Review: Big Bus Dublin Tour Hop on Hop Off
It was our first full day in Ireland after a good nights sleep at Staycity Tivoli Aparthotels. (See review link below.) We were scheduled to review the Big Bus Dublin Tours, so we decided to get an early start.
Big Bus Dublin Tours
The Big Bus Tours company offer a fantastic way to discover the highlights of many cities around the world. Once you know the lay of the land, you can head back to your preferred locations and spend more time. We took the 24 hour Discover Tour which features the Red Route Bus Tour. The beauty of the Hop-On, Hop-Off Dublin Day Tour is that you can do just that – hop off whenever you want – explore, eat, drink, shop and then hop back on.
Dublin Castle
Since we were staying very close to Dublin Castle, we started our day visiting this attraction before hopping on the Big Bus Dublin tour bus at Stop #10 (Dame Street/Dublin Castle). This attraction was built in the thirteenth century on the site of a Viking settlement. It is the heartbeat of Dublin, serving as a hub for city business. Dublin Castle remains an Irish government complex to this day.
Christ Church Cathedral
It turned out that Stop #11 was the magnificent Christ Church Cathedral, so we hopped off again. The cathedral began as a viking church, built of wood by the king of Dublin Vikings, Sitriuc “Silkbeard” and a young Irish priest, Dúnán in 1030. In 1152, it became an official Irish church. However, it was rebuilt after the Norman invasion, when much of the wooden structure was destroyed. The stone version of the cathedral was designed and built by local architect John Roberts in the 1180s. The architecture is gorgeous. Both Dublin Castle and Christ Church Cathedral are must-see attractions.
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral
Stop #12 is for Saint Patrick’s Cathedral which is extraordinary. We have some fabulous video of this landmark on ETG’s instagram plus lots more photos and videos – Follow us @EatTravelGo.
The Guinness Storehouse
Once we got back on the bus, we decided not to get off until Stop #15. This was for the famous Guinness Storehouse. There was a massive crowd. According to our guide the Guinness Storehouse is one of the most popular tourists attractions in all of Europe. The official Guinness Storehouse Experience includes a self guided tours, entry to the tasting rooms, as well as access to the Gravity Bar with 360 degree views of Dublin. Here you can enjoy a pint of Guinness, Guinness 0.0 (18+), or a soft drink. You will need roughly ninety minutes to take the full tour. There are also several tours with upgraded experiences. So, be sure to check those out on the website and book tickets online early. These tours sell out.
Pearse Lyons Whiskey Distillery
Stop #16 brought us to another beautiful site. It appeared to be a church with a glass steeple. Our guide informed us that this was originally St. James Church but is now part of the Pearse Lyons Whiskey Distillery. The Whiskey makers purchased the building in 2013.
Nancy Hands Pub
Stop #20 Dublin Zoo was a popular spot. However, we did not get off. We were in search of more street art as well as a drink at the well-known bar at Stop #21. This is where a free Guinness awaited us, courtesy of Nancy Hands Pub. This is a legendary pub which opened in the 18th century. It was founded by a strong determined woman named Nancy. She was the first woman to ever run a Public house in Ireland.
The funny name came from her serving pints through a small hole in the front of the pub. Only her hands were seen. This took place for two hours every Sunday, when people were supposed to be observing their Catholic religion. After scarfing down some delicious fish and chips, we hopped back on the bus and realized we were now at the official beginning of the tour.
Trinity College Book of Kells
We had to visit Stop #2 Nassau Street/The Book of Kells. Trinity College and the Book of Kells are Irish historic must-see attractions. Dublin’s Trinity College is the oldest university in Ireland. It houses the Book of Kells, a 9th century manuscript containing the four Gospels of the New Testament. The Long Room was stunning – quite a gorgeous library.
Our next stop was Stop #4 Merrion Square/Oscar Wilde Statue. We were excited to experience the beautiful park as well as see the truly unique sculpture created by artist Danny Osborne. Wilde is carved out of several types of semi precious stone. He sits atop a giant bolder and is situated with his eyes gazing towards his childhood home. The artist created two smaller sculptures to compliment the main attraction. One is of Wilde’s wife. The other is of the Greek God Dionysus who inspired the author.
St. Stephen’s Green, Fusiliers’ Arch
When you get off the bus, you can easily walk to a variety of attractions. You don’t necessarily need to get on and off as much as we did. This day we seemed to be in sync with the bus schedule, so once again we were back on the bus. We hopped off at St. Stephen’s Green park. The official name of the arch at the entrance of the park is Fusiliers’ Arch, however many people call it Dublin’s Arc de Triumph. The memorial was built to commemorate the sacrifice of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, a military regiment which fought and died in the Second Boer War.
We took some time to appreciate the beautiful park, while we enjoyed the Ellen Reid Soundwalk experience. We downloaded an app, then we put our earbuds in and listened to the gorgeous soundscape which changed as we walked through the park. It was such a great area, we ended up staying for quite a bit of time. Just outside the park was a bustling shopping district. Richard attention was turned by all the live music and street performers, so I took some time to engage in my retail therapy. He also found some exceptional pizza from a popular pizza joint called Bambino.
Rock and Roll Museum
We ended our bus tour at Stop #9, Dame Street / Temple Bar. This area is called the Temple Bar neighborhood. First, we popped into the Rock and Roll Museum. It has documented the Irish performers/musicians for the past thirty years. The museum displays all types of memorabilia – handwritten lyrics, personal mementos, rare guitars, as well as clothing worn at iconic performances. We saw the Temple Lane rehearsal studios used by legendary musicians such as U2, Def Leopard, Thin Lizzy, and more. The museum remains a live music venue and recording studios to this day.
Temple Bar
From there we moved on to the Temple Bar to have a drink and take in some live music. We enjoyed hot chocolates with shots of baileys – yum! The bar is located down the street from the the Rock and Roll Museum. I loved this little neighborhood. We ended up staying there, wandering the narrow streets, enjoying street art, and listening to live music. Dusk arrived in a subtle yet seductive way. The city started twinkling. Colored lights illuminated the buildings around us, while people seemingly appeared out of nowhere…it was a fantastic day with a magical ending!
Purchase your Big Bus Dublin Tours tickets online, or at Stops #1 or #24. While all the drivers were equally informative, Albert was our favorite. We took the Discover Tour, but several other tours are available. So hop on, hop off, and enjoy your own adventure when visiting Dublin. https://www.bigbustours.com
CLICK HERE to read my review of Staycity Tivoli Aparthotels; CLICK HERE to read more articles about Ireland. We also encourage our readers to visit Dublin’s official tourism website at https://www.visitdublin.com/ as well as Ireland’s website – https://www.ireland.com/
If you would like to see lots more photos and videos, CLICK HERE to visit our instagram. This is where you will find the full adventure. You’ll see lots more photos, as well as videos of our travels in Ireland. Follow us @eattravelgo
