The 12 Best History Tours in Northern Ireland

1.A History of Terror – Belfast City Centre Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,883 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $36Our pick

Learn Belfast’s Troubles on a moving 2.5-hour walking tour with local guides, key city-centre sites, personal stories, and a balanced view of peace.

“Róisín was such a wonderful guide. She was very passionate, as she experienced first-hand, a lot of what she covered during the tour. She made you feel the emotions at the time. She helped me, and our group, really envision what was happening back then. She's a fantastic storyteller. The earpiece and radio helped a lot as well. I truly enjoyed Róisín and the tour. I've been on many tours in Europe, and this was high on my favorite list. I would definitely recommend this tour!”

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2.A History of Terror Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 854 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $35

Review of Belfast’s History of Terror walking tour, covering The Troubles, local stories, key city sites, value, access, and practical tips.

“Amazing walking tour with Anne! We did the History of Terror – Belfast City Centre Walking Tour and our guide Anne was born and raised in Belfast, giving us a deeply personal perspective on the city’s history. She walked us through the story of how Ireland became a divided country and explained the Troubles with clarity and sensitivity — without showing any political bias. Her personal experiences growing up during those times made the tour even more meaningful and thought-provoking. I left with a much greater appreciation for Belfast’s resilience and ongoing journey of healing. I highly recommend this tour if you want history told with honesty and heart.”

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3.McCrossan’s Public Walking Tour of the Historic City

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 329 reviews · 1 hour · from $11Best value

Walk Derry’s 400-year-old walls, hear stories of the Siege and Bloody Sunday, and get a lively one-hour introduction to the Walled City.

“Our guide Patrick was knowledgeable. He shared personal experiences as a boy as well. His positive attitude, gentle humour and understanding of the historical background were instrumental to making the tour come alive.”

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4.Walking Bogside History Tour in Guildhall

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 280 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $27

Walk Derry’s Bogside with a guide who lived through the Troubles, Bloody Sunday, and the Battle of the Bogside.

“Jimmy Toye gave us an amazing first-hand account of his experiences growing up in the Bogside, Bloody Sunday and the events leading up to it. Jimmy is full of amazing stories, both hilarious and tragic. I couldn’t recommend this tour enough, especially to mainland Brits who unfortunately are not taught in school about what our country has done on the island of Ireland.”

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5.Private Political History & Murals Tour Belfast

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 182 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.) · from $76

Explore Belfast’s Peace Wall, Shankill Road, Falls Road, and Troubles history on a private 90-minute tour with a local guide.

“very disappointed. Not in a black taxi. Our driver did pick us up on time and at the designated location. really did not feel we got anything out of it.”

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6.Best of Belfast History, Culture & Art Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 158 reviews · 3 hours · from $35

Review of Belfast’s 3-hour history and culture walk, covering the Cathedral Quarter, Entries, art, architecture, music, Titanic, and the Troubles.

“Great introduction to the city. Mark was a fabulous guide - friendly and informative. Thoroughly enjoyed and would highly recommend.”

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7.Belfast Walking Tour with a Local – History & Craic

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 130 reviews · 2 hours - 150 minutes · from $26

Explore Belfast with local guide Corey on a funny, thoughtful city walk covering history, the Troubles, Titanic links, landmarks, and local tips.

“We have a work team building afternoon and to tour our own City of Belfast was fantastic and learn things we did not know. Our guide was Corey who had so much knowledge of Belfast and great humour along the way. I would highly recommend this tour.”

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8.Belfast Political/history/troubles private taxi/cab tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 69 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $90

Explore Belfast’s Falls Road, Shankill Road, murals, gates, and Peace Wall with a private local guide in 90 minutes.

“Our guide was awesome. He was very knowledgeable about the “troubles” in Belfast. He stopped often and we spent 2 hours traveling around the city. This tour encouraged me to do more research when I got back home. A+”

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9.Peacewall and Political History Black Taxi Cab Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 60 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $67

Explore Belfast’s Shankill Road, Falls Road, murals, and Peace Wall with a local guide in a private black cab tour.

“We very much enjoyed the tour that David gave us. His stories were very impressive and we learned a lot. If you are thinking of getting on this tour: don’t hesitate, just book!”

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10.Belfast Walking Tour: City Centre History, Troubles & Stories

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 39 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $30

Explore Belfast’s history, the Troubles, and local stories on a 2 to 3 hour city walk with guide Corey, priced at $30.16.

“Corey was an amazing tour guide. Had a deep understanding of the cities history and was able to answer any questions I had. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone.”

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11.1 Hour Express Belfast Taxi/Cab Tour History, Murals, Troubles

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 17 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $89

Explore Belfast’s Falls Road, Peace Wall, and Shankill Road with a local taxi driver in this focused one-hour Troubles history tour.

“this is a must do tour when travelling to Belfast. We went with Brendan and what he didn't know about the troubles wasn't worth knowing. He grew up as a child throughout this time, so gave amazing insight to what went on. We learned so much more than we ever knew!”

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12.An Alternative History of Belfast Through Drinks!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $71

Explore Belfast through six drinks, stories, projections, and local spirits in a lively 90-minute small-group experience.

“Loved the vibe. Cocktails were great and the videos were a nice touch. Our host was really knowledgeable and friendly. Felt so welcome and relaxed. Good range of drinks, cocktails especially were delicious and not ones we would normally choose.”

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