Private Family Tour of Dublin with Fun Activities for Kids

About This Tour

Most city walking tours are built for adults who don’t mind listening. This one is built around kids. Your private guide - rated 5-star and fluent in your language of choice - knows how to make Dublin genuinely interesting for younger visitors: the legend of the leprechaun, the trail of Irish fairies, the playful ghosts said to haunt Dublin Castle’s courtyard. It’s the kind of tour where kids stay curious rather than restless.

You choose from two options depending on how long your family wants to be out:

2 hours: Dublin Highlights. A family-friendly walk taking in Trinity College, City Hall, Dublin Castle, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and other city centre highlights.

3.5 hours: Dublin Highlights and St. Stephen’s Green. Everything in the 2-hour option, plus time in St. Stephen’s Green and the Iveagh Gardens, both free to enter.

Your guide speaks German, Russian, English, Italian, or French. The tour is yours alone: just your family and your guide, no strangers joining in.

Meet your guide next to the Molly Malone Statue, outside St. Andrew’s Church on Suffolk Street, Dublin 2.

What’s Included

• 5-star private guide, fluent in your chosen language
• Family-friendly walking tour of Dublin city centre highlights
• On-foot pickup from your accommodation in Dublin city centre
• Free entry to the courtyard of Dublin Castle
• Free entry to St. Stephen’s Green and Iveagh Gardens (3.5-hour option only)

What’s Not Included

• Entry to St. Stephen’s Green and Iveagh Gardens (not included in the 2-hour option)
• Pickup from accommodation outside Dublin city centre
• Pickup by car

Itinerary

1. Meeting point: Molly Malone Statue - Outside St. Andrew’s Church, Suffolk St, Dublin 2, D02 KX03. Your guide starts here with the famous Molly Malone song and an introduction to Dublin’s fairy folk. (10 min)
2. City centre highlights - Walk the historic streets hearing about Irish fairies and taking in St. Andrew’s Church, Trinity College, and the majestic City Hall. There’s plenty to keep kids engaged throughout. (60 min)
3. Dublin Castle and surrounds - Explore the castle courtyard and hear about the playful ghosts said to live there. Your guide will also show you quiet spots near Christ Church Cathedral and St Audoen’s Church, a hidden medieval gem. The route finishes at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Ireland’s national cathedral. (60 min)
4. St. Stephen’s Green (3.5-hour option only) - A beautiful green space in the heart of the city, with an ornamental lake, sculptures, and a children’s playground. (60 min)
5. Iveagh Gardens (3.5-hour option only) - A quieter, Victorian-era garden with statues, fountains, flower beds, and a waterfall. Your guide will point out all the details worth noticing and help the kids connect with the natural surroundings. (20 min)

Good to Know

• This is a private tour: just your family and your guide
• Wheelchair accessible; all areas and surfaces are accessible
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Public transport is available nearby
• Runs in German, Russian, English, Italian, and French
• Meeting point: Molly Malone Statue, outside St. Andrew’s Church, Suffolk St, Dublin 2, D02 KX03

Local Tips

The 3.5-hour option is worth it if your kids are six or older. The Iveagh Gardens in particular tends to captivate children in a way that more structured attractions don’t. It has a waterfall, hidden corners, and the kind of quiet that lets kids actually explore rather than being shepherded along.

St. Audoen’s Church is genuinely underrated. Most visitors walk straight past it on their way to Christ Church, but your guide can point out details that connect it to over 800 years of city life. For older kids with an interest in history, it’s one of the more interesting stops on the route.

Dublin Castle courtyard is free, and most visitors don’t know that. The cobblestoned courtyard has enough texture and history to fill a good twenty minutes without spending anything. If your kids are into castles in any form, they’ll respond to it.

Book the private option rather than a group tour when you’re travelling with kids. The pace on this tour adjusts to yours. If someone needs a snack break or a slower walk, that’s fine. A group tour moves at its own pace and waits for nobody.

Molly Malone herself is a good starting conversation with kids. Ask your guide to explain who she was and why she has a statue. There’s a bit of debate about whether she was real, which tends to get children arguing productively before the tour even properly begins.

Nearby on IrelandMe

• Dún Laoghaire - A coastal town just south of the city with a working harbour, sea baths, and a long pier that’s good for a walk with kids.
• Malahide - North Dublin village with a castle, model railway museum, and beach, all within easy reach of the city.
• Howth - A fishing village on a headland with cliff walks, a harbour full of boats, and good fish and chips.