Dublin city throug the ages full day private tour

About This Tour

If you’ve got one day in Dublin and you want to cover the city properly, this is a good way to do it. Your professional licensed guide picks you up at your hotel reception - or from your cruise ship - and takes you through the main highlights on foot and by private vehicle, with photo stops along the way.

The day covers a lot of ground: Dublin Castle, St Patrick’s Cathedral, the Guinness Brewery, Georgian Dublin, Trinity College, the Book of Kells, Kilmainham Gaol, and Christ Church Cathedral. Lunch is built into the schedule and your guide will point you toward options nearby. At the end of the day, you’re dropped back to where you’re staying.

All fees, taxes, pick-up and drop-off are included. Food and drinks are not.

What’s Included

• All fees and taxes
• Private vehicle transportation
• Pick-up and drop-off
• Professional licensed guide

What’s Not Included

• Food and drinks

Itinerary

1. Dublin Castle - A major government complex, conference centre, and visitor attraction off Dame Street. Until 1922 it was the seat of British government administration in Ireland. (60 min)
2. St Patrick’s Cathedral - Founded in 1191 and the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland. At 43 metres, it’s the tallest and largest church in Ireland. (60 min)
3. Guinness Brewery - The story of Ireland’s most famous beer, with tastings and a rooftop bar. (60 min)
4. Trinity College - A research university in the heart of Dublin and the sole constituent college of the University of Dublin. (60 min)
5. Book of Kells - An illuminated manuscript Gospel book in Latin, containing the four Gospels of the New Testament along with various prefatory texts and tables. (60 min)
6. Kilmainham Gaol - A former prison in Kilmainham, now a museum run by the Office of Public Works. Many Irish revolutionaries - including the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising - were imprisoned and executed here by order of the UK Government. (60 min)
7. Christ Church Cathedral - More formally the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, this is the cathedral of the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough in the Church of Ireland. (60 min)

Good to Know

• Wheelchair accessible
• Suitable for all fitness levels
• This is a private tour, conducted in English
• Free cancellation is not available for this tour

Local Tips

Kilmainham Gaol is the stop that tends to hit hardest. The 1916 Easter Rising leaders were executed in the stone-breakers’ yard, and the cells where they spent their final hours are still intact. Your guide’s context going in makes a real difference to how the place lands - don’t rush this one.

Dublin Castle looks deceptively modest from the outside, but the history layered into it runs very deep. It was a military fortress, a prison, the seat of English administration in Ireland for 700 years, and is now a functioning government complex. The Record Tower is the last surviving medieval tower of the original Norman castle.

The Guinness Brewery stop includes the Gravity Bar at the top of the Storehouse, which gives you a 360-degree panoramic view of Dublin. On a clear day you can see across to the Wicklow Mountains. It’s worth taking a few minutes up there to get your bearings on the city’s geography before heading back down.

Christ Church Cathedral predates St Patrick’s by about 60 years - it was founded around 1030, though the current stone structure dates from the 12th century. The two cathedrals sitting so close together in the same city is an unusual arrangement, and your guide can explain the complicated ecclesiastical politics behind it.

Ask your guide about lunch options as the morning unfolds rather than planning it rigidly in advance. Depending on where you are in the schedule and what the queues are like at each stop, they’ll know which neighbourhood you’re in at midday and can suggest somewhere that’s actually good rather than just convenient.

Nearby on IrelandMe

• Kilmainham Gaol - standalone guided visit
• Chester Beatty Library near Dublin Castle - free entry
• Irish Whiskey Museum on Grafton Street