A History of Terror is the No.1 Belfast Troubles tour. It runs every day starting at 10.30am. Tickets cost £22 per person.
A History of Terror was named #4 Experience in the UK at the TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice Awards 2019 and Highly Commended at the Northern Ireland Tourism Awards in 2019 in the category ‘Authentic Northern Ireland Experience of the Year’. It is graded 5 Stars by Tourism NI.
About the tour
Your tour will start with a short introduction to Irish and British history and the background to the start of the ‘Troubles’ in the late 1960s. We then visit seven locations in the city centre where major events occurred between 1971 and 1976. We use the stories of these events to explain what happened and why, and how it affected nearly every part of our daily lives.
What you will learn
This tour explains how the Troubles began. We tell the stories of the people involved, their place in the conflict and the effect these attacks and incidents had on the city and its people. We do all this from an entirely neutral, civilian perspective. The tour also shows how far the city has come since the ceasefires and Peace Process.
It is suitable for anyone visiting Belfast, regardless of how much or little you already know of our troubled past. The tour is a way for you to get a real feel for our history and make a deeper emotional connection with the city.
See Belfast in a new light
Many guests say they have felt transported back in time through the rich and detailed story-telling in this tour. They understand and appreciate how far the city has come since those dark days and come to see Belfast in a new light.
The tour has a factual core script to ensure it is historically accurate, unbiased and non-partisan. But our guides are also encouraged to take ownership of their tour. They bring it to life by recounting their own personal experiences during the Troubles.
Expert guides
There is plenty of time built into the tour to allow you to ask questions and for us to answer them meaningfully.
Our guides are not just guides, but politically neutral conflict historians. We are all experts in our field and we pride ourselves on being able to answer practically any question.
What we offer
Read our reviews!
“Mark was our guide, and his knowledge was simply astounding. Would highly recommend this to anyone thinking of visiting Belfast, it really opens your eyes and makes your trip more rewarding.”
“These guys aren’t any run of the mill tour guides, they are historians!!”
“So impressive and thought-provoking. The amount of information you managed to pack in was incredible, and you really brought history to life for us. Will be thinking about this for a long time to come.”
“Mark put the Troubles in perspective for us. It was an excellent tour: living history. You could feel Mark’s commitment, which made it a special experience for us.”
“Fascinating tour of Belfast focused on the Troubles. Our guide was amazing with his knowledge, friendliness, and candor in explaining a very complicated issue.”
“Fascinating Informative Tour – Our guide Paul gave us a fantastic insight into the recent history of Belfast with his knowledge and passion for his subject & his city.”
“Our guide was friendly and warm, which along with the character of Belfast, set the tour up for success straight away. What ascended the experience towards something quite profound was the knowledge, honesty, wit and humanity of Paul.”
“Paul was excellent. He added his personal experience to his historic knowledge. It was lively, interesting and fun. He also patiently answered all my questions at the end of the tour. Thank you!”
“The time flew by.Paul was a fantastic guide, who had his audience in the palm of his hand. Our two teenage children were fascinated. As first time visitors to Belfast this was a not-to-be-missed insight into its difficult past.”
“The tour was incredible. Gabe brought the history of the troubles to life. A thought provoking experience.”
“Fascinating, educational and entertaining! – Great tour. James did a cracking job describing specific incidents whilst also covering off the bigger picture. Learned so much and really enhanced my trip to Belfast!”
“A serious subject delivered respectfully but with a lightness of touch and optimism for the future which left us feeling positive and looking forward to exploring further. Thanks James!”
“James is such a friendly guide. As close as you’ll come on a short visit to feeling welcomed by the people of Belfast, so warm-hearted despite their terrible recent history. I ended the tour feeling hope for their future. Thanks James!”
“The tour was moving, personal, and absolutely excellent. It was one of those rare travel experiences that I will be thinking about for years to come.”