Dublin · HISTORICAL TOURS
This is the shortlist you would send a friend: 15 historical tours worth the money, each with what it costs, what travellers said afterwards and the one thing to know before you commit.
A small-group Dublin food tour with 8 tastings and drinks, Irish coffee, sausage rolls, oysters, cheese, stew, and ice cream, plus stories.
“A fantastic food tour around Dublin, including history and Irish stories, as best told by our guide Ann.”
A 2-hour Dublin historical walk with history postgraduate guides, starting at Trinity College and ending at Christ Church, with many free stops.
“The tour provided a great history of Dublin and Ireland in general. It helped me understand all the different peoples influencing Dublin’s history, economy, and religion.”
A 2-hour guided walk through Dublin’s key landmarks, led by Trinity and UCD history grads, with big Irish history in one loop.
“The tour was very interesting, entertaining, engaging, educational, insightful, and exciting. I learned a lot about the Irish history. I thank the tour guide for the very good experience.”
Dublin to Cork by train for Blarney Castle, a Blarney Stone kiss, then Cóbh’s Titanic and emigration heritage centre with reserved seats.
“The experience was everything advertised and more. The train was amazing and there was plenty of time to enjoy all of the stops. Our tour guide, Paul, was awesome, providing interesting facts and stories as well as keeping us informed of the itinerary. Worth the price.”
Step aboard the Jeanie Johnston tall ship in Dublin for a 50-minute famine emigration story, from windblown upper decks to cramped below-deck life.
“Great tour. Just the right length. Excellent tour guide who was obviously very knowledgeable and engaged audience well. Would definitely recommend”
A 90-minute Dublin haunted history walk with PSI Ireland guides, cobblestone stops, and true-dark stories like Madam Darkey Kelly and Hellfire Club.
“Absolutely amazing tour guide was incredible and very informative the entire tour made my Nans evening week even she's waited 70 years to do this and I could not of asked for a better tour guide for her to experience it with thankyou so much ☺️☺️☺️”
Four artisan stops, donut and churro tasting, plus Dublin history on a 2-hour morning walk for $70, ending near the Liffey.
“My mom and I loved this tour. Angelica, our tour guide, was so sweet and funny. She made us feel so comfortable while we walked around Dublin trying donuts. We even got little keychains and stickers afterward. It was one of our favorite tours on our trip. I highly recommend her and this tour!”
Haunted Dublin on an evening walk from Dame Street to Darkey Kelly's, with Northside legends, witchcraft, and classic pubs.
“Had a great time on this tour. Loved the weird facts and dark stories! We especially liked that this tour was a little later so as it got darker the stories had some extra creepiness to them.”
A private 3-hour Dublin walk focused on major sights, 1916 context, and local stories, with free admissions and an included tasting option.
“Our guide Keelan was fantastic. Knowledgeable, friendly, flexible. He made the whole experience great. Really taught us a lot about the history and character of Dublin.”
Private Dublin food tour with 8 tastings: Irish coffee, oysters, stew, and ice cream, plus local stories and a guide.
“Fun tour with good food. Our tour guide Karen made the whole experience! She is fantastic, knowledgeable and fun, providing lots of regional insight having grown up in Dublin … including at spots along the tour!”
Costumed living-history actors bring Dalkey Castle to life, with church, Writers’ Gallery, and battlement sea views in about an hour.
“Immersive, authentic and fun. Highly recommendable. We were led through the history of Dalkey Castle while interacting with the living performance actors”
A 2-hour guided Dublin macabre history walk with dark tales of executions, quarantines, grave robbing, and Cuchulainn, led in English.
“The tour was super interesting! The guide was very personable and animated weaving in Irish history with the different stories of death and murder and such. Absolutely recommend!”
A 2-hour walking tour through queer Dublin, from Temple Bar and the GPO to Trinity College and Dublin Castle, with free stops.
“My favorite thing I did my whole time in Dublin! Helena was so knowledgeable and passionate and I had the best time. Highly recommend!!”
Medieval Dublin in one walk: Trinity College and the Book of Kells, College Green history, Molly Malone, and Dublin Castle grounds with a guide.
“We did a private Viator walking tour of Trinity College, the Book of Kells, and Dublin Castle with our guide Marty, and it was excellent. Marty was engaging, knowledgeable, and clearly very well-versed in the history and context of each location. He shared information in a way that was easy to follow and genuinely interesting, without talking at you. Because this was a private tour, it felt very tailored to us and allowed for great questions and conversation along the way. The pacing was comfortable and never felt rushed. As a walking tour, it was very manageable and not strenuous for us. Overall, this was well worth it. Marty made…”
Private 1916 Easter Rising Dublin tour with a local guide, centered on the GPO and Garden of Remembrance, with calm pacing.
“This was a great tour and well worth the money! I went with my girlfriend and we had the pleasure to meet Eamon, who really is a gem on its own. Such a nice person and he told us things we would never had learn before. Worst rain I´ve seen in a long time but Eamon made the whole thing worth it anyways. He had pictures to show us which made the experience even better and we never felt rushed or in a hurry - everything took its time and Eamon was great at letting us know how the Luas worked which helped us the next day traveling on our…”
Every kind of day this city can send you on, and the best of each.
