Dublin bus tours are a great introduction to the layout of the city. While Dublin isn’t a large city, some of the top tourist attractions can be a long walk away from each other, which makes a bus tour in Dublin ideal. Hop on, hop off buses expose visitors to the top attractions in the city all while providing entertaining and informative commentary along the way. For example, if you were walking, it wouldn’t really be feasible to visit Kilmainham Gaol and the Dublin Writers Museum in the same day. However, with the Dublin Ireland bus tour, this is simple.

Some travelers may be averse to the idea of a bus tour, but in Dublin, as a form of transportation it really makes sense. Attractions are spread throughout the city in places that aren’t always connected by regular bus service. This would mean changing buses, once or even twice, between some attractions. If you aren’t familiar with the route numbers and different fares, this could be more hassle than it’s worth. Plus, the drivers of the hop on, hop off buses provide great tidbits of information about Irish history and culture along the way.

Dublin bus tours are operated by a few different companies. You can hop on and hop off at any of the stops throughout the city, but two of the popular starting points are St Stephen’s Green and College Green. Some of the major attractions that the bus tour in Dublin stops at are Dublin Castle, the Guinness Storehouse, Kilmainham Gaol, Trinity College, and the Dublin Writers Centre. Some visitors choose to complete the full lap and hear the commentary before disembarking to see the attractions at all. Some of the buses also offer an open upper-deck providing great views of the city streets and River Liffey as you cruise throughout the city.

Dublin Map

Although they’re definitely a touristy attraction, the Dublin Ireland bus tour is actually of great value. Ask the driver the specific conditions of your ticket; some companies offer 24-hour validity, meaning if you purchase your ticket at 1 pm, you can use it up until 1 pm the next day. Other options for tours include walking tours, boat tours, or guided tours of museums.