This is more than just a 'sightseeing tour' (but there's plenty to see) but an in-depth presentation of the main features of Irish history—the English conquest, the influences of the American and French Revolutions, the Great Hunger, the struggle for independence, the Northern Ireland Peace Process, Brexit—by a history postgraduate.
In demand: 34 of the next 60 departures are already sold out.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 7.
Tours leave from the Grattan statue, College Green, opposite Trinity College front gate and enter the campus where we outline its history as Ireland's oldest university (1592) & its most valuable artefact, the Book of Kells, an 8th century manuscript of the four Gospels, written in Latin.
Originally Ireland's colonial parliament, built in 1729, abolished by the Act of Union in 1800, symbolic of 'Protestant Ascendancy', particularly in the 18th century & of the period's neo-classical architecture.
Originally ear-marked for demolition, this area of narrow streets was repurposed as 'Dublin's Cultural Quarter' in the 1990s.
Wood Quay was the site of extensive archaeological excavation in the 1980s of the Viking city, who had founded the city in AD 840.
Ireland's legal headquarters, where a Civil War started in June 1922, between those who supported, and those who opposed, the Treaty of December 1921, which had brought to an end the War of Independence 1919-21.
Dublin's oldest cathedral (1030), rebuilt in stone in the 1170s by Strongbow, who was central to the original English invasion of the 1170s.
Inside is a statue of Daniel O'Connell, Dublin's first Catholic Lord Mayor (1840). He led a successful campaign for Catholic Emancipation (1829), the end of all anti-Catholic laws, hence he's known as 'The Liberator'.
Originally built by ('Bad') King John in 1204, it was the seat of British administration until 1922. Also the location of the Dubh Linn (Black Pool), from which Dublin gets its name.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Excurgo comparison of 1,260 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
2-Hour Historical Walking Tour from Dublin lasts about 2 hours. The itinerary has 8 stops.
Prices start at $22 per person for this Dublin experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, starting at 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM.
Children aged 4–13 pay nothing, adults from $22. Infants go free.
It can: 34 of the next 60 departures are already sold out, so booking ahead is a good idea.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is Tours leave from the Grattan statue, College Green, opposite Trinity College front gate. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 25 participants.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Wheelchair accessible Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Darragh led the tour. He was second to none. He brought the history of Ireland alive in 2.5 hours. He is a PHD student from Trinity College - in Irish history of course. He was engaging and diplomatic, open to discussion, and passionate about his subject. We'd highly recommend the tour to anyone. Oh and he has a good set of vocal chords!
Our guide was Jody. He was both knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and communicated some of the history of Ireland and Dublin in an interesting and entertaining way. We would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Dublin who wants to understand how the city came to be what it is today. Overall, a great experience
One of the guides we have ever had
A fantastic overview of the history of Ireland told in an engaging way.
My wife & I have been on quite a few walking tours of various cities in Europe (and a couple in the US). She likes history, I LOVE it. Which means I can go a bit overboard in the history if I’m not careful. This tour was a perfect balance, including nice overviews of the important older history (touching on the Vikings, and spending more time on the 19th-20th centuries), plus more contemporary things like music and the “Wall of Fame”. Speaking of music, Colm sung a few Irish songs at appropriate parts of his story, and also included some personal anecdotes and family history to really bring things to life for us. All in all it was wonderful.
The tour is aimed at history buffs. It really focuses on the events that have shaped Dublin and Ireland. The guide – Jody – is a true enthusiast and a historian. This makes the tour all the more engaging. The chronological order of the narrative and the monuments is well thought out and leaves us with a clear understanding of the sequence of events.
We would like a refund. This was rebooked from a Monday to a Wednesday and then again to a Saturday all done thru Viator and their checking with the operator. Despite all my changes the operator, thru Viator agreed to our Saturday appointment. But the confirmation for that Saturday was never received. We would like a refund!
If the operator (me, presumably) agreed to the Saturday appointment as you say, that, surely, is a confirmation; our walking tour did happen; you didn't show up; so your headline is very misleading. But it's very difficult to know exactly what happened here since you give neither a full name nor the precise time & date of the tour. What I am absolutely sure of, however, is that any requests to reschedule, whether directly or through Viator, are dealt with promptly. Yes, please contact Viator for a refund. Perhaps you should have done that before posting this misleading & damaging 1-star review (particularly the headline). Consequently I request that Viator remove it.
This was a very informative tour! Jody was our tour guide and he was not only full of knowledge but very entertaining. I learned so much and also appreciated his recommendations for lunch and pubs.
A fun and informative walking tour. Our guide, Caolan Maher, was excellent and covered a lot of area and history.
Excellent tour with a knowledgeable and humorous guide. Would highly recommend.
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Hour Historical Walking Tour from Dublin | 2 hours | 4.9 (1,036) | $22 | |
 Dublin Highlights and Hidden Gems Guided Walking Tour | 2 hours | 4.9 (7,506) | $27 | View |
 Dark Dublin Walking Tour: Torture, Murder and Mystery | 2 hours | 4.9 (2,400) | $27 | View |
 Dublin Historical Centre Food Tour with 7 Food Tastings & Drinks | 3 hours | 4.9 (2,245) | $128 | View |
 1916 Rebellion Walking Tour | 2 hours | 4.9 (1,804) | $26 | View |
 Haunted Dublin Walking Tour | 2 hours | 4.9 (1,133) | $27 | View |
 Dublin to Cliffs of Moher, including Wild Atlantic Way and Galway | 13 hours | 4.9 (24,954) | $86 | View |