of the Guarantee Group.

The Titanic records make it very hard to know the exact number of passengers or the nationalities of some passengers. Research by staff at Irish Weather Online concluded that there were 164 Irish passengers and crew (from all of Ireland) aboard the Titanic with 110 dying and 54 surviving the disaster.

In 2012, the memorial garden itself was established with the planting of springtime flowers and a new memorial plinth. The 9-meter plinth contains five bronze plaques that list the names of all 1,512 people who are known to have died aboard the RMS Titanic . The memorial is significant as it is the first memorial anywhere in the world to record all of the names of the victims on one monument.

Note that there are no victims of the Titanic buried here. Most victims’ bodies were either never recovered or were buried at sea. Of the 209 retrieved for burial, 150 are buried in Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada and 59 others were transported to victims’ families to be buried elsewhere.

The Titanic Memorial Garden is used as the site of the annual commemorations of the Titanic disaster which take place each year on April 15th in Belfast.

The Titanic Memorial Gardens can be found in Donegall Square on the east side of the Belfast City Hall. It is free to visit.

Also on the grounds of the Belfast City Hall is a statue of Sir Edward Harland, a co-founder of Harland & Wolff, and a memorial bust of Sir William Pirrie, who was the managing director of the Harland & Wolff shipyard from 1895 to 1924. Lord Pirrie’s nephew, Thomas Andrews, was the naval architect of both the Titanic and the SS Nomadic , and he perished aboard the ship on her maiden voyage.

More Maritime Attractions in Belfast

Belfast has a long and rich maritime history, and while the Titanic may be its most known legacy, there is much more to it than one ill-fated passenger liner. You can find out more about Belfast’s maritime history by visiting other maritime-related sites in Belfast.

Maritime Mile / Waterfront

The Maritime Mile connects together many of Belfast’s maritime-related sites and was developed by the Belfast Maritime Trust. The trail goes past a number of heritage sites, public artwork, businesses, and attractions. Informational panels help provide information along the trail. This dockside walk provides for a nice wander around Belfast.

The trail begins at the City Quays with the historic Clarendon Docks and Sailortown area. Some of the things you can see here are the Flying Angel statue, St. Joseph’s Church, the Dividers sculpture, Belfast Harbour Commissioners’ Offices, and Sinclair Seaman’s Church.

You can also visit the Heritage Room exhibition at the Belfast Harbour offices in Corporation Square. The Heritage Room permanent exhibition includes information about Belfast’s seafaring history, from its emergence as a major port to its current use as an industrial hub. It also includes some artifacts and artwork.

One of the artifacts at the Belfast Harbour is a dining table and sideboard that was commissioned by the White Star Line to be used in the Captian’s private quarters of the RMS Titanic. The furniture was supposed to be on the ship when it set out on its maiden voyage but it was not delivered on time and was never used on the ship. It was kept in storage and forgotten for a long time.

The trail continues on past the AC Hotel. Outside this hotel is the first of the six Games of Thrones large stained glass windows that were placed here in 2019. Each depicts an iconic scene from the show. You can see all 6 by following the trail.

Next you can see the Big Fish statue, the Custom House, and some other statues before crossing over the River Lagan on the Lagan Weir Footbridge. You are now entering the Titanic Quarter.

You’ll pass by the SSE Arena, W5, Belfast Habour Marina, Buoy Park, Hamilton Dock, the Cassion Gate, SS Nomadic , he Titanic Hotel, and the Titanic and Olympic slipways.

From here, the trail is the same as the previously discussed Titanic Walkway, which includes the Titanic Belfast, the Great Light, The Thompson Dock, HMS Caroline , and several pieces of public artwork. Like the Titanic Walkway it ends with the HMS Caroline, the Titanic Dock & Pump Room, and the Titanic Distillers.

You can find out more about the Maritime Mile in Belfast here .

The Maritime Mile is a free outdoor trail, but many of the indoor attractions along the way do have a fee if you wish to visit. Some require reservations, so be sure to check on any individual attractions you wish to visit.

HMS Caroline

The  HMS Caroline was a light cruiser built in Birkenhead, England in 1914 for the British Royal Navy. She was in service for a very long time, from 1914 until 2011. She served during WWI, including during the Battle of Jutland , which was the largest naval battle of the war.

In 1924, the HMS Caroline was moved to Belfast Docks to form the headquarters for the Ulster Division of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. During WWII, she would also be used as a depot ship and strategic operations base for convoy protection.

The HMS Caroline would serve as part of the Ulster Division of the Royal Navy reserve until 2009 and was officially decommissioned in 2011. The ship was the last remaining British World War 1 light cruiser still in service and is the last survivor of the Battle of Jutland still afloat.

The ship was restored and opened to the public as a ship museum in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter in 2016. She sits in the Alexandra Graving Dock, which was constructed in the 1880s.

Today, you can visit the the HMS Caroline as either part of a timed guided tour or as part of a self-guided tour with an audioguide. It currently depends on the time of the year how you can visit, so be sure to check the website before your visit to see what tour options are available.

Aboard the ship, you can learn about her construction, history, and the living and working conditions on board through exhibits, films, recreated historic spaces, and interactive touch screen displays. There is also a film dedicated to the Battle of Jutland.

A ticket is required to visit the museum and ship. You can purchase tickets on-site or in advance online. There is a small café and a gift shop on the ship.

The HMS Caroline is located next to the Titanic Pump House and Titanic Distillers. It is about a 15 minute walk away from the Titanic Belfast. There is parking located here for visitors, and you can also reach it via public bus or the city’s hop-on hop-off sightseeing buses.

Sinclair Seamen’s Presbyterian Church

Sinclair Seamen’s Church is a Venetian-style church dating from 1857 that sits in an area of Belfast known as Sailortown. Sailortown was historically the area of Belfast where many of the working-class sailors and dockworkers lived and socialized in Belfast. It thrived from around the mid-19th century to the mid 20th century. Today, the Sinclair Seaman’s Presbyterian Church is one of the few remaining places in Sailortown still in operation from that period in history.

The church was designed by famed architect Charles Layon and was built in memory of John Sinclair, a local merchant whose family were the largest shipowners in Belfast in that period and gave generously to the Irish Presbyterian Church.

The church sits near the harbor and the interior design was influenced by the hull of a ship. The church is filled with maritime references and artifacts, including a bell from the HMS Hall which is used to call worshippers to service and collection “baskets” in the shape of boats . The church is likely a place that many Presbyterian dockworkers and shipbuilders of the Titanic would have worshipped.

We really enjoyed our visit here as it is a very unusual church. The volunteers we met here were very friendly and knowledgable, and were willing to answer all our questions and give us a little guided tour.

It is open for worship services and to the visiting public for limited hours. It is free to visit when open (donations are of course appreciated). Group tours are also sometimes possible but need to be arranged in advance. If you want to visit, please check out the church website for the latest hours and visiting information.

Belfast Barge Museum

The Belfast Barge Museum is a museum set on a former cargo barge, the MV Confiance , that tells the story of Belfast’s industrial heritage and maritime history. The onboard maritime exhibition tells the story of the industries along the River Lagan and the men and women who worked along it.

The MV Confiance was purchased in 2006 and sailed to Belfast and opened to the public. It is now moored in the River Lagan in Belfast’s waterfront area.

The Belfast Barge is used as a museum, event space, and a café. It is a small attraction and it is best to check ahead for current opening dates and hours.

There is a small fee to visit the Belfast Barge Museum. You can find out more information here .

NOTE: Sadly a fire in April 2024 damaged the barge and caused it to close to the public. They are hoping to open to the public soon but repairs and fundraising is required. So please check ahead before visiting.

Belfast Titanic & Maritime Attractions Map

Here is a map with all the main Titanic and maritime sites in Belfast mentioned throughout the article. You can use this to help plan your itinerary. Click here  or on the map below for a closer look and to see exact locations:

Preparing for your Trip To Belfast

Here are some more resources and advice for planning for your trip to Belfast, including things to do (other than Titanic sites), suggested itinerary, where to stay, tours you can take, and where to find more information.

Planning Your Trip to Belfast

We have some resources we think you will find useful to help you plan your trip to Belfast.

First, take a look at our guide to things to do in Belfast , which has lot more ideas for things to do in the city beyond the Titanic sights, as well as our suggested itinerary for spending two days in Belfast . However, if you’d prefer to focus on the Titanic sites, you can check out our suggested 2-day Titanic -themed itinerary in the next section.

Belfast makes an excellent base for exploring Northern Ireland, and also a great starting or ending point for an Irish road trip. If you want to base yourself in Belfast, see our guide to the best day trips from Belfast for some inspiration. If you are looking for a drive along the coast, see our guide to a suggested Causeway coastal route road trip .

Game of Thrones fans will also enjoy visiting Belfast and Northern Ireland. The Titanic Studios were the home of the show for many years and much of the show was shot on locations in Northern Ireland. You can read about many more filming locations in our guide to Game of Thrones filming locations in Northern Ireland here . We also have a detailed guide to visiting the Dark Hedges .

If you are looking for a printed (or digital) guidebook, there are few that just focus on Belfast and Northern Ireland, such as this one by Rick Steves , but most cover the whole island of Ireland, such as these ones . Just be sure to get a recent edition.

Suggested 2 Day Belfast Titanic Themed Itinerary

If you want to see all the main Titanic sites in Belfast, it will likely take you about 2 days to do so. Here is a suggested Titanic-themed Belfast itinerary that may help you organize your time in Belfast if you have 2 days and want to try to take in most of the Titanic related sites.

You’ll want to modify the itinerary as needed depending on where you are staying and how much time you want to spend at each attraction. Note that many of these attractions do require you to pre-book tickets to visit so be sure to check and make necessary reservations as needed. This includes the Titanic Belfast which currently requires a pre-booked ticket and time slot.

Day 1 Titanic Itinerary:

• Visit Titanic Belfast & SS Nomadic in the morning
• Have lunch (you can eat at the Titanic Belfast or elsewhere in Titanic Quarter, may consider lunch or booking afternoon tea at Titanic Hotel Belfast)
• Walk along Titanic Walkway and visit the Titanic Dock & Pump Room (Titanic Distillers)
• Visit HMS Caroline (if run out of time can move this to morning of Day 2)

Day 2 Titanic Itinerary: 

• Explore Waterfront area (consider visits to Sinclair Seamen’s Church or Belfast Barge museum)
• Visit Titanic Memorial Garden at Belfast City Hall
• Have lunch in city or wait to have lunch at the tearoom (if open) at Ulster Transport Museum. If it’s a weekend, perhaps grab something to eat at St. George’s Market.
• Take train (or drive) to Cultra (about 35 minutes by train) to visit Ulster Transport Museum (also consider visiting next door Ulster Folk Museum if you have time)
• Return to Belfast by train (or car)

Where to Stay in Belfast near the Titanic Belfast Museum

There are two main hotels within the Titanic Quarter itself, including the Titanic Hotel Belfast which is next door. But there are a large variety of other options that are within walking distance of the Titanic Belfast and the other attractions in the Titanic Quarter, including hotels, hostels, and guest houses.

We list accommodation options across a variety of budgets and accommodation types below, including hotels, hostels, and guest houses. They are listed in order of how far they are from the Titanic Belfast.

• Titanic Hotel – This 4-star hotel is next door to the Titanic Belfast museum, and sits within a historical building that was once the Harland and Wolff headquarters and drawing offices. A beautiful historical property that offers Art Deco themed rooms, Titanic memorabilia, bar, restaurant, and room service. A perfect option for Titanic enthusiasts and we’ve enjoyed our stay here. It is a 1 minute walk away from the Titanic Belfast.
• CK Serviced Apartments – These well-reviewed serviced apartments are located in the Titanic Quarter and are great for those looking for a self-catering option. There is an on-site restaurant, grocery store, cafe, and private parking available. They are only a 7 minute walk away from the Titanic Belfast.
• Premier Inn – This 3-star hotel in the Titanic Quarter offers king sized beds and an on-site bar and restaurant. A 9 minute walk away from the Titanic Belfast.
• The Barge – This former Glasgow coal barge was restored and converted into floating self-service accommodation and docked in Belfast Harbour within the Titanic Quarter. It offers 2 separate 2-bedroom suites that each include a private bathroom, shower, and kitchenette. Great option for couples and families who want the experience of staying on the water. The barge is about a 10 minute walk away.
• Malmaison Hotel – This 4 star hotel in the Cathedral Quarter is well located for exploring the city and visiting the Titanic Belfast. Set in a converted Victorian warehouse, rooms are richly decorated and there’s an on-site bar and restaurant as well as a gym. A 22 minute walk away.
• Bullitt Hotel – This centrally-located 4-star hotel offers 3 room types to suit different budgets. The lively hotel also has a bar, a cafe, a restaurant, a popular rooftop bar area, and a 24-hour desk service. We stayed here for several nights on our last visit and can recommend it. It is a 23-minute walk from the Titanic Belfast.
• The Merchant Hotel –  If you are looking for a 5-star historical luxury hotel, The Merchant, located in a beautiful 1860 building, should definitely be high on your list. Centrally located in the Cathedral Quarter, the hotel offers all the luxury amenities you would expect, including a restaurant, bar and lounge, spa, hot tub, and a rooftop gymnasium. A 23 minute walk away.
• AC Hotel – This 4-star hotel is part of the Marriott chain. It has a lovely riverside location which is still within easy walking distance of most of Belfast’s attractions. Rooms feature king sized beds, and there’s an on-site restaurant, riverside terrace and on-site bar. A 24 minute walk away.
• Hilton Belfast – This Hilton hotel is found by the river on the edge of the Cathedral Quarter. It offers spacious rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as an on-site bar and grill. A 26 minute walk away.
• Ramada – This good-value hotel in the Cathedral Quarter is very close to the city’s cathedral. Rooms feature tea/coffee making facilities and there’s an on-site bar and grill. A 26-minute walk away.
• Titanic Guest House –  Located in east Belfast, this well-reviewed guesthouse offers comfortable en-suite rooms at a good price. It’s around a half hour walk to the city center and a 28 minute walk away from Titanic Belfast.
• James Clow B&B – Located along the docks and near the start of the Maritme Mile, this highly rated B&B offers comfortable rooms, a sun terrace, a pool, breakfast, and free parking. It is about a 30 minute walk away from Titanic Belfast along the Maritime Mile.
• easyHotel – This well-rated budget hotel offers no-frills but comfortable rooms and a 24 hour staffed desk. A great central option for those on a tighter budget. A 33 minutes walk away.
• Rose Holiday Home – This 3-bedroom holiday home rental overlooks the Harland and Wolff shipyards, and offers visitors a self-catering option with themed rooms that are painted with colorful Titanic and maritime themes. A great option if you’re visiting with family, it also has free on-site parking. A 37 minute walk from the Titanic Belfast.
• Vagabonds Hostel – For those visiting Belfast on a budget, or just looking for a hostel experience, this is an excellent option. It’s just south of the city center, and offers both shared dormitory-style and private room accommodation, an inclusive breakfast, and a shared kitchen. It’s about a 45 minute walk to the Titanic Belfast or about 25 minutes by public transit.

If you are looking to rent an apartment or holiday home in Belfast or elsewhere on your trip, you can also check out our guide to booking holiday homes in the UK and Ireland .

Titanic Walking Tours, Day Tours, & Multi-Day Tours

There are a number of tours you can join from either Belfast or Dublin that visit some of the Titanic sites in Belfast. They range from short city walking tours of Belfast to 2 week trips around Ireland.

City walking tours related to Titanic

• This two hour walking tour of Belfast includes a visit to the Titanic Quarter

Day Tours that include a visit to Titanic Belfast

• This full day trip from Belfast includes entry to the Titanic Belfast as well as a tour to the Giant’s Causeway
• This full day trip from Belfast includes a tour to the Giant’s Causeway and the Dark Hedges, as well as the Titanic Museum

Multi-Day Trips

• This 3 day tour from Dublin focuses on the highlights of Northern Ireland, including the Antrim Coast and the Giant’s Causeway. There is an option to visit the Titanic Belfast during stop in Titanic Quarter.
• This 5 day tour from Dublin visits Ireland’s North Atlantic Coast and includes a stop in the Titanic Quarter (and option to visit the Titanic Belfast museum) amongst many other highlights.
• This 11 day tour from Dublin includes a full tour of the island of Ireland, including the option to visit the Titanic Belfast and explore the Titanic Quarter.

Learning more about the Titanic before your Trip

Before (or after) your trip, you might want to learn a bit more about the RMS Titanic to make the most of the places you visit. There are hundreds of books, films, websites, and other resources out there.

Probably the best-known book about the Titanic is A Night to Remember by Walter Lord which is a minute-by-minute account of the Titanic ‘s final hours based on interviews with survivors. He also wrote a sequel called The Night Lives On which focuses more on the investigation and technical aspects of the disaster.

Stephen Cameron, a Belfast-born author, has written a book about the building and fate of the RMS Titanic with a focus on its connection to Belfast and those from Ulster who set sail on the ship, Titanic: Belfast’s Own .  He has also written another book that covers the history of Belfast shipbuilding: Shipbuilders: A Titanic Tale .

For those interested in the finding and exploring of the shipwreck, Robert Ballard has written a few books on his search, discovery, and exploration of the Titanic .

There are also dozens of films, TV specials, and documentaries about the Titanic . The two best known films are the classic A Night to Remember (based on the Walter Lord book and considered the most accurate of the film depictions) and, of course, the 1997 Titanic film directed by James Cameron starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. If you are looking for a documentary, you might try this documentary collection by the History Channel.

And that is our guide to visiting the Titanic Belfast and the many other Titanic and maritime attractions in Belfast! We hope that if you are planning a trip to Belfast that this guide has been helpful to you. If you have any questions about your trip to Belfast, just ask us and we are happy to try to help.

Want to remember this article, PIN it on Pinterest to read it again later:

Are you planning a visit to Titanic Belfast or any of the other sites mentioned in this article? Which of these RMS Titanic -related sites are on your travel wish list? If you have visited any of these places, we’d love to hear your personal experiences and tips.

If you are planning a trip to Belfast (or elsewhere in Northern Ireland) feel free to ask us any questions about any aspect of your trip below and as always we’ll do our best to answer your questions!

Share this Post!

There are 10 comments on this post.

Please scroll to the end to leave a comment

Jan Carlson Post author

March 2, 2022 at 10:15 am

Hello…if I am lodging on Cromwell Rd & arrive in Belfast via London @ 9 a.m., would it be advisable to take my luggage to the lodging prior to my visit to the Titanic Quarter that same day? My visit is scheduled for summer. Thanks.

Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author

March 3, 2022 at 2:35 am

Yes, I would recommend dropping off your luggage at your hotel prior to visiting the Titanic Quarter as that is going to make it much easier for you. While some places have an area where you may be able to pay to leave luggage, others do not. Also you don’t really want to be carrying your luggage around the city if you don’t have to do so.

I am not sure exactly where you lodging is, of course, but I think Cromwell Road is about a 45 minute walk from the Titanic Belfast so it would be quite a long walk with luggage. Although you could also take a public bus part of the way.

The Titanic Belfast does have a small number of lockers you can rent but I am not sure the size of the lockers. So if you can’t leave it at your Belfast lodging and do need to store luggage there, I would just call ahead and ensure they are big enough to hold your luggage.

Hope that helps and wishing you a great trip to Belfast!

Best, Jessica

Rezmin Post author

January 31, 2022 at 11:57 pm

Interesting to read about the connection between Belfast and Titanic. Never know about it. I enjoyed the photographs and the content of your post. The black-and-white photograph is nostalgic.

Laurence Post author

February 1, 2022 at 10:12 am

Hello Rezmin,

Yes, Belfast definitely has a strong connection with the Titantic, and a rich history when it comes to shipbuilding. Glad you enjoyed our article and we hope you get a chance to visit Belfast and some of these sites associated with the RMS Titantic!

Best, Laurence & Jessica

Seana Turner Post author

November 24, 2021 at 3:14 am

Wow, I had no idea about all of this rich history in Belfast. I would love touring these – the Titanic has always been a source of fascination for me. We were starting to dream about travel again, but now it feels like COVID has us going backwards. Enough of this already, right? Going to bookmark so I can refer back to this when the time is right!

November 24, 2021 at 1:58 pm

Yes, Belfast has a rich maritime and shipbuilding history and such a strong connection to the Titanic. I hope you get a chance to visit some day soon!

Yes, we are unfortunately seeing increased cases in parts of Europe (like in the USA) but we are hoping things get better in the Spring. But it does look like winter may be rough again for some parts of the world ;-( The COVID vaccination rates are pretty high here in the UK (I think currently over 85% of adults are fully vaccinated) so hopefully we won’t see another lockdown here.

Joseph Post author

August 8, 2021 at 7:28 am

What a great Belfast Titanic guide & love all the history – so many facts I didn’t know. I am planning a trip to Ireland and actually (somewhat embarrassingly!) didn’t know Belfast was where Titanic was built, I had thought Liverpool. So I am happy to see this as now considering a visit here. Do you think 3 days would give us plenty of time to visit most of the Titanic attractions and see some of the other Belfast highlights? We have about 2 weeks total for all of Ireland, our first trip.

Thanks, Joe

August 8, 2021 at 7:53 am

Thanks Joe, glad you enjoyed our article. Yes, I think a lot of people believe that Titanic was built in Southhampton (where she sailed from) or Liverpool (where she was registered) so you are definitely not alone. In Belfast, you can learn a lot about the ship and see where she was designed, built, fitted out, and launched which is pretty exciting.

Yes, I think 3 days would be enough, you can spend 1 day on Titanic, or 2 days if really interested in Titanic sites (see our suggested 2 day Titanic itinerary above in the article). Then another day seeing other sites of interest in and taking any tours of interest. Some great museums and pubs. We really enjoyed the taxi tours and food tours we took there. Also some great more natural sites around the city. You can see our guide to things to do in Belfast to put together your perfect itinerary. Just note if going soon, some sites are closed or have reduced opening dates and hours due to COVID-19.

On your 2 week trip, I’d probably spend a fourth day to see some of the Causeway Coast to visit places like Giant’s Causeway and Dunluce Castle. If driving, you can do it as you are coming or leaving Belfast, or you can easily join a day tour from Belfast that visits the highlights.

Hope that helps. If you have any other questions as you plan your trip to Ireland, just let us know!

Natalie Gillham Post author

August 5, 2021 at 6:22 am

Thanks for the great post of your titanic adventures, I can’t get out much so it felt like I was visiting myself x

August 5, 2021 at 7:04 am

Hi Natalie,

Glad you enjoyed our article about visiting the Titanic sites in Belfast, and thanks for taking the time to let us know as we love to hear that our articles are enjoyed or helpful to others!

The Titanic Quarter in Belfast is a great place to trace the history of the Titanic and you can still see where the ship was constructed and fitted out which is nice. We definitely learned a lot ourselves both from our visits and then in writing this article.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of replies to my comment (just replies to your comment, no other e-mails, we promise!)

Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter where we share our latest travel news and tips

We only ask for your e-mail so we can verify you are human and if requested notify you of a reply. To do this, we store the data as outlined in our privacy policy . Your e-mail will not be published or used for any other reason other than those outlined above.

Frequently Asked Questions

We've put together a helpful list of answers to your most frequently asked questions - see if your enquiry is one of them, how long will my visit take.

As the   Titanic Experience  is a self-guided tour, the duration does depend upon pace and level of interest of our customers, however an average visit lasts 1½ - 2½ hours. This is normally followed by 30mins - 1 hour on board  SS Nomadic . Visitors can spend as long as they wish up until closing time. Our opening hours can be found   here .

Should you also wish to book our guided Discovery Tour , this will add a further hour to your visit. In total, a visit to Titanic Belfast can last up to 3 - 4 hours.

Is it a guided tour?

The   Titanic Experience , our nine interactive galleries tour, is self-guided - however there are staff throughout the exhibition to give extra information and guidance. Multimedia Guides are also available for an additional for an additional charge which can offer a semi-guided feel to the experience. Our award-winning   Discovery Tour is a guided walking tour, where you will find out fact and fable as you walk in the footsteps of the designers and shipbuilders who brought the dream to life.

Do I need to book in advance?

Yes, all tickets must be pre-booked in advance online   here  or via telephone on +44 (0)28 9076 6386. By pre-booking online you have a guaranteed entry time and date, avoiding any lengthy queues and you can make use of our contactless print-at-home mobile ticketing!

Book Your Tickets

What are your refund and cancellation polices?

Once purchased, tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded except at the absolute discretion of Titanic Belfast Ltd.  Please read our Terms and Conditions for more information.

In light of COVID restrictions, we are happy to extend the validity of tickets should you be unable to visit on your original date, please contact our Welcome Team via [email protected] with your booking reference to rearrange your visit. 

What is your policy on artefacts?

To date, we have decided not to include artefacts from the Titanic Wreck Site and Debris Field for ethical reasons. Our strategic partner Dr Robert Ballard who discovered her wreck in 1985 shares this view and for this reason artefacts salvaged from Titanic do not currently form part of our exhibition. If an opportunity arose to further preserve or safeguard artefacts, this would be considered on a case by case basis. The Titanic Experience does contain many other original artefacts including Titanic's Plan, the Last Luncheon Menu, original Launch Notebook and   Launch Day Tickets, Lord Pirrie's   Pocket Watch  and many other fascinating items of cultural and historical interest. 

Do Titanic Belfast purchase or accept loans of artefacts?

Titanic Belfast are unable to provide information regarding artefacts as we do not have an on-site curator. If you are interested in donating/selling an artefact, please contact Siobhan McLaughlin at Belfast Maritime Trust on +44 (0)28 9073 0490.  

Can I see the replica Grand Staircase?

The Grand Staircase does not form part of the   Titanic Experience as it is part of our private event suites.

Titanic Belfast does endeavour to operate regular events where opportunities to dine in front of the Grand Staircase are offered, such as   Sunday Afternoon Tea.

Please keep an eye on our Offers and Events section for updates on when these events will resume.

Do you sell Gift Cards?

Yes, Gift Cards can be purchased online or via our Welcome Team on +44(0)28 9076 6386 and will be emailed out or can be posted to an address of your choosing for a small additional fee. Alternatively you can purchase a Gift Card in person in the Titanic Store or at our Visitor Services desk in the Grand Atrium.

These are valid for 12 months from purchase and can be redeemed against tickets for any of our   Experiences , spent in our   Titanic Store  or used to purchase food and drink in our  dining outlets .

Buy Gift Card Online Now

What restrictions/changes are in place due to COVID-19?

In line with Government advice, we’ve developed our Customer Confidence Charter , outlining our commitment to ensuring the health and safety of our visitors and crew following the global outbreak of COVID-19. Ahead of your visit, please read through the information shown   here which outlines some new ways of doing things to ensure we can all enjoy a safe yet memorable experience!

Offers and Events

Take a look at our offers and seasonal events to find out what's on when you are planning to visit!

Sign up to our newsletter

We've lots to share at Titanic Belfast from  exclusive competitions   and events  to our latest  special offers -  sign up to be the first to hear!

My Itinerary

We’re looking forward to welcoming you to Titanic Belfast soon! Here's how your itinerary currently looks.

There have been no activities saved to your itinerary planner yet. Why not take a look at our   Experiences   or upcoming  events   for some inspiration?

Based on your chosen activities, we estimate your visit may take approximately: 0