Join us for three days in Belfast on the 8th to the 10th of September, when you will have the chance to visit a city that has emerged from years of political unease to take its place among the UK's must-see destinations.
With once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to be had, you may just find yourself making some lifelong friends along the way. As well as experiencing all of the great attractions, there will be plenty of opportunities to get social, keeping with the ethos of what we're all about. New friends...New city...we think you'll love it!
Belfast offers the buzz and vibrancy of a British capital city whilst being a gateway to the rural retreats of Northern Ireland.
A visit will swiftly be rewarded with welcoming locals, superb pubs and restaurants, and top attractions including the atmospheric Crumlin Road Gaol. The city also features historic landmarks such as Belfast Castle and Belfast City Hall, plus a unique blend of traditional and modern culture.
Belfast is Northern Ireland’s capital. It was the birthplace of the RMS Titanic, which famously struck an iceberg and sunk in 1912. This legacy is recalled in the renovated dockyards' Titanic Quarter, which includes the Titanic Belfast, an aluminium-clad museum reminiscent of a ship’s hull, as well as shipbuilder Harland & Wolff’s Drawing Offices and the Titanic Slipways, which now host open-air concerts.
The old shipyards on the Lagan continue to give way to the luxury apartments of the Titanic Quarter, whose centrepiece, the stunning, star-shaped edifice housing the Titanic Belfast centre, covering the ill-fated liner's construction here, has become the city's number-one tourist draw.
New venues keep popping up – already this decade historic Crumlin Road Gaol and SS Nomadic opened to the public, and WWI warship HMS Caroline is set to become a floating museum in 2016. They all add to a list of attractions that includes beautifully restored Victorian architecture, a glittering waterfront lined with modern art, a fantastic foodie scene and music-filled pubs.
Accommodation Townlets Townhouse is a holiday home situated in Belfast, just 750 yards from The Belfast Empire Music Hall and only 1 mile from The Waterfront Hall. Just slightly farther out, Odyssey Arena is 1.6 miles from Townlets Townhouse, while Titanic Belfast is 2.2 miles from the property.
This quote from booking.com says all you need to know: "This is our guests' favourite part of Belfast, according to independent reviews".
And one review on the same website: "Amazing place with fantastic facilities. 100% coming back next year.." Carmel, Ireland.
Towels and bed linen are available in this self-catering accommodation. Free WiFi is featured.
Itinerary
Friday
After meeting at the airport, we will enjoy a short flight to Belfast, before checking in to our apartment. Then we will head out to explore Belfast's thriving dining scene, (one restaurant has been ranked among the world's top 6). Once we have enjoyed dinner and introduced ourselves, I'm sure we will find a pub or two on the way back for a good night's rest :)
Saturday
Option 1: Climb the UK's 4th peak
Have you heard of (or completed) the National 3 Peaks? Did you know there was a 4th one?
Join us on a weekend adventure to the beautiful Mourne Mountains (Area of Outstanding Beauty) and the vibrant city of Belfast, to socialise, explore, party, laugh and climb Slieve Donnard, a850-metre (2,790 ft) mountain in Count Down and the highest mountain of Northern Ireland.
After a fried breakfast we will hop on a bus to the lovely town of Newcastle, County Down. From there we will begin our walk (10 miles, strenuous) in the beautiful Mourne Mountains, climbing Slieve Donard (853m) and Slieve Commedagh (765m) and admiring the wonderful views to the Irish Sea and to the heart of the High Mournes.
We will grab a well deserved snack and maybe some even some home made ice-cream in Newcastle before heading back to Belfast for hot showers and quick change and a night out in town.
Option 2: Be a tourist
If climbing a mountain isn't your thing, fear not! Some of us will be heading into the city centre, where we will explore Belfast's social and cultural scene.
We will all come together in the evening for some more social fun. But this time, we will be combining socialising with a slice of history.
Crown Liquor Saloon
There are not too many historical monuments that you can enjoy while savouring a pint of beer, but the National Trust's Crown Liquor Saloon is one of them. Belfast's most famous bar was refurbished by Patrick Flanagan in the late 19th century and displays Victorian decorative flamboyance at its best (he was looking to pull in a posh clientele from the newfangled train station and Grand Opera House across the street).
Sunday: Explore Belfast
After leisurely breakfast, we will head out to explore the city of Belfast, with options including following the trail of modern sculptures and checking out the Titanic Museum. Then it’s just enough time for a cheeky Bushmills purchase before heading home with a head full of wonderful memories and a bunch of new walking buddies.
Options:
Titanic Belfast
Titanic Belfast extends over nine interactive galleries, with multiple dimensions to the exhibition, drawing together special effects, dark rides, full-scale reconstructions and innovative interactive features. Explore the shipyard, travel to the depths of the ocean and uncover the true legend of Titanic, in the city where it all began.
Ulster Museum
You could spend hours browsing this state-of-the-art museum, but if you're pressed for time don't miss the Armada Room, with artefacts retrieved from the 1588 wreck of the Spanish galleon Girona; the Egyptian Room, with Princess Takabuti, a 2500-year-old Egyptian mummy unwrapped in Belfast in 1835; and the Early Peoples Gallery, with the bronze Bann Disc, a superb example of Celtic design from the Iron Age.
Free tours (10 people maximum; first-come, first served) run at 2.30pm Tuesday to Friday and 1.30pm Sunday.
Crumlin Road Gaol
Explore the Crumlin Road Gaol and gain insight into Belfast’s criminal history on this 1-hour tour. Follow a guide through the infamous Crumlin Road Gaol and learn of the many unsavoury characters once held here. Visit the reception buildings — where new arrivals were processed — and follow the prisoners’ footsteps from the courthouse to the jail. See the various different wings from a high vantage point, experience life locked inside one of the cells and see where prisoners spent their final days before hanging for their crimes.
Price includes accommodation in your ideal city centre location townhouse. Price Inclusive of guide and a truly great time with other European dwellers, any tour costs are payable when there.
What's left to do? Simply book your flight and come join us..... only half day of work required so no eating into all your holidays.
Recommended flights: easyJet Flight EZY135 Depart Manchester 16:35 Friday 8th September arrive Belfast 17:30 Depart Belfast Sunday 10th September Flight Flight EZY138 21:20 arrive Manchester 22:00. http://www.easyjet.com/EN/Booking.mvc
SINGLE ROOM SUPPLIMENT OF £100, SIMPLY EMAIL INFO@SOCIAL-CIRCLE.CO.UK
Price: Member £119 Non member £149. To get member price you must be a member at time of booking and at time of event.
When you go on holiday you want a stress free no hassle way of travelling. But are you bored of travelling solo? Are you tired of arguing with friends over where to have dinner when you would rather be exploring? With Social Circle you will have your very own guide who will make your trip one to remember. Add to this the great company, friendships that are formed, lively conversations, nights out and general relaxed atmosphere , this is your Social Circle Guarantee. Just an incredible trip organised for you with like-minded people.
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