St. Patrick's Heritage Sites Shore Excursion from Belfast

This private Belfast tour focuses on Ireland's patron saint, with visits to St Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral, the visitor center dedicated to his story, and a chance to see his burial spot.

After meeting your guide, you depart for Armagh, about 40 miles (64km) from Belfast and Ireland's spiritual capital for some 1,500 years, seat of both the Protestant and Catholic archbishops. Armagh predates Canterbury as a Christian religious site and was also the legendary seat of the Celtic kings of Ulster, and its Georgian buildings still surround the oval, tree lined Mall where cricket is played in summer. Your first stop is St Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral, built on Armagh's principal hill, where tradition holds that St Patrick founded his first church in 445 AD. A series of churches have occupied the site since, and the core of the present building is medieval. Inside you see the remnants of an 11th century high cross, and the chapter house holds a collection of stone carvings. Brian Boru, the high king credited with breaking Viking power in Ireland at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, is buried at the cathedral.

After your morning in Armagh, you drive to Downpatrick for free time to enjoy lunch in a local pub. In the afternoon you visit the St Patrick Centre, an interpretive exhibition that tells the saint's story through his own words and a series of interactive displays on how his legacy shaped early Christian Ireland, including the artwork and metalwork produced during that period and the impact of Irish missionaries across Dark Age Europe. After the exhibition, you walk a short distance to see the burial spot of Ireland's patron saint before returning to the pier in Belfast later that afternoon.