Ideas For What To Do in Derry (Londonderry), Northern Ireland

On a weekend trip to Belfast and drive out to the Giant’s Causeway with my two daughters (aged 20 and 17), we decided to take a detour on the way back to the airport to visit Derry having recently watched the TV series Derry Girls. Whilst considering what to do in Derry, I looked for something fun to keep the girls entertained whilst giving us a good introduction to the city.  Here are some ideas for your visit to Derry, including the fun activity we booked…

Firstly, is to Derry or Londonderry?

The broad-brush answer is that Nationalists prefer Derry and Unionists prefer Londonderry, however today Derry now seems to be the common name used by the majority. There is a lot of political history behind the name which I don’t feel qualified to comment on, which is why taking a tour with one of the local experts can be helpful if you are interested in learning more about the history.

Where is Derry, Northern Ireland?

Derry is in County Londonderry, 1 hour, 15-minutes’ drive northwest from Belfast city centre. It also has an airport, City of Derry Airport, if you want to fly.

What to do in Derry

Depending how much time you have, here are 5 ideas for what to do in Derry:

1. Take a Political History Tour

There are plenty of tour options if you want to find out more about the rich political history of this city from a guide. Some of the tours focus on key periods of history, some on the political murals and some give a good overview of the city in general, such as the Derry City: The Troubles Bogside Walking Tour available on Get Your Guide.

2. Focus on the Derry Girls

There is a Derry Girls TV Show Filming Locations Tour available on Get Your Guide which we would have taken if the days and times had worked for us. The tour aims to help you get to know the Derry Girls and their home city better, allowing you to learn more about the history of the city as you go.

Combine this with a visit to the Derry Girls Experience at Tower Museum to see a mock-up of the Quinn family’s living room and many pieces of original memorabilia from the hit show.

3. Walk the city walls

Derry has the most complete set of medieval walls in all of Ireland dating back to the 18th century, and one of the finest examples of preserved walls in Europe. As a result, you can walk all around the walls surrounding the inner city, exiting the wall at one of its 4 gates (Ferryquay Gate, Bishop’s Gate, Butcher Gate and Shipquay Gate) if you want to look around a particular area. The walk is around 1.5 km and provides some great views over the wider city.

4. Try a Go Quest Adventure to explore Derry without a guide

If you’re wondering what to do in Derry and fancy exploring the city under your own steam, with a group of family or friends, then you could buy a self-guided tour called Derry: City Walking Tour & Exploration Game with Go Quest Adventures through Get Your Guide.

We booked the exploration game for a one-off fee and then used the Go Quest Adventures App to lead us around Derry. The catch? We had to solve puzzles and answer questions as we went which added an element of fun (or challenge) to the experience.

How does Go Quest Adventures work?

Buying a ‘Quest’ allows up to 5 people to join in – one person has the master account and inputs the answers to the questions, but the other members of the group can also follow progress via the Go Quest Adventures App.

It was simple to access – they send a Redemption Code and instructions on how to redeem the Quest in the Go Quest Adventures App, which we had each downloaded.

Then the Quest gives you a starting location and off you go – all you need to do is read the information about your location, and then answer the puzzle questions to receive instructions about the next destination.

You can start the quest whenever you want (in daylight hours) and either go at your own pace or try to get a good time so that you can secure a position on the leader board for the Quest. All you need is a charged smart phone, and pen and paper for solving the puzzles.

Although the Quest route is only 2 miles long, it may take you between 2.5-3.5 hours to complete all the activities and learning. If you want to stop for lunch or coffee break, there is the option to pause the Quest once.

So how did we get on and what did we see?

The Peace Flame Garden

Our Quest started at the Peace Flame, a glass-enclosed eternal flame in a small garden next to the Guildhall. The flame was lit by the children of Derry, from both sides of the Troubles, and in the presence of Martin Luther King Jr III during Derry’s year as the UK’s City of Culture. It is the only peace flame in Ireland, in this city that strives for harmony. Sadly, we couldn’t see the actual flame, so we were not sure if it was lit, but the sentiment was moving.

The City Walls & Gates

The trail took us around the City Walls and to the Gates of the city, including:

• Ferryquay Gate, built in 1865 and originally with a drawbridge for protection.
• Bishop’s Gate – where James II demanded entry to the city during the 1689 Siege.
• Butcher Gate – where we excited in search of refreshments.
• Shipquay Gate – bring us back to the start.

From one point on the walls, you can look down over an area called The Fountains – one of the few Protestant, pro-British Loyalist pockets left in this part of the city. Here the pavement curbs are painted red, white and blue.

Anthony Gormley Sculpture

Sculpture for Derry Walls (1987) by Anthony Gormley is a three-part sculpture with the parts situated around the city walls. The statues represent the 2 sides of Christianity in the city – Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, both linked by a cross (symbolised by the position of this sculpture) but facing in different directions.

The Derry Girls Mural

If you haven’t watched the TV Series Derry Girls, then I highly recommend it. It focuses on a group of school kids growing up in Derry and trying to make sense of the world, with some hilarious scrapes and adventures along the way. The series, written by Lisa McGree (a real-life Derry girl) has won several Baftas for a scripted comedy. The mural is on the side of a building near the shops (see featured photograph).

The Garden of Reflection

One of the stops was at a spot which you would probably miss without being directed to see it – The Garden of Reflection – a quiet passage way in-between houses near St Columb’s Cathedral. There are poems and stained-glass panels mounted on the walls in a tranquil oasis in the city.

St Columb’s Cathedral

St Columb’s Cathedral sits just inside the city walls and is Derry’s oldest building, dating back to 1628. It was the first Protestant cathedral built in Britain or Ireland following the reformation. On the city walls just outside St Columb’s Cathedral is a watchtower built into the wall.

The Double Bastion

The Double Bastion in Derry is a platform built on the walls of the city as a base for several cannon guns once used for defence. The Double Bastion is on a corner site, covering two stretches of wall, with great views of the city.

The Grand Parade

The Grand Parade is the widest part of the Derry city walls once a fashionable place for people to promenade. Today it is still popular with people to stroll around the city.

Visit The Siege Museum

If you want to detour off the city walls, then you can visit The Siege Museum on Society Street for a history fix. There have been 3 siege attempts on the walls in Derry – 2 in the 1640s and the 1689 Siege in which over 4,000 people died. Once visited, simply hop back on the walls to keep going.

Stop for a pint of Guinness at Butcher Gate

If you are finding the puzzle solving to be thirsty work, then drop down off the walls at Butcher Gate and head down neighbouring Waterloo Street which is lined with pubs. We choose to sip some Guinness at The Rocking Chair pub sitting outside in the sun. The only problem was that after relaxing with our stouts in the sunshine, we found it difficult to get going again!

Note – we visited on a Sunday when the shops were closed, but the pubs were open and so the best bet for food was to grab something at the pub.

The political murals of Derry

The tour takes you around some of the political murals in Derry in Bogside. Look out for the Free Derry Wall and the Bloody Sunday monument. For this section, if I returned to Derry then I would try and book a tour specifically about the murals as I felt they needed more explanation and were perhaps an activity in themselves.

Overall, we enjoyed our self-guided tour, and I would be happy to try another Go Quest Adventure in another city.

So, if you’re wondering what to do in Derry and want a bit of a challenge then I would definitely recommend this option. It meant that we were all involved in the activity and learning as we went. Just don’t drink too much Guinness along the way!

5. Visit The Muff Distillery in Muff

If you have some spare time on your visit to Derry, then visit the nearby Muff Liquor Company (a 15-minute drive away), part-owned by Hollywood star Russell Crowe. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time on this visit but it’s on my list for next time!

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