The 10 Best Dublin Shore Excursions

1.Shore Excursion from Dublin: Including Dublin highlights and Glendalough

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 111 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $94Our pick

Travel from Dublin Port through Wicklow to Glendalough’s sixth-century monastery, then see Dublin sights including Trinity College, Temple Bar, and Grafton Street. Expect an English-speaking driver-guide, about eight hours on the road, and a flexible schedule tied to your ship’s arrival.

“Guide (John) seemed disinterested; was accustomed to doing 8 day tours of Ireland and was worried about not having enough time to get everything in. The result was he shortened our time at Glendalough to a little over an hour - (there was an occasional very light rain which was not a hinderance to many.). This was not sufficient time to walk to the lake and back, which many wanted to do. John gave no information about Glendalough on the drive down, no suggestions on what to see. After Glendalough he drove back to Dublin and showed us some sights from the van. He then dropped us off in town…”

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2.Cruise Excursion Hop-On Hop-Off Tour & Rail Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 101 reviews · from $36

Start at Dun Laoghaire Harbour, collect your rail tickets, and ride to Pearse Station in central Dublin. From Stop 8, use a one-day hop-on hop-off pass with live English commentary or multilingual audio. Guides such as Damien, Mary, Davey, and Tyrone are known for lively stories and helpful service.

“Uf you are in Dublin by cruise ship, you will definitely want to take the Cruise Excursion Hop-On Hop-Off Tour & Rail Ticket through www.getyourguide.com. They are very professional, easy to deal with and their app is user friendly. We will definitely be using them on our next trip.”

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3.Dublin Cruise Ship Shore Excursion|Hop-on Hop-off & Rail Transfer

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 90 reviews · 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.) · from $46

Connect with DoDublin staff at Dun Laoghaire, take the DART into central Dublin, then use a live-guided hop-on hop-off bus for 24 hours. You’ll get a city map, walking tour, Little Museum visit, and a 2-for-1 lunch offer at Murrays Bar. Driver guides such as Gary, Gareth, Mary, and Mark add local humor.

“Despite being assured there would be a Dart representative at the station wearing appropriate uniform, there was not. We went from one queue to another seeking advice. Finally a supervisor gave in and just let us through the gate to the platform. The hop on hop off part was ok but I continually worried the same thing would happen on the return train journey…..and it did As a result we missed one train and had to was 20 minutes for the next one. Not a good experience.”

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4.City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 89 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $32Best value

Use a 24 or 48-hour Dublin hop-on hop-off ticket to reach Trinity College, Dublin Castle, Guinness Storehouse, Phoenix Park, Temple Bar, and the city’s whiskey stops. The route includes English live commentary, multilingual audio, and a guided walking tour, but port transfer is not provided.

“The buses rarely came by. The other hop on busses were a lot more regular. We ended up walking the route more than riding .”

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5.Dublin Shore Excursion, Live Guided Open-top, Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 21 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $40

See Dublin by open-top bus on a 24 or 48-hour pass covering Trinity College, Temple Bar, Guinness, Phoenix Park, and 25 stops. Expect live English commentary, eight recorded languages, and selected-ticket extras such as a walking tour and night tour. Drivers including David and Michel have earned special praise.

“MICHEL the BEST driver and the sweetest person and the greatest storyteller in the whole world!!! The experience was wonderful”

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6.(Small Group) Shore Tour from Dublin:Dublin Highlights and Glendalough Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 21 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $130

Travel from Dublin Port by air-conditioned Mercedes van into County Wicklow and Glendalough, then return for a Dublin highlights drive and Grafton Street free time. Guides such as Peter, Kevin, and Wayne have led similar departures, though guiding style can vary. The tour lasts about eight hours and includes port pickup and drop-off.

“I thought this tour included a person who would drive us and be our guide around Dublin the driver drove us to the first place and dropped us off he did not go with us we just walked around a lake for an hour then he drove us to Dublin explaining parts of the city but we only had a couple of hours time there by the time we ate lunch it was about time to meet him. I would think you would do just as well on a hop on hop off bus so cannot recommend this tour.”

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7.Private Shore Excursion Dublin with Guinness and Whiskey

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $419Top rated

You spend seven hours with a private Whiskey and Beer Specialist Host, visiting the Guinness Storehouse and Pearse Lyons Distillery. Expect a Gravity Bar pint, three tastings, private transport, live commentary, and time to shop. Guide John has also helped guests with restaurant suggestions.

“We had an informative, hassle-free, and amazing private tour of Guiness and Pearse Lyons Distillery, in addition to getting great restaurant recommendations. Our guide made it all work to deliver a great experience. We highly recommend this private tour.”

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8.Boyne Valley, Meath – Private Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 7 to 9 hours (approx.)

Travel privately from Dublin with a professional driver-guide such as Aidan, Tommy, or Liam. Visit the Hill of Tara, Newgrange, Slane, Monasterboice, and Trim Castle in 7 to 9 hours. Newgrange entry is optional and should be settled with your guide before the day.

“Aidan was our driver-guide. He was warm, welcoming, knowledgeable, and an excellent driver! He was exceptional! He shared a great wealth of Irish history-- from pre-Celtic to current-- and really brought the sites and countryside alive! We had the best day! This was worth every penny, and will always be remembered as one of our favorite experiences in Ireland. We are grateful to have so enjoyably learned so much! Ireland has a fascinating history.”

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9.Giants Causeway, Belfast – Private Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3 reviews

Travel from Dublin in a private, air-conditioned vehicle with a guide to Giant’s Causeway, Dunluce Castle, Belfast, and Titanic Belfast. Guides have included Trudy Carmody and Liam. Optional stops at Carrick-a-Rede and the Dark Hedges add drama, but admissions and lunch cost extra.

“Thank you for your response. First, I'd like to reiterate that our tour guide, Liam did an outstanding job with the day. We learned a lot about Irish history. Things that TripAdvisor should work on:”

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10.Cliffs of Moher, Galway – Private Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 11 to 12 hours (approx.)

Spend 11 to 12 hours on a private drive from your Dublin cruise terminal to the Cliffs of Moher and Galway. Your driver can shape the day around optional stops such as Bunratty Castle, Poulnabrone Dolmen, and Clonmacnoise. Tommy is one named driver associated with the experience.

“Tommy was fantastic. He was very accommodating and asked us what we wanted to do and tailored the tour accordingly. The Cliffs of Moher trip was a once in a lifetime must see, and although we were caught in a short microburst rain and wind while up there, the whole experience will be remembered for many years. The drive back too was very picturesque. We even saw two beautiful rainbows at one point. For those who are thinking that it’s too far a drive from Dublin, go ahead and make the trip. It’s worth it!”

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