Guided Tours of Dublin
Perhaps the most original and exciting tour on offer in the city is run by Viking Splash Tours. This truly is a tour with a difference! Participants travel in a World War II amphibious military vehicle around the city on land and water! This award-winning tour lasts about 90 minutes and is moderated by very entertaining guides who make sure it a lively experience.
The tour departs from two points: 64/65 Patrick Street which is close to St Patricks Cathedral, and also from St Stephens Green North, opposite the top of Dawson Street. This is a very popular tour, but departures are every 30 minutes, so visitors shouldn't have to wait long before climbing aboard.
The Viking Splash Tour runs from Wednesday to Sunday in February, and from Tuesday to Sunday in November. Between March & October, there are tours every day. Tickets cost E15.50 for adults (E17.50 during the Summer months) and E8.50 for children under thirteen years of age (E9.50 during the Summer). There are discounts for group bookings and also off the 1000hrs tour if booked a day in advance.
Tickets can be purchased at the point of departure, or reserved at 353 1 707 6000. For more information, log on to http://www.vikingsplash.ie.
Another popular tour in the city is at the Guinness Storehouse at St James' Gate, Dublin 8. While Arthur Guinness founded the Guinness brewery in 1759, the Storehouse was opened in 1904. The building ceased as a functional entity in the early 1990s but reopened in 2000 as an exhibition space, shop, café and tour.
The architecture of the building is extraordinary, and well worth seeing. During the tour of Guinness Storehouse, guests will learn about the brewing process, advertising and exporting of the famous brew throughout over 150 countries worldwide. Visitors will be taught how to pull the perfect pint, and be allowed to taste-test some of the product. At the end of the tour, visitors can avail of a meal in the Brewery Bar, or enjoy a pint in the rooftop Gravity Bar which affords the best views of the city anywhere in Dublin.
The Storehouse is open from 0930-1700hrs seven days a week, with late opening during July & August. Admission is E13.50 for adults with reductions for students, senior citizens and children. For more information, phone 353 1 408 4800 or see www.guinness-storehouse.com.