Private Tour: Dublin's Artistic Heart & Craft Walk

About This Tour

This is a private two-hour walk through three of Dublin’s most creatively charged neighbourhoods, with a local guide who knows the stories behind them.

You’ll start at Barnardo Square, a focal point for local artists and the occasional spontaneous performance - a good place to get a sense of Dublin’s working art scene before heading further in. From there, it’s into Temple Bar, where the cobblestone streets are lined with galleries and artisan shops selling both traditional and contemporary Irish craftsmanship. Finally, you’ll stroll through Portobello, the canal-side neighbourhood with a genuinely bohemian feel: street art, artisan markets, and the quiet backdrop of the water.

Because it’s private, the pace is yours. Your guide meets you at the main entrance of Barnardo Square, 3 Dame St, Dublin, D02 DR53.

What’s Included

• Professional local tour guide

Itinerary

1. Barnardo Square - A creative hub where local artists exhibit and cultural performances happen in the open. (40 min)
2. Temple Bar - Dublin’s cultural quarter, with cobblestone streets, galleries, and artisan shops showcasing Irish craftsmanship. (40 min)
3. Portobello - A walk along the canal through Dublin’s bohemian quarter, with street art and artisanal markets. (40 min)

Meeting point: Main entrance of Barnardo Square, 3 Dame St, Dublin, D02 DR53, Ireland.

Good to Know

• Public transport is available nearby.
• Suitable for all fitness levels.
• This is a private tour.
• Available in German, Russian, English, French, and Spanish.

Local Tips

Portobello has more going on than it looks from the canal path. The streets running back from the water have a strong independent streak - small studios, vintage shops, and good coffee if you know where to look. Your guide is the right person to ask what’s currently worth visiting in the neighbourhood.

The craft shops in Temple Bar vary considerably in quality. Some carry genuinely made-in-Ireland work; others stock generic tourist pieces. Your guide knows the difference and can point you toward the workshops and galleries where the work is the real thing.

Barnardo Square rewards patience. On a quiet day it can feel low-key, but the square functions as an informal gallery and performance space, and the art and activity there shifts regularly. It’s the kind of place that looks different depending on when you arrive.

Because this is a private tour, you set the pace. If something catches your eye in a gallery and you want to spend more time, just say so. The 40-minute allocations per stop are guidelines, not strict timings.

The canal in Portobello has its own calm that’s hard to find elsewhere in the city. The Grand Canal path stretches in both directions from the neighbourhood and is a genuinely pleasant walk if you want to extend the afternoon after the tour ends.

Nearby on IrelandMe

• Portobello - The canal-side neighbourhood is one of the three stops on this tour, and worth returning to at your own pace for its Saturday market and independent character.
• Temple Bar - The cultural quarter anchors the middle of the tour and has evening options worth coming back to after the galleries close.
• Rathmines - A lively south Dublin suburb a short walk from Portobello, with a good range of restaurants and a Victorian streetscape.
• Ranelagh - A well-kept south city neighbourhood close to the canal with a strong independent food and cafe scene.