What follows is a list of sightseeing and educational tours within Dublin City and its environs.
Places to visit: Tours
Architecture Tours
Architecture Tours Ireland is a joint enterprise between the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland and the Irish Architecture Foundation. The group organises informative walking tours of Dublin’s built environment.
Public architecture tours are unavailable for the foreseeable future (as of September 2023).
In the past, four tours took place every weekend – the Temple Bar tour, the Docklands tour, the Living City tour and the Georgian tour – but now group tours are arranged by prior appointment only (minimum of 15 persons, maximum of 25 persons). The cost is roughly €11.50 per person.
Contact:
riai.ie/discover-architecture/architecture-tours
Tel: 01 6761703
Big Bus Tours (City Sightseeing) Hop On Hop Off Tour
Multiple ticket types and tour packages are available, which can be valid for 24, 48 or 72 hours.
Scheduling:
The main “Red Route”, runs every 15 – 20mins from 9am – 5.30pm, 7 days a week.
Starting at the tour office on O’Connell Street, there are 23 stops at major tourist attractions across the city centre.
Ticket holders can get on/off a bus at any stop during the operating hours.
All buses have live English speaking guides, and pre-recorded audio guides in 8 different languages. A guided walking tour is included with all tickets.
Some tickets include additional night and/or coastal tours, which are not “hop-on, hop-off”, and must be booked in advance. These tours can also be booked separately on their own.
Schedules may be altered occasionally, it is advised to download the free app, or check the latest service information for any schedule updates.
Contact & Pricing:
bigbustours.com/en/dublin/dublin-bus-tours
Tel: 01 531 1711
Big Bus Tours, 13 Upper O’Connell Street, Dublin 1
Adults from €25 (discount if booked online); concessions
Dublin Bay Cruises
Dublin Bay Cruises is the only regular passenger ferry operating on Dublin Bay and offers a daily service with different cruise options to choose from.
Two especially attractive routes are –
Dublin City to Howth via Dun Laoghaire
Cruise south from the City to Dun Laoghaire Harbour, taking in the Convention Centre, the East Link Bridge, Dublin Port and Docklands, Poolbeg Lighthouse, Clontarf and the Bull Island wildlife reserve, the Baily and Kish Lighthouses, Howth Head, Ireland’s Eye, Lambay Island and Howth Harbour. The cruise lasts 150 minutes.
Dun Laoghaire to Dalkey Island, returning via Killiney Bay
Set sail on a 75 minute cruise, heading south past the James Joyce Martello Tower, the Forty Foot, Bullock Harbour, Dalkey Island and Collimore Harbour, Sorrento Point, and Killiney Bay. The ship is regularly joined by a group of dolphins.
The vessel has a capacity for 120 passengers.
Tickets can be purchased on arrival, but advance booking is recommended.
Scheduling:
Sailings start on March 17, and finish in mid-October.
Cruises do not run on Mondays.
A range of cruise options are available, one-way and return.
There are 4 pick-up/drop-off points, including 2 in the city centre,
Prices and pick-up times vary, but the majority cost €25 one-way. It may be possible to book a discounted return journey on some routes, alternatively, a discounted DART ticket is offered.
No booking is required for children aged 3 and under.
Contact & Pricing:
dublinbaycruises.com
booking@dublinbaycruises.com
Tel: 01 9011 757
East Pier, Dun Laoghaire Harbour, Co. Dublin
From €25 one-way; concessions
Dublin Bus Ghost Tour
Join the world’s first and most terrifying Ghostbus Tour and discover the darker side to Dublin City. The Ghostbus Tour brings to life the tales of horrors that shocked Dubliners back in the day.
Visit the scenes of these most horrendous acts and allow your storyteller to bring you these stories in sinister detail. Delve into the medieval vault at Dublin Castle and visit the most haunted vault in the city. Learn about the sinister Dublin surgeon Dr Clossey and explore the inspiration behind Bram Stoker’s legendary character Dracula.
The Ghostbus Tour is a theatrical experience involving professional actors. The tour is ideal for anyone interested in Dublin’s dark history, ghost stories and having a fun outing. The bus itself is an incredible venue with creepy maze like corridors and stairs below leading up to a stark Victorian theatre above.
Scheduling:
Operating days vary monthly, but usually does not run on Wednesdays or Sundays. Check the website for current schedule.
Tours depart at 7pm and 9.30pm from Dublin Bus, 59 Upper O’Connell Street, Dublin. Arrive 15 minutes before the departure time.
Tour is part walking tour and runs under most weather conditions, appropriate attire is required.
The tour lasts two hours and is not suitable for children under 14 years, or people with a sensitive disposition.
Advance booking is recommended, especially during peak periods.
Contact & Pricing:
ghostbus.ie
info@dodublin.ie
Tel: 01 703 3028
Tickets: €35
Dublin Bus “Do Dublin” Sightseeing Tour
The Dublin Bus “Do Dublin” Sightseeing Hop On Hop Off Tour allows you to see the city’s essential attractions in a 105-minute tour with live commentary.
Scheduling:
Runs 7 days a week with the first bus starting at O’Connell Street at 9am.Last bus departs from Stop 1 (59 Upper O’Connell Street) at 5pm, or 7pm from May – Oct.
Buses run every 15 – 30 mins.
The full route takes approximately 105mins (depending on traffic congestion) and has 25 stops at the most popular tourist attractions in the city centre. Ticket holders can enter or exit any DoDublin Tour bus at any of the 25 stops for as long as their ticket is valid (24 or 48 hours from first use).
All buses have English speaking tour guides, as well as pre-recorded multilingual tours in 9 languages.
Please note, most buses are open top, so you may be exposed to the elements if the bus is near capacity.
Operated by Dublin Bus, a state-owned transport company. Tickets are not valid on regular Dublin Bus routes, or other similar “hop-on, hop-off” tour bus services.
Booking in advance online is highly recommended, as there are several ticket types and discounted packages, with special offers available, such as free museum or children’s bus tickets.
Contact & Pricing:
dublinsightseeing.ie/dublin-sightseeing-tour-bus/citytour
info@dodublin.ie
Tel: 01 844 4265
Dublin Bus Head Office, 59 Upper O’Connell Street, Dublin 1
Adults from €30; concessions
Dublin Discovered Boat Tours
Cruise along the River Liffey with Dublin Discovered Boat Tours through the heart of Dublin. During a 45 minute tour, you sail under Dublin’s famous bridges and admire historic buildings from a unique vantage point, assisted by an expert guide. Your vessel is an all-weather purpose-built boat.
Scheduling:
Operates from March to November, but operating days may vary during off-peak months.
During summer, tours run 7 days a week with departures at 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30am, 2.15pm, 3.15pm, and 4.15pm. Extra tours may be available outside of these times if there is sufficient demand.
Sailing times may vary depending on the tides. Check the exact sailing schedule on the website before booking.
Contact & Pricing:
dublindiscovered.ie
info@dublindiscovered.ie
Tel: 01 473 0000
Sean O’ Casey Footbridge, Custom House Quay, Dublin 1
Adults €18 (online price); concessions
Dublin Literary Pub Crawl
The Dublin Literary Pub Crawl brings the gossipy literary scene of Dublin to life. Of Dublin’s 850 licensed premises, its “literary pubs” have a special fame. Irish writers formerly patronised pubs like the Palace, McDaid’s, Mulligan’s and the Bailey to meet the journalists/literary editors of the Irish Times and the Irish Press. A team of actors leads you on a trail from bar to bar; no props, no lights, no make-up, just the voice and personality of the actor.
Scheduling:
Apr to Oct: 7.15pm, 7 days a week
Nov to Mar: 7.15pm, Thurs – Sun only
Tour lasts about 120 – 140mins and covers about 1km on foot.
A similar literary tour may be available on Mondays at 10.30am, but by request only.
Meet from 7pm upstairs in The Duke Pub. Food and drinks available in The Duke beforehand (not included in tour price).
Contact & Pricing:
dublinpubcrawl.com
info@dublinpubcrawl.com
Tel: 087 263 0270
9 Duke Street (off Grafton St), Dublin 2
Adults €16; concessions
Free and Themed Walks
Self-guided and Community Walks:
Self-guided walking maps for various scenic areas in the south-east of the city are available to view or download from:
dublincity.ie/council/council-explained/your-area/south-east-area/south-east-area-walking-trails-maps-guides
Many local areas have regularly scheduled informal walking groups which are open to new members and guests.
To find a local community walking group visit:
getirelandwalking.ie/findgroup
Free Guided Walks in Phoenix Park:
There is a selection of free walking tours available in and around Phoenix Park.
Popular examples include the War Memorial Gardens and Grangegorman Military Cemetery (see below).
The scheduling of these tours is limited and subject to change.
Check the website below, or contact the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre for details and to confirm availability:
phoenixpark.ie/tours
phoenixparkvisitorcentre@opw.ie
Tel: 01 677 0095
Free Tours of War Memorial Gardens:
Free guided tours take place every Wednesday at 11am from 12th April to 25th October. No booking is necessary. The meeting point is inside the gates of the car park. Subject to change and weather permitting. For more information please contact the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre at phoenixparkvisitorcentre@opw.ie or on 01 677 0095.
Free Tours of Grangegorman Military Cemetery:
There are tours of Grangegorman Military Cemetery on Blackhorse Avenue (Dublin 7) from 13th April to 9th November on Thursdays at 11am. Walkers assemble inside the Cemetery Gates. Admission is free and all are welcome. Please wear suitable shoes and clothing. For further information, phone 01 677 0095.
comeheretome.com/grangegorman-military-cemetery
Themed Walking Tours:
Tasting, culinary, and food/fashion tours – fabfoodtrails.ie
Ghost walks and haunted history tours – hiddendublintours.com
Georgian Dublin Walking Tour
The “Georgian Dublin Outdoor Walking Tour: Henrietta Street and Beyond” consists of a walk through Georgian Dublin, courtesy of the award-winning museum 14 Henrietta Street.
The tour begins on Henrietta Street, the first Georgian street in Dublin and the template from which all other Georgian streets followed. The tour charts the fortunes of the Gardiner Estate on Dublin’s Northside, stretching from Henrietta Street to Mountjoy Square, from its beginnings as the best address in town to its decline to tenement housing. It’s a story that mirrors the fortunes of Dublin City and many of its residents.
Visitors will learn about the man who built Henrietta Street, the ‘Jewel in the Georgian Crown’, the lavish lifestyles and social lives of families who lived there, including the Molesworths from number 14, and how one man’s vision and ingenuity created the world’s first maternity hospital.
2021 marked the 300 year anniversary of Henrietta Street, with the Gardiner family purchasing the land in 1721 and the development of the street starting soon after. The building of Henrietta Street marked the beginning of the golden age of Georgian Dublin when the cityscape was transformed into the one we see today. Taking visitors to some of Dublin’s most elite addresses and grand Georgian squares, the tour will explore the architectural and social history of the city and reveal the details of the lives lived behind the elegant red brick facades.
Scheduling:
Tours on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 11.30am and 2pm.
The tour sets out from 14 Henrietta Street and ends at the top of O’Connell Street.
Operated by 14 Henrietta Street Museum. The museum tour is not included in the ticket price, but there is a discount if booking both tours together.
Contact & Pricing:
14henriettastreet.ie/whats-on/georgian-walking-tour
info@14henriettastreet.ie
Tel: 01 524 0383
14 Henrietta Street, Dublin 1
Adults €10; concessions