The Derry Walls Walking Tour
A full mile atop the only completely intact city walls in Ireland, the essential first walk in Derry.
Duration
~1.5 hours
Distance
~1.2 miles · mostly flat, atop the walls
Starts at
Guildhall Square
Group size
Up to 15 · private groups welcome
Price
£15 per person · under-12s free
Difficulty
Easy · gentle pace, a few short flights of steps
What to expect
This is the walk to start with. In ninety minutes we circle the complete circuit of Derry's 17th-century walls, the best-preserved fortifications in Europe and the only ones in Ireland never to have been breached.
From up on the ramparts the whole story of the city opens out beneath you: the Bogside and its murals on one side, the river and the Guildhall on the other, seven gates, a cathedral and four hundred years of siege, division and reinvention. I'll tell you the lot, the guidebook version and the local one.
What you'll see
- The complete one-mile circuit of the city walls
- The original siege cannon, including Roaring Meg
- Views down over the Bogside and the People's Gallery murals
- St Columb's Cathedral and the Apprentice Boys' Memorial Hall
- The original city gates and the merchant streets below
- The full story of the 105-day Siege of Derry
Seen enough to fall for the place?
Ready to walk the Walls?
Lace up and let a local show you the real Derry.
Your itinerary
- 1
Meet at Guildhall Square
We gather outside the Guildhall, get our bearings and step back four centuries before we even reach the walls.
- 2
Up onto the ramparts
We climb onto the walls above Magazine Gate and set off along the northern wall, the Guildhall and river behind us.
- 3
Shipquay & the merchant city
Above the old gates we look down Derry's steepest street and talk trade, plantation and the London guilds that built the place.
- 4
The Royal Bastion
The Apprentice Boys' Hall and the story of the thirteen apprentices who shut the gates and began the siege.
- 5
Bishop's Gate & the cannon
Past the courthouse to the double bastion, where the cannon still point out over the Bogside, Roaring Meg among them.
- 6
Over the Bogside
The stretch with the finest view in the city: Free Derry Corner and the twelve murals laid out below us.
- 7
Down into the walled city
We come off the walls near the Diamond, and I'll point you to the best of what's left to see, eat and drink.
Meeting pointGuildhall Square
Outside the Guildhall, by the Peace Bridge
Look for me by the front doors of the Guildhall, I'll have the Derry Tour Co. sign. Please arrive 10 minutes early so we can set off on time.
Finishes: Back near the Diamond, in the heart of the walled city
See it on the mapAvailable in your language
Every tour is offered in English. Spanish and French are available as private guided walks, just let me know when you book.
What's included
- Your accredited local guide for the full walk
- All the stories, siege, civil rights and the craic
- Plenty of photo stops
- Tips on where to eat, drink and go next
Good to know
What to wear
Comfortable shoes and a coat, we're outdoors and up on the walls where it can be breezy. It's Ireland; a light rain jacket never hurts.
Accessibility
The walls are mostly flat but reached by a few short flights of steps. Get in touch before booking and I'll plan a step-free route where I can.
Meeting time
Please arrive 10 minutes before the start so we can set off promptly. Latecomers can usually catch us on the first stretch of wall.
Any weather
Tours run rain or shine. Only genuinely dangerous weather stops us, you'll hear from me directly if so.
Book your tour with Andrew
Tours run Fridays to Mondays, 27 July to 18 August. Pick a date and time that suits you and I’ll take care of the rest. Private groups, families and last-minute wanderers all welcome.
- Instant confirmation
- Free cancellation up to 24 hrs
- Meet in the city centre
- Rain or shine, it’s Ireland!
Prefer to just ask?
thederrytourco@gmail.comThe Walled City Walk
~1.5 hrs · Meet at Guildhall Square
