Dublin Express Private Guided Walking Tour

About This Tour

If you’ve got two hours and want to see a good chunk of Dublin with proper context rather than just walking past things, this is a solid option. It’s a private tour - just your group - with an experienced and licensed guide who keeps the pace comfortable and caters to all ages, families included.

Multiple time slots are available throughout the day. The route covers music heritage, Temple Bar, the river and Custom House, College Green, Trinity College, Molly Malone’s corner, and Dublin Castle - with the Chester Beatty Garden tucked in at the back as one of those spots many visitors miss entirely.

What’s Included

• Private guided tour (your group only)
• Experienced and licensed tour guide
• Umbrellas provided
• Local tips, restaurant, pub and shop recommendations
• Photo opportunities
• Rest and toilet breaks if needed

What’s Not Included

• Gratuities

Itinerary

The tour starts at Cecilia Street, the small alley in front of The Wall of Fame.

1. Waltons Music and The Wall of Fame - Ireland’s number one traditional Irish and folk music store, and the Wall of Fame celebrating Irish bands and artists including U2, Bob Geldof, Philip Lynott, Sinead O’Connor and Van Morrison. (10-20 min)
2. Temple Bar - Walk through one of Dublin’s most iconic areas, with its history of restaurants, live music, comedy and street life. (15 min)
3. Ha’penny Bridge and the Liffey - History of this iconic bridge, the north and south divide of the city, the Custom House and the IFSC quarter. (15 min)
4. College Green - A three-sided plaza at the heart of Dublin. The Bank of Ireland building to the north was Ireland’s Parliament House until 1800. Trinity College to the east. Several 19th-century buildings to the south. (15 min)
5. Trinity College Dublin - Ireland’s oldest and most prestigious university, built more than 400 years ago and still active. A stroll through the campus with history and modern context from your guide. (15 min)
6. Molly Malone Statue - The folklore and life story of Molly Malone, along with the history of nearby St. Andrew’s Church and O’Neills Pub, established 1885. (10 min)
7. Chester Beatty Garden - At the back of Dublin Castle, this garden has won multiple awards as one of the best open gardens in Europe. Your guide will also explain where the name Dublin comes from. (15 min)
8. Dublin Castle - A medieval castle in the city centre dating from the 13th century, with a medieval tower, the Chapel Royal, and the long history of British presence in Ireland. (15 min)

Meeting point: Cecilia Street - the small alley in front of The Wall of Fame.

Good to Know

• This is a private tour - just your group
• Tour available in English and Italian
• Wheelchair accessible; transportation options are wheelchair accessible
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Service animals are welcome
• Public transport is available nearby
• Family friendly - all age groups catered for

Local Tips

The Wall of Fame is a good opening conversation. Waltons Music on South Great George’s Street is genuinely famous among Irish musicians - it’s been there for generations - and the Wall of Fame outside puts some of the biggest names in Irish rock and folk in one place. It’s a nice way to start a tour because it immediately gives you a sense of how much musical talent has come out of a city this size.

Chester Beatty Garden is the hidden gem of this route. Most visitors walk around Dublin Castle and don’t realise the garden behind it has won multiple European awards. It’s free to enter, beautifully kept, and genuinely peaceful for somewhere so central. Your guide will take you in, but if you want to come back on your own later, it’s absolutely worth it.

College Green tells a lot of Irish history in one square. The Bank of Ireland building, which was the Irish Parliament until 1800, sits directly opposite Trinity College. Standing at that junction with a guide who can explain what happened there - the Act of Union, the suppression of Irish self-governance, the eventual return of parliament to Ireland - gives the whole area a completely different dimension.

Two hours moves quickly but covers the essentials. If you know you want to go deeper on Trinity College or Dublin Castle, it’s worth asking the guide about extended options when you book. The two-hour format is designed to give you the shape of the city, and for many visitors that’s exactly what they need before exploring on their own.

Umbrellas are provided, which in Dublin is not a minor detail. Weather here changes fast. The tour runs regardless of rain, and having an umbrella that you didn’t have to lug from home is a small but genuinely useful thing. Pack layers anyway.

Nearby on IrelandMe

• Dublin Highlights 3hr Private Licensed Guide
• Dublin Great Famine Tour with EPIC Museum Tickets
• Dublin LGBTQ Pride Historical and Cultural Walking Tour