Derry Walking Tour: Bogside Murals & Bloody Sunday History

Walking Derry's Conflict & Peace: What the Murals Tell

You walk the Bogside with a guide who lived through the conflict, stopping at Free Derry Corner and the Bloody Sunday memorial while learning the history behind each mural. The tour begins at the city walls and covers the key sites in one cohesive route, with a private vehicle on standby if weather turns. You leave understanding not just what happened, but why locals still talk about it.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Derry's history and murals

• Begin tour at city walls
• Learn about Plantation and Siege
• Photostop at Free Derry Corner
• Photostop at Bloody Sunday memorial
• Explore key murals in Bogside

The experience

You'll meet your guide beside the 17th-century city walls, and within the first few minutes you'll understand why locals stop you on the street to talk about this place. Our guide (someone whose own family lived through the conflict) starts by explaining how those walls shaped everything that came after: the Plantation of Ulster, the Siege of Derry, and the political divisions that would define the city for centuries. It sounds heavy on paper, but the way it's told, you're not being lectured. You're being shown how a wall built 400 years ago still matters to the people living beside it today.

Then you walk into the Bogside, and the murals hit you differently than you'd expect. They're not decorative. Each one marks something specific (a person, an event, a demand for justice), and your guide walks you through them one by one, explaining not just what happened but why it mattered and how it changed things. You'll stop at Free Derry Corner, the symbol of civil rights resistance, and at the Bloody Sunday memorial, where the guide gives you the full context of what happened on that day in 1972 and how it fractured the city. The walking tour of Derry includes all of this, and because the guides come from different backgrounds connected to the peace process, you're getting perspectives you wouldn't find in a standard history book.

The whole thing moves at a pace that lets you actually absorb what you're seeing. If the weather turns, there's a private vehicle available so you're not standing in the rain trying to hear over the wind. The route covers the key sites (the walls, the murals, the memorials) in a way that makes sense geographically and historically, not just as a checklist. By the end, you've got a real sense of how a city moved from conflict to something else, and why that matters beyond Derry itself.

What’s included

• Your private guided walking tour includes stops at the 17th-century city walls, Free Derry Corner, the Bloody Sunday memorial, and a comprehensive explanation of the Bogside murals.
• A private vehicle is available in case of poor weather.
• The tour is led by a guide with expertise in the conflict and peace process.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day27 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 21:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (18 to 74 years) · Senior (75 to 85 years) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (4 to 12 years): free · Infant (under 4): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Derry Blue Badge Guide

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to understand Derry's role in the conflict and peace process through someone who lived it, rather than reading about it in a museum. The guides' own backgrounds are what makes the difference.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (4 to 12 years): free; Infant (under 4): free.

What if the weather is bad?

A private vehicle is available in case of poor weather, so you can continue the tour without standing in the rain.

Are the city walls and Bogside accessible for wheelchairs?

The tour is wheelchair accessible. Public transportation options are also available nearby if you need an alternative.

Who are the guides?

Guides are members of Derry Blue Badge and come from a range of backgrounds related to the conflict and peace process, giving visitors unique insight into how the city moved toward peace.

What is included in the tour?

The tour includes stops at Free Derry Corner, the Bloody Sunday memorial, the Bogside murals, and the city walls, with detailed explanations at each site. A private vehicle is available if needed.

Is this tour private or in a group?

It is a private guided walking tour, meaning you book it for your own group rather than joining strangers.

Can service animals come on the tour?

Yes, service animals are allowed.