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Dublin city game: Fun, history and sightseeing
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From €26 per person
If you want to actually explore Dublin rather than just walk past it, this self-guided discovery game is worth your time. A local created it specifically to pull you away from the main drag and into the quieter courtyards, forgotten laneways, and undersung corners that most visitors never find.
You get a browser link by email before you go - no app to download, nothing to install. When you’re ready, open it on your phone and start solving riddles. There are 11 of them, each one pointing you to the next stop. The whole thing uses under 2MB of mobile data, so even a basic roaming plan will cover it. Start when you like, pause for lunch, pick it up again later. It’s entirely your own pace.
The route covers some well-known spots - Trinity College, Dublin Castle, the Guinness Brewery - but frames them differently, and the riddles themselves nudge you sideways into places you’d have no reason to stumble into on your own. That’s where Dublin gets interesting.
It works well for couples, families with kids, groups of friends, and even team-building outings. Basically anyone who’d rather solve a puzzle than follow a crowd.
Meeting point: Start at The Spire of Dublin. When you arrive, open the link you received from Secret City Trails and begin the game. You can start, pause, and resume anytime.
Starting at the Spire puts you right in the thick of it. O’Connell Street is Dublin’s main thoroughfare and the Spire itself - 120 metres of stainless steel - only went up in 2003, replacing a column that was blown up in 1966. Take a moment to look north and south before you start: the street tells you a lot about where Irish history has been.
The game runs best if you resist the urge to Google the answers. Part of the fun is working it out from the clues. If you do get stuck, the web app has hints built in, so you won’t be left stranded at a crossroads wondering what to do next.
Wear comfortable shoes and bring a water bottle. The route covers a decent stretch of ground over 2-3 hours, and Dublin’s pavements are uneven in places. The city’s also been known to produce a bit of drizzle at short notice - a light layer you can stash in a bag is worth having.
If you’re playing with kids, let them lead on the riddles. The game is pitched at a level where curious younger minds can genuinely crack some of the clues. Handing them the phone and letting them navigate to each stop makes it a completely different (and much more entertaining) experience.
Dublin is a very walkable city, but the pacing matters. Give yourself the full 3 hours rather than trying to rush it in 2. The best moments in this game happen when you slow down at a stop and actually look at what’s around you - the stuff on the walls, above the door frames, in the corners.