Derry City Walls Walking Tour: Full Circuit & Local History

4.94

(157 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect the walls of Derry to feel so alive. We started near Shipquay Place — our guide, Michael, waved us over with this big grin and a “Right, are we ready for a bit of history then?” The stones were cold under my hand (it had rained earlier, typical Northern Ireland), and you could smell the damp moss mixed with distant chip shops. I thought I’d just be looking at old cannons and towers, but it was more like walking through layers of time. Michael pointed out bullet marks near Bishop’s Gate and told us about his uncle during the Troubles — he got quiet for a second there. You could tell it meant something.

The city walls tour wound past St Columb’s Cathedral and the Guildhall — bells echoing off brick as we crossed by Ferryquay Gate. There was this moment at Double Bastion when a breeze picked up, carrying laughter from kids in the Craft Village below. Someone in our group asked about Brexit (brave move), and Michael didn’t dodge it; he just explained how it changed daily life here. It felt honest, not rehearsed. We stopped at Walker’s Plinth and I tried to pronounce some Irish names; Li laughed at my attempt — probably butchered it. The view over Peace Bridge stuck with me though. You see both sides of the river, and somehow it all feels closer than you’d think.

I liked that the pace wasn’t rushed. We’d linger if someone wanted a photo or had a question about emigration or the famine years — no one hurried us along. There were wheelchair ramps where needed (Michael said private tours can adapt routes), which made everyone feel welcome. By the end, we’d looped back to Shipquay Place, legs tired but heads buzzing with stories about Vikings, railways, even Derry Girls filming spots (I might have taken too many photos). The rain held off just long enough for one last look down over the city — slate roofs shining under a patch of sunlight. I still think about that view sometimes.