Historical Walking Tours of Dublin run the longest-established walking tour in the city. Historically themed tours are led by knowledgeable history graduates from Trinity College. The tours are highly rated by the Irish Times, the Sunday Times, Fodor, Frommers, etc. The standard tour covers Dublin’s development, the influence of American/French Revolutions, the Famine, the Great War/1916 Rising, the War of Independence, the Northern conflict and Ireland today.

The meeting point is the front gate of Trinity College. From there the tour visits Trinity College, Old Parliament House, Temple Bar, City Hall, Dublin Castle, Wood Quay, Christ Church Cathedral, and the Four Courts.

Also on offer is a range of specialised tours for private or group bookings: Revolutionary Dublin: 1913-23; Monks, Marauders and Merchants: A Walk through Medieval Dublin; and Dublin’s Architecture: Augustan Capital of a Gaelic Nation.

Scheduling:
May to Sept: 11am & 3pm, 7 days a week
April & Oct: 11am, 7 days a week
Nov to March: 11am, Fri to Sun only

Private or group tours with more specific themes may be available on request.
Visit website to book, or for more info.

Contact & Pricing:
historicaltours.ie
[email protected]
Tel: 087 6889412 / 087 8303523
Historical Insights Ireland Ltd, 6 Palmerston Place, Dublin 7
Adults €19; concessions

Embark on a half-day excursion to Howth, a pretty seaside village on the Howth peninsula, a short way out of Dublin City. Howth is home to ancient monuments, lighthouses, 18th Century coastal defences, Howth Castle, Howth Harbour, medieval ruins, dramatic scenery and wildlife.

Scheduling:
Ticket includes a return journey to Howth, a guided walk on the cliffs of Howth, and free time to explore the village.
Operated by Big Bus Dublin, this tour can be purchased on its own, or included in their 72hr Hop-on, Hop-off tour bus ticket. Tour departs from O’Connell Street.

Contact & Pricing:
bigbustours.com/en/dublin/coastal-tour
Tel: 01 531 1711
Big Bus Tours, 13 Upper O’Connell Street, Dublin 1
Adults €38; concessions

Get an insight into historic Joycean Dublin via the James Joyce Centre Walking Tours, which take in some of the sights and sounds of the city in which Joyce staged all his works.

There are two different walking tours available:

Introducing James Joyce’s Dublin – Though Joyce lived most of his life outside of Ireland, Dublin would provide the backdrop for virtually all of his work. On a stroll around the north inner city, the guide explains the inspiration behind some of Joyce’s most celebrated writing and shows just how central the streetscape of the ‘Hibernian metropolis’ is to the author’s life and art. The tour visits stops such as Joyce’s alma mater, Belvedere College; Hardwicke Street, the setting of the short story ‘The Boarding House’; the Gresham Hotel, the setting of the final and most memorable scene of the short story ‘The Dead’; and the James Joyce Statue on North Earl Street, affectionately known as the ‘Prick with the Stick’. The tour also includes a visit to the site of one of the most famous addresses in English literature, No. 7 Eccles Street, and retraces the steps of Leopold Bloom’s celebrated journey to buy a pork kidney in the fourth episode of Ulysses. This tour ends on O’Connell Street.

In the Footsteps of Leopold Bloom – This tour explores the background to Joyce’s Ulysses and to Bloom’s thoughts as he crosses the city in search of something to eat in the ‘Lestrygonians’ episode. In Bloom’s footsteps, food becomes the central issue of social, cultural and political life in Dublin in 1904. The tour starts from the James Joyce Centre and finishes at the National Museum.

A third tour option was previously offered, but is not currently available:

Dubliners – Joyce once referred to Dublin as the ‘centre of paralysis’, a city that he felt was backward and repressive in contrast to the modern capitals of Europe. Joyce’s “Dubliners” is  a short story collection that illustrates the effects of this restrictive atmosphere on the city’s population. The tour visits some of the key locations from both the collection and the author’s life, discussing Joyce’s critical portrayal of the social, religious and political landscape of his home town. The tour also gives some insight into the publication history of the collection. The walk ends at O’Connell Bridge.

Scheduling:
Introducing Joyce’s Dublin, runs every Thursday and Saturday at 11am.
Footsteps of Leopold Bloom, runs every Friday at 11am.
Each tour lasts approximately 2 hours and covers about 2 km.

Contact & Pricing:
jamesjoyce.ie/book-a-walking-tour
[email protected]
James Joyce Centre, 35 North Great George’s Street, Dublin 1
Tel: 01 878 8547
Adults €20 (plus booking fee); concessions

This highly recommended  tour takes you take you to sites associated with the Rising, accompanied by the authors of “The Easter Rising”.

Scheduling:
Mondays to Saturday: 11.30am, Sundays: 1pm.
Tour days may be limited or unavailable from November to March, private group tours available on demand.
Check here for latest schedule, or to book.
Tours last about 2 hours and start at The International Bar, 23 Wicklow Street, Dublin

Contact & Pricing:
1916rising.com
[email protected]
Tel: 086 858 3847
Adults €19; concessions

Pat Liddy Walking Tours offer the Best of Dublin walking tour.

The walk takes you to many of Dublin’s icons and also brings you to some wonderful hidden spots too. Starting from Dame Street you will wind your way through the former Viking & Medieval Quarter including Dublin Castle and Christ Church Cathedral before wheeling around through Temple Bar and across to the River Liffey to the Northside City and onto the main historic street, O’Connell Street. You will pass by the General Post Office which housed the headquarters of the rebels of the 1916 Rising which resulted in the then destruction of this building and almost the entire street and surrounds. You will finish around Trinity College and the former 18th century Houses of Parliament.

This tour is also available in German.

Scheduling:
01 May – 30 September
Monday through Saturday at 10.15 am and 2.15 pm
Sunday at 10.15 am
Tours start at 10.15am (arrive 10mins early).
Meet at The Tree of Gold, Central Plaza, Dame Street, Dublin 2.
Online booking recommended.

Special event or temporary themed tours may also be available to book on the website.

Contact & Pricing:
walkingtours.ie
[email protected]
Tel: 01 832 9406 (Emergency phone: 087 905 2480)
Adults €25; concessions

Sandemans Dublin is a branch of Sandemans New Europe, who offer “free” and paid tours around European cities.

The tours are offered to book for free, with customers being asked to tip the tour guides whatever they deem appropriate at the end of the tour.

Scheduling:
Currently, there are two free tours available:
Daytime Walking Tours, covering general history of Dublin, run 7 days a week at 11am & 2pm.
Evening “Dark Side Tour”, which focuses on spooky and macabre history and folklore, starts at 5pm on Tues, Thurs, Fri & Sat and Sun only.

Meet at Bernardo Square, next to City Hall.
Check the website as there can be additional/reduced tour frequency depending on the season. Reservations are not necessary, though you can book online.

Tours may be offered in languages other than English, subject to availability.

Tour guides can be booked for personalised private or large group tours for a set fee.

Contact & Pricing:
neweuropetours.eu/dublin-walking-tours
[email protected]
The tours operate on a free/tips-only basis, meaning you are not obliged to pay, but a suitable tip is requested.