About This Tour
The TouringBee app turns your phone into a well-informed guide for a self-paced walk through Dublin’s highlights. With 23 audio stops narrated by a historian, you’ll pick up the stories and legends behind Temple Bar, Grafton Street, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Trinity College and plenty more - on your own schedule, at your own speed.
The whole thing works offline, so you won’t burn through your data as you wander. Stop for a coffee whenever you like, double back down a pretty alleyway, skip a stop that doesn’t grab you, or replay a recording you want to hear again. You’re in charge. The walk finishes near the oldest pub in Dublin, so you’ll have a natural reason to call it a day in style.
You’ll need to download the TouringBee app and activate your purchase before you head out. The route begins near Merrion Square Park - no guide will be waiting for you there, just launch the app and go.
What’s Included
- 23 audio recordings covering Dublin’s history, landmarks and local stories
- Offline map with GPS navigation
- Illustrations to help you identify each landmark
- Audio guide app for iPhone and Android
- 1 year access to the tour in your chosen language
What’s Not Included
- Smartphone and headphones (bring your own)
- Human guide
- Transport
- Food and drinks
- Entrance fees or tickets
Itinerary
- Oscar Wilde House - Located at 34 Tite Street in Chelsea, this was the residence of the Irish playwright during the later years of his life. Not open to the public, but worth pausing at the exterior to appreciate the literary history of the place. (pass by)
- National Gallery of Ireland - An artistic treasure in the heart of the city. Works by Vermeer, Caravaggio and Jack B. Yeats sit alongside a strong collection of Irish art. (pass by)
- Leinster House - Home to the Irish Parliament, with impressive Georgian architecture on Kildare Street. The exterior and the nearby National Library and Museum make this a worthwhile stop for anyone interested in Ireland’s political history. (10 min)
- National Museum of Ireland - Spread across multiple sites, the museum houses Celtic and Viking artefacts, medieval art and iconic pieces like the Ardagh Chalice. (pass by)
- St Stephen’s Green - Dublin’s serene city-centre park. Take a stroll through the manicured gardens, admire the Victorian statues, and enjoy a few minutes away from the bustle. (10 min)
- Grafton Street - Dublin’s main shopping street, alive with buskers and street performers. Bewley’s Cafe is a historic institution worth a look - coffee and culture in one spot. (10 min)
- Irish Whiskey Museum - Interactive exhibits trace the history and craft of Irish whiskey-making. Tasting tours are available for those who want to go deeper. (pass by)
- Trinity College - One of Dublin’s most beautiful campuses. The Old Library’s Long Room houses the Book of Kells and is one of the most impressive spaces in the country. (10 min)
- Houses of Parliament - The neoclassical building on College Green with its iconic dome. Not open to the public, but a significant landmark in Ireland’s political history. (pass by)
- The Bank on College Green - A former bank with spectacular interiors that now houses a restaurant and bar. Worth stopping to appreciate the architecture even if you’re not eating. (10 min)
- Molly Malone Statue - Dublin’s mythical fishmonger in bronze. Touch her wheel for luck, then take in the energy of the streets around her. (10 min)
- Temple Bar - Cobblestone streets, galleries, traditional pubs and street performers. By day it’s creative and buzzy; by night the live music takes over. (15 min)
- Dublin Castle - Medieval towers, elegant State Apartments and the Gothic Chapel Royal. A journey through centuries of Irish political and cultural history. (pass by)
- Chester Beatty Library - Inside Dublin Castle, this award-winning museum holds rare manuscripts, prints and artefacts from across the globe - a genuinely surprising collection. (pass by)
- Whitefriar Street Church - A Carmelite church with beautiful stained glass windows and an unexpected claim to fame: it’s home to relics of St Valentine, making it a quietly romantic stop on the route. (10 min)
Meeting point: The tour starts near Merrion Square Park. This is a self-guided tour - no guide will be at the meeting point. Download the TouringBee app, start the “Dublin walking tour” and follow the route.
Good to Know
- Download the TouringBee app (iOS or Android) and activate your purchase before you set off
- The tour works fully offline - no mobile data needed during the walk
- Bring your own headphones (not included)
- Groups are capped at 20 people
- Available in German, Portuguese, English, Italian and Polish
- Public transport options are available nearby
- Suitable for all fitness levels
Local Tips
Merrion Square is a lovely spot to linger before you start. The park at the centre of the square has a famous sculpture of Oscar Wilde reclining on a rock - he’s depicted in multicoloured stone and is one of Dublin’s most photographed public artworks. Take a few minutes to walk around before you launch the app; the Georgian terraces surrounding the square are some of the finest in the city.
The audio tour finishes near the oldest pub in Dublin, and that’s not an accident. Take your time over the last few stops and reward yourself properly at the end. The area around Thomas Street and the Liberties has real history to it - this was the old brewing and distilling quarter of the city, and the streets still carry that character.
Trinity College is worth slowing down for, even if you don’t go inside. The Long Room and the Book of Kells require a separate entrance ticket (not included in this tour), but the cobbled Front Square and the Campanile are freely accessible and genuinely beautiful. If you want to see the Book of Kells - a 9th-century illuminated manuscript - book your Trinity tickets separately before your visit, as they sell out.
Temple Bar is completely different depending on when you walk through it. The audio stop captures it at a particular moment, but the neighbourhood shifts its personality dramatically between morning, afternoon, and night. If you pass through during the day you’ll get the galleries, market stalls, and street performers. The daytime version is easier to appreciate at the pace of a walking tour.
The Chester Beatty Library in Dublin Castle is free to enter and genuinely world-class. It holds rare manuscripts, prints, and objects spanning thousands of years and multiple continents. If you have even a passing interest in rare books or global history, it’s worth a detour off the audio route and into the building itself - the collection is far larger than the exterior of Dublin Castle suggests.
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