There are three main Open top or Hop on hop off bus tours around Dublin.
Big Bus Tours – a 25 Stop tour route offering three ticket packages
City Sightseeing Tours – A 30 stop tour route with two ticket options
Do Dublin Tours – A 28 Stop tour with three ticket options
Dublin is a compact city with deep layers of culture and history, lined with classic pubs and cobbled streets.
As you discover this majestic city, you will encounter numerous traces of its ancient past, as evident in the stunning cathedrals, castles and architecture seemingly around every corner.
If you are searching for possibly the most comfortable and convenient way of exploring Dublin? Then a Dublin Hop on Hop off Bus tour is definitely worth your time. You will find numerous stunning things sights to see in Dublin.
Some of the most famous sights to visit throughout your Hop on Hop off Dublin tours include Kilmainham Gaol, Chester Beatty Library, Hugh Lane Gallery, Trinity College, Guinness Storehouse, Old Library & Book of Kells, and of course, 14 Henrietta Street.
What is the Dublin Hop on and Hop off Tours? Where Do the Tours Go?
If you didn’t know yet, hop-on hop-off tours are an excellent way to see the unique city and its signs at your own pace in Dublin. One and two-day tours along the cobbled streets visit many of the must-see locales of the city, from the Saint Patrick’s Cathedral to the Guinness Storehouse.
The best thing about it is that the tour offers you excellent access to hidden city gems often missed by many tourists and walking tours in regions where buses cannot even go.
Dublin City Tour Maps
Leaving O’Connell Street every few minutes, it is considered the most popular and original route in every Dublin’s must-see destination.
You can hop on board to visit the number one attraction in Europe, The Guinness Storehouse, immerse yourself and see Gregorian Dublin, and visit the Phoenix Park and Kilmainham Gaol. Remember that the red route calls at Smithfield, home to the Parnell Square and Jameson Distillery Bow, the Irish Writers Museum, Hugh Lane Gallery, Samuel Beckett Bridge, Stain Stephen’s Green. National Art Gallery, and many more to mention!
With more than thirty stops to hop on and hop off and discover, you can all see and experience them all at your leisure and as many times as you like. On the other hand, the Blue and Red Line routes come every fifteen minutes and will bring you around Dublin in an unforgettable, panoramic way.
How To Explore Dublin By Bus?
You will find three major bus companies in Dublin that operate hop-on-hop-off tours. They are the City Sightseeing Dublin, DoDublin and Big Bus Tours. These bus companies make it simple and stress-free for travellers to explore the area by adding a free walking tour and free rides for children under fourteen years old with every paid adult ticket.
CitySightseeing Tours
This bus company rolls out two routes throughout the city in its vibrant red double-decker buses. You will get a forty-eight-hour ticket, and you can join the City by Night tour, summer-only musical tour, and a one-hour tour of downtown.
Remember that the 48-hour ticket also offers you excellent access to the City Sightseeing Dublin Walking Tour throughout the summer season.
DoDublin
DoDublin is part of Dublin Bus, the main public transport company in Dublin and is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann which is owned by the Irish Government. They offer you free entry to the Little Museum of Dublin, where you can take the tour and receive money-saving discounts as well as a map of the city. How awesome is that? It’s worth mentioning that live guides will be there to help you who are considered to be native Dubliners.
Big Bus Tours Dublin
Big Bus Tours Dublin allow you to explore Dublin city at your own pace; With a 24- to 72-hour ticket thats allows you to hop on and hop off wherever you like at any of 25 stops. Enjoy live or audio commentary that teaches you about Dublin’s history and culture, and explore the small streets of Dublin on a guided walking tour. Hop on and off as many times as you like to explore Dublin highlights at your leisure, such as St. Stephens Green, Croke Park, EPIC the Irish Emigration Museum, and others
Travel Passes with Free Hop on Hop Tours?
Lucky for you because there are. Two separate city passes offer you seventy-two hours of unlimited travel or free admission to different attractions in the town.
The Dublin Pass offers you seventy-two hours of free access to the twenty-five most popular destinations of the city. The best part is that it also involves a free twenty-four hop on and hop off bus tour through airport transfer to the city centre and CitySightseeing.
Meanwhile, the DoDublin Card offers you seventy-two hours of unlimited admission to sightseeing and public buses, a complimentary Pat Liddy walking tour, free access to the Little Museum of Dublin, discount access to attractions and even exclusive meal deals.
The Airlink Express of DoDublin also gets you to and from the city centre and the airport.
Remember that the clock begins on your timed ticket the first time you scan it on the machine. Do you plan to use it for transportation from the airport? Make sure you plan to take a flight that arrives in the morning.
Scanning it the first time at night means you only have two days left on your ticket.
How Can You Maximize Your Dublin Tour Ticket?
Are you planning on visiting the busy tourist season of the city that peaks during the warm weather months of July and August? Then you can expect crowded buses and slower traffic. Remember that those months are two of the best, with temperatures in the middle of the sixties.
Meanwhile, June and September provide somewhat lower temperatures along with fewer crowds of people. Make sure you dress comfortably and warmly throughout the off-season months when likelihoods for rain rise and temperatures creep down into the mid-forties throughout the day.
The top open-air decks of the buses are often covered during the winter seasons. Nonetheless, you would like to bring an umbrella with you for walking around the city.
Places To Visit On A Bus Tour?
While you are in Dublin, a hop on and hop off tours provide an exclusive ticket for an extra cost, which will allow you to independently visit your choice of one of the five remarkable attractions listed below, which concentrate on Irish cultural heritage.
Teeling Whiskey Distillery
The Teeling Whiskey Distillery is the first distillery to open in Double in more than 125 years. It was opened by Jack and Stephen in 2015 and is considered the harbinger of a renaissance in the whiskey industry of Ireland.
It is situated in the Liberties and in the centre of the Golden Triangle, the history distilling district of the city. You can freely experience how an authentic distillery operates and explore the tastes, sounds, smells, and sights of this distinct Dublin experience, which isn’t to be missed.
Dublins General Post Office
One of the new museums in the city tells the story of the General Post Office of Dublin, the GPO and its role in the 1916 Easter Rising. Did you know that it was the most critical episode of Irish history, which created the Irish republic?
GPO Witness History brings those stormy days to life through an engaging, interactive, and immersive experience, which will educate you all about the events of Easter Week in 1916 and even modern Irish history.
EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum
This destination is voted as the leading tourist attraction in Europe at the World Travel Awards in 2019. In case you didn’t know, EPIC Ireland is the only fully digital museum in the world.
In fact, the museum tells the moving chronicles of those who left and how they affected and formed the world. Situated in the CHQ Building in one of the most historical locations by the Custom House Quay and River Liffey bank, EPIC Museum has something to offer for your whole family and friends to enjoy.
You can also read emigrant letters to see the world through the eyes of men and women who left home or visit the whispering library to understand some of the most famous Irish authors of the world.
Guinness Storehouse
Situated in the core of the Saint James Gate Brewery, this destination is one of the most famous sights of Ireland. The Guinness experience starts at the bottom of the most giant pint in the world. It continues up to seven stories of engaging experiences, telling the captivating story of the iconic Irish beer from its founding by Arthur Guinness way back in 1759.
What’s more, you can enjoy a stunning view and a great pint of Dublin city from the top floor of the Gravity Bar or understand how to pour your own at the Guinness Academy. This modern and sophisticated building is loaded with great history and will surely bring you a memorable expedition.
How Much Are Dublin Hop on and Hop off Tours?
Dublin Hop on Hop Off Tours cost from €23 or $25 for an adult day pass. Do keep in mind that Dublin Hop on and Hop off Tour companies have created a wide array of ticket options. That includes a three-day pass, a two-day pass, and a one-day pass in addition to combining tours that offer access to numerous leading Dublin attractions.
The prices of Dublin tours vary from one provider to another provider.
Is Dublin Hop on and Hop off Tours Worth Your Money?
The Hop on and Hop off tours in Dublin offer a broad spectrum of the overview of the city along with one ticket and unlimited hop on and hop off. That makes them the ideal choice for disabled tourists along with mobility issues to discover Dublin at your own pace.
Remember that your customized Dublin tour experience involves onboard commentary in your language, choice of being alone or in a group, disability-friendly buses, choice of time of the tour, and of your pace of exploration of Dublin city sightseeing with Hop on and Hop off bus tours.
Which Dublin Pass is Suitable for You?
Take note that Dublin Pass is accessible in one, two, three, and five-day options. Free Child passes are also suitable for ages five to fifteen.
As you research the places, you can visit with your Dublin pass, bear in mind that two of the most sought-after attractions of Dublin are noticeably absent: the Kilmainham Gaol and the Book of Kells at Trinity College.
Those are the famous Dublin attractions, and in the high season, tour times could feel a few weeks beforehand. While not approved, our suspicion is that such sites won’t be accessible to deal with added tourists wanting to afford a Fast Track entry, and pre-booking along with the Dublin Pass is not accessible at this moment.
The two above destinations could fill a few more hours each at minimum. Hence, if they are included in your list of “must-see in Dublin,” make sure you buy a Dublin Pass, which is approximately one day less than your time within the city.
