Best things to do in Derry

Walk atop Derry's City Walls, the only completely intact ones in Ireland. They date back to the 17th century, and today give you an unobstructed perspective down onto the old town they contain. As you stroll along the 1.5-km (0.93-mi) promenade, stop to admire the four original gates and three more that the city added over the years. The Walls remain open from dawn until dusk and are free of charge. You can find plenty of seating if you need to pause during your walk.

Considered the country’s fourth-greatest natural wonder, World Heritage-listed Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. Most of the columns are hexagonal, with the tallest rising 12 m (39 ft) into the air. Some of these rock structures, after several million years of weathering, resemble easily recognizable objects. These include the Organ, Giant’s Boot, Giant’s Eyes, and Camel’s Hump. Visit the area to see and photograph a wide variety of native seabirds, such as cormorants, redshanks, and razorbills. The weathered rocks shelter a number of rare and unusual plants, including sea spleenwort, sea fescue, and frog orchid. Stop by the visitor center for more information, souvenirs, and refreshments.

The Causeway Coastal Route consists of a scenic 193 km (120 mi) road weaving its way around the northern Irish coast between Belfast and Londonderry. Distinctive brown road signs direct visitors to a host of major tourist attractions, including The Giant’s Causeway, Dunluce Castle, and The Old Bushmills Whiskey Distillery, set amongst cliffs, mountains, waterfalls, and golden sands. Make sure you give yourself time to explore and enjoy unplanned adventures and tempting deviations. Some of the roads leading off the route to attractions can be quite narrow, so do take care if you’re not used to driving on small roads.

Once owned by smugglers, but now one of the most prolific whiskey producers in Ireland, Bushmills Distillery attracts over 120,000 visitors every year. The distillery is one of the oldest licensed distilleries in the world, although you'll see the most modern distilling methods in action on your visit. Take a guided tour of the distillery, where you'll learn about whiskey's history and production methods. Taste the beverage at the end of your tour and purchase a bottle to share with friends.

The Peace Bridge is a cycle and foot bridge across the River Foyle in Derry, Northern Ireland. It opened on 25 June 2011, connecting Ebrington Square with the rest of the city centre. It is the newest of three bridges in the city, the others being the Craigavon Bridge and the Foyle Bridge. The 235 metres (771 ft) bridge was designed by AECOM, who also designed the Sutong Yangtze River Bridge, and Wilkinson Eyre Architects, who also designed the Gateshead Millennium Bridge.

The bridge was opened to the public by EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn; accompanied by the First and deputy First Ministers, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness; and the Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny. It is intended to improve relations between the largely unionist Waterside on the east bank with the largely nationalist Cityside on the west bank, by improving access between these areas, as part of wider regeneration plans. The bridge also provides a crossing over the railway line approaching Waterside station. The asymetrical bridge, which is 235 m (770 ft) long and 4 m (13 ft) metre wide, is supported by two sloping pillars and symbolises a coming-together of the two communities. Its curved footpath, track and cycleway link the Guildhall, in the centre of the city, with Ebrington Square in the Waterside area, and St. Columb's Park.

The historic Guildhall is one of Derry’s most recognisable landmarks, located in the heart of the city since 1890.

The Guildhall is a must see visitor attraction with over 20 magnificent stained glass windows representing the history of the city and the Plantation of Ulster exhibition .

The newly refurbished and award winning Guildhall provides a unique and state of the art venue for events.

The main hall has a capacity of up to 600 standing or 400 seated and provides a stunning backdrop for corporate hire, conferences, events and civil ceremonies.

The Whittaker Suite can accommodate up to 60 and is the perfect space for business meetings, functions and civil ceremonies.

All spaces are equipped with state of the art technology for sound, audio and lighting.

Admission: Free of charge

Guildhall Guided Tours:

Adult £2.00 Child £1.50

Experience medieval history on the cliffs of the Antrim coast at Dunluce Castle. Dating as far back as the 13th century, the now-ruined castle represents the rich history of Northern Ireland. Tour the ruins of the great hall to imagine how it must have looked in the past, or climb the cliff-top towers for impressive views of the coastline. Grab an audio-visual guide at the entrance to view animations of the castle’s structures rebuilt and hear information on the castle’s long history. Kids will love the audio treasure hunt, which leads them on a search for artifacts throughout the castle grounds.

Sway between two cliffs faces 30 m (98 ft) above the rocks and water on Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge. Fishermen once used it during the salmon runs, but currently the National Trust manages it as a tourist attraction. Over 247,000 visitors walk across the bridge every year to the island of Carrickarede, an Irish word meaning "rock of the casting," for the views over the sea below and the land behind. You must pay a small fee to cross the bridge, but once you pay you're on your own. The money goes toward upkeep and preservation.

This city has an exceptional brewing & distilling heritage spanning from the brewery in Sir Henry Dowcra’s Fort in 1607, to the closure of the world-famous Watts & Company distillery in 1925.

That day in 1925 spelt the beginning of a barren period for local beers and spirits.

The beer market in particular has been consolidated and controlled by large overseas multinationals, with marketeers brewing fizzy insipid lagers.

Until now.

The Walled City Brewery will make uniquely local, premium quality, fabulously flavoursome craft beers in small artisan batches, using recipes that Masterbrewer James has been painstakingly perfecting over the last 12 years.

Learn about Northern Ireland's civil rights era of the 1960s and the Early Troubles era of the 1970s at Museum of Free Derry. View artifacts from Bloody Sunday (January 30, 1972) and its aftermath, including hate mail sent to the families of the victims. Be moved as the story of that day unfolds via storyboards, photos, and film. Listen to real sound recordings of Bloody Sunday, and search for bullet holes still present on the outside of the building.