Dublin Private Walking Tour

About This Tour

There’s a real difference between walking Dublin with a private guide and joining a group tour where you’re shuffling along at someone else’s pace. This is just your group - nobody else - with a licensed, experienced guide who’s been doing this for over a decade. That means you can ask questions without holding anyone up, linger at the spots that interest you most, and actually talk to someone who knows the city properly.

Travelling Ireland runs this as a private experience, and the route covers the ground well in around three hours - Temple Bar, the Ha’penny Bridge, Trinity College, Grafton Street, Dublin Castle, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and more. All attractions are visited from the outside. Along the way your guide will give you honest, personal recommendations for restaurants, pubs and shops worth returning to on your own time.

What’s Included

• Private guided tour for your group only
• Licensed guide with 10+ years’ experience
• Rest breaks and toilet breaks as needed
• Photo stops along the route
• Local tips, pub, restaurant and shop recommendations
• Suitable for all ages, family friendly

Itinerary

1. Temple Bar - Walk through the iconic cobblestoned district and hear the story of the Temple Bar Pub, established in 1840. (15 min)
2. Ha’penny Bridge - The history behind this famous crossing, plus the Liffey river’s role in Dublin’s social and economic story. (15 min)
3. College Green - The three-sided plaza at the centre of Dublin: the Bank of Ireland building (Ireland’s Parliament House until 1800) to the north, Trinity College to the east, and a run of fine 19th-century architecture to the south. (15 min)
4. Trinity College - Ireland’s oldest university. You’ll stroll inside the campus while your guide covers its history and current life. (20 min)
5. Grafton Street - One of Europe’s busiest shopping streets, home to Brown Thomas and its luxury brands, plus the street performers, musicians and poets who make it their stage daily. (20 min)
6. Molly Malone Statue and St. Andrew’s Church - The life, folklore and famous song behind Dublin’s best-known fictional character. (10 min)
7. Dublin Castle - A 13th-century medieval tower at the heart of the city. (15 min)
8. St. Patrick’s Cathedral - Ireland’s most celebrated saint came to these shores in the 5th century. See the garden and the cathedral exterior. (20 min)
9. Christ Church Cathedral - The cathedral within the medieval walls, where the Norman lord Strongbow is buried. External visit. (15 min)

Meeting point: 8 Cecilia Street, Temple Bar, Dublin.

Good to Know

• Wheelchair accessible
• Prams and strollers welcome
• Service animals allowed
• Public transport nearby
• Wheelchair-accessible transport options available
• Conducted in English and Italian
• This is a private tour - your group only

Local Tips

Start your day early if you can. Meeting at Cecilia Street in Temple Bar at 9am rather than midday makes a noticeable difference - the cobblestones are quieter, the light on the Liffey is better for photos, and you’ll have the streets largely to yourselves before the day-trippers arrive.

Trinity College is free to walk around, but the Book of Kells costs extra. The tour visits the campus, and the grounds are worth your time on their own. If you want to see the Book of Kells illuminated manuscripts inside the Old Library, factor in extra time and booking ahead is strongly recommended - queues at the door can be long.

Grafton Street’s buskers are worth stopping for. Dublin has a licensing system for street performers, so the musicians you hear here are genuinely good. Some well-known Irish artists started out on this street, and your guide will likely have a story or two about it.

Christ Church Cathedral and St. Patrick’s Cathedral are a short walk from each other. If you want to go inside either after the tour, both charge entry fees. Christ Church connects via an old arch to Dublinia, a Viking and medieval history museum that’s good value if you’ve got kids with you.

Your guide’s restaurant recommendations are worth writing down. A local with a decade of experience knows which places have stayed good and which are trading on past reputation - that’s harder to find than a good TripAdvisor rating.

Nearby on IrelandMe

• Dublin Private Custom Tour, Off-The-Beaten-Path in Temple Bar with a Local - go deeper into Temple Bar’s medieval and creative layers with a local host
• Dublin Jameson Distillery Bow St. Choice of Experiences - a natural afternoon follow-up from the city walk, over in Smithfield
• Dublin Pass Attractions Tours and Guinness - pick four top Dublin attractions and see them at your own pace over seven days