Belfast's Comeback Story: A Self-Guided Walking Tour

one hour – 1 h 30 min Free cancellation Private tour

Belfast's Comeback Story: A Self-Guided Walking Tour, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

Just arrived in Belfast? Don't follow the crowds — start at Belfast Grand Central Station, the new heart of the city, just 10 minutes from City Hall and 5 from the Europa. On this light-hearted self-guided tour, follow Belfast's journey from Victorian industrial powerhouse, through the dark years of the Troubles, to the confident modern capital it is today. Along the way, learn how the Ring of Steel turned the city centre into a fortified military zone for nearly three decades, and how the Industrial Revolution sowed the tensions that later erupted into conflict. Hidden food and drink gems, well-known pubs, gin joints, and coffee shops are woven throughout.

The tour ends at the Grand Opera House — a restored 1895 masterpiece that has survived bombs, decline, and reinvention. This engaging tour gives you the full picture — the boom, the bloodshed, and the remarkable comeback.

Private and Luxury Private Sightseeing Tours Audio Guides Cultural Tours Historical Tours Walking Tours Short term availability Weather Dependent - Low

At a glance

Duration: one hour – 1 h 30 min
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–15
Audio guide: English
Written guide: English
Operated by: VoiceMap Audio Tours

Ages: Adults (6–98 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Lifetime access to this tour in English before your booking date and after it
Included: Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
Included: Flexibility to explore at your own pace with a self-guided GPS tour
Included: App for Android and iOS
Included: Directions to the starting point so that when you’re in the right place, the tour will start

Not included

Not included: Smartphone and headphones
Not included: Transportation
Not included: Food and drink
Not included: Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour

Itinerary

Stop 1

Passing by

Begin your tour at Belfast Grand Central Station, the new heart of the city and centre of its rebirth and regeneration. Take in this modern gateway, just minutes from City Hall, as your starting point for a journey through Belfast's remarkable history.
Stop 2

Passing by

Discover the secret location of Johnny Long's legendary fish and chip shop, a local favourite that most tourists never find. Enjoy this hidden gem, exactly the kind of insider spot this tour is built around.
Stop 3

Passing by

Pass the Europa Hotel, once dubbed the "most bombed hotel in the world" after surviving over 30 bomb attacks during the Troubles. Discover how, despite the devastation, no one was ever killed by these attacks, and the hotel has since become a symbol of Belfast's resilience.
Belfast City Hall

Passing by

Admire Belfast City Hall, completed in 1906 as a grand symbol of civic pride during the city's industrial heyday. Discover its deep Titanic connections, built with many of the same skilled craftsmen who later fitted out the ill-fated liner's lounges and suites.
Winifred Carney Statue

Passing by

Learn about Winifred Carney, the armed socialist who stormed the GPO during the 1916 Rising. Take in her statue outside City Hall, unveiled in 2024 as one of the first non-royal women honoured in the building's grounds.
Titanic Memorial Garden

Passing by

Explore the Titanic Memorial Garden in the grounds of City Hall, created for the centenary of the disaster in 2012. Read the names of all those who lost their lives on the Titanic, inscribed here alongside the original 1920 memorial sculpture.
Kelly's Cellars

Passing by

Stand outside Kelly's Cellars, a 1720 pub where United Irishmen planned the failed 1798 Rebellion. Take in one of Belfast's oldest surviving pubs, still steeped in the atmosphere of its rebellious past.
Grand Opera House

Passing by

Arrive at the Grand Opera House on Great Victoria Street, a restored 1895 masterpiece that has survived bombs, decline, and reinvention. Take in one of the city's most striking buildings as your tour comes to its close.
Mary Anne Mccracken Statue

Passing by

Discover the statue of Mary Ann McCracken, unveiled in 2024 alongside Winifred Carney as the first non-royal women honoured at City Hall. Learn how this Belfast-born abolitionist and social reformer supported the United Irishmen and cared for her brother's daughter after his execution in 1798.
Stop 10

Passing by

Pass The Linen Hall, founded in 1788 as the oldest library in Belfast and the last subscribing library in Ireland. Discover its radical origins, established by artisans and reformers whose collection still holds one of the world's most complete archives on the Troubles.

Meeting point and pickup

Everyone meets at the meeting point.

Meeting point

This tour starts at Grand Central Station. Before arrival, please install the mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading.

End point

Tour ends at Grand Opera House

Using your ticket

VOICEMAP CODE

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Please check your email at the address you provided when you made this booking. You've been sent an eight character code you'll need to redeem your tour.

This code can be used by every member of your party. If you've booked for three people, for example, three people can download this tour using the same code.

DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS

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Once you've received your code, please follow these steps:

Install the VoiceMap Audio Tours mobile app

Create an account

Select Tour Codes from the menu, then select Enter Codes

Enter your code then select Download Now

PLEASE NOTE

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You can download the tour at any time, before or after your booking date. It’s best to download the tour before you set off for the starting point.

This tour follows a set route and includes turn-by-turn directions. It works best if you start it in the right place and follow the directions from one location to the next.

When the download completes, you’ll see a screen with a photo of the starting point and directions to it. The red start button will become active when you are at the starting point.

Remember to bring your own headphones, unless you have booked a driving tour.

SUPPORT

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For technical support and other queries, please contact us