About

DC Tours offers a variety of public and private walking tours led by expert local guides that explore Belfast's historical and cultural heritage. 

Our flagship city centre tour is “A History of Terror” which explains the history of the Troubles and the peace process from an entirely neutral and unbiased perspective. We also run a “Best of Belfast” tour which is the perfect introduction to Belfast's greater history and culture, together with a range of neighbourhood and speciality walking tours.

A History of Terror

Running every day at 10.30am, ‘A History of Terror’ starts at Belfast City Hall, where your expert guide will explain how and why the Troubles started. Over the next two hours and 30 minutes you will visit locations in the city centre where some of the most important events of the conflict occurred.

The tour allows you to explore and understand the most turbulent period in Belfast's recent past and what it was like to grow up and live here during the Troubles. While you walk through the Cathedral Quarter before finishing on the banks of the River Lagan, the tour also explains the peace-building process and shows the reconciliation and regeneration which has taken place in the city since the ceasefires in the 1990s.

The tour is recognised as unbiased, objective and historically accurate. It is suitable for all visitors to Belfast, regardless of how much or little you already know of our troubled past. DC Tours’ guides are among the most knowledgeable conflict historians in Northern Ireland and able to answer all your questions. The tour is a way for you to scratch the surface and get a real feel for the history of the city. Many guests say they have felt transported back in time through the powerful story-telling. You will witness how far the city has come since those dark days and see Belfast in a new light.

‘A History of Terror’ is rated as ‘5 Stars - Outstanding’ by Tourism Northern Ireland.  It has been rated as the No.1 walking tour in Belfast since 2014 by TripAdvisor and was Highly Commended at the Northern Ireland Tourism Awards in 2019 in the category ‘Authentic NI Experience of the Year’. One of our guides, Paul Donnelly, was named ‘Top UK Tour Guide’ at the Wanderlust World Guide Awards 2019.  It has twice been named in the Top 20 UK Experiences by the TripAdvisor ‘Traveller’s Choice’ Awards (in 2019 and 2025). DC Tours also hold Green Tourism’s Silver Award. The first Belfast tour company to be accredited.

Best of Belfast Walking Tour

Starting at 10.00am on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, the “Best of Belfast” tour starts and finishes at our iconic City Hall and is a great way to learn about and explore Belfast.

We’ll take you through the quarters in the heart of the city, where our team of passionate local guides will introduce you to hidden history, fantastic street art, beautiful architecture and fascinating stories of Belfast’s citizens from the past and present.

Our Vox headsets mean you won’t miss a thing the guide tells you and the 2 mile route is completely flat, so no hills or steps are involved.

Come with us to find out about Belfast’s radicals, rogues, reformers and more. This tour will show you the Best that Belfast has to offer, from pubs and restaurants to music, art, stories – and of course craic!

From the start of the tour you will step into history with stories of old and new Belfast, from the people who built the town and contributed to its success, to those who have attacked it over the centuries. You’ll walk through the Cathedral Quarter and discover some of the finest street art in the city, together with many of your guide’s favourite bars and restaurants. You’ll also stroll along the waterfront beside the river Lagan with views across to the iconic yellow cranes, Samson and Goliath, in the Harland & Wolff shipyard where the Titanic was built over 100 years ago. You’ll pass by historic buildings such as St. Anne’s Cathedral, the Custom House, the Assembly Rooms and Kelly’s Cellars and hear their stories, and you’ll stand at the spot where Belfast first got its name.

Other highlights include famous landmarks such as the Salmon of Knowledge, the Albert Clock, the Beacon of Hope, the Troubles Memorial and the Spirit of Belfast, where you will hear everything from local legends to contemporary social history and get to appreciate why Belfast is still such a unique city today. After that, you’ll explore the historic Entries at the heart of the city centre and see how they have now been turned into an outdoor art gallery, before finishing back at City Hall.

At the end of the tour you can download an interactive map of the city centre to your phone. The map includes a list of the top 50 places in Belfast to eat, drink, shop, and enjoy live music—chosen by our guides and all conveniently mapped out for you to explore at your own pace. This comprehensive guide is designed to help you make the most of your time in Belfast after taking the tour, by giving you insider tips and recommendations from locals who know the city inside out.

West Belfast Walking Tour

The murals and peacewalls of West Belfast are a popular attraction but there is so much to discover about them. Our West Belfast walking tour visits the Catholic Falls Road and Protestant Shankill Road. It explains the Troubles and peace process with stops at the famous murals, memorial gardens and peacewalls between the two communities. Over 2 miles and 2.5 hours you will hear how the conflict we know as ‘the Troubles’ began, how it unfolded over the next 30 years and affected the two communities, what it was like to live here and how its legacy continues to affect the city and its people. The tour also explains the path to peace, and the challenges that still lie ahead of us.

The West Belfast tour is only available as a private tour. Visit our website or contact us for more information.

Private and group tours

Private and group tours are available and DC Tours has an extensive range of tours and activities for schools and university groups. Contact us for more information.

Tickets

Tickets for DC walking tours are available from the Visit Belfast Welcome Centre. Alternatively visit deadcentretours.com for schedules and prices and booking.