Attractions: Big Fish

Starting at Belfast City Hall, the Best of Belfast walking tour is an approachable introduction to the city and its past. As you move through the centre, you will see striking street art, admire varied architecture and learn curious pieces of local history. Along the way your guide will tell stories about the Troubles and the Titanic, while also sharing lesser-known tales that bring Belfast’s citizens and past to life. Your tour will be led by award-winning guides who are born and bred in Belfast and know the city intimately. With their local knowledge you may discover bars, restaurants and whole districts you might otherwise miss, and gain the confidence to explore on your own afterwards. Starting and finishing at City Hall, the walk covers under 2 miles and includes 14 stops, offering a compact route designed to connect you with the heart of Belfast.

The Belfast Eclectic City Center Walking Tour is the most popular experience along #theMartiWay. Leaving from Belfast City Hall and finishing in the Cathedral Quarter, the walk will take you through streets where architecture, street art and industry sit side by side. Along the way you'll see some of the Belfast buildings that help make the city a beautiful and unique place. You will hear about the Troubles as well as the city’s wider history stretching back around 9,000 years. The tour also covers Belfast’s industrial heritage and its modern strengths in hi‑tech and advanced engineering. As you move through the city, you'll learn about famous local people and what they are remembered for, things invented here, and other attractions and entertainment to enjoy while in Belfast and Northern Ireland. The commentary will touch on the city’s past, its present innovations and plans for future redevelopment.

This walking experience takes you through Belfast with a guide who was born and bred in the city. You will hear an insider’s perspective shaped by deep family roots and wide local connections. The guide’s extensive knowledge of Belfast’s history will provide context for the places you pass and the stories you hear. Along the way, you’ll learn about the people and events that have shaped the city and about what makes Belfast residents so welcoming. The guide will share personal anecdotes and local insights, and will also enjoy learning from you as the tour progresses. The guide considers it a true honour to host guests and aims to offer a warm, authentic encounter with Belfast’s past and present.

This private, customisable city tour introduces you to Belfast’s vibrant spirit through a mix of history, culture and modern charm. You’ll begin around Belfast City Hall and Donegall Square, then move to the Titanic Quarter where ship‑building heritage meets contemporary design. Alongside the Titanic highlights you may visit HMS Caroline and learn about its naval past. As you continue, the creative Cathedral Quarter will show its street art, cosy cafés and cobbled lanes. Along the way you’ll enjoy scenic moments on the Waterfront Walk and see the Big Fish mosaic, where riverside views meet public art. Optional stops may include St George’s Market or the historic Crumlin Road Gaol, or you can choose to relax in the Botanic Gardens and explore the Queen’s Quarter. Whether you travel by day or see the city illuminated at night, this private Belfast ride gives a flexible, comfortable way to experience the city’s main highlights and its unique character.

This is not a normal walking tour. Along Belfast’s Maritime Mile, you will learn about the city’s past through five short street theatre sketches rather than a single lecture. After each scene one actor will stay on as your guide to explain more about the events and places you have just seen, while the other actor changes into the next costume. The sketches cover 1912 and the Titanic, 1914 and the Ulster Suffragettes, 1941 and the Belfast Blitz, 1995 and President Clinton’s visit, and 2018 and Game of Thrones. As you move along the Maritime Mile, the theatrical scenes will be woven with straightforward historical explanation to give context to each moment. Real artefacts are used during the experience, so you will see an authentic WW2 gas mask, a gas rattle and an ARP Brodie helmet as part of the Belfast Blitz material. The format aims to make the city’s history vivid and immediate by combining performance, narration and genuine objects.

This private tour of Belfast helps you make sense of the city’s conflict-related sights and murals with a dedicated guide. Appreciating the historical context can be tricky on a self-led visit, so you’ll have your guide’s undivided attention as you move between dispersed points in a private vehicle. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, giving you a relaxed way to travel around the city. As you travel east to west and north to south, you’ll encounter landmarks such as the Shankill murals, Clonard Monastery and the Titanic Quarter. Along the way the guide will offer intimate insight into how both sides of the community depicted their experiences and war efforts through remarkably detailed mural art. You’ll also gain a clearer sense of Belfast’s chequered past and how it has shaped some of the city’s most recognisable imagery, while still being part of a vibrant city that is a popular holiday destination. The provider guarantees a friendly, professional experience throughout the tour.

This tour takes you along the Maritime Mile to see all of its attractions while exploring the building, sinking and human stories of the Titanic. As you move through the area, qualified guides will tell you about the local shipbuilding heritage and the personal accounts connected to the ship. Along the way you’ll hear about how the Titanic was built, the events surrounding its loss, and the human stories that link the vessel to the city. You’ll also learn about the future of the Titanic City as guides explain ongoing heritage and regeneration themes. The experience finishes in the Titanic Hotel’s renovated Drawing Offices, the rooms that were used when the Titanic was designed, where you can reflect on the histories and narratives you’ve heard.

On this walking tour of Belfast city centre you’ll see the city like a local. The route begins at the Big Fish and moves along the River Lagan for a wee dander (stroll). You’ll pass the narrow entries where Belfast was born and make your way into the Cathedral Quarter. Along the way street art appears at every turn, adding colour and context to the streets you’ll walk. As you move through these areas, the guide will paint a picture of Belfast’s past, present and future. You’ll hear how the city once was, how it is changing now the dust has finally settled, and how people are coming together in a space full of life. Alongside history and culture, you’ll learn about the many projects that are helping the people of Belfast come to terms with that troublesome past, giving a sense of both challenge and renewal as you explore.

Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland and the birthplace of the RMS Titanic, offers a walk that links its shipbuilding past with the city’s wider history. As you move through the Titanic Quarter you will see the shipyards where the Titanic was built, now part of the redeveloped quarter, and you will hear about Belfast’s role as a former industrial powerhouse and its maritime past. Along the River Lagan and through the city centre you will encounter the Big Fish, a mosaic sculpture covered with images and texts relating to Belfast’s story, and the Presbyterian Church, the oldest surviving church in the city. Along the way you will learn about Belfast’s political and religious upheavals and its unexpected connections with the American War of Independence, all woven into the cityscape and the tales told as you walk.

This full-day tour of Belfast can include a wide selection of the city’s most notable sights, and it can be tailored to your interests on request. As you move through Belfast City Centre, you may see the Albert Memorial Clock Tower, City Hall and the distinctive Big Fish sculpture by the waterfront, and stroll along the Laganside Walk beside the River Lagan. Along the way you can visit historic and cultural landmarks such as Queen’s University, the Botanic Gardens and Belfast Castle (built 1860), and explore the Titanic Shipyard area. The tour may also include St Anne’s Cathedral and a stop for Belfast’s traditional Longs fish and chips (established 1912). You will pass colourful Belfast wall murals and areas associated with the city’s more recent history, including the Peace Walls, Falls Road and Shankill Road, and may see Clonard Monastery and The Crown Bar. There are also references to Belfast’s on-screen connections, such as the Game of Thrones windows, among other points of interest.

This private tour takes you through some of Belfast’s most notable sights, starting with a stroll along the lime trees at Malone Park — regarded as one of the city’s most exclusive private addresses. You will benefit from the undivided attention of your guide, who will provide intimate insight into the city’s history and the often complex context behind its conflict-related attractions. As you move through the city, you will see the working-class Catholic Republican Falls Road and the Protestant Loyalist Shankill Roads, together with Belfast’s striking murals and politically charged street art. You will also visit St Peter’s Cathedral and St Anne’s Cathedral, enjoy views of Belfast Castle, and explore the Titanic Quarter. Transfers between these dispersed points of interest are provided by private vehicle, and hotel or cruise ship pickup and drop-off are included, so you can relax as you move from place to place.