A History of Terror

Duration

2.5 Hours

About

A History of Terror is the No.1 walking tour in Belfast and explains the history of the conflict and the path to peace through the stories of famous and infamous events which took place in our city centre. .

It was named #4 Experience in the UK at the TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice Awards 2019 and Highly Commended at the Northern Ireland Tourism Awards in 2019 in the category ‘Authentic Northern Ireland Experience of the Year’. It is graded 5 Stars by Tourism NI and our lead guide was named the UK's Top Tour Guide in 2019.

Your tour starts with a short introduction to Irish and British history and the background to the start of the ‘Troubles’ in the late 1960s. We then visit seven locations in the city centre where major events occurred between 1971 and 1976. We use the stories of these events to explain what happened and why, and how it affected nearly every part of our daily lives.

We do all this from an entirely neutral, civilian perspective. The tour also shows how far the city has come since the ceasefires and Peace Process.

It is suitable for anyone visiting Belfast, regardless of how much or little you already know of our troubled past. The tour is a way for you to get a real feel for our history and make a deeper emotional connection with the city.

Many guests say they have felt transported back in time through the rich and detailed story-telling in this tour. They understand and appreciate how far the city has come since those dark days and come to see Belfast in a new light.

The tour has a factual core script to ensure it is historically accurate, unbiased and non-partisan. But our guides are also encouraged to take ownership of their tour. They bring it to life by recounting their own personal experiences during the Troubles. This helps us to connect with you by identifying comparable points of reference from your own country or history.

Our guides are not just guides, but politically neutral conflict historians. We are all experts in our field and we pride ourselves on being able to answer practically any question. There is plenty of time built into the tour to allow you to ask questions and for us to answer them meaningfully.

Tour Information

The tour runs most days and costs £22 per person. Tours start at 10.30am. Detailed information can be found on the Tour Schedule page.

Our starting point is the front gates of Belfast City Hall. Our guide is clearly identifiable by their black tour jacket or t-shirt with our logo on the left breast. The tour covers 1.5 miles and lasts 2.5 hours.

It’s really important you book your tickets or contact us in advance to reserve a place and to check a tour is running on your chosen day – if we haven’t had any advance booking requests you could turn up and there’ll be no guide there! If you don’t want to buy tickets in advance, just contact us to check a tour is running, reserve your place and then pay on the day.

The tour will take place regardless of the weather. We strongly suggest you check the forecast and dress accordingly. A waterproof jacket is recommended, as is warm clothing during the winter months. Belfast City Centre is completely flat, so no hills or steps are involved. However we do advise you wear comfortable footwear.