Belfast Taxi Cab Tour: Troubles & Peace Walls, 2 Hours

Travel the divided city in a black cab with someone who drove it during the conflict.

A 2-hour private guided taxi tour of Belfast's Troubles history, traveling in a classic London cab with a local driver who lived through the conflict. You visit the Falls Road and Shankill, photograph the Bobby Sands mural, learn the story of Crumlin Road Gaol, and write a peace message on the walls that divide the city. Hotel or port pickup is included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Shankill25m
2. Belfast Peace Wall15m
3. Crumlin Road Gaolpassing by

Explore Belfast's Troubles and Peace Walls

• Photo at Bobby Sands mural
• Visit Shankill Road Loyalist area
• Write on Belfast Peace Wall
• See international murals
• Visit Clonard Monastery
• Learn history at Bombay Street
• Pass by Crumlin Road Gaol

The experience

What made a taxi driver's job dangerous in Belfast? The answer unfolds over two hours in a black cab driven by someone who answered that question every day. Your guide is a local who navigated these roads during the Troubles, and the tour moves through the city the way residents did: by car, stopping at the landmarks that shaped the conflict and the peace that followed. You'll see the Bobby Sands mural on Falls Road, the heart of Irish Republican history, then cross into Shankill, where Loyalist murals tell a different story of the same decades. The cab itself is part of the history: these London-style vehicles became lifelines when the streets were too divided to walk safely.

The peace walls stretch across Belfast in concrete and steel: five times taller than the Berlin Wall, your guide will tell you. You stop at one of them and write your own message, joining Lady Gaga, Morgan Freeman and President Clinton among thousands who have done the same. The International Wall carries over 60 murals painted by local artists in solidarity with struggles elsewhere: Cuba, Turkey, Palestine. Crumlin Road Gaol, built in the 1800s and used as a hanging jail into the 1960s, held both Republican and Loyalist prisoners and became the site of famous escapes. Clonard Monastery, hidden in the Falls Road, is where secret peace talks took place between Gerry Adams and John Hume. Bombay Street marks where the Provisional IRA was born after homes burned in 1969. Each stop is a piece of 800 years of Irish and British history compressed into the most recent conflict and its resolution.

Hotel or port pickup is included, and the tour runs two hours. Children from age 9 are welcome. Younger children can ride in a stroller. The cab holds a small group, and the driver speaks English throughout. This is not a museum visit or a walking tour. It is travel through a living city with someone who knows why the route itself matters.

What’s included

• Professional local guide who lived through the Troubles.
• private tour in a classic London-style black cab.
• hotel or port pickup and drop-off.
• stops at Falls Road, Shankill, the Bobby Sands mural, Crumlin Road Gaol, Clonard Monastery, Bombay Street, the International Wall and the peace walls.
• the chance to write a message on the peace wall.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day14 departure times: the first at 08:30, the last at 15:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (15 and older) · Child (9 to 14 years) · Under 9: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 30 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. 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?The tour moves by cab rather than on foot, which covers more ground and lets you see the scale of the divided city without walking between stops. It suits anyone interested in recent history and the peace process, including families with children from age 9.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (9 to 14 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 is the Bobby Sands mural and why do people photograph it?

The Bobby Sands mural on Falls Road is the most photographed mural in the world, according to your guide. Sands was an IRA hunger striker and Member of Parliament. The image is an icon of Irish Republican history and the mural sits near Sinn Féin headquarters.

Can I actually write on the peace walls, or is it just a photo stop?

You write your own message on one of the famous peace walls during the tour. Thousands of visitors have left quotes there, and the walls are maintained as a space for peace messages from around the world.

How big are the peace walls compared to other famous barriers?

The peace walls that divide Belfast are five times taller than the Berlin Wall. They stretch across the city in concrete and steel, a physical reminder of the division that shaped the conflict.

What was Crumlin Road Gaol used for?

Crumlin Road Gaol was built in the 1800s and operated as a hanging jail until the 1960s. It held both Republican and Loyalist prisoners during the Troubles and was the site of several famous escapes.

Does the tour include the Shankill Road, or only the Falls Road?

The tour covers both roads. Shankill is the heart of Loyalism and the birthplace of the UVF and UFF. Your guide explains the Loyalist side of the conflict and the history of these organizations firsthand.

Where does the tour pick me up?

Hotel or port pickup is included in the tour price. The driver will collect you and return you at the end of the two hours.