The Best of Dublin including Trinity College: Private Tour

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:

• Explore the best of Dublin and see its most popular highlight with a private guide;
• Relive the history of the city, and even see a historic Viking home;
• See Christ Church Cathedral in the heart of Dublin founded in 1030 by Sitric, King of the Dublin Norsemen;
• Walk through the Dubh Linn Garden of Dublin Castle, with over 800 years of history;
• Enjoy the various architectural styles present throughout the city like the City Hall, each speaking to one of the different eras of Dublin;
• Stroll through several of the city’s famed sites, including Grafton Street and Temple Bar;
• Pass by the famous Ha’penny Bridge and O'Connell Bridge;
• See the statue of Molly Malone and learn the story of this fictional girl who was a fishmonger and the star of a well-known Irish song; 
• Visit Dublin's famed university Trinity College and the famous people who studied here, from Oscar Wilde to Bram Stoker and Samuel Beckett;
• See the acclaimed Book of Kells, the most famous of the medieval illuminated manuscripts housed in the Old Library.

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.

Tour duration
4 hours

Type of tour
Walking tour: no transportation is included

Attractions along this route:

General Post Office
The capital's last great Georgian public building, and the headquarters of the Easter Rising in 1916.

Ha’penny Bridge
An elegant icon of Dublin, the first pedestrian bridge to cross the Liffey.

Temple Bar
A lively cultural and creative quarter on the south bank of the River Liffey.

Dublin Castle
Originally built to defend Norman Dublin, this handsome castle is now the city's historic heart.

Christ Church Cathedral
Dublin's photogenic eldest cathedral has been a place of worship for nearly 1000 years.

St Stephen's Green
Maintained in its original Victorian design, St Stephen's Green is a park beloved by locals.

O'Connell Street
O'Connell Street is the heart of Dublin's thoroughfare - with shopping, pubs, restaurants and historic landmarks, including the old post office.

Dame Street
Located on the eastern edge of the medieval city, this busy street takes its name from a large dam that was constructed here in the medieval period.

Trinity College
Ireland's most prestigious university, retaining a tranquil collegiate atmosphere in the midst of the city.

The Book of Kells
Ireland's most treasured medieval manuscript, dating back to the 9th century.

Trinity College Library
Wander through the endless rows of historical novels.