Belfast, Northern Ireland

Location

Before English and Scottish settlers arrived in the 1600s, Belfast was a tiny village called Béal Feirste ("sandbank ford") belonging to Ulster's ancient O'Neill clan. With the advent of the Plantation period (when settlers arrived in the 1600s), Sir Arthur Chichester, from Devon in southwestern England, received the city from the English Crown, and his son was made Earl of Donegall. Huguenots fleeing persecution from France settled near here, bringing their valuable linen-work skills. In the 18th century, Belfast underwent a phenomenal expansion—its population doubled every 10 years, despite an ever-present sectarian divide. Although the Anglican gentry despised the Presbyterian artisans—who, in turn, distrusted the native Catholics—Belfast's growth continued at a dizzying speed. The city was a great Victorian success story, an industrial boomtown whose prosperity was built on trade, especially linen and shipbuilding. Famously (or infamously), the Titanic was built here, giving Belfast, for a time, the nickname "Titanic Town." Having laid the foundation stone of the city's university in 1845, Queen Victoria returned to Belfast in 1849 (she is recalled in the names of buildings, streets, bars, monuments, and other places around the city), and in the same year, the university opened under the name Queen's College. Nearly 40 years later, in 1888, Victoria granted Belfast its city charter. Today its population is nearly 300,000, tourist numbers have increased, and this dramatically transformed city is enjoying an unparalleled renaissance.This is all a welcome change from the period when news about Belfast meant reports about "the Troubles." Since the 1994 ceasefire, Northern Ireland's capital city has benefited from major hotel investment, gentrified quaysides (or strands), a sophisticated new performing arts center, and major initiatives to boost tourism. Although the 1996 bombing of offices at Canary Wharf in London disrupted the 1994 peace agreement, the ceasefire was officially reestablished on July 20, 1997, and this embattled city began its quest for a newfound identity.Since 2008, the city has restored all its major public buildings such as museums, churches, theaters, City Hall, Ulster Hall—and even the glorious Crown Bar—spending millions of pounds on its built heritage. A gaol that at the height of the Troubles held some of the most notorious murderers involved in paramilitary violence is now a major visitor attraction.Belfast's city center is made up of three roughly contiguous areas that are easy to navigate on foot. From the south end to the north, it's about an hour's leisurely walk.

Belfast, Northern Ireland Itineraries

179 Nights

Viking World Voyage I

Departure Date
19 Dec 24
Cruise Line Viking Ocean Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Viking Sky
Region World-wide
Departure Port Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Destination Port New York, New York
Itinerary
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Cozumel, Cartagena, Colón, Puntarenas, Cabo San Lucas, Los Angeles, California, Honolulu, Hawaii, Nawiliwili, Hawaii, Vaitape, Moorea, Papeete, Tahiti, Papeete, Tahiti, Rarotonga, Waitangi, Bay of Islands, Auckland, Tauranga, Napier, Wellington, Sydney, New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Mooloolaba, Queensland, Airlie Beach, Cairns, Queensland, Cairns, Queensland, Thursday Island, Queensland, Darwin, Northern Territory, Rinca Island, Benoa, Bali, Benoa, Bali, Semarang, Jakarta, Jakarta, Singapore, Singapore, Port Klang, Georgetown, Penang, Georgetown, Penang, Phuket, Colombo, Colombo, Male, Victoria, Mahé, Mombasa, Mombasa, Zanzibar, Zanzibar, Hell-Ville, Maputo, Richards Bay, Durban, East London, Gqeberha (ex Port Elizabeth), Cape Town, Cape Town, Lüderitz, Walvis Bay, Walvis Bay, Luanda, Praia, Santiago Island, Mindelo, São Vicente Island, Puerto de la Estaca, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Agadir, Agadir, Casablanca, Casablanca, Cádiz, Algarve, Leixões, Vigo, La Coruña, Honfleur, Dover, London (Greenwich), London (Greenwich), London (Greenwich), Dover, Dun Laoghaire, Holyhead, Liverpool, Belfast, Ullapool, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Newhaven/Edinburgh, Invergordon, Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Bergen, Bergen, Bergen, Geiranger, Narvik, Leknes, Tromsø, Honningsvåg, Longyearbyen, Longyearbyen, Isafjørdur, Reykjavík, Heimaey Island, Djúpivogur, Seydisfjørdur, Akureyri, Isafjørdur, Nanortalik, Qaqortoq (Julianehaab), L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland and Labrador, Halifax, Nova Scotia and New York, New York

From £99,990pp

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162 Nights

Viking World Voyage II

Departure Date
05 Jan 25
Cruise Line Viking Ocean Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Viking Sky
Region World-wide
Departure Port Los Angeles, California
Destination Port New York, New York
Itinerary
Los Angeles, California, Honolulu, Hawaii, Nawiliwili, Hawaii, Vaitape, Moorea, Papeete, Tahiti, Papeete, Tahiti, Rarotonga, Waitangi, Bay of Islands, Auckland, Tauranga, Napier, Wellington, Sydney, New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Mooloolaba, Queensland, Airlie Beach, Cairns, Queensland, Cairns, Queensland, Thursday Island, Queensland, Darwin, Northern Territory, Rinca Island, Benoa, Bali, Benoa, Bali, Semarang, Jakarta, Jakarta, Singapore, Singapore, Port Klang, Georgetown, Penang, Georgetown, Penang, Phuket, Colombo, Colombo, Male, Victoria, Mahé, Mombasa, Mombasa, Zanzibar, Zanzibar, Hell-Ville, Maputo, Richards Bay, Durban, East London, Gqeberha (ex Port Elizabeth), Cape Town, Cape Town, Lüderitz, Walvis Bay, Walvis Bay, Luanda, Praia, Santiago Island, Mindelo, São Vicente Island, Puerto de la Estaca, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Agadir, Agadir, Casablanca, Casablanca, Cádiz, Algarve, Leixões, Vigo, La Coruña, Honfleur, Dover, London (Greenwich), London (Greenwich), London (Greenwich), Dover, Dun Laoghaire, Holyhead, Liverpool, Belfast, Ullapool, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Newhaven/Edinburgh, Invergordon, Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Bergen, Bergen, Bergen, Geiranger, Narvik, Leknes, Tromsø, Honningsvåg, Longyearbyen, Longyearbyen, Isafjørdur, Reykjavík, Heimaey Island, Djúpivogur, Seydisfjørdur, Akureyri, Isafjørdur, Nanortalik, Qaqortoq (Julianehaab), L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland and Labrador, Halifax, Nova Scotia and New York, New York

From £89,990pp

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14 Nights

British Isles Explorer

Departure Date
23 Mar 25
Cruise Line Viking Ocean Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Viking Vela
Region Northern Europe
Departure Port Tilbury
Destination Port Bergen
Itinerary
Tilbury, Tilbury, Dover, Dun Laoghaire, Holyhead, Liverpool, Belfast, Ullapool, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Newhaven/Edinburgh, Invergordon, Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Bergen and Bergen

From £7,190pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

14 Nights

British Isles Explorer

Departure Date
06 Apr 25
Cruise Line Viking Ocean Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Viking Vela
Region Northern Europe
Departure Port Bergen
Destination Port London (Greenwich)
Itinerary
Bergen, Bergen, Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Invergordon, Newhaven/Edinburgh, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Ullapool, Belfast, Liverpool, Holyhead, Dun Laoghaire, Dover, London (Greenwich) and London (Greenwich)

From £5,990pp

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45 Nights

Bermuda To British Isles

Departure Date
19 Apr 25
Cruise Line Oceania Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Vista
Region World-wide
Departure Port Miami, Florida
Destination Port Southampton
Itinerary
Miami, Florida, Key West, Florida, Great Stirrup Cay, Kings Wharf, Kings Wharf, Charleston, South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, Port Canaveral, Florida, Nassau, Miami, Florida, Great Stirrup Cay, Kings Wharf, Horta, Azores, Ponta Delgada, Azores, Lisbon, Lisbon, Porto, La Coruña, Bilbao, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Bordeaux, Bordeaux, Saint Hélier, Honfleur, Southampton, Newhaven/Edinburgh, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Killybegs, Belfast, Dun Laoghaire, Holyhead, Cobh, Saint Peter Port and Southampton

From Please Call

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14 Nights

British Isles Explorer

Departure Date
20 Apr 25
Cruise Line Viking Ocean Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Viking Vela
Region Northern Europe
Departure Port London (Greenwich)
Destination Port Bergen
Itinerary
London (Greenwich), London (Greenwich), Dover, Dun Laoghaire, Holyhead, Liverpool, Belfast, Ullapool, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Newhaven/Edinburgh, Invergordon, Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Bergen and Bergen

From £6,890pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

28 Nights

Scandinavia & the British Isles

Departure Date
20 Apr 25
Cruise Line Viking Ocean Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Viking Vela
Region Northern Europe
Departure Port London (Greenwich)
Destination Port Stockholm
Itinerary
London (Greenwich), London (Greenwich), Dover, Dun Laoghaire, Holyhead, Liverpool, Belfast, Ullapool, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Newhaven/Edinburgh, Invergordon, Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Bergen, Bergen, Bergen, Eidfjord, Stavanger, Oslo, Oslo, Aalborg, Copenhagen, Warnemünde, Rønne, Gdansk, Tallinn, Stockholm and Stockholm

From £15,280pp

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33 Nights

Grand Empires & Isles

Departure Date
01 May 25
Cruise Line Oceania Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Vista
Region World-wide
Departure Port Miami, Florida
Destination Port Southampton
Itinerary
Miami, Florida, Great Stirrup Cay, Kings Wharf, Horta, Azores, Ponta Delgada, Azores, Lisbon, Lisbon, Porto, La Coruña, Bilbao, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Bordeaux, Bordeaux, Saint Hélier, Honfleur, Southampton, Newhaven/Edinburgh, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Killybegs, Belfast, Dun Laoghaire, Holyhead, Cobh, Saint Peter Port and Southampton

From Please Call

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33 Nights

Jewels of Europe with Majestic Britain & Ireland

Departure Date
02 May 25
Cruise Line Scenic River Cruises
Cruise Type River
Ship Scenic Jade
Region Danube
Departure Port Dublin
Destination Port Budapest
Itinerary
Dublin, Dublin, Dublin, Killarney, Killarney, Galway, Galway, Belfast, Belfast, Belfast, Loch Lomond, Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, Loch Lomond, Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, Loch Lomond, Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, Inverness, Inverness, Inverness, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, York, York, York, Bath, Bath, Bath, London (Greenwich), London (Greenwich), London (Greenwich), Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Cologne, Rüdesheim, Wertheim, Würzburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Regensburg, Passau, Schlögen, Dürnstein, Krems, Vienna, Vienna, Budapest and Budapest

From Please Call

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14 Nights

British Isles Explorer

Departure Date
06 May 25
Cruise Line Viking Ocean Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Viking Sky
Region Northern Europe
Departure Port London (Greenwich)
Destination Port Bergen
Itinerary
London (Greenwich), London (Greenwich), Dover, Dun Laoghaire, Holyhead, Liverpool, Belfast, Ullapool, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Newhaven/Edinburgh, Invergordon, Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Bergen and Bergen

From £7,190pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

28 Nights

Scandinavia & the British Isles

Departure Date
12 May 25
Cruise Line Viking Ocean Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Viking Jupiter
Region Northern Europe
Departure Port Stockholm
Destination Port London (Greenwich)
Itinerary
Stockholm, Stockholm, Tallinn, Gdansk, Rønne, Warnemünde, Copenhagen, Aalborg, Oslo, Oslo, Stavanger, Eidfjord, Bergen, Bergen, Bergen, Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Invergordon, Newhaven/Edinburgh, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Ullapool, Belfast, Liverpool, Holyhead, Dun Laoghaire, Dover, London (Greenwich) and London (Greenwich)

From £15,380pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

21 Nights

Iberians, Gauls & Celts

Departure Date
13 May 25
Cruise Line Oceania Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Vista
Region Northern Europe
Departure Port Lisbon
Destination Port Southampton
Itinerary
Lisbon, Porto, La Coruña, Bilbao, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Bordeaux, Bordeaux, Saint Hélier, Honfleur, Southampton, Newhaven/Edinburgh, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Killybegs, Belfast, Dun Laoghaire, Holyhead, Cobh, Saint Peter Port and Southampton

From Please Call

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises