Belfast City Sightseeing

What it is and where it operates

City Sightseeing Belfast runs the open-top hop-on hop-off bus tour of Belfast, Northern Ireland, and a wider business of day tours, combo tickets and coach hire from its Tour Shop at 10 Great Victoria Street. The about page says "we're part of the globally recognised 'City Sightseeing' brand" and describes the company as "a fully accredited and licensed tour operator." It says "we operate all year round, 7 days a week and provide a regular and punctual service," with wheelchair accessible buses and commentary "in Mandarin, French, German English and Spanish." Prices are in pounds sterling.

Beyond the city bus, the site sells guided coach tours from Belfast to the Giant's Causeway and the Antrim Coast, a Belfast shore excursion for cruise passengers, tours from Dublin, and a menu of day trips that reaches the Ring of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula, the Cliffs of Moher, Galway and the Aran Islands, Emerald Park, Dublin Zoo and Kildare Village. Some of these are run with partners, which the site names where it matters: concert coaches, for example, are run "In conjunction with our transport partner Travel Ireland Coaches."

The hop-on hop-off bus and its combos

The homepage summarizes the city tour as a "1 day or 2 day Hop-on Hop-off bus tour" with "Stops near all the major sights," a "Live tour guide in English" and "Audio in 5 different languages," from £19.00. The site has separate pages for timetables and tour duration, prices, the route map, the bus stops, how to book and join, and access for those with limited mobility. Attraction pages point out landmarks by stop number, such as Clifton House at Stop 19, which the site says opened in 1774.

The combo tickets add attractions to a bus pass:

• Hop-on Hop-off + Titanic Tour: a 1 day bus ticket plus entry into the Titanic Belfast Experience, from £42.50
• Hop-on Hop-off + Causeway Tour: a 1 day bus ticket plus the Giant's Causeway and Antrim Coast tour with Game of Thrones film locations, from £40.00
• Hop-on Hop-off + Titanic + Causeway, from £70.00

Other combos pair the bus with HMS Caroline, which the site calls a survivor of the WWI Battle of Jutland; St Anne's Cathedral, with a 2 day bus ticket; McConnell's Whisky Distillery; St Comgall's in West Belfast; and a Line of Duty tour that visits filming locations and explains the real-life inspiration for the drama. The Line of Duty and Causeway combos each include a 1 day unlimited bus ticket.

Day tours and walking tours

The Giant's Causeway Tour from Belfast travels the Antrim Coast "in a comfortable, air-conditioned coach," stopping at Dunluce Castle and the Carrick-A-Rede Rope bridge before the Causeway. The site calls it award winning and says Game of Thrones film locations were added in 2023. The cruise shore excursion is "a full day excursion specifically tailored to suit individuals, couples and groups from cruise ships," fully guided, with 5 designated stopping points on the North Antrim coast and a Belfast City Tour. Another combo includes "guaranteed entrance into the Giant's Causeway visitors' centre."

In Belfast itself, the site lists a free walking tour, a Black Taxi Tour through the peace lines led by a local taxi driver, a Political tour that it describes as "One conflict. Two guides. Two stories.", a Falls Road Mural tour, a Giants Causeway cliff path tour, a Long Kesh exhibition tour and a Ghost Bus Tour. The Political tour "leaves daily," and the site also promotes the Coiste Irish Political Tour. From Dublin, there are day tours to the Giant's Causeway and Belfast (with a stop in Belfast for a Black Taxi or Titanic tour), to the Cliffs of Moher and Galway, and to Kilkenny, Wicklow and Glendalough. The about page adds a full day tour to "The Kingdom of Mournes & St Patricks Country." Family day trips go to Emerald Park, which the site says has Europe's largest wooden rollercoaster with an inversion, and to Dublin Zoo, and a shopping trip runs to Kildare Village, with "more than 90 boutiques."

Groups, hire and extras

The company also offers private hire, coach hire, airport transfers, school trips, corporate and cross-community hire, hen and stag trips, executive car hire and a Left Luggage service. The team-building page lists activities it arranges, such as a Treasure Hunt on the open-top bus, which it says "seats up to 78 passengers" and "normally takes around 1.5 / 2.0 hours," a high ropes course at SKYTrek in Colin Glen Forest Park, a chocolate-making class, a dance class from £20.00 per person, and pony trekking at Sheans Horse Farm in North Antrim, which starts with a 45 minute lesson. The menu also lists coach holidays and a tour guide supply service for other operators. Event coaches have included return trips to concerts at Croke Park and the Aviva Stadium and to Ireland's 6 Nations matches.

Booking and contact

The tours page gives 3 ways to book: in person at The Tour Shop, 10 Great Victoria St; by phone on +44 (0)28 90 321321; or by email at info@citysightseeingbelfast.com. Online booking runs through "Book Now" buttons on each product. The about page mentions that the company recently won the Eastside Award for Tourism. The footer links to Terms and Conditions and a Complaints Procedure, and the site sells gift vouchers. Reviews on the homepage, chosen by the company, mostly praise the live guides, one calling the commentary "hugely informative" and another describing a guide named Paul as an "excellent singer/entertainer."

What the site does not settle

The homepage and tour pages do not give the bus frequency, the first and last departures, the number of stops or the cancellation window; those sit on the separate timetable, route and terms pages. The "from" prices do not say whether they apply to adults, children or families, so check the fare on the booking page.

City Sightseeing Belfast suits visitors who want an easy first look at the city with a live guide, cruise passengers with one day to see Belfast and the Causeway, and anyone who wants to bundle the bus with Titanic Belfast. Its day-tour list also makes it a one-stop desk for Northern Ireland excursions.