DC Tours – ‘A History of Terror’ and ‘Best of Belfast’ City Centre Walking Tours

Our flagship tour is “A History of Terror”, and we also run a “Best of Belfast” tour which is the perfect introduction to Belfast, as well as a tour of West Belfast’s peacewalls and murals.

A range of free and premium self-guided audio tours are also available to download to your phone through our app.

A History of Terror

Running every day at 10.30am, ‘A History of Terror’ starts at Belfast City Hall, where your expert guide will explain how and why the Troubles started.

Over the next two hours and 15 minutes you will visit locations in the city centre where some of the most important events of the conflict occurred.

The tour allows you to explore and understand the most turbulent period in Belfast's recent past and what it was like to grow up and live here during the Troubles.

While you walk through the Cathedral Quarter before finishing on the banks of the River Lagan, the tour also explains the peace-building process and shows the reconciliation and regeneration which has taken place in the city since the ceasefires in the 1990s.

The tour is recognised as unbiased, objective and historically accurate. It is suitable for all visitors to Belfast, regardless of how much or little you already know of our troubled past. DC Tours’ guides are among the most knowledgeable conflict historians in Northern Ireland and able to answer all your questions.

The tour is a way for you to scratch the surface and get a real feel for the history of the city. Many guests say they have felt transported back in time through the powerful story-telling. You will witness how far the city has come since those dark days and see Belfast in a new light.

‘A History of Terror’ is rated as ‘5 Stars - Outstanding’ by Tourism Northern Ireland.  It was Highly Commended at the Northern Ireland Tourism Awards in 2019 in the category ‘Authentic NI Experience of the Year’.

Lead guide, Paul Donnelly, was named ‘Top UK Tour Guide’ at the Wanderlust World Guide Awards 2019.  The tour was named the No.4 Experience in the U.K. at TripAdvisor’s ‘Traveller’s Choice’ Awards in 2019 – the highest rated attraction outside London.

DC Tours also hold Green Tourism’s Silver Award. The first Belfast tour company to be accredited.

 

Best of Belfast Walking Tour

Starting at 10.00am on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, the “Best of Belfast” tour starts and finishes at our iconic City Hall and is a great way to learn about and explore Belfast.

We’ll take you through the quarters in the heart of the city, where our team of passionate local guides will introduce you to hidden history, fantastic street art, beautiful architecture and fascinating stories of Belfast’s citizens from the past and present.

Our Vox headsets mean you won’t miss a thing the guide tells you and the 2 mile route is completely flat, so no hills or steps are involved.

Come with us to find out about Belfast’s radicals, rogues, reformers and more. This tour will show you the Best that Belfast has to offer, from pubs and restaurants to music, art, stories – and of course craic!

From the start of the tour you will step into history with stories of old and new Belfast, from the people who built the town and contributed to its success, to those who have attacked it over the centuries.

You’ll walk through the Cathedral Quarter and discover some of the finest street art in the city, together with many of your guide’s favourite bars and restaurants. You’ll also stroll along the waterfront beside the river Lagan with views across to the iconic yellow cranes, Samson and Goliath, in the Harland & Wolff shipyard where the Titanic was built over 100 years ago.

You’ll pass by historic buildings such as St. Anne’s Cathedral, the Custom House, the Assembly Rooms and Kelly’s Cellars and hear their stories, and you’ll stand at the spot where Belfast first got its name.

Other highlights include famous landmarks such as the Salmon of Knowledge, the Albert Clock, the Beacon of Hope, the Troubles Memorial and the Spirit of Belfast, where you will hear everything from local legends to contemporary social history and get to appreciate why Belfast is still such a unique city today.

After that, you’ll explore the historic Entries at the heart of the city centre and see how they have now been turned into an outdoor art gallery, before finishing back at City Hall.

At the end of the tour you can download an interactive map of the city centre to your phone. The map includes a list of the top 50 places in Belfast to eat, drink, shop, and enjoy live music—chosen by our guides and all conveniently mapped out for you to explore at your own pace.

This comprehensive guide is designed to help you make the most of your time in Belfast after taking the tour, by giving you insider tips and recommendations from locals who know the city inside out.

 

West Belfast Walking Tour

The murals and peacewalls of West Belfast are a popular attraction but there is so much to discover about them.

Our West Belfast walking tour visits the Catholic Falls Road and Protestant Shankill Road.

It explains the Troubles and peace process with stops at the famous murals, memorial gardens and peacewalls between the two communities.

Over 2 miles and 2.5 hours you will hear how the conflict we know as ‘the Troubles’ began, how it unfolded over the next 30 years and affected the two communities, what it was like to live here and how its legacy continues to affect the city and its people.

The tour also explains the path to peace, and the challenges that still lie ahead of us.

The West Belfast tour is only available as a private tour. Visit our website or contact us for more information.

 

Self guided tours

Our self guided audio tours let you explore Belfast and beyond at your own pace. They are packed with historical information, pictures, audio and even video. And the gps mapping system allows you to take total control of your experience.

Simply download our free app from the App Store or Google Play and search for ‘DC Tours Belfast’. Then choose from the range of free and premium tours in the menu! Once you have paid for the tour, just download it to your device and you’ll be ready to go.

Available tours:

• The West Belfast Self Guided Tour – ‘West Belfast: Peacewalls, Murals and More’ (£9.99)


• The ‘Best of Belfast City Trail’ (£9.99)


• The ‘Queens Quarter Walking Trail’ (£4.99)


• ‘Your Belfast’ (FREE)


• The ‘Titanic Quarter Trail On The Maritime Mile’ (FREE)


• The ‘Line of Duty Locations Trail’ (FREE)

 

Private and group tours

Private and group tours are available and DC Tours has an extensive range of tours and activities for schools and university groups. Contact us for more information.

 

Tickets

Tickets for DC walking tours are available from the Visit Belfast Welcome Centre. Alternatively visit deadcentretours.com for schedules and prices and booking.

For self-guided tours simply download the ‘DC Tours Belfast’ app from your app store and select a tour from the list.

Silver - Green Tourism Accredited