Quick trip to Belfast for Queen’s Open Day - what to see and do?

[WhatWouldTheDoctorDo]

We’re off to Belfast soon for an open day. Two nights, but realistically will only have from 3pm on the day of the open day, and until 3pm the next day before we fly home to explore.

Any must see/do’s that will give DC a flavour of student life in Belfast, while squeezing in a bit of sight seeing? Have never been to Belfast before.

We’re staying just off Lisburn Road if that helps and flying in and out of Belfast International.

TIA!

Titanic Museum & Crumlin Road jail are great museums, but simply walking around Botanic Gardens (next to Queen’s) & then into the city centre will give you a good flavour.

The City Hall is right in the centre, so can wander around the shops, the glass roof on top of Victoria Square shopping centre gives great views of the city & have food / drinks in the Cathedral Quarter.

Cocktails at the top of the Grand Central hotel are fab with amazing views of the city also.

Pretty much all bars & restaurants are of a really high standard.

You can also do an open top bus tour (hop on hop off) for a wider view of the sights, including Stormont (& I think also Belfast Castle).

It’s an amazing city but it’s small / compact and totally do-able in a short period of time. Enjoy! Queen’s is a great uni too so hope your DC likes what they see!

Thanks @ILoveBrum He’s very keen on the course, so looking forward to visiting. Though a bit concerned of ad hoc reports of Uni life being very quiet at the weekend with more local students going home, but will see how he gets on!

I went a good while ago but I suspect the aspect of weekends being quiet hasn't changed. It is true that a lot of students go home at the weekends but I was rarely left behind. I got loads of weekend invitations to go up with friends and got to see loads more of NI than just Belfast and got some excellent homecooked meals when I was quite far from home!

A lot of students do go home at weekends, but equally loads don’t, especially if they’re in clubs that train through the weekend, have part time jobs in Belfast etc.

Belfast nightlife is phenomenal at weekends so plenty of people around albeit maybe not students.

Plus loads of students who go to Queen’s are from Belfast, so even if they ‘go home’, they’ll still be up for the city nightlife at weekends.

The stuffed Irish wolfhound at the Ulster Museum. Unmissable

Thanks @ILoveBrum and @DappledThings - that’s reassuring! I will look that up @ipredictariot5

I’ve never heard of that @ipredictariot5- although I do love the Ulster Museum.

First day after 3pm: Visit to Botanic Gardens, Ulster Museum, Tropical ravine and don’t miss out Maggie Mays for amazing milk shakes and a fry. All within 5 mins walk from each other.
Dinner that evening: depending on what your budget is, Shu is nice and on the Lisburn Road. If the weather is nice you could go to the river to Cutters Wharf. Otherwise there are loads of other places off the Lisburn Road, depending which part you are staying in.

Next day: St George’s market would be nice for a morning if you are visiting Thursday to Sunday and then to Victoria Square to go up to the dome and maybe walk past Custom House Square to the Big Fish. Then wander round Cathedral Quarter - possible stop at the Merchant for a coffee or drink. Lunch at the Dark Horse nearby is amazing - a fabulous French chef only at lunchtimes. Wander down the alleyways past the Duke of York and perhaps into the cathedral.

Re weekends being quiet - yes, this is definitely a thing, but good too. Your DC is more than likely to be invited home with someone at some stage, and there are loads of people still stay in Belfast but it is refreshingly quiet for access to the library and in halls.

Re students going home every weekend - definitely a thing. Could be lonely and quiet if in a house share from year 2 and all your housemates have gone home for the weekend. My nieces and nephews at uni here seem to spend most of the week back home though they have digs in Belfast.

Thanks everyone, this is really helpful!

@NigellaAwesome we had thought about Ulster museum/botanics etc. after 3pm as you’d suggested, but maybe wandering up to cathedral quarter after - do you think that sounds doable (or remotely sensible)?

I had thought about St George’s on the Sunday, and a trip to Titanic museum, but not sure if that would be a bit rushed and we’d feel we’d not got our ticket price money’s worth!

also, on places to eat, around Lisburn road and cathedral quarter is booking essential for most places? I think we’d be going for casual dining / pub type rather than anywhere ‘nice’ - June is filled with visits to Open Days which will no doubt end up fairly expensive!

My late teen dds visited. They did an open top bus tour which took in loads of the main attractions. They also did a coach trip to giants causeway and dark hedges and some castles/coastal towns. They had a lovely time. There were some grannies from the Republic on the bus tour who took them under their wing 😊

I know you wouldn't be able to do the coach tour. Just thought I'd mention it anyway. You might be able to do the bus tour though.

Ha, I love that the grannies took them under their wing @BluebellCrocus It reminds me of getting sort of lost in rural Wales and loads of people rescued me and got a bus driver to do a detour to get me to where I needed to be! Thanks for posting.

Whereabouts on Lisburn Road are you staying?

Botanic Gardens in the afternoon. Orto beside it is lovely (pizza). Then walk to cathedral quarter (would take me an hour to do that) and have a few drinks there. St George’s market is good.

I’d highly recommend the open top bus tour. The Titanic museum is excellent but not sure you’d have time to do it justice. Pizza Punks is good for casual food.

There’s a very good pizza place in the cathedral quarter too. Can’t remember the name but it’s near the Ramada hotel.

St George’s market needs only half an hour, I reckon. It wouldn’t make my top 5 if time is short.

There is a shopping centre with a viewing deck for something free and quick.

i was very underwhelmed with the Titanic museum, and it’s in an odd part of town a bit far from centre. With limited time I’d skip.

the Belfast free walking tour is a really great way to get a feel for the city quickly! Do the general one, not one just focused on the Troubles.

@hopeishere looks near a big Tesco between Chadwick St and Lower Windsor Ave. someone recommended Shu upthread, it’s about 5 mins walk from there.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie - I am a bit fond of a market… 😀 We thought it might be a good quick stop for breakfast.

thanks again all for the suggestions, I really do appreciate it. We love a walking tour @mypingpongbat so I will look into that, along with the open top bus tour.

This is the other good casual restaurant - pizza and sharing stuff. The beetroot salad was lovely! https://www.ortopizza.com/menus-1

Get a Belfast bap from St George’s market for breakfast. They are amazing!

HMP Belfast gives a good overview of the history especially the Troubles

DD has just finished first year at Queens and has loved it, her godfather lives in Ballymena so she does go there for some weekends, she also goes down to Dublin for days out as bus travel is cheap with a student travel card

Compared to say Manchester or Leeds, it’s a quiet city for a student, so will depend on how he feels about that.