Set yourself up for the day with a food tour around St George's Market. The market was established at the turn of the 19th century, and is a buzzing affair with over 150 traders. Open Friday until Sunday, it's a veritable cornucopia of treats and often rocks with live music from local bands. Want to continue on a foodie theme? Join the award-winning Belfast Food Tour that kicks off from the market doors. According to Gail Bell of the Irish News it was 'a friendly, chatty and at times offbeat morning, which ended in Coppi in the Cathedral Quarter for sit-down samples of everything from duck and seafood to bread and cheeses washed down with glasses of Prosecco.'

Belfast's Cathedral Quarter is instantly recognisable if you gaze upwards to the soaring crenellations of St Anne's Cathedral. Enter the hallowed doors to discover beautiful works of art, before hopping across the road to a space that's a homage to the city's wordsmiths, Writer's Square. Here you'll find quotes from famous local writers, CS Lewis, Hanna Bell and John Hewitt, carved in the stone underfoot. Rather apt for an island that does get the odd shower or two, look out for "Umbrella Laneway", AKA Commercial Court (a quaint cobbled alley that was once the commercial heart of the city). The MAC (Metropolitan Arts Centre) is your next stop and a hub of creative diversity, while Native – the resident café – will serve you up delicious food if anyone's still feeling peckish.

Next is the Titanic Quarter, the very docks where the Ship of Dreams was imagined, designed and built just over a century ago. At its centre is Titanic Belfast, a must-see, even for those with only a passing interest in Belfast's maritime heritage. Named the World's Leading Tourist Attraction at the World Travel Awards, its shimmering exterior mirrors the height of Titanic and contains nine interactive galleries that tell the Titanic story in fascinating detail. Outside, take a stroll along the slipway from which the Titanic was launched, step back in time on a Titanic Discovery Walking Tour, witness the SS Nomadic (the world’s last remaining White Star vessel) and then hop on a Segway to explore more of the fascinating Titanic Quarter. This is history at its most intriguing.

Next is the Titanic Quarter, the very docks where the Ship of Dreams was imagined, designed and built just over a century ago. At its centre is Titanic Belfast, a must-see, even for those with only a passing interest in Belfast's maritime heritage. Named the World's Leading Tourist Attraction at the World Travel Awards, its shimmering exterior mirrors the height of Titanic and contains nine interactive galleries that tell the Titanic story in fascinating detail. Outside, take a stroll along the slipway from which the Titanic was launched, step back in time on a Titanic Discovery Walking Tour, witness the SS Nomadic (the world’s last remaining White Star vessel) and then hop on a Segway to explore more of the fascinating Titanic Quarter. This is history at its most intriguing.

Follow a stretch of idyllic beauty northbound along Belfast Lough to Carrickfergus Castle, taking time to explore the charming village of Carrickfergus. Let your imagination run wild at Whitehead Railway Museum, where you can jump aboard a 19th century steam locomotive, hear stories of butter smuggling and pull levers in the signal cabin before enjoying fresh seafood and local crafts at The Bank House Café.

Just north of Whitehead along the glorious Causeway Coastal Route, you'll find The Gobbins: a spectacular cliff path that hugs the Antrim coastline. Step through the entrance known as Wise’s Eye and enter a magical place, rich in biodiversity. Pass a natural aquarium of seawater teeming with marine life, explore a smugglers’ cave, and cross the tubular bridge suspended above the choppy sea – you might say it's as close to walking on water as you're ever likely to get! Next, explore the nine Glens of Antrim, each with its own character and community, or stop for seafood at Upstairs At Joe’s in the pretty village of Cushendall. And don't miss a visit to picturesque Cushendun, followed by even more dramatic views between Fair Head, Murlough Bay and Torr Head.

It's the village of Bushmills next, and the oldest working distillery on the island of Ireland. The Old Bushmills Distillery is also one of the few distilleries in the world to distil, blend and bottle whiskey under the same roof. Maybe have a bite to eat at The French Rooms – a delicious little bistro that also has historical connections to the French Huguenots. Aim for sunset to snatch a glimpse of the ruins of 14th century Dunluce Castle, teetering at the top of a cliff, before moving onto the Walled City of Derry. An evening stroll along the top of the beautiful 17th century walls affords magnificent views across the Renaissance-style street plan and the River Foyle. Top tip: when inside the Walls, keep watch for the bronze oak leaves on the pavements – a reminder of the origins of the city's name, which comes from the Irish word Doire, meaning oak grove.

Just over an hour north of Derry~Londonderry is the tip of the Inishowen Peninsula, Malin Head. Untamed and rugged in any weather, such is its dramatic beauty, that it was used as a location for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Walk up to Banba’s Crown and keep an eye out for basking sharks breaching the surface of the ocean – these are the moments that will make your heart sing. Or take a boat tour from nearby Bunagee Pier. If you're lucky, you could see minke whale, dolphins, porpoises, basking sharks and sunfish.

Amazing Grace is more than just a song. It is a tale of salvation, where a wretch seeks to atone for his past sins. Here in the Donegal town of Buncrana, John Newton, the writer of that famous hymn and the wretch it describes, is a household name. Newton was a foul-mouthed sailor and slave trader who turned to God for mercy in 1748 when a storm off Donegal's coast failed to kill him. He renounced his involvement in the slave trade and penned the evocative Amazing Grace. As you look over Lough Swilly, remember that these were the waters that calmed his soul and saved his life...