The Most Popular Tourist Attraction in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is known for its rugged wilderness as much as its sometimes tragic history. Attractions such as the Giant's Causeway, a collection of 40,000 black basalt columns along the Atlantic coast, and Belfast's Ulster Museum, packed with artifacts and art from around the world, attract roughly 500,000 visitors a year. But the mysterious steamship RMS Titanic is an even bigger draw. Considered an unsinkable ship, it hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage in 1912, but you can visit a center dedicated to it in Belfast, the city where the original ship was built.

Fast Facts

• Just opened in 2012 -- 100 years after the original Titanic's one and only voyage launched from Belfast -- Titanic Belfast has become the most visited tourist attraction in Northern Ireland. It's also the world's biggest attraction related to the Titanic. Most visits take one-and-a-half hours, with self-guided tours available in several languages. The site is wheelchair accessible, with guide and hearing dogs welcome; audio guides, voice indication, and printed guides and transcripts of video presentations are available to enable all visitors to enjoy the Titanic experience.

Exhibits

• Titanic Belfast includes nine galleries that guide you through the Titanic's story, from its conception and construction to its final moments in the Atlantic. You can even visit an exhibit with live links to the marine exploring vessel Nautilus, run by Dr. Robert Ballard, who is known for discovering the remains of the original Titanic. Other highlights include an exhibit dedicated to life on board the Titanic, detailed footage of the Titanic wreckage, and a ride through a partially virtual shipyard, with special effects and reconstructions that educate on early 20th-century shipbuilding.

Sunday Tea

• On Sundays, the Titanic Suite hosts afternoon tea in front of the grand staircase, a re-creation of the original staircase on the Titanic. The opulent surroundings, overlooking the Slipway where the Titanic was built, can make you feel like you're one of the passengers on the luxury liner. Here, you can enjoy a glass of Heidseck Monopole Champagne, which was served aboard the RMS Titanic as its official champagne. You need to book in advance by phone or e-mail, found on the official Titanic Belfast website.

Getting Here and Around

• Although you can breeze through Titanic Belfast in less than half a day, spending a full day here is possible with its ATM, restaurants on the ground floor and even an inn local to the Titanic quarter. There's also a souvenir shop that sells memorabilia, clothes and gifts. If your visit will be short, you can take public transport or a taxi to Queen's Island. Active travelers can walk from Donegall Square in the heart of Belfast, which is only 1 mile -- or a 20-minute walk -- away.