Titanic Belfast Discovery Tour

About

Towering achievements of engineering. Extraordinary acts of heroism. Terrible tragedy. You’ll encounter them all on this very special tour. 

First your guide will tell you a little about the Titanic Belfast building. Home to the Titanic Experience, you’ll discover that every detail of this amazing edifice has a story to tell. Its architecture is full of symbols and signs. Even its roof, seen from the air, bears a message: it’s in the shape of a star. This a reference to the White Star Line whose ships, like RMS Titanic, were built here on the slipways you’re just about to visit. 

But first you’ll see the famous Harland & Wolff drawing offices. This is where Thomas Andrews worked. He was chief draughtsman and designer of RMS Titanic and the Olympic class liners. In this magnificent barrel-vaulted building, plans for these great ships were drawn-up.

On the next stop of your tour, your guide will point out a series of lamp posts. These mark the positions of the giant stanchions of the Arrol Gantry, named for its designer Sir William Arrol. Tower Bridge in London was another of his designs. But that bridge would have fitted comfortably underneath this massive construction. It provided the scaffolding which spanned the slipways where the RMS Titanic and the Olympic were built. 

And now here you are, on the very spot from which RMS Titanic was launched. One of the slipways has a plan of RMS Titanic’s promenade deck inlaid into it in white stone. The locations of the liner's lifeboats and funnels are marked. And if you take a seat on one of the benches, just think: these benches are positioned exactly as they would have been on RMS Titanic. On either side are oval shapes. These indicate the position of the lifeboats. 

Goosebumps are regularly reported at this point. The tour is an emotional experience. You will feel something of what it was like to have worked in this shipyard. You might gain a sense of what it was like to be on board RMS Titanic on that fateful night in April 14th, 1912. That was a night to remember. This tour will stay with you for a long time too.  
 

Discovery Tour Visitor Information

Discovery Tour start times vary depending on the time of year. You can find the latest schedule at titanicbelfast.com/discoverytour.

As the tour takes place completely outdoors, we recommend you dress appropriately for weather conditions on the day.

Tour tickets include a roaming headset and single use earphones, so you won’t miss a single word from your tour guide, even when it’s windy.

Meet your guide at the Titanic sign in front of our building, 5-10 mins before your tour start time. Just like the ship, our guides depart promptly and all tickets for late/missed tours are non-refundable.