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Belfast Troubles Tour: Experience the Walls and Bridges for Education and Theatre
5.0
711 Ratings
Belfast
Experience the Belfast Troubles Tour: Walls and Bridges, a captivating blend of walking tour and street theatre that entertains, engages, and informs. Discover the history, culture, and people behind the Troubles in an immersive and educational experience.
Experience the Belfast Troubles Tour: Walls and Bridges, a captivating blend of walking tour and street theatre that entertains, engages, and informs. Discover the history, culture, and people behind the Troubles in an immersive and educational experience.
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- City Hall - Belfast’s most stunning architectural masterpiece. The dome reaches 174 feet, and inside, you’ll find three distinct types of Italian marble, Cippilino marble from Greece, and breathtaking stained glass windows. The building truly makes a statement: ‘Wow!’
- Spirit of Belfast - A remarkable modern sculpture by Dan George, located in…
- City Hall - Belfast’s most stunning architectural masterpiece. The dome reaches 174 feet, and inside, you’ll find three distinct types of Italian marble, Cippilino marble from Greece, and breathtaking stained glass windows. The building truly makes a statement: ‘Wow!’
- Spirit of Belfast - A remarkable modern sculpture by Dan George, located in the heart of the city center. It features a traditional Celtic design and symbolizes the engineering, industry, and communities of Belfast.
- International Mural Wall Divis Street - Part of the International Wall of Murals near the Peace Walls. These murals serve as a powerful medium.
- Peace Wall - These walls separate the two communities in Belfast. Standing approximately 16 meters high, they are topped with mesh to prevent petrol bombs. There is ample opportunity to photograph and explore the walls, with detailed explanations provided.
- Albert Memorial Clock Tower - Belfast’s own leaning tower, marking the spot where Belfast was founded. It stands 113 feet tall and leans 4 feet from the perpendicular. Featuring a statue of Prince Albert, it was featured in the iconic film noir ‘Odd Man Out’ starring James Mason.
- Cathedral Quarter - Explore the vibrant new heart of the city, boasting colorful murals, entries, and numerous pubs and restaurants. The cobbled streets evoke old Belfast, providing an authentic atmosphere, and it’s also the site of significant rock events.
- First Presbyterian Church - A hidden gem central to Irish history, offering stories that challenge the typical narrative of religious division in Belfast’s past. Dating back to 1783, stepping inside transports you to the late 1700s. John Wesley preached from its wonderfully elliptical pulpit, and its members made significant stands for civil and religious freedoms. There’s plenty of time to explore and take photos, making it a perfect end to your walking tour, just five minutes from the starting point.
- The Belfast Entries - Historic passageways that are easy to miss without guidance. Wander through them, past sites of revolution, intrigue, and pubs!
- Albert Memorial Clock Tower - Belfast’s own leaning tower, standing 113 feet (24 meters) tall with a noticeable 4-foot (1.3-meter) lean from the perpendicular. It was constructed at the exact location where Belfast was originally established.
What's Included
- Local guide
- Private tour
- Professional guide
- Local guide
- Private tour
- Professional guide
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Troubles Tour: Walls and Bridges is one part walking tour, one part street theatre, and 100% astounding. It entertains, engages, and informs through original songs and experiences to help you better understand daily life during the Troubles. It brings the history of the Troubles and the peace process to life, but not in chronological order. This tour…
Troubles Tour: Walls and Bridges is one part walking tour, one part street theatre, and 100% astounding. It entertains, engages, and informs through original songs and experiences to help you better understand daily life during the Troubles. It brings the history of the Troubles and the peace process to life, but not in chronological order. This tour offers an immersive experience with a blend of educational content and theatrics. Participants will visit local political murals, peace walls, and even have the chance to hear an original song that narrates the story of the area’s turbulent times. This tour provides a profound and unique understanding of the region’s conflicts and peace efforts. Participants will not only learn history but also gain insight into the culture and the people. Troubles Tour: Walls and Bridges is perfect for anyone interested in history, culture, and politics.
- Minimum age is 14 years. This tour is not aimed at children. There is graphic content .
Location
City Hall
The Meeting Point is on Donegall Square North, on the pavement outside the grounds of Belfast City Hall. Across the road is the main shopping avenue. Look for a large green and white umbrella. Please come 10 minutes before the start of your tour so I can distribute Listening sets.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(711 Ratings)
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Connector32082170430
Jul 23, 2025
Interesting, informative and entertaining - We found Arthur's tour excellent. He presented the issues underlying Northern Ireland's recent history of violence and division in a very interesting and engaging way. We came away with a better understanding of the complexities and challenges that faced, and in some ways still face, this beautiful city and country. He pulled no punches about the brutality of the past and urges acceptance of shared responsibility. He provided examples of people who have built bridges which provide hope for the way forward.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aefhisofhk
Jul 22, 2025
- Excellent tour! Learned a lot, and great to hear a nuanced perspective that goes beyond the basics. Arthur was really engaging and made an effort to chat with everyone and get everyone involved, with a great sense of humour and honest opinions.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bobbm4937ek
Jul 22, 2025
- Amazing tour. Arthur is a fabulous guide. He has a wealth of knowledge on the history of Belfast. He covers a lot of ground in three hours, but keeps you engaged and thinking throughout. He obviously loves what he does and shares thoughts on Belfast (and mankind) that you won’t get on other tours. Highly recommend. He provided recommendations on where to eat and places to go once we were finished also.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Eeliechick
Jul 21, 2025
Great few hours in Belfast - Great tour with Arthur, in depth overview and plenty of information about the troubles left me wanting to learn even more!
Review provided by Viator
Tour784827
Jul 21, 2025
Fantastic experience! - The tour was fantastic! Knowledgeable guide, entertaining stories, and thought-provoking history. I cannot recommend this tour more highly.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stay776187
Jul 20, 2025
This is a ‘must do’, no question. - Everything about this tour was perfect. It is incredibly insightful, deeply personal yet explaining a history that is complex and is now much clearer. It’s packed with starting info, anecdotes and sites of significance.
The Troubles are a part of my own history but at a distance. Growing up in London I had experiences and followed the terrible news that tracked through my teens, 20s and 30s. It felt incredibly significant to fill in some of the detail of those times and to have some clearer perspectives on what it was like for someone growing up in Belfast at the same time.
I especially respected how direct and, at times, brutal, the story and history-telling was. And yet we ended on a tearful round up of the positive future that potentially lies ahead for the people of Northern Ireland.
This is a ‘must do’, no question.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Yumadons
Jul 20, 2025
Glad I chose this tour - Arthur is an excellent teacher, I learned so much. The headsets really optimized our time as we were able to hear as we walked along rather than having to rely on crowding in at stops.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tour14901060270
Jul 18, 2025
- Thank you so much for showing us your Belfast warts and all. It was fascinating and horrifying all at the same time.
You were very informative and we learnt a lot.
Here’s to a hopeful and brighter future for NI.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Melaniedq8836bq
Jul 17, 2025
Comprehensive, heartfelt, sobering, and yet hopeful - Arthur’s leadership on our tour was excellent. With first-hand experience of the troubles, his tour was both insightful and deeply heartfelt.
Hearing/reading/watching content about the troubles isn’t the same as listening to someone who lived through it, so I am very grateful to Arthur for sharing his story (and his music with us.
Passing through the gates between different parts of the city, which still close daily, was sobering - especially given everything is quite recent history (if not ongoing, for some aspects). I learned a great deal from this tour, and will definitely read more about it moving forward. Thank you, Arthur.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pb9k
Jul 20, 2025
- This "Troubles" tour started in front of the City Hall. Most of the people on the tour were from a cruise ship that was in for a visit and I appeared to be one of very few English people on the tour.
Arthur gave everyone an ear piece which you could clearly hear him as we walked through Belfast. This was a positive!
As the tour progressed it seemed Arthur constantly seemed to talk about himself and what he got upto during his upbringing and to present day. This is good but it was pretty constant throughout the walking tour. I came on the trip to learn more about the "Troubles" not for a history of Arthur and his cold water swimming etc (sorry Arthur!).
What was more constant is that Arthur wanted to know where everyone was from and concentrated on the people from the States more. I just wanted to hear about what I had paid for, a "Troubles" tour.
As Arthur comes from a Catholic background the tour is biased towards this which is not a problem as I had booked up other tours, such as a trip by someone with a Unionist background, a self guided trip and also a trip by a Soldier whom was there in the "Troubles".
I felt that Arthur missed so many places out and that the emphasis was on himself more than what I had paid for. For example we only went through to the Unionist side for a very short time. Many places enroute were not mentioned at all, for example there was a small time for a comfort break on the Falls Rd, there was no mention of the Bobby Sands Mural or even the Eileen Hickey Irish Republican History Museum that were moments away. There was no trip into the main Shankill area either.
There are some other trips that swap half way, one tour, with two conflicting stories. These particular tours are led by ex prisoners from both a republican and a loyalist background and they give you much more insight and info into the "Troubles". I recommend these than Arthurs tour (sorry Arthur!).
Arthur can I suggest you produce some handouts to the tour, such as a map and geography detailing where things are, so people can go and explore further. Can I suggest you talk about what the tour is actually about more, rather then about yourself. Also, perhaps link up with someone at the Gates to take over the tour and hear from their perspective.
Sorry for the poor score of 2 stars, but this is all I feel your tour was worth.
Best, Paul
Review provided by Tripadvisor