Coach travel to Belfast

Even the monumental and distinctive building of Titanic Belfast looks like the massive Whitestar Liner that famously sunk in 1912. The museum makes full use of the senses as a combination of images, animated projections and soundtracks chart how the miraculous ship was built in the then-revolutionary shipyards of Belfast.

There’s a clever blend of technologies too: from actual reconstructions of passenger accommodation through to 3D computer modelling of the Titanic from top to bottom. While you’re there, check out the massive slipway that was used to launch the unsinkable ship and don’t miss boarding the SS Nomadic, the sole surviving Whitestar Line ship.

Perhaps one of the world’s few jails that people queue to get into, Crumlin Road Gaol is an atmospheric, eerie experience well worth a visit. Although opened in 1846, ‘The Crum’ was still used as an active prison until 1996.

The cramped cells of this Victorian prison have hosted celebrity cellmates including later Irish leader Eamon de Valera and suffragette Dorothy Evans. Join a tour to get a fascinating account of local history from a knowledgeable guide, before swinging by the gallows.

Check before going and you might have the opportunity to catch a concert or get on their Paranormal tour.

The size and variety of exhibits at Ulster Museum make a proper visit difficult to squeeze into just one day. The collection ranges from items retrieved from the wreck of a 16th-century Spanish galleon to a 2,500 year old Egyptian mummy.

There are also Bronze Age Celtic artefacts and Neolithic axe heads found in the local area. The Nature Zone on the second floor includes a section of a 2 million-year-old fossilised seabed, while art lovers should head to the top floors for an impressive gallery featuring Irish and European paintings.

If you fancy an authentic pint of Guinness or even just a coffee in historic settings, there are few better spots in Belfast than the famous Crown Liquor Saloon. The pub is decked out in high Victoriana fashion, with cosy snugs, fine marble and Italian tiles.

You’ll also find interesting features and fittings, including gunmetal plates that were actually brought back as loot from The Crimean War. Hungry visitors won’t be disappointed, as their menu includes Irish stew as well as a dizzying array of sausages and lamb chops.