Belfast Troubles cab tour: Private guide, 2 hours

A cab driven by someone who was there

A private Belfast cab tour lasting two hours with a guide who lived through the Troubles, covering Falls Road, the Peace Wall, Crumlin Road Gaol and Shankill. Hotel pickup and drop-off within a kilometre of Belfast city hall are included. Departures run between 7am and 4pm. The driver gives a firsthand account of what it was like to live through the conflict, what happened during those years, and how the city has changed since the peace process.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Belfast Troubles and Peace Sites

• Start at Falls Road welcome mural
• Visit commemorative site for fallen volunteers
• See Saint Peter's Cathedral exterior
• Tour the Peace Wall and write message
• View Bobby Sands mural
• Stop at Bayardo Bar attack site in Shankill
• Learn about loyalism in Shankill area
• Pass by Crumlin Road Gaol and courthouse
• Visit French Gothic church with guide
• End at Greater Clonard commemorative site

The experience

The cab picks you up from your hotel and heads straight into the streets where the Troubles unfolded. Your driver has lived through it all, not as a historian reading from notes, but as someone who drove these roads while it was happening. That changes what you hear. At Falls Road, you stop at memorials to fallen volunteers and civilian casualties from the lower falls area. The Peace Wall still divides the city, and you'll write your name and a message on it: the same wall that bears signatures from Bill Clinton and the Dalai Lama. The driver explains the wall's history and what it means to the people on either side.

Crumlin Road Gaol comes next: the hanging jail where 17 people lost their lives. You see it from outside, along with the courthouse across the street where political prisoners faced trial and some escaped during transport. The driver points out the Divis complex, famous from the Oscar-winning film "In the Name of the Father," and takes you past Saint Peter's Cathedral on Divis Street, built in the 1860s in French Gothic style. If you ask, the guide can bring you inside to see it. The tour also covers Shankill, the heart of loyalism and birthplace of the UDA and UVF, where you learn about the Irish and British regiments who fought in the world wars and then against republicanism. The Bayardo Bar attack in 1975 is part of that story: a bombing and shooting that killed five people and injured more than fifty.

Two hours moves fast through this much ground, but the pace lets the driver talk without rushing. You're not watching from a distance. You're in the cab, on the actual streets, hearing from someone who knows them by memory, not by guidebook. Hotel drop-off is within a kilometre of Belfast city hall, so you're back near the city centre when the tour ends.

What’s included

• Transport by private cab.
• hotel pickup and drop-off within one kilometre of Belfast city hall.
• live guide in English.
• a photo stop at Crumlin Road Gaol and the courthouse.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day22 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 16:30

Book up to18h before

AgesAdult (16 to 95 years) · Under 16: 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. 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

Operated by Belfast famous black taxi tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to hear the Troubles from someone who lived through them, not from a script. The private cab and single guide mean the driver can answer your questions and adjust the pace to what you want to know: ideal if you're looking for depth rather than a quick overview of the sites.

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Top questions

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 in Belfast?

The Belfast Peace Wall still divides the city between nationalist and unionist areas. On the tour, you stop at the wall, write your name and a message of hope on it, and hear from your driver about what it represents and why it still stands. The wall has signatures from notable visitors including US President Bill Clinton and the Dalai Lama.

Can I visit inside Crumlin Road Gaol on this tour?

The tour passes Crumlin Road Gaol from outside and includes a photo stop. The driver also shows you the courthouse across the street where political prisoners were tried. If you want to go inside the jail itself, that would be a separate visit not included in this cab tour.

Who are the drivers, and what makes them different from other tour guides?

All drivers have lived through the Troubles and drove these streets during the conflict. They give firsthand accounts of what it was like to live through those years, what happened, and how Belfast has changed since the peace process, not a rehearsed script, but lived experience.

What time can I book this tour?

Departures run between 7am and 4pm, so you can choose a time that fits your schedule. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included within one kilometre of Belfast city hall.

Is this tour suitable for children?

Children are welcome on the tour but must be accompanied by an adult. The tour covers serious historical events, so it's worth considering whether the content is appropriate for the age of any children joining.