Best Walking Tours in Dublin: 5 Tours I Tried + My Honest Reviews

If you’re planning a trip to Dublin, a walking tour across the city can be one of the best ways to learn about the history of this city and map out some of the best spots.

But which are the best walking tours in Dublin? There are truly tour groups EVERYWHERE all over the city at all times. And there are so many offerings online that it can be hard to choose.

So when I went to Dublin, I challenged myself to try as many different walking tours as I could. Not only was this a great way for me to see the city as a solo traveler, but it also means I can come back and report on which walking tours in Dublin are worth your time and which ones might fit your travel style best.

Top Recommended Tours

I loved all five of my tours SO much! But if you are looking for the three best tours that really take you all around the city and teach you about the history of Dublin as a whole, The Mythology and Folklore Tour, the Highlights and Hidden Gems Tour, and the Historical Guided Tour are my top recommendations.

Mythology, Folklore and Legends Walking Tour

When I first arrived in Dublin in the morning, I knew it was going to be a challenge to stay awake in the late afternoon and evening after a long travel day. So I purposefully booked this tour for my first night so it would make me get outside and moving so I would hopefully stay awake!

Honestly, this was probably the tour I was least excited about. I did think that learning about some of the early mythology and legends would be a good introduction to Ireland. But as far as subject matter goes, I wasn’t really sure how interested I was going to be in it.

But oh my goodness, how wrong I was! This tour ended up being probably my favorite walking tour of the whole trip.

BOOK THIS TOUR HERE!

Of course, it helps to have an absolutely amazing guide. Helena was warm and kind and so entertaining. She made the stories of early Irish mythology come to life and I was absolutely entranced. (This company has a lot of different tour guides, but I’m sure they are all great!)

And while a lot of the stories don’t exactly have to do with Dublin, she made a point of taking us to places where there was something that would call back to the major figures of Ireland (for instance, the goddess Ériu on top of the The Bank of Ireland Building).

We learned about the three goddesses who founded Ireland, about Brian Boru and his harp, about fairy trees across Ireland, and so much more.

Not only did taking this tour give me some familiarity with the streets of Dublin, but it also gave me a glimpse into the ancient history of this nation. And this gave me a different appreciation for everything else I did in Ireland.

BOOK THE MYTHOLOGY, FOLKLORE AND LEGENDS TOUR

Highlights and Hidden Gems Walking Tour

This tour was with the same company that did the Mythology tour listed above. And wouldn’t you know, I lucked out with Helena as my guide again here!

This tour was more specific to Dublin, and took us to major sites like Dublin Castle, Christchurch, and Temple Bar.

But she also made a point to take us to some true hidden gems. We took a stroll through Dubh Linn Garden (a peaceful oasis near Dublin Castle), saw some artwork in a once run-down alley in Temple Bar, and learned little bits of trivia all along the way.

While I found the mythology tour a little more interesting (mostly, I think, because I had no idea what to expect and was surprised and delighted at how much I loved it), I will say that if you are only picking one tour in Dublin, this one is more quintessentially, well, about the city.

Dublin Literary Pub Crawl

This tour had been on my list, but since I was mostly traveling by myself (and I don’t drink beer), I wasn’t sure I wanted to do a pub crawl on my own. But then my friend Jen from Travel Books and Movies was also going to be in town and she invited me to go with her, so it worked out perfect!

This tour was a full Dublin arts experience. Our two guides were an actor who performed excerpts from famous Irish authors and poets and a musician who performed some classic Irish songs for us.

As a book-lover, I especially enjoyed it. (And it *may* have inspired me to try picking up Ulysses one day…). But even if you aren’t a big reader, I think you’ll enjoy the fun vibes of this tour and the interesting Dublin history.

We started at The Duke, and traveled through various pubs along with other major sites (like Trinity College) in Dublin. Most stops alternated between history and pubs. So if we stopped in one spot to learn about a local writer, our next stop was usually a pub where we had 20 minutes or so to grab a pint. This is definitely something I’m glad I did with a friend so that I had someone to talk to during the downtimes at pubs!

This was a really fun tour and added to my knowledge of Irish literature. However, it does go pretty late, so be aware of that if you are aren’t a night owl. The tour is supposed to be just over two hours, but ours went closer to three.

Trinity Trails Tour

If you are planning to visit the Book of Kells and the Trinity College Library Long Room during your time in Dublin (which you definitely should!), this is a tour you can add on to that experience.

And I am SO glad I did it! These tours are led by students and take visitors on about a 45-minute to 1-hour tour across Trinity College’s campus before dropping you off for your Book of Kells self-guided tour.

We learned about the history of Trinity College (I truly had not realized it was Protestant), some of it’s most infamous students, and about the history and architecture of some of the buildings. And as a lover of modern Irish literature, I appreciated that our guide pointed out some interesting spots associated with Sally Rooney.

While you definitely don’t have to do this tour on your visit to Trinity College, I think it is well worth the add-on. In total, the tour plus the Book of Kells and the Long Room took me about 2 hours. And I recommend booking a morning time for less crowds.

Historical Guided Walking Tour of Dublin

This was the last tour I did in Dublin, and I’ll be honest…it was probably my least favorite. Don’t get me wrong though! It was still a great tour! But since I had already done so many other tours of Dublin by this point, the information was starting to feel a little repetitive. It was also a little more academic than some of the other tours, with a lot of information and a more serious vibe.

Our tour guide was so kind though and a true wealth of knowledge about Dublin. He also sung a few classic Irish tunes for us!

We started just outside Trinity College and learned about some of the general history of Ireland and the 1916 Easter Uprising. We walked through Temple Bar and learned some interesting history about James Joyce and Ulysses. And then we also walked through Dublin Castle and ended at Christchurch and learned about history there.

While I didn’t find it as engaging as some of my other tours, it was still a good tour and if you are a real history lover, this is probably the tour I’d most recommend for you.

Bonus Pick: Kilmainham Gaol

While this isn’t a walking tour of the city, this is a walking tour of a building. Kilmainham Gaol was a notorious Dublin prison, especially during the Great Famine (known here as the Great Hunger).

But this prison is especially known for being where the organizers of the 1916 Uprising were jailed and executed.

The tour here is absolutely incredible. You get to see the jail cells where many of these men were held as well as the yard where they were executed, which is an important turning point in Irish history.

Tickets here are hard to get though! They go on sale 28 days beforehand, at midnight Irish time. And they go FAST! So set an alarm to get tickets for your visit!