Important Update for the Holiday Season
Our Original Free Tour of Dublin will not run between December 23rd and December 29th. Instead, we’re excited to offer a Christmas Special Free Walking Tour of Dublin, operated by one of our trusted partners. Don’t miss out on this festive experience—reserve your spot here!
On this 2-hour Dublin free walking tour we wind down the quiet streets and bound through bustling boulevards, uncovering the hidden sites as well as the famous ones. You will see many of Dublin's main attractions, including Dublin Castle, Temple Bar and Trinity College as we explore 2,000 years of history.
Your Dublin Free Tour starts at Barnardo Square next to City Hall and usually ends by Trinity College. From some of the world’s greatest writers to dramatic and sometimes tragic events through the centuries, Dublin’s main export has always been stories. The expert local guides we work with are famous for bringing the past to life through their passionate delivery of the history of this vibrant city. We never cancel; tours run rain, hail or shine.
The fight for Independence
Years of resistance and rebellion would culminate in the tragedy of the Easter Rising. While the United Kingdom was heavily engaged in the First World War, Irish Republicans started a six-day rebellion on Easter Monday, 24 April 1916. The British suppressed the uprising, but 485 people were killed. This marked the beginning of a violent and deadly struggle between the British and the Irish Republican Army (IRA). After years of bloodshed, a ceasefire was called, and talks held afterwards led to the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty on 6 December 1921, which ended British rule in much of Ireland.
The great Irish writers
No history of Dublin would be complete without talking about the lives of some of the best Irish story-tellers and writers. You will learn about James Joyce, who is regarded as one of the most influential authors of the 20th century, and Jonathan Swift, best known for writing Gulliver's Travels. After this tour you might be inspired to tell your own story!
Free Tour concept
The tips-based model of the Free Tour allows guests to support and reward only the highest quality tours, and to ensure that the tour fits within their expectations, and within their budget.
The Dublin Free Tour starts at Barnardo Square next to City Hall, daily in English and Spanish
Marvel at the Dublin Castle, that has stood for over 800 years
Visit the tidal pool and city’s namesake Dubh Linn
Discover the Viking remains around Temple Bar
Explore Trinity College, the oldest university in the city
Listen to the lives of famous Irish writers such as James Joyce and Jonathan Swift
See Leinster House, home of the Irish parliament
Learn about the origins of the local rock legends U2
Enjoy the medieval Christ Church Cathedral
Discover the rare manuscripts and books at the Chester Beatty Library
TOUR SCHEDULES
Today
11:00 AM2:00 PM
11:00 AM2:00 PM
PHOTOS
Dublin Castle
Christ Church Cathedral
Trinity College
Temple Bar
Inclusions & exclusions
What’s included
Local English-speaking guide
What’s not included
Gratuities for the guide (optional)
Additional Information
Our business is connecting great guides and smart travelers, and we're proud that so many local guides employ us to welcome travelers like you on their journey through some of the world's best cities. No two tours are alike, and the sites, stories, and length of the tour will vary depending on what your freelance guide decides is best. That's why the tours we promote never get stale or feel scripted, and why both independent guides and savvy travelers prefer SANDEMANs
My girlfriend and I have been on 5 or 6 SANDEMANs tours all around Europe, and since we were in Dublin we tried this one. What a fantastic way to spend a morning! Stephen's passion for the city and knowledge of the place came across so well. Having grown up during the 80s and 90s, he had loads of interesting anecdotes and painted a vivid picture of what life was like for a young Irish lad during the troubles. He also gave us a raft of recommendations of things to do, pubs and restaurants, and some really cool less well known spots like Token, which we visited yesterday and it was awesome. My girlfriend and I both agree it was the best tour we've ever been on. Thank you so much, Stephen, for a lovely morning and such a fantastic introduction to Dublin!
An excellently informative and engaging tour. The guide was so passionate about Dublin and I learnt a lot. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone on a first-time visit to Dublin! It lasts 2.5-3hours with a 15-minute break half way through. It covers the main tourist spots but we also saw places we would never have found on our own and it was a great way to get our bearings of the city. This is the second SANDEMANs tour I've done and I'm yet to be disappointed!!
Great tour! Informative and entertaining. Patrick was very knowledgeable about Ireland's history, taught us some Gaelic and was funny enough to make it all fun! Highly recommend!
John was astonishingly knowledgeable and was extremely entertaining, he was fun, full of energy and charisma, a born guide! He showed us a truly great time around the city and when the tour had officially come to an end he didn't hesitate to invite us to have lunch together at one of his favorite places around the corner, where he continued to talk about Dublin and answer our questions regardless of the fact that his "official" duties had ended. Huge thumbs up, and I'll absolutely be recommending John and Sandemans tours to all my friends planning to come to Dublin!
Great free tour with Michael! Had a great time listening to the history of Ireland! Our tour guide was full of enthusiasm and great fun! It was pretty awesome to hear such interesting stories about Ireland and listening to some fantastic poems too!
One of the best walking tours I have ever done. Large group was split into two to ensure that we had the best experience. Tour guide Adam was a local with so much knowledge of the city and Irish history and a great sense of humour. I could have listened to his stories all day. Tour was well paced and very interesting and Adam gave great recommendations for museums, local bars and restaurants. This tour is a great start to a visit to Dublin.
We took the Free Dublin Tour with Stephen and loved it. Stephen is very friendly, made the tour very interesting with personal stories and fun facts about this city he loves so much. He took time to ask about our personal lives, engaged in good conversation and even acted! I highly recommend this tour and if you get a chance to do it with Stephen, do it! Thank you very much, we loved Dublin!
The Free Tour is the best introduction to Dublin! A general overview tour including many of the highlights of the city, the Free Tour usually lasts around 3 hours and is provided by a local freelance guide in partnership with SANDEMANs NEW Europe, so tour content can vary depending on your guide’s particular area of interest and expertise.
The Free Tour is a walking tour with no need for public transport and is designed for independent travellers, not groups. You can book your spot in advance online or simply show up at the start point on the day. There is no payment necessary at the start of the tour but you are welcome to tip your guide at the end!
We believe in supporting local communities and are committed to giving a voice to some of Dublin's best local freelance tour guides, who passionately share the city's history and culture with their own unique and always-entertaining style. They'll never pressure you to tip; we believe that, if money is given, it should be voluntary and in direct proportion to the quality of the tour and the budget of the traveller.
Why join the SANDEMANs FREE Tour?
The route covers many of Dublin's major landmarks
The meeting point is centrally located in Barnardo Square next to City Hall
The Free Tour is guaranteed to fit within your budget
The guides performing tips-based Free Tours are incentivized to perform every time
Enjoy a comprehensive overview of Dublin's fascinating history and must-see sites with your private ...
Info & Booking
€ 350
Customise Your Private Tour!
Tell us the landmarks, stories or parts of the city you want to see, how long you have to see them and when you want to go, and we’ll build an itinerary that suits you.
Enjoy a comprehensive overview of Dublin's fascinating history and must-see sites with your private ...
Info & Booking
€ 350
Participation in tours promoted by SANDEMANs NEW Europe is strictly on a voluntary basis. Neither SANDEMANs NEW Europe, nor the self-employed freelance guides who are the providers of the tours promoted by SANDEMANs NEW Europe, will be held responsible in any way for injuries to body or property incurred during tours. The tour guides reserve the right to deny participation in any tour, to any person, for any reason. Thank you for your understanding.
Tour starts here
Tour usually ends here
