Belfast In A Day For £100 – Is It Possible?
Belfast might not scream “day trip destination,” but with early flights and budget planning, we pulled off a 20 hour Irish adventure: flights, food, history, and pints for under £100 each was the aim. A slightly crazy Sunday adventure in Northern Ireland, and back just in time for the Monday morning office grind back in London was what lay ahead.
Getting There
The day started very early with a Southern Railway train from London Victoria to Gatwick Airport for £9. We boarded the 6:50 AM EasyJet flight to Belfast International, which cost just £31.98 return per person. With only hand luggage, airport faff was minimal and we were able to get a quick breakfast in the lounge with our unlimited lounge passes from our Priority Pass membership.
Landing at 8:15 AM, we hopped on the X300 Airport Express bus which cost £13.50 return. This took 40 minutes to reach Belfast Central Station.
Morning: Titanic Belfast Museum
By 9:30 AM, we were at Titanic Belfast, the city’s standout attraction in the shipyard where the famous liner was built. Entry was £24.45 which we booked online beforehand. The museum was genuinely excellent, mixing immersive experiences, shipyard recreations and moving personal stories. We spent the entire morning exploring all nine galleries and even rode the cable car through a re-imagined shipbuilding yard. The enormous 2-storey wall with each individual passengers name really hit hard and put things into perspective.
Lunch: Bunsen Burgers
For lunch, we headed to Bunsen, an unfussy American-style burger joint. The menu is small, but the food hits the spot. A juicy burger, fries and drink came to about £15 which sorted us out for the rest of the afternoon.
Afternoon Wandering & Pub-Hopping
The afternoon was all about soaking up the Belfast buzz. The city centre and Cathedral Quarter are super walkable, full of colourful alleys, murals, and pubs with character.
- The Duke of York – A classic Irish pub tucked down umbrella-covered cobbles. Expect traditional signage, Guinness merchandise, and a lively crowd. The pint of Guinness I had here was creamy and certainly hit the spot!
- Kelly’s Cellars – Dating back to 1720, this is a proper old-school pub with stone walls, live folk music, and some of the best Guinness in Belfast. If you want to try a different Irish stout, they had Beamish and Murphy’s both of which were tasty pints.
- White’s Tavern – Hidden down a narrow alley, White’s is all wooden beams, exposed brick and good Irish pub vibes. Apparently, this is the oldest licensed tavern in Belfast.
Coffee stops were inevitable, and at £4 for a flat white, Belfast’s café scene is definitely on the pricey side. Now, if we had a little more time, perhaps a full weekend, we would definitely have done a political tour, seen as the city is so rich in political history. If £26 per person for a 3 hour walking tour fits into your time schedule and budget, then you can find these tours here. If you choose to book through this link, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We really appreciate your support as it helps us keep sharing travel guides like this one.
Heading Home
Legs tired and Guinness well sampled, we rolled onto our 9:10 PM EasyJet flight back to Luton. We grabbed a bite to eat at the Causeway lounge at Belfast International Airport. You can read the lounge review here. After landing just before 10:30 PM, we grabbed a train from Luton Airport Parkway into London for around £12. The final stretch of our crazy day trip.
The Final Budget Breakdown
- Southern Railway to Gatwick: £9
- Flights (EasyJet): £31.98
- X300 Belfast Airport Bus Return: £13.50
- Titanic Belfast Entry: £24.45
- Lunch & Drinks: £35.22
- Train from Luton Airport to London: £12
- Total Cost: £126.15
Okay so we didn’t quite keep to our £100 budget for the day. But what we crammed into a single day was crazy: history, burgers, pints, and authentic Irish hospitality, all for just over £125. Belfast is a fantastic city with so much more to offer, and if you’re game for an early start and a late finish, it’s a unique but cool way to spend a Sunday!
If You Had More Time…
With a longer trip, we’d definitely recommend heading north to the Giant’s Causeway – Northern Ireland’s first UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most iconic natural landmarks in the UK. I have done this stunning trip a few years back and sadly did not have the time to fit this into our extreme day trip!
What to Know:
- How to get there:
A guided day tour from Belfast is the easiest option, costing around £25–£45 and often including Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge and The Dark Hedges. A range of Giant’s Causeway tours can be booked here.
If you would prefer DIY, then take a train to Coleraine, then a bus to the Causeway. The total travel time is approximately 2.5 hours each way. - Entry fees:
Access to the Causeway stones is free, but the visitor centre (which includes exhibitions, audio guides and parking) is £13 per adult. It’s a surreal and striking spot, with the ocean crashing against thousands of geometric basalt columns. A must see if you’re extending your stay beyond an extreme day trip like we did.
If you would like to explore our ever growing list of destinations on a budget challenges, you can find them here.
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