Visit Derry - Visitor Information Centre

We only wandered in to pick up a town map, but were greeted by one of the most friendly and helpful staff. He told us what to see, and how to get there, and provided valuable information to make the most of our short stay. Just sorry we didnt remember his name, as he certainly deserves the publicity!

Our first stop was here and we're glad we did. A very friendly team who helped to provide maps, information on the museums and bus and train timetables to get to the Giants Causeway. Unfortunately the left luggage facility is not available at the moment due to covid.

Super informative and helpful staff that helped me make a short visit to the sea on public transport. Great recommendation for a Bloody Sunday historic tour by Bogside Historic Tours. Nice books and souvenirs as well.

Tourist information offices abound in every city but they are only as good as the people working in them. The Derry Tourist Office is one of the best I have visited. The young lady behind the counter, a budding Goth I believe, was so obliging, friendly and smiley. Shows, never judge a book by its cover. She had us sorted in no time with a free city map with all the attractions she had circled. Yes, I said free. Elsewhere we had paid £1.50 for a similar map but I won’t say where except it was a map of Oxford LOL.
Derry Information Office you have done your wonderful city, PROUD. Thank you.

A trip to the Visit Derry Visitors Centre was the perfect start to my stay in Derry. I called in for a map and general orientation advice and ended up staying for about a half an hour talking to the incredibly friendly and Well Informed guy on the desk- Barry I think his name was.
He was brilliant, giving me great advice about what to do, a few shortcuts and suggested itineraries and a long, long chat about all aspects of the city. He was a mine of Information about the history of Derry, the troubles and political strife and the sporting and cultural side of the city. He loves his football does Barry!
Really well laid out place with loads of info and a massive array of souvenirs and trinkets.
If you are coming to the city then this superb visitors centre makes the perfect place to start.

We visited this centre when first arriving in Derry, and found the staff more than helpful. We left with all the information we could possibly need!

Had to call into the Visitor Information Centre to meet a Hop on Hop off bus tour of the city on Thursday 18th April. I pre-booked and pre-paid for the tour online on city sightseeing tours website, it’s a company I have used previously without problems in other cities we’ve visited. Unfortunately on this occasion the really helpful lady had the unenviable job of advising us that tour had not yet begun to operate. This was despite the website allowing us to pick that specific date for to take the tour. The lady explained that this same problem had arisen with other visitors to the city recently. This is extremely embarrassing and unfair on the staff in the Visitor information centre, as it is a completely separate company yet they are left to pick up the pieces of somebody else’s mess. The lady on duty when we visited offered to book us a taxi tour of the city but we decided not to, she gave us a map of the city and marked out areas of particular interest to us. If your up to it, I would suggest exploring the city by foot, we walked along the walls of the city, and exited the walls at places of interest to us. The city is quite compact and is very accessible on foot to most people. The lady tried to contact the tour company to initiate a refund of the money I had paid for the tour but was unsuccessful while we were there, she took my details and told me she would have a tour company representative call me to organise the refund. Unfortunately I never got this lady’s name, but she was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. I never received a call from the tour company regarding my refund, so the following morning I contacted the Visitor centre, the lady I dealt with the previous day was not in work, but her colleague Barry was equally as apologetic, embarrassed and helpful about the situation and promised to do all they can to assist me in obtaining the refund. As previously mentioned it’s unfair on these staff being left in such a situation, they are doing their utmost to assist visitors and promote tourism in their city and experiences like this can create a negative view of their city. Both members of staff we encountered are a credit to the Visitor Information centre.

Out of all the walking tours I have done, this would have to have been the best guided tour that I have done. Garvin was a sensational tour leader, bringing the highs and the lows of the city that he loves best, that being Derry. Each stop gave as more info about what happened in Derry, during the troubles, as well as other historical events that happened in Derry, all through recorded history. If you only do one walking tour in Northern Ireland, then I couldn't more highly recommend this tour. Keep up the great work Garvin.

Can't fault the staff and the set up . We were short of time and the staff sorted us out with tours efficiently and had plenty of information to give us , maps , walking options etc
Good toilets

The first thing I like to do when I'm visiting a new town or city, is visit the local tourist office, and get the lie of the land, so to speak. Derry has a fine tourist office, cum souvenir shop, and it is easy to locate, as it sticks out like a sour thumb, just by the river, on the city side. The only complaint I have about it is, that it does not have a car park.

When I went in yesterday, it was kinda busy, but there was a nice buzz about it. There were 3 staff on duty, and they seemed like they were happy in their work. As I was browsing some of the leaflets, a nice lady came over and asked me if I needed help. I declined, but thought it a nice jesture.

After about 20 mins or so, it was time to leave, but I had some brochures to bring with me, and I didn't fancy carrying them, so I asked for a bag with handles. The male staff member wanted 5 pence for one, so I declined, but, quick as a flash, the kind, helpful lady, offered to give me a recycled one for free. Wasn't that nice of her? I took the bag, thanked her, and left, thinking why aren't all tourist offices as helpful as this one.