About This Tour
A bike tour covers more ground than a walking tour in the same time, and this one is led by a guide who was born, grew up, and still lives in Dublin - so you’re getting a genuine local take, not a rehearsed script. You’ll visit the well-known highlights, but you’ll also roll past spots that most visitors cycle straight by without a second glance.
Along the way, you can follow live audio commentary through a custom app on your phone. After the tour, your guide sends you a personalised video route map with captioned photos, video clips, and music - a handy thing to share back home or revisit later.
Itinerary
- O’Donovan Rossa Bridge - A historic crossing at the heart of the city, rebuilt in 1875 on the foundations of the 1755 original. You’ll hear the story of the original custom house nearby, the hotel with links to a famous rock band, and the confluence of two rivers that gave Dublin its name. (10 min)
- Dublin Castle - Pass through the courtyard of what was the centre of British administration in Ireland. The architecture spans the 12th to 18th centuries, with visible remnants of early Norman rule. (10 min)
- Dubh Linn Gardens - A city-centre garden on the site of the “dark pool” that gives Dublin its Irish name. Stop to see the circular garden, the Garda Memorial, the David and Goliath statue, the Special Olympics tribute, and hear about the Chester Beatty Museum and Library nearby. (10 min)
- Cornmarket / Meath Street area - A fascinating street corner in the medieval city. Look out for the old city walls marked in metal plates, learn about Jonathan Swift’s birthplace, a mistranslated street name, and the story of the suffragettes arrested here. (15 min)
- St. Patrick’s Cathedral - The rival to Christ Church, with majestic gardens and Norman walls still intact nearby. (5 min)
- Teelings Distillery, the Liberties - A working-class Dublin district with a deep connection to whiskey. Hear the story of the great whiskey fire of Dublin in the 19th century. (5 min)
- The Liberties - One of Dublin’s oldest residential areas, with 19th and 20th-century streetscapes and a strong link to the Guinness business. (5 min)
- Irish Museum of Modern Art and Kilmainham Cemetery - Originally the Royal Kilmainham Hospital (17th century), the building now houses IMMA. Stop by the gardens overlooking the city, then visit Dublin’s oldest cemetery nearby. (15 min)
- Kilmainham Gaol - Stand outside the entrance to this once-notorious prison, the site of public executions in earlier centuries and now one of Ireland’s most visited museums. (5 min)
- War Memorial Gardens - Peaceful, traffic-free paths built to remember those who died in the First World War. Continue by cycle path along the River Liffey to the historic village of Chapelizod. (pass by)
- Phoenix Park - Enter one of Europe’s largest urban parks through its 17th-century walls and pedal along dedicated cycle paths. With a bit of luck, you’ll have company from the resident deer herd. (pass by)
- Croppies Acre and Collins Barracks - According to tradition, a burial ground for those who died in the 1798 rebellion. Look across the river at the Guinness Brewery and learn about Collins Barracks, now the National Museum of Decorative Arts and History. (5 min)
Meeting point: Bike rails outside the Bike Stop shop, 37 Capel Street, just south of the junction with Mary Street.
What’s Included
What’s Not Included
- Snacks, refreshments, and drinks
Good to Know
- Public transport available close to the meeting point
- Not recommended for pregnant travellers, those with spinal injuries, or those with poor cardiovascular health
- Travellers should have at least a moderate level of fitness
- This is a private tour, conducted in English
Local Tips
The Liberties is one of the most underrated parts of Dublin. Most visitors stick to the tourist-facing areas north and south of the Liffey and miss this entirely - a neighbourhood that’s been continuously lived in since medieval times, with some of the best street art, local markets, and independent food spots in the city. The tour rolls through the heart of it.
Kilmainham Gaol books out fast, especially in summer. The bike tour takes you past the entrance, but if you want to go inside the museum afterwards, book your slot online in advance - walk-in tickets are not always available. It’s worth the extra planning; the guided tour inside is excellent.
Dubh Linn Gardens is one of those spots locals love and visitors walk past. It sits right behind Dublin Castle and takes five minutes to cross, but the circular Celtic-spiral garden is genuinely well-designed and the Garda Memorial is quietly moving. It’s also one of the few genuinely quiet green spaces in the medieval core of the city.
Phoenix Park is bigger than you think. At 1,752 acres, it’s one of the largest enclosed city parks in Europe - Central Park in New York could fit inside it twice. If you want to extend your time there after the tour, the main cycle paths are well-marked and the deer tend to congregate near the Fifteen Acres area in the centre of the park.
The personalised video map your guide sends afterwards is genuinely useful. It’s a good way to revisit what you saw, and it makes for a much better souvenir than a few blurry photos. Several reviewers mention sharing it with family at home.
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