Guinness Family Tour VIP Access to Guinness Storehouse

About This Tour

The Guinness story goes a long way beyond the pint. Over 2 hours 30 minutes, this is the only Italian-language tour in Dublin dedicated to the history and legacy of the family that built one of Ireland’s most recognisable institutions — and whose influence on the city stretches from the brewery on the Liffey to the restoration of its greatest cathedral.

Your guide is Fáilte Ireland-certified, and they take you through the Dublin streets that shaped Arthur Guinness and the heirs who followed him: Edward, Benjamin and Anne, who each left their mark on the city through philanthropy, architecture and culture. You’ll start at St Patrick’s Cathedral, restored by Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness in the 19th century, walk through the Liberties neighbourhood where the brewery took root, and pause at St James’s Gate where Arthur signed his legendary 9,000-year lease in 1759. The tour also covers the locations connected to the Netflix series “The House of Guinness.”

It finishes inside the Guinness Storehouse itself — seven floors of history — with a pint at the Gravity Bar and its panoramic views across the city.

What’s Included

• Fáilte Ireland-certified guide
• Visit to the iconic sites associated with the Netflix series “The House of Guinness”
• Guinness Storehouse entrance ticket
• One pint of Guinness at the Gravity Bar

What’s Not Included

• Tips for the guide
• Additional drinks beyond the included pint
• Transport

Itinerary

1. St Patrick’s Cathedral - In the 19th century, Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness financed the cathedral’s ambitious restoration, rescuing it from near ruin. Plaques and memorials inside recall the family’s gift — a reminder that the Guinness story is as much about faith and philanthropy as it is about stout. (Pass by)
2. The Liberties - The historic district that shaped both Dublin and Ireland’s most famous stout. Once alive with markets, craftsmen and breweries, these streets are where Arthur Guinness founded his brewery at St James’s Gate in 1759. The Liberties provided the workforce that built the Guinness empire, and the family’s philanthropy transformed it in return — from housing to charitable works. (15 min)
3. St James’s Gate - Before entering the Storehouse, you pause at the iconic gates where it all began. In 1759, Arthur Guinness signed his legendary 9,000-year lease here. A great spot for a photo. (10 min)
4. Guinness Storehouse - Seven floors tracing Arthur Guinness’s bold 9,000-year lease to the global rise of Ireland’s most famous stout. You’ll explore the craft of brewing, the family’s legacy and the brand’s cultural reach. The visit ends at the Gravity Bar, with panoramic views of the city and a perfectly poured pint. (60 min)

Meeting point: The fountain in the gardens of St Patrick’s Cathedral — a peaceful spot to gather before the tour begins.

Good to Know

• Conducted in Italian
• Group size is capped at 20
• Public transport is available nearby
• Tips for the guide are not included
• Transport is not included — the tour is on foot
• Not recommended for people with spinal injuries
• Not recommended during pregnancy
• Not recommended for people with poor cardiovascular health
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Local Tips

This is the only Italian-language tour of its kind in Dublin. If you’re visiting from Italy and want to hear the story in your own language with genuine historical depth, this is your one option — and the guide’s knowledge of the family history goes considerably further than the standard Storehouse visit.

The Liberties is worth time on its own. The streets around Thomas Street and James’s Street have been working-class Dublin since the medieval period. Walking through them with a guide who understands the layers makes an enormous difference — you’ll see it very differently than the standard tourist routes would suggest.

The Gravity Bar view is best on a clear day. The bar sits at the top of the Storehouse with 360-degree glazing and views out across the city. On a good day you can see far beyond the canals in every direction. On a grey Dublin day it’s still a fine place to finish a tour with a pint.

Benjamin Lee Guinness spent £150,000 of his own money on St Patrick’s Cathedral. That’s worth keeping in mind when you stop there at the start — it’s an enormous building, and the restoration was a genuinely significant act of private philanthropy at a time when public funding didn’t exist in any meaningful form.

Connections to “The House of Guinness” are woven throughout. If you’ve watched the Netflix series, you’ll recognise the locations and start to connect the fictional drama to the real family history. The guide can help you distinguish what’s documented from what the series dramatised.

Nearby on IrelandMe

• Dublin City — the Liberties and the Guinness Quarter sit in the heart of the old city, walking distance from Kilmainham and the Quays
• Kilmainham — the famous Gaol and the Irish Museum of Modern Art are both a short walk from the Storehouse