Private Tour of Dublin Museums (Walking Tour)
Overview
Available languages
3 hours
Mobile ticket
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 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).
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
What To Expect
National Gallery of Ireland
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 of Ireland
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.
Options
Private Tour of Dublin Museums (Walking Tour)
Pickup included
What‘s Included
Tour Guide: experienced, qualified and Irish!
Hotel meet-up (for central location)
Private tour - tailored just for your group
We'll stop for a coffee/tea/lunch break in the middle of the tour
Entry tickets
Gratuities
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
15 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Nice tour!
bartdg1983,May 28, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Very nice and interesting tour, John has a lot of knowledge!
Yager’s in Dublin.
M9979MJlisay,May 11, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00John was fantastic and knowledgeable. He answered every question and more. He was a great storyteller and a wealth of information. We feel so lucky that he was our guide.
enlightening
davidbX1403OI,Sep 3, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Brendan McEvoy excellent knowledge great conversation and comfortable walking journey of Dublin. highly reccommended
John was an excellent...
Kristin W,Jul 20, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00John was an excellent tour guide: kept my tired teenagers engaged in the archaeology museum with stories and great knowledge of the earliest people of Ireland….
Museum tour
Sally M,Apr 14, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00We had a great museum tour with Eamonn. He is both very knowledgeable and entertaining. I would definitely recommend booking this tour.
BEST use of Time and Money
O7379SSanneo,Jan 7, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had one day in Dublin and were lucky to find John Caffrey as a tour guide. We might have wandered aimlessly through three fantastic museums, but John was able to focus on select features of each, providing fascinating context and history to the exhibits we were interested in. It was by no means a “canned” tour, and John was very flexible and generous with his knowledge and time. We learned more in four hours with John than two weeks traveling through Ireland! Easily the best “bang for your buck.” My only regret is that we didn’t have the time for his other tour offerings!
Great Day of History & Art!
Stay18020114161,Oct 20, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00John Caffrey gave us an amazing afternoon out at two extraordinary museums. My wife and I were blown away with how knowledgeable John was along with his passion for Irish history. We loved looking over various art pieces with him at the National Gallery as well where he frequently provided fantastic context for the paintings. We cannot recommend this tour enough!!
We enjoyed Dublin because of Austin!
149harrietb,Sep 17, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Austin knows Dublin inside out and was a good storyteller, but some of his stories rambled. He did take us to additional areas at our request—we did have to walk back to our hotel after the tour though.
The Treasures of Ireland
kathleenrE9305FU,Jun 11, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I have used Dublin Tour Guide-Private tours previously on trips to Ireland. This time I booked a private Tour of Dublin Museums: Treasures of Ireland . John Caffrey was our tour guide. He was very knowledgeable about all the museums and Irish treasures we saw. He is very passionate about the history of Ireland and told us the most amazing stories about the different pieces of artwork as they related to Irish history. Thank you again John for a wonderful day and thank you to Dublin Tour Guide for setting up this tour for our small group. Kathy and Greg.
Austin Rocks!!!
Richard C,Oct 2, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00Austin gave us a great tour of the museums. We saw some fantastic and unusual things and learned much about the history of Ireland. We highly recommend him as a tour guide.
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Operated by Dublin Tour Guide