The Dublin Pass: Is It Worth It?

The Dublin Pass, Ireland’s answer to travelers utilizing other European city’s fast pass option into tourist sites has become a time saver for anyone visiting Dublin for the first time, especially during peak seasons. It saves you both time and money and makes it easy to use at more than 25 visitor attractions, including Dublin’s Hop On Hop Off Big Red sightseeing bus for 24 hours.

Please note, the Dublin Pass is valid for consecutive calendar days, NOT 24-hour periods. For example, if you activate your Dublin pass at 2 pm on Monday, it expires at midnight on Wednesday.

PRO TIP: Purchase your tickets online before you travel and upload the Dublin Pass App on your phone. When you sync your ticket with your pass you are NOT activating the pass. Failure to do this prior to your departure from reliable internet could prevent you from accessing tours when you wish to do so. Be sure to check Viator for discounts. Instead of the 129 euros quoted on the site, we were able to secure a day pass for 70 euros online. Check Viator for prices here>>

How to Save Time and Money with the Dublin Pass

Preparation is key. To maximize your use of the pass, and the monetary value saved, you’ll want to have your day scheduled. Check out the Hop On Hop Off Bus map. It has two routes, red and black, and starts at 9 am on O’Connell Street. It runs every half hour off-peak and every 10 minutes at peak times. If your lodgings are near a stop, ask your concierge or Airbnb host what time the bus passes your stop. Plan to ride the Hop On Hop Off Bus the first day to get the lay of the land and get to the distant locations such as Phoenix Park and Glasnevin Cemetery. By going to the farthest reaches in the first 24 hours (the bus pass is for actual 24 hours, not calendar day), you’ll optimize the number of attractions you’ll visit. 

Also, do go to the top 10 attractions, planning your visits based on location to minimize travel time between. If you look at the cost of the attractions, you’ll see just how very much you can save. Quite frankly, the three free museums in Dublin 2 can take a day or more on their own and don’t really need the Dublin Pass – unless there’s a special exhibit. Those special exhibits shouldn’t be missed.

Transportation Around The City

For most economical transportation, purchase a GO Dublin pass that matches the duration of your trip. You can (and should) purchase the AirLink or Aircoach round trip from the airport (currently 7 one way, 12 return) for the least expensive, most efficient way to get downtown.

Make your way to your lodgings and, especially if they’re centrally located, have the 1, 3 or 7-day bus pass. All of the bus numbers are listed within the Dublin Pass app. To go to Dalkey to the south or Skerries to the north, short 30-minute train ride on the DART system, purchase the round trip train fare or take the bus to either town. The Luas (tram) system runs (mostly) along the river and is an independent ticket from the bus system. If you’re going to be in Dublin for more than a week, I recommend purchasing a LEAP card that covers bus, tram, and train.

Where to Buy the Dublin Pass

While you can purchase the Dublin Pass on the official website, we recommend buying from Viator, as they often have large savings. We were able to save almost half for each pass by booking our Dublin Pass through the Viator Platform. They are reliable and trustworthy and we never had any problems booking through them. Click here to buy the Dublin Pass with Viator.

IMPORTANT: Buy the Dublin Pass before you get to Dublin from your home before you depart. After purchase, you can download the app and sync the ticket or have the Dublin Pass downloaded directly to your smartphone or pick up the Pass at the two collection points in the city center – 25 Suffolk Street in Dublin 2 or 14 O’Connell Street in Dublin 1. 

What is included in the Dublin Pass

Entrance fees to the following tourist sites:

Guinness Storehouse

Hop-On / Hop-Off Big Red Bus

EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum

Jameson Distillery Bow St.

Teeling Whiskey Distillery

Dublin Zoo

GPO Witness History Visitor Centre

Glasnevin Cemetery Museum & Guided Tour

Christ Church Cathedral

Dublinia

Skerries Mills

Dalkey Castle & Heritage Centre

Dublin Writer’s Museum

Irish Rock & Roll Museum

James Joyce Centre

Jeannie Johnston Tall Ship and Famine Museum

Little Museum of Dublin

Dublin Castle

Castletown House, Parklands, Café & Conference

Farmleigh House & Estate

Malahide Castle & Grounds

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Airfield Estate

Aquazone Waterpark @ the National Aquatic Centre

National Wax Museum Plus

Rainforest Adventure Golf

Vaults Live

Croke Park Stadium Tour and GAA museum

For sites, as with the four national museums and the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin City Hall that already have free admission, the Dublin Pass will either provide entry to special exhibits that would normally charge a fee OR will offer a free guide at the gift shop, OR a discount at museum shops or cafes.

What is NOT included in the Dublin Pass

Guided tours within the site are NOT included. For example, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Christ Church Cathedral have tour guides within the church that are definitely worth the associated fee.

A Few Guided Tours to Check Out:

• Walking Tour of Dublin
• Viking Splash City Tour by Land & Water
• Dublin Ghostbus Tour
• Skip-the-Line Guinness Storehouse Signature Package
• Dublin Highlights Walking Tour

Is the Dublin Pass Worth it?

The price for each site is listed below. Look at your desired attractions and add the cost. Then think about spending part of your vacation in line. You’ll quickly agree, even if you just go to half of the top 10 sites, it’s worth it. Take care to check for closures. Government buildings, including Dublin Castle and Dublin City Hall, frequently have private events resulting in short term closure.

COST (in Euros) on the APP:

Note: purchasing the Dublin Pass on the Viator website can lead to a close to 50% discount. Click here to buy the Dublin Pass with Viator.

Cost of Individual Attractions at the Time of Writing:

Museums: the following provide free entry

Chester Beatty:
Free, receive free guidebook and 10% café discount

The National Museum – Archaeology:
Free, receive free guidebook and 10% café discount

National Museum – Decorative arts:
Free, receive free guidebook and 10% café discount

National Museum – Natural History:
Free, receive free guidebook and 10% café discount

Irish Museum of Modern Art:
Free entry to paid exhibits, free set of postcards, 10% discount ant gift shop and cafe

National Gallery of Ireland:
Receive free entry to paid-for temporary exhibits or a free guidebook

National Botanic Gardens:
Free, received a free guide book

Discounts:

DINING:

The Brazen Head, Dublin’s oldest pub:
An Evening of Food, Folklore & Fairies (10% discount from tickets €48/per adult €29/per child) 

Captain Americas:
Free dessert with each main meal purchased

The Boxty House:
Free Irish coffee with the purchase of any a la Carte main course

The Church Bar:
10% discount on bar food from noon to 8 pm

Hard Rock Café:
A free half pint of beer or soft drink with any main course purchased and/or a Hard Rock souvenir with any retail purchase of €25 or more

SABA restaurant (two locations):
A free dessert of a glass of Prosecco with each main course purchased

TGI Fridays (two locations):
A half-pint of beer or soft drink with any main course purchased

Wagamama:
Free dessert with every main meal purchased

SHOPPING:

Celtic Whiskey Shop:
Receive a free specialist whiskey glass when you spend €60 or more

Carroll’s Irish Gifts:
Free gift with purchase of €25 or more

Kildare Village:
10% VIP discount card (one day card per Dublin Pass)

Kilkenny Shop:
10% discount

TOURS AND LEISURE:

Abbey Theatre:
10% discount on tickets Mon-Fri

Aircoach Bus Transfer:
15% discount from airport to city center

Bram Stoker’s Castle Dracula (only 14 and over):
15% discount (tickets €25)

1916 Rebellion Walking Tour:
20% discount (tickets €13per adult / €9per child)

Day Tour of Wicklow:
€5 discount (€28per adult / €25per child)

Dublin Discovered Boat Tours:
20% discount on adult or child ticket (not family) (€15 / €13 / €11 / €9 / free under 3)

Dublin Literary Pub Crawl:
Adults only: 25% off ticket price and 40% off souvenir book (€13)

Experience Gaelic Games:
10% off

Irish Day Tours (7 iconic destinations daily):
10% discount

Lazy Bike Tours (electric bike):
25% discount (€30)

Railtours Ireland First Class:
15% discount

Shane’s Howth Adventure:
20% off Howth Hikes

Tapas Trail Dublin:
Discounted from €60 to €57 for adults and €55 to €48 for children

Whiskey Trail Deluxe:
Book on their website for a €7 discount

Additional Tips for Dublin:

Dublin is divided into “zones.” Dublin 1 and Dublin 2 are the center city. Dublin 2, on the south side of the River Liffey, is considered posher. It contains Trinity College – Dublin and the famous Book of Kells, not included with the Dublin Pass. If you’re traveling in summer, Trinity College offers accommodations on campus. There’s nothing like seeing the main gate open for a taxi at 2 am when you need to get to the airport to fly home.

If your accommodations are within Dublin 1 or Dublin 2, you could walk to most attractions, though may choose not to for speed and convenience. 

Temple Bar, famous for hipster music and art scene as well as a plethora of pubs, should be experienced at least once – even during the daylight hours. If you are traveling with children, lunch in the area may be your best bet.

Make a point of visiting Dublin’s parks. St. Stephen’s Green, Merrion Square (Oscar Wilde Statue and WWI memorial) and the park behind Dublin Castle (Garda memorial) are beautiful places for a walk or a picnic.

More Dublin Pass Tips:

For last-minute offers, sync the Dublin Pass with your phone’s app. Syncing does NOT activate The Dublin Pass!

The Pass is good for one visit per attraction, no re-admission is permitted.

Though the Dublin Pass allows you to skip the ticket lines (queues), and head straight to the entrance, there may be security lines you cannot skip.

Check opening times in advance. I was most disappointed that Live Vaults was closed Monday and Tuesday, the days we were available to attend.

Groups must check with the individual attractions – restrictions may apply

The Dublin Pass can get you many discounts and free entries for you and your party. It can help you make the most of your trip to Dublin. For a one-time cost, you can cover so many different things. But, it’s up to you as to whether or not it’s worth it. Click here to buy the Dublin Pass.

The Dublin Pass: Is it Worth it? was written by Gail Clifford for EuropeUpClose.

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