Belfast Black Taxi Tour: Falls Road, Shankill & Peace Wall

Travel the streets where the conflict happened, told by someone who was there

A private 2-hour black taxi tour of Belfast led by a local guide who drove through the Troubles, visiting Falls Road, Shankill, the Peace Wall and Crumlin Road Gaol. Hotel or port pickup is included. Children from age 9 are welcome. The guide speaks English and travels in a classic London cab, stopping so you can photograph the murals and walk to the Peace Wall to write your own message.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Crumlin Road Gaolpassing by
2. Shankill30m
3. Belfast Peace Wall20m
4. Falls Road Belfast30m

Explore Belfast's historic conflict sites

• Pass by Crumlin Road Gaol
• Visit Shankill murals and bonfires
• See monastery of secret peace talks
• Write peace quote on Belfast Peace Wall
• View Divis flats British Army base
• Explore Falls Road murals and history
• Observe republican murals supporting causes

The experience

The black cabs themselves are part of the story. During the Troubles, these drivers kept running their routes through Falls Road and Shankill when it was dangerous to do so, ferrying people across neighborhoods locked in conflict. Your guide is one of them. Someone in his 50s who lived through those decades and can explain what you're seeing from the inside. The tour runs two hours and moves by private vehicle, so you're not waiting for other passengers or following a fixed schedule around the city.

Falls Road is where the Provisional IRA was born, and over 300,000 British soldiers served on these streets. The murals here are hand-painted by locals and change monthly. Your guide will walk you through what they mean and why they matter. Shankill, across the divide, is the birthplace of loyalist organizations and dates back to 455 AD. The narrow street holds its own murals and bonfires that tell the Protestant side of the same history. The Peace Wall, built in 1969 to separate the neighborhoods after thousands were displaced, is massive and still standing. You'll get out and write your own peace quote on it. President Clinton, Morgan Freeman and Lady Gaga are among the names already there.

Crumlin Road Gaol housed IRA, UVF, UFF and INLA prisoners over 30 years. Built in the 1800s as a hanging jail, it was attacked by a loyalist RPG rocket in the 90s and carries stories of escapes and survival. The Divis flats, at the start of Falls Road, had its top two floors used as a British Army base for over 25 years. Your guide will point it out and explain the 800 years of history that led to those decades. Hotel or port pickup is arranged before you book, so you don't navigate Belfast on your own.

What’s included

• Professional guide who lived through the Troubles.
• private vehicle transport in a classic London black cab.
• hotel or port pickup and drop-off.
• stops at Falls Road, Shankill, the Peace Wall, Crumlin Road Gaol and the Divis flats.
• time to get out and photograph the murals and write a message on the Peace Wall.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day15 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 15:00

Book up to20h before

AgesAdult (14 and older) · Child (9 to 13 years) · Under 9: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 27 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Is this one for you?Book this tour on your first or second day in Belfast if you want to understand the recent history of the city from someone who lived it: the guide's perspective and the stops themselves make sense only with someone who was there to explain them. The private cab and included pickup mean you're not figuring out the neighborhoods on your own.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (9 to 13 years). Children under 9 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly is the Peace Wall and why is it still there?

The Belfast Peace Wall was built in 1969 after the start of the Troubles, when over 1,000 people were displaced from their homes and the conflict between nationalist and loyalist communities turned violent on these streets. It still stands today, and visitors write peace messages on it. The wall has become a place where people from around the world leave their own quotes and names for peace.

Will I see the murals up close, or just from the cab?

You get out and walk to photograph the murals on both Falls Road and Shankill. Your guide will explain what each one represents and the history behind them. The murals change monthly, so what's on the walls shifts with time.

What happened at Crumlin Road Gaol?

Crumlin Road Gaol held political prisoners from the IRA, UVF, UFF and INLA during the 30 years of conflict. Built in the 1800s as a hanging jail, it was attacked by a loyalist RPG rocket during the 1990s and has many stories of escapes and survival that your guide will share.

Do I need to arrange my own way to the tour meeting point?

Hotel or port pickup is included, so your driver will collect you from your accommodation or the port and bring you back after the tour ends. If you're staying outside central Belfast, let the operator know when you book.