Derry Cityside: Self-guided audio walk with local stories

Summary

Walk the Bogside & Derry Walls with local voices in your ear

You’ll wander through Derry’s west side guided by local voices, pausing at murals like The Petrol Bomber and memorials that shaped history. Expect moments of quiet reflection at Free Derry Corner and hidden gardens along the way — plus practical perks like offline maps and lifetime access to revisit whenever you want.

What’s the experience like?

I’ll admit, I didn’t expect to feel so much just standing on a street corner in Derry’s Bogside. The first mural — the one with the boy and the petrol bomb — hit me harder than I thought. You can almost smell old paint and damp stone. The audio tour kicked in right as I was squinting up at it, telling me about the history behind those colors. It’s strange how a voice in your ear can make a place feel less lonely, even when you’re walking alone.

Our guide (well, his voice anyway), kept things honest — not sugarcoated or dramatic. At Free Derry Corner, he mentioned Terry Brown from Walled City Tours joining in for a bit. You could hear the difference in their accents, which made me smile. There was this bit about St Columba and a sacred well that I probably wouldn’t have noticed if I’d just been wandering without the day trip machu picchu cusco-style narration. And then suddenly there’s a Victorian garden tucked between all this heavy history — birdsong, wet grass under my shoes, people chatting quietly on benches.

I tried to pronounce some of the Irish words from the audio (Li would’ve laughed at me). There’s something grounding about hearing locals talk about their city’s Troubles without making it into a spectacle. The Bloody Sunday Memorial was quiet except for distant traffic and someone humming nearby. I still think about that silence — it felt respectful somehow.

The whole self-guided audio tour of Derry Cityside let me go slow or fast (I stopped for coffee twice), and I never felt rushed. Having offline access meant my phone didn’t panic when signal dropped near Butcher’s Gate or by the Tower Museum. So yeah, if you want to actually feel this part of Derry instead of just ticking off sites, this is probably it.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — West Derry Walking Tour

• The tour passes by the Tower Museum.
• The tour passes by Butcher's Gate Derry City Walls.
• The tour passes by the Free Derry Corner.
• The tour passes by the Bloody Sunday Obelisk Memorial.
• The tour passes by the Museum of Free Derry.

Top questions

Is this self-guided audio tour suitable for wheelchairs?

Yes, all areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible.

Does the tour include entry to any museums?

No entry fees are included; it passes by sites like the Museum of Free Derry but doesn’t include admission.

How do I access the audio guide?

You use the VoiceMap app for offline access to audio, maps, and geodata.

Can infants or small children join this walking tour?

Yes, infants can sit on an adult’s lap or ride in a pram or stroller.

Is there a live guide on this tour?

No, it’s self-guided with pre-recorded local voices including Terry Brown.

Are service animals allowed on this route?

Yes, service animals are allowed throughout the tour route.

What main sites does the tour cover?

The route passes by Tower Museum, Butcher's Gate, Free Derry Corner, Bloody Sunday Obelisk Memorial, and Museum of Free Derry.

What’s included

Your experience includes lifetime access to the self-guided audio tour in English via VoiceMap, with offline maps and geodata so you don’t need mobile data while exploring. All routes are wheelchair accessible and suitable for strollers or prams; service animals are welcome too.