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Private Dublin City tour
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From €950 per person
Most Dublin tours don’t stray far from the city centre. This one does. Your guide takes you out to the suburbs and along the coast to places that show you how Dubliners actually live - and they’re well worth the drive.
The day includes a visit to Malahide Castle, where you can explore over 800 years of history, wander the Fairy Trail through the grounds, visit the Butterfly House, and take in the Walled Garden with its rare plant collection. From there you head on to Howth, a fishing village that’s been settled since prehistoric times and features in Irish mythology. It grew into a busy coastal suburb of Dublin, and the mix of cliff paths, wild hillside, and seafront makes it a genuinely good place to spend a couple of hours. There’s also the option of a short hike if anyone in the group is up for it.
The Baily Lighthouse - built in 1667 and the last lighthouse in Ireland to be automated - is also on the route. The city’s main attractions are woven in throughout the day, listed in the itinerary below.
The following have separate admission charges (approximate costs at time of listing):
Howth is best enjoyed slowly. It’s about a 30-minute drive from the city centre, and once you’re there, the cliff walk above the harbour is one of the better views in the Dublin area. If anyone in the group is keen on seafood, the stalls along the pier do some of the freshest fish and chips you’ll find anywhere - worth building in time for.
Malahide Castle is older than it looks. The Talbot family lived there for 791 years - from 1185 to 1976 - which makes it one of the longest-occupied private residences in Ireland. The Fairy Trail is genuinely good fun if you have kids along, and the Butterfly House is worth a visit for its own sake even without children in tow.
The Baily Lighthouse is visible from Howth Head. Built in 1667 and automated in 1997, it’s the last lighthouse in Ireland to have been automated. You won’t go inside, but the views from that side of the headland explain immediately why a lighthouse was needed there.
Plan the Guinness Storehouse for when you have energy. It’s six floors and takes a full three hours to do properly. The Gravity Bar at the top has 360-degree views across Dublin and is a genuinely good spot for the complimentary pint at the end - but you’ll appreciate it more if you haven’t already spent the afternoon on your feet elsewhere.