Derry's Past, Present and Future

Discover the events that have shaped Londonderry on a tour that walks its 17th-century fortified walls, visits its civil rights museum and toasts its future at a wine reception. Your perspective ranges from high Iskaheen View, with its sweeping panoramas of Derry, the bay and the hills of Donegal, to up-close encounters with political wall murals commemorating the period known as The Troubles. This 1960s and 1970s era of Irish civil rights struggle is well-explained by exhibits you’ll see at the Museum of Free Derry, while monuments seen in the Bogside neighborhood shed even more light on key events like the Hunger Strikes. The scenery as you travel the city is always interesting, from a picturesque drive along the Foyle River to a historic workhouse for the poor, a former British army barracks, and the old shipyards where so many left Ireland during the 19th-century Great Famine. From a walk along the top of 26-foot-high Old City walls, you’ll get a clear sense of Derry’s medieval street plan – and at the landmark Guildhall, a late-Gothic stunner, you’ll admire stonework and stained glass as you enjoy a casual wine reception before returning to the ship.

• Wear weather-appropriate clothing; include a light raincoat or umbrella.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.