Home > Themed Tours > Museums Tour of Dublin

Museums Tour of Dublin

A unique tour uses Ireland’s artistic and literary wealth.

from €218-229

Check availability

Museums Tour of Dublin

Check availability

Duration:
3hrs

Price:
€218-229

Suitable for:
Those who don’t want to get bored in museums

Suggested start time:
10am, 2pm

Tour Highlights

Get a great overview of Irish culture and history through paintings and artefacts
National Gallery
National Library
National Museum of Archaeology and History
Symbolic paintings representing the Norman Conquest of Ireland and the Irish Civil War
Insight into the life and works of W.B. Yeats – Ireland’s Greatest Poet
The Tara Brooch and the Ardagh Chalice – treasures that epitomise Ireland’s Golden Age (500-800AD)
Learn about over 2,000 years of Ireland’s history & culture

Check availability

What to expect on this tour

Pacing – we’ll take a break (coffee/beer/meal) every 80-90mins
Exercise – The museums are in the same block so there is minimal walking between them.
Communication forms – the guide will use a display folder full of photos, maps, etc. and might also sing or act
Variety – the right mix of fun, culture and history to suit you!
Private – no one else will be joining your group, ever.
Professional, well-travelled, clear-spoken and personable Irish tour guide who is specialised in giving private tours and therefore is able to talk AND listen
Lifetime memories – create wonderful and lasting memories

Tour Description

A leisurely, yet inspiring tour of the highlights of Dublin’s best museums. No art degree required.

This unique tour uses Ireland’s artistic and literary wealth to explain the historical moments, traditions, wars, movements, and eras that have sculpted Ireland through the centuries.

We’ll explore the highlights of the National Gallery, National Library and National Museum, with a coffee break half-way through.

Consider those great cultural and artistic treasures that represent your country’s history. For the USA, it is paintings like ‘Washington Crossing the Delaware’ and ‘American Gothic’ by Grant Wood, original manuscripts of Edgar Allan Poe and Walt Whitman, and objects full of cultural symbolism like The Liberty Bell.

This tour will show you their Irish equivalents:

Symbolic paintings representing the Norman Conquest of Ireland and the Irish Civil War;
Insight into the life and works of W.B. Yeats – Ireland’s Greatest Poet;
The Tara Brooch and the Ardagh Chalice – treasures that epitomise Ireland’s Golden Age (500-800AD).

Itinerary

National Gallery

We’ll explore the highlights of the National Gallery: Europeans masters like Carvaggio, Monet and Picasso; a look at the Irish painter Jack Yeats; and most importantly we’ll explore works that help tell the story of Irish history.

National Library

Next we’ll explore the beautiful National Library with a vast reading room that transports you back to Joyce’s Dublin of 1904. Re-ignite your admiration for poetry with an insight into the life and works of W.B. Yeats’s, Ireland’s Greatest Poet. Learn about the Celtic Literary revival from the late 19th century onwards.

National Museum of Archaeology & History

An immense museum, worthy of multiple visits. On our tour, however, we’ll limit ourselves to just two exhibitions – Kingship & Sacrifice and the Treasury.

The former hosts artefacts dating back to the Iron Age, prehistoric and pre-Christian Ireland (the star of the show being the bog bodies – human remains that have been preserved for over 2,200 years!) The latter includes some of the most impressive precise metal work that has ever been produced in Ireland, including the Tara Brooch and Ardagh Chalice.

Leinster House – Dáil Eireann – Irish Parliament

What was once the town house of the Fitzgerald family from the 1740s has, since 1922, hosted the Irish Parliament (Dáil Eireann). Much like the Old Parliament building, this parliament building also became an architectural inspiration. Its facade, as well as the floor plan for its 1st and 2nd floors, were used as blueprints for the design of the White House.

Naturally, we’ll only be able to view it from the gate, which, thankfully, gives us a more-or-less unobstructed view of the front facade.
Exclusions
- Tip or gratuity
- Food & drinks
Notes
- COVID 19 – We abide by current governmental safety guidelines. We suggest you read about Ireland’s current COVID updates on the Citizens Information website
- Numbers are currently limited to 5 people + the tour guide.
- The National Gallery (our first stop) only opens at 11am on Mondays and 11:30 on Sundays, but 9:45 every other day.
- Entry to the museums is free, but we need to book our tickets in advance.
- Accessible for those with limited mobility, limited eyesight, wheelchairs, stroller/pram
- Make sure to bring comfortable walking shoes
- Weather – Check the weather before the tour to determine if you’ll need a lightweight raincoat or not
- Further details available once you click into our booking engine linked by a button called ‘Check availability’ or ‘Book’
- Complementary tour – If you book this tour, we recommend booking any of the following tours for later in the day (or on another day) to enhance your Dublin experience: Pub Tour, Food Tour, Crafts & Design, (Nearly!) All of Dublin in 5 hours.
Cancellation policy
- 15+ days before : Free postponement or 80% refund (we retain 20% to cover admin costs)
- 14-8 days before : 50% refund
- 7-0 days before : 0% refund
- All cancellations must be discussed via email or phone. Booking fees are non-refundable. For more info, see our T&Cs