Take the opportunity to see some live Irish music - the Temple Bar Pub plays host to some of the finest.
No trip to Dublin would be complete without a pint of Guinness, and the buzzing Temple Bar area is the perfect place to find one. Its cobbled streets, liberally hung with all manner of traditional Irish decorations, are home to a wide variety of quirky shops, stalls, and of course the numerous pubs and bars for which the area is renowned. While the district is perhaps not quite as authentic in its Irishness as its “cultural quarter” promotions might lead you to believe, there is no mistaking the spirit of the Emerald Isle which adds a unique twist to everything you pass.
A Colourful History
In the Middle Ages this area was little more than a suburb of Dublin, outside the city walls, and for three centuries it suffered badly at the hands of raiders. The 17th Century provided some rare respite for this historically troubled spot, as much of the land was converted into gardens for wealthy English families. After another hundred years, however, it had become Dublin’s centre for prostitution, and continued to experience decline and decay until the 1980s, when plans for a large new bus terminus drove down the area’s rent prices. This in turn caused an influx of young people, small businesses and galleries. The bus station scheme was eventually abandoned, and Temple Bar has thrived ever since.
Something for Everyone
Modern Temple Bar hums with an atmosphere driven by live music, good beer and delicious traditional food. The Oliver St. John Gogarty, The Porterhouse and The Auld Dubliner are some of the more famous spots, but there are plenty of lower-key hangouts if you are willing to explore a bit. Temple Bar Square hosts a book market every weekend, while the recently renovated Meetinghouse Square houses a weekly food market on Sundays.
Discover the culture and vibrancy of Ireland between the rolling landscapes and foggy skyline and see the best of Dublin and its historical highlights on this half-day tour with your knowledgeable tour guide and Dubliner.
On your private tour, you will:
Dublin has a rich 2,000-year-old history, spanning from the Celts to the modern-day; this curated walking tour will bring that history alive. On your tour, you will explore the castle’s 800-year history. Near old Christ Church Cathedral, you will learn about the area's history as a Viking settlement, and view the site of the world’s first performance of Handel’s Messiah.
Continue your turn about the city with a dive into some of Dublin's most famous architectural buildings, including the Neoclassical 18th-century former House of Parliament and the Georgian-style City Hall. You will also visit the famous Temple Bar, Dublin’s cultural and entertainment quarter and one of the liveliest nightlife areas that preserve its medieval street pattern, with many narrow, cobbled streets.
Visit the famed O’Connell Street, where you will see The Spire, Daniel O'Connell and James Joyce statues and the General Post Office. This is the very spot where the crowds gathered for the Declaration of Irish Independence and which became the inspiration for poetry and literature of the era. You will hear all about the many writers and rebels from your knowledgeable local guide.
Stepping on the Ha’penny Bridge, a beautiful pedestrian bridge that once charged the eponymous half penny to cross, we will cross the River Liffey to learn all about the famed Trinity College, Ireland’s first and most acclaimed university.
You will hear about the college’s numerous treasures and tales of renowned past students, including Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker as well as visit its campus and see the famous Book of Kells, the most famous of the medieval illuminated manuscripts.
Your tour will leave you not only full of the local history of the capital city but also with a great foundation to explore the city at your leisure.
Please note: external guides are not allowed in Trinity College so you will be parting ways with your guide at the entrance where you will join a small guided tour the visit to the Trinity College Campus, Old Library and the Book of Kells.
All books from the Long Room have been removed as part of the historic Old Library Redevelopment Project, except the first four bays as you enter the space. In the meantime your visitor experience will include a digital journey through the Old Library’s precious collections.
Explore the library history of Dublin, a city that has produced many famous writers and poets over the centuries – see where they took their inspiration on this private, off-the-beaten-path walking tour.
On your private walking tour, you will:
Ireland, the Emerald Isle, is famed for its lush green rolling landscapes and its capital city, Dublin, for its stunning architecture and turbulent political history, so it is no surprise that the country has produced so many famous literary figures!
On your private walking tour of beautiful Dublin, with its stunning architecture, wonderful traditional pubs and cafes and antiquated bookshops, you’ll see where figures such as Wilde and Joyce, Yeats and Stoker lived, studied, socialized, and wrote.
You will begin your private tour in Merrion Square, where many houses have plaques detailing the names of the rich and famous who once lived in the area, including Dublin’s most famous son, the writer and dramatist Oscar Wilde.
There is a statue of him in the middle of the square. Wandering on, you’ll spy a statue of Yeats in St Stephen’s Square, and pass by St Patrick’s Cathedral, where you will hear about the illustrious writer and satirist Jonathan Swift, who had a lifelong connection to the cathedral's Dean and is buried there.
Next, step back into the 18th century and learn the history of Marsh’s Library. Unchanged for three centuries, this perfectly preserved library of the early Enlightenment—with its original oak bookcases— houses more than 25,000 rare and obscure books.
On your literary tour of Dublin, you will visit Sweny’s Pharmacy and the literary pub Davy Byrne’s, both famous for their appearance in James Joyce's Ulysses, and are bursting with interesting tidbits about the famous novelist and poet.
UNESCO recognises Dublin as a City of Literature, reflecting the city’s rich and varied history of writers and writing. During your tour, you will meander through the streets, libraries, and bookstores which are woven into the stories and lives of Ireland's most celebrated Irish thinkers.
From Nobel Literature Prize winners WB Yeats, GB Shaw and Samuel Beckett to its beloved James Joyce, Dublin is brimming with stories of its favourite authors waiting to be heard.
Immerse yourself in the authentic Irish pub culture and discover traditional and friendly places where locals enjoy Irish music, sports, and homemade food while enjoying a pint of Guinness.
On this Irish Pub Culture Walking Tour, you will:
Get better acquainted with the culture, history and stories of the Irish capital whilst having a drink in some of the best pubs in Dublin!
Dublin is where pubs were born, each with its unique atmosphere and long and varied history. Their authenticity has given Irish pubs a reputation for being fun, friendly and welcoming all over the world, but they quintessentially belong to Dublin. There is no other such suitable place to sip on a pint of Guinness. This tour is a mixture of novelty, history, literature, music and humour!
Venture to Dublin's true hidden gems --including the pubs which contributed most to the city's unique character. Not only will you learn how to savour a pint of beer, but also follow in the footsteps of Irish literary giants, seeing the haunts frequented by the likes of James Joyce.
You will also learn how to properly enjoy a Guinness while learning about the rich cultural heritage which led to its creation. And remember, most importantly: you should only drink your Guinness when you can see a clear division between the white foam and the dark beer. If the beer in your glass still looks murky and brown, your Guinness isn't ready yet!
Please note: Due to varying age restrictions in pubs, this tour is suitable for those 18 and over. No children are allowed on this tour. If you wish to go on a pub tour where you may also bring children, please be in touch with our team.
Explore the highlights of central Dublin on this fascinating private welcome tour of Ireland's vibrant capital city. Situated on the Liffey River and the Irish Sea, surrounded by mountainous countryside, Dublin has a history spanning over a thousand years. The city has so much to offer from its beautiful architecture and famous literary heritage to historic tales of the Vikings and Normans, the long fight for independence from the British, and its modern contemporary culture with picturesque cobbled streets, cafes, pubs, and general 'good craic!'
On your private walking tour, you will:
Enjoy this welcome to Dublin private tour with an expert local guide, the perfect way to get your bearings and to get to know the historic heart of Ireland's vibrant capital city. You'll visit all the highlights of the city including the General Post Office on O'Connell's Street, the lively Temple Bar, Parliament Street, City Hall, historic Dublin Castle and Trinity College, and St Stephen's Green.
You'll learn all about daily life in modern-day Dublin, as well as its long history dating back over 1000 years, as you walk along its quaint cobbled streets, passing beautiful, grand Georgian buildings, crossing the Liffey River into the fun, artsy and bohemian district of Temple Bar.
At Dublin Castle, the historic heart of the city and still a working governmental complex today, you'll hear about the Vikings, and Normans, and the country's long struggle for independence from the English. One of the most important buildings in Irish history, you'll be able to admire its 13th-century tower and surviving medieval structures.
Dublin has witnessed everything from the Great Famine to the fight for Irish Freedom; today it's a leading country in the European Union, a thriving modern city with the annual St Patrick's Day Parade that attracts millions of revellers to the city to enjoy Irish folk songs, pints of Guinness and traditional Cèilidh dancing!
On this tour, you'll also visit the prestigious Trinity College - and hear about the academic excellence, and poetic and literary appeal of the city - which was the home of many luminaries like James Joyce, W.B. Yeats, and Oscar Wilde.
After a pretty stroll through St Stephen's Park, a popular green space in the city centre - with lots of history where you can ask your local guide anything about the city.
Slàinte!
Explore the beautiful and historic city of Dublin, Ireland’s iconic capital situated on the sea and surrounded by mountains famous for its heritage, architecture and friendly atmosphere.
On your private full-day tour, you will:
Enjoy a full-day tour of Dublin, Ireland’s beautiful capital city, famous for its warm and friendly welcome, situated on a beautiful bay at the edge of the River Liffey and surrounded by spectacular mountainous countryside.
Dublin’s picturesque cobbled streets are famed for their ‘craic’ (good fun) and are filled with vibrant art, markets, cafes and pubs, and historic buildings. Many famous historical figures have made Dublin their home, from beloved literary figures like W.B.Yeats, Oscar Wilde, (both of whom lived at Merrion Square,) Jonathan Swift, Samuel Beckett and James Joyce, to political and military figures like Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington.
Dublin has a varied concoction of history – dating back over 1000 years. You’ll learn about the Viking and Norman influences and you see the medieval churches and 13th Century Dublin Castle. You’ll learn about the Christian takeover of Celtic traditions and spirituality. And hear all about the long struggle for Irish independence from the British as you stand outside the spectacular parliament buildings.
Enjoy strolling along the cobbled Temple Bar neighbourhood – with its lively atmosphere of live music and buskers – and stop inside the bar famous for serving over 450 types of whiskey!
A real highlight of your tour of Dublin is to visit Trinity College – Ireland’s historic elite university and considered equivalent to Oxford and Cambridge in England – and its great library, home of the Book of Kells – and exquisite set of Gospels dating to circa 800 C.E.
Your guide will also show you inside two of Dublin’s museums: the National Museum of Archaeology to see the famous Bog Man, a well-preserved Iron Age bog body found in June 2003, and the National Gallery to see Caravaggio’s painting The Taking of Christ.
You’ll take a taxi to the Guinness Storehouse where your guide will leave you to enjoy the self-guided tour of this iconic brewery, where you’ll learn all about Ireland’s most famous beer – and enjoy views over the city as you enjoy a well-earned pint of it at the end of this fascinating day!
Please note: external guides are not allowed to guide in Trinity College so you will join a shared guided tour at Trinity College Campus, Old Library and the Book of Kells.
All books from the Long Room have been removed as part of the historic Old Library Redevelopment Project, except the first four bays as you enter the space. In the meantime your visitor experience will include a digital journey through the Old Library’s precious collections.
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