Belfast Troubles History Private Taxi Tour

Recommended by 99% of travelers

Belfast, Northern Ireland

High interest

Booked 3 times today.

1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9

· Amy_L ·

Jul 2026

Diarmuid was a brilliant tour guide, he told us amazing stories and answered all our questions. He was very attentive, offered to take photos and really care about us getting the best experience possible! Highly recommend booking with him, he collected us straight from our hotel and was very chatty and polite. Very professional yet still able to have a good laugh, definitely my favourite tour I’ve ever done!

· Shannon_B ·

Sep 2026

This was a fantastic tour — one of the best I’ve ever taken. Diarmaid was extremely knowledgeable, with first-hand knowledge and experience, having grown up within blocks of the wall. We stopped in neighborhoods on both sides of the wall and the wall itself. I learned so much and am glad this was the tour I chose.

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Overview

Gain a deeper understanding of Belfast's troubled past on this private taxi tour with hotel pickup. Benefit from facts you wouldn't get exploring on your own as you drive past significant sites of conflict, photograph the city’s powerful political murals, and hear first-hand accounts that bring context to what you see. Ideal for first-time visitors, this tour offers a concise yet comprehensive overview of Belfast’s past.

See more of Belfast on this compact taxi tour
Visit the famous Belfast Shankill Road and ask plenty of questions
Enjoy the peace and privacy of a private vehicle with hotel pickup
Fit this shorter tour into a busy schedule

What's Included

pick up point or hotel
Tour guide / driver
Private black taxi tour experience
Visits to key political murals and Peace Wall locations
Flexible itinerary with stops for photos and questions

Alcoholic Beverages
Food and drinks
Gratuities (optional)
Entry fees to any additional attractions not specified
Personal expenses

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Any pickup destinations outside of Belfast City Center will include a small taxi charge fee on top of tour price.

Meeting point

Great Victoria Street
Great Victoria St, Belfast, UK
Leonardo Hotel Belfast. formerly (JURY'S INN) BT1 6DY

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Belfast

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation

Infants must sit on laps
Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.9

based on 156 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Sort by: Most insightful

Transformative Tour

Sydney_P, Sep 2026

Wow - incredible window into authentic, lived experiences with The Troubles. Life-changing and impactful.

Response from Host, Sep 2026

Thanks for the great review. Glad you enjoyed the tour.

Excellent experience

Samantha_F, Sep 2026

Diarmaid was an excellent tour guide, we learnt so much in a short space of time. His perspective & real experience is priceless.

Response from Host, Sep 2026

Thanks for the great review. Glad you enjoyed the tour.

A Guide from the Community

Susan_E, Sep 2026

Our tour guide Diarmaid with Belfast’s Past is from the community and one of just a few guides with that background. He made ‘The Troubles’ come to life for us. I highly recommend!

Response from Host, Sep 2026

Thanks for the great review. Glad you enjoyed the tour.

One of the best tours ever!

Shannon_B, Sep 2026

Response from Host, Sep 2026

Thanks for the great review. Was nice meeting you 😎

Interesting and informative tour with a local!

Rata_R, Sep 2026

This tour was great - it was very interesting and my driver, Diarmaid, was a local and very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about his subject.

Response from Host, Sep 2026

Thanks for the lovely review. Glad you enjoyed the tour.

Great tour with local and...

Elizabeth_K, Aug 2026

Great tour with local and knowledgeable guide. Highly recommended for people to learn about the history

Response from Host, Aug 2026

Thanks for the lovely review.

Best tour!

carolyn_p, Aug 2026

This was one of the best tours I have ever had. My understanding of the troubles is much clearer. Caorlen(sorry if I misspelled it) was very knowledgeable as he was born, raised and still lives in the area. His patience in answering questions was appreciated. Since it was a private tour, I received personal attention and more extensive clarifications of the events that took place. I recommend this tour and Caorlen as guide. (I still think about the mural of the guns on the memorial to Stevie McKeag following me around the site!)

Response from Host, Aug 2026

Thanks for the lovely review. Glad you enjoyed the tour 😎

Extremely informative and interesting.

Ryan_M, Aug 2026

Extremely informative and interesting. So much history covered and our guide was amazing. He actually still lives in the area of Belfast where the tour is and where The Troubles took place so he spoke from first hand knowledge.

Response from Host, Aug 2026

Thanks for the lovely review. Was nice to meet you.

Best Tour Ever!

Amy_L, Jul 2026

Response from Host, Jul 2026

Thanks for the lovely review. Glad you enjoyed the tour.

Great tour

I_W, Jun 2026

Great tour. An educational insight on "the troubles" hearing both sides of the story. Our driver was catholic and gave an honest respectful answers regarding protestant questions. Very genuine guy Diarmaid (Dermod). Highly recommend.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thanks for the lovely review. Glad you enjoyed the tour

Excellent/ informative

ElizabethAnn_S, Jun 2026

Our guide was knowledgeable and very informative about the history of the troubles . We all loved the tour

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thanks for the lovely review. Glad you enjoyed the tour.

Peace wall

Peggy_W, Jun 2026

Driver explained patiently in details. Shared a lot of what’s been through in his childhood & what has happened now. Definitely worth it!

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thanks for the kind review. Glad you enjoyed the tour.

Worth the $

Dennis_B, Jun 2026

Diarmaid was punctual, friendly and full of very interesting information. We learned a lot and he answered all of our questions. Highly recommend this tour

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thanks for the lovely review. Glad you enjoyed the tour.

Excellent tour, very...

kerri_d, May 2026

Excellent tour, very educational, tour guide was very well versed in the history of the area & Ireland as a whole. He had great recommendations for further reading & videos to learn even more.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thanks for the great review. Glad you enjoyed the tour.

Slow Start - Great Finish! Excellent Tour!

Ian_D, May 2026

Our first impression was a bit rough (not a black cab but a grey van that could have been a bit cleaner. Upon checking, the add did not say "Black Cab"...our mistake). We were offered local candy and bottles of water - nice gesture. As the tour went on, our guide's knowledge became very clear. And the more we asked questions, the more we were amazed by his understanding of history and people. He was very patient to explain the sometimes complex history. He opened by saying, "There are no bad questions," and his responses to our several "I don't get it" queries proved him true to his word. The guide was friendly and animated throughout. In the end left us stunned in our final grasp of not just the "The Troubles," but the contextual history that led up to and has followed from them. It felt like a true, insider's story. It was worth every penny. Our guide was great for suggesting and helping us take pictures as well. Highly recommended.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thanks for the fantastic review. So sorry about the van as it was a hired vehicle as your driver was in an accident and that’s the vehicle they gave him. But we are really grateful for the lovely review.

Highly recommended for a better understanding

Anne_M, May 2026

Very informative tour, highly recommended. Diarmaid did a great job, and so much is local and personal history.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thanks for the great review. Glad you enjoyed the tour.

Personalized tour

Cesar_M, Apr 2026

Great experience with Caolar. Fortunately, I was the only person in the tour so it was a personalized tour. He knows everything about the story, the troubles, irish, traditions, etc I recomend 1000% this tour. Thanks for everything.

Response from Host, May 2026

Glad you enjoyed the tour, thanks for the great review. Caolan said it was a pleasure meeting you. Hope you enjoyed the rest of Belfast.

Great tour - would recommend!

Elaine_S, Apr 2026

Great tour - having grown up amidst the ‘mayhem’ Diarmaid is very knowledgable, speaking from his own personal experiences he offers an open and honest view of this complicated subject. The tour was both interesting and informative without being overwhelming, we visited key areas and Diarmaid pointed out significant places/things along the way with explanation, he was both friendly and personable and happy to answer questions. Would very much recommend. Bonus points that Diarmaid accepts solo travellers, without charging double - which a lot of other tour operators do.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thanks for the lovely review, glad you enjoyed the tour, hope you enjoyed the rest of the city.

Our guide was brilliant,...

Michael_B, Apr 2026

Our guide was brilliant, very knowledgeable and really made the tour. 100% recommend this tour 10/10!

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thanks for the the lovely review Michael, glad you enjoyed the tour.

Caelan was amazing, he...

Craig_E, Feb 2026

Caelan was amazing, he made the tour for me! His knowledge of the area, troubles history is second to none! He is a really nice and easy going guy, who is open to conversation and questions along the tour. I would highly recommend this tour, I loved it and felt I learnt a lot

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thanks for the great review Craig. Glad you enjoyed the tour and whatever else you done in Belfast.

Our guide was awesome. He...

Susan_M, Oct 2025

Our guide was awesome. He was very knowledgeable about the “troubles” in Belfast. He stopped often and we spent 2 hours traveling around the city. This tour encouraged me to do more research when I got back home. A+

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Thanks for the lovely review. Glad you enjoyed the tour.

Caolen is just great! Request him if you can!

Lauren_M, Oct 2025

This tour is amazing and Caolen was brilliant! I would love to go back and hear so much more, he’s just a genuine down to earth guy, and he definitely made the tour so much better! Seeing the peace wall and gates were very haunting and humbling and it’s scary to think these gates still get closed at night😢

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Thanks for the great review Lauren. Glad you enjoyed the tour.

A superb, heartfelt local experience

Emma_E, Sep 2025

We had an absolutely superb tour. It felt very personal and balanced, letting the things we saw with our own eyes tell the story rather than being pushed one way or the other. Our guide, Diarmid (sorry if I’ve spelt that wrong!), was friendly, passionate, and honest – a genuine person from the community giving a real recount of what happened. We were very lucky as he had no further bookings after us, so we ended up with nearly 3 hours, which gave plenty of time to understand, ask questions and not feel rushed. Real value for money. What struck me most was how fair and human it felt, in contrast to some other tours we saw that were more like taxi rides – dropping people off to wander around on their own for photos. This was the opposite: personal, thoughtful, and delivered with care. We also had a good giggle along the way – Diarmid has a great sense of humour – but what really shone through was the love he has for his community and country, past and present. That passion made the whole experience even more special. I’d highly recommend it to anyone visiting Belfast.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Thanks for the lovely review. Glad you both enjoyed the tour, was nice to meet you both.

Caolan was great!

TianMing_H, Sep 2025

Caolan comes from the area which gave the tour a lot of authencity. He was very passionate about the subject and also very humorous. A great guide and tour.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Thanks for the kind review.

If you want to learn about the political history, do THIS TOUR

Donna_B, Aug 2025

My tour guide (sorry I can’t remember how to spell your name), was professional, informative, funny, engaging, frank, provided an unbiased view of the actions of the Catholics and Protestants, answered all my questions (and I did have a lot) and even gave me homework with a list of resources to read or podcasts to listen to. I even got a bottle of water. For someone from overseas who is unaware of the history to the creation of Northern Ireland and the Troubles this tour is the one to do. I highly recommend it.

Response from Host, Aug 2025

Thanks for the great review. Glad you enjoyed your tour.

Great guide, great...

Eileen_C, Jul 2025

Great guide, great personality and stories. It was a very good tour that we are still talking about. Highly recommend!

Response from Host, Jul 2025

Thanks for the kind review. Glad you enjoyed the tour.

Belfast History June 2025

Melinda_C, Jun 2025

Our tour with Caolan was very informative and was a highlight of our trip to Belfast. He was knowledgeable and willing to answer any questions. We had a great time with him and I highly recommend this tour.

Response from Host, Jun 2025

Thanks for the lovely review Melinda. Glad you enjoyed your tour.

Don’t miss this opportunity to get the real story on The Troubles.

Geraldine_M, Jun 2025

Caolain was an exceptional tour guide. He grew up in Belfast and was able to take us on a great tour past all the gates which separated the Catholic and Protestant sides of the conflict. We saw the Peace Wall, many murals and toured both neighborhoods. The details and photos that Caolain shared were incredible. His experience living here now and during the Troubles made this one of the best tours we have ever taken. We learned so much and now have a better understanding of the Troubles.

Response from Host, Jun 2025

Thanks for the kind review. Really glad you both enjoyed the tour.

Exceeded Expectations!

karen_b, May 2025

This tour was extremely informative and Caolan was very personable and enthusiastic!. He was a wealth of information. We learned so much and thoroughly enjoyed our time with him. He was so good at explaining both sides of the troubles and the history and politics of Ireland. He didn't takes sides, just laid out the facts. He even gave us some information that we could explore on our own after the tour. Also, I can't thank Caolan and Diarmaid enough. I mistakenly left my sunglasses in the taxi after the tour. I contacted them and both of them went out of their way to help me get them back. Much appreciated!!!