About This Tour
The experience combines compelling storytelling with key historic landmarks across Dublin city centre.
This immersive 2.5-hour guided walking tour offers the most accessible and engaging introduction to Irish history available in Dublin. Beginning at Christ Church Cathedral, guests are introduced to ancient Celtic Ireland.
The journey continues through Viking Dublin along the River Liffey, before exploring Anglo-Norman and medieval Ireland at Dublin Castle. Moving into the political heart of the city, guests learn about the Irish Parliament and the loss of Irish self-rule.
Crossing to O’Connell Street, the tour reaches its emotional high point at the GPO, where Ireland’s revolutionary struggle, the Easter Rising, and the birth of the modern Irish state are explained in clear historical context. The experience then returns south through Trinity College, highlighting education, power, and cultural identity, before concluding at the National Museum of Ireland.
What’s Included
- Optional upgrade to guaranteed timed entry to Book of Kells
- Ancient Ireland, early Christianity, and Celtic traditions explained clearly
- Expert local guide bringing Irish history to life through storytelling
- Small-group experience for interaction and questions
- British rule, famine, rebellion, and revolution, Easter Rising explained at the iconic GPO
- Viking Dublin and the founding of the city, Anglo-Norman invasion and medieval power structures
What’s Not Included
- Transportation or Hotel Pick Up or Drop Off or Guide Tip
Itinerary
- Introduction to ancient Ireland, early Christianity, and the foundations of Irish society. Discover the story of Dublin’s oldest cathedral, located in the heart of the city. (15 min)
- Learn about Viking settlement, trade, and the founding of Dublin as a Norse city. Follow in the footsteps of the Vikings and uncover Dublin’s rich history with your expert guide. (15 min)
- Explore the chapter of the Anglo-Norman invasion, medieval Ireland, and centuries of English rule. Originally built in the 13th century on a site previously settled by the Vikings it functioned as a military fortress, a prison, treasury, courts of law and the seat of English Administration in Ireland for 700 years. On this fully guided exterior tour, see the original 13th century Record & Octagonal Towers, the Upper & Lower State Yards and their architectural highlights. Led by an expert local English-speaking guide who will unveil incredible secrets including tales of intrigue and mystery, this tour is a ""must do"" for anyone interested in the history of Ireland. Enjoy and added bonus on this magnificent tour of the 13th century Castle to visit the Castle Gardens, which is the very location where the first Vikings landed in Dublin in 795 AD. Today it is a magnificent Celtic inspired landscaped lawn. (This tour does not visit the Castle Apartments)
(30 min)
- The story of Irish Parliament, limited self-rule, and the Act of Union. Continue your journey through Dublin’s beating heart, College Green—once home to Parliament and still home to Trinity College. (15 min)
- Hear stories of the Great Famine, Irish nationalism, the Easter Rising, and the struggle for independence. Visit the General Post Office, the headquarters of the 1916 Easter Rising, and learn about the events that changed Irish history. (25 min)
- Learn about the Protestant Ascendancy, education, class, and cultural identity. Stop at Trinity College to hear your guide share stories of its significance and rich history. (15 min)
- Your guide will point out the museum’s main highlights before you explore at your own pace. Complete your History of Ireland tour with the exhibits of the National Museum. (30 min)
Meeting point: MEETING TIME: 15 minutes before the scheduled start time.
MEETING PLACE: Leonardo Hotel Dublin Christchurch, Christchurch Pl, Dublin, D08 REK7, Ireland.
MEETING POINT: Meet our first-class Dublin guide outside to the right of the Hotel main entrance. Please do not block the entrance.
Good to Know
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please wear comfortable shoes as this tour involves a fair amount of walking, including over uneven surfaces, cobblestones, hills, inclines, declines and stairs.
- Participants should be in good health - consult first with your doctor if you have any medical condition or are not used to regular exercise.
Maximum group size: 25 travelers.
Available in: en.
