This combination ticket pairs two solid Dublin experiences and lets you run them in whatever order suits your day. The Jameson Distillery tour at Bow St. in Smithfield is a 45-minute guided walk through the ‘Grain to Glass’ story, told by a Jameson ambassador who clearly enjoys the subject. You’ll learn how Irish whiskey is made, where Jameson sits in the broader story of the spirit, and why it disappeared nearly entirely for decades before coming back. The tour wraps with a whiskey tasting and a complimentary drink in the distillery bar.
Then you have a full 24-hour Big Bus hop-on, hop-off pass to cover the rest of Dublin at your own pace. The route takes in Trinity College, Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin Castle, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and more. You can jump on and off as many times as you like. A free guided walking tour is included with the ticket, and audio commentary on the bus is available in 7 languages, including German, Russian, Mandarin and English. Live English-speaking guides are also on board.
It’s a flexible way to structure a day in Dublin, especially if you’re new to the city and want to cover a lot of ground without too rigid a plan.
The buses and distillery are wheelchair accessible, with prams and strollers welcome. Service animals are allowed. Public transport is available nearby and the experience is suitable for all fitness levels. Audio commentary on the bus is available in German, Russian, Mandarin, and English, among other languages.
Do the Jameson tour first if you’re starting in the morning. Smithfield is easy to get to early and the distillery tours run throughout the day, but the atmosphere in the bar after the tasting is better once you’ve worked up a bit of an appetite walking. Finishing the whiskey experience before noon means you have the whole afternoon and evening for the Big Bus route, which works well if you want to time a stop at Kilmainham Gaol before it fills up later in the day.
Kilmainham Gaol is worth getting off the bus for. The Big Bus drops you close to the gaol and it’s one of those places that genuinely stays with you. The 1916 Rising executions happened in the yard, and the guided tours inside are thorough and respectful. Book Kilmainham separately in advance if you can, as it sells out regularly.
The complimentary drink at the distillery bar is a full drink, not just a tasting measure. Don’t rush past the bar after the tour. Sit down, order your included drink, and take a minute. The bar at Bow St. is a lovely space and it’s a good spot to decide where on the Big Bus route you want to prioritise.
Audio commentary in 7 languages is available on the bus, but the live guides make a real difference. If you get a bus with a live English-speaking guide rather than just the recorded audio, stick around the top deck. The live commentary tends to be more spontaneous and genuinely funnier. It’s pot luck, but worth noting.
The 24-hour pass starts from when you first use it, not from when you book. If you do the Jameson tour in the afternoon and then board the Big Bus, your 24-hour clock starts from that first boarding. If you want to spread the bus over two mornings, plan your Jameson visit accordingly.