The 14 Ireland Bus Tours Travellers Rate Highest

1.Dublin Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour with Guide and Little Museum Entry

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3,327 reviews · 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.) · from $38Our pick

See Dublin from an open-top sightseeing bus with live English commentary, 24- or 48-hour access, and 25 city-center stops. Ride past Trinity College, Dublin Castle, Guinness Storehouse, Kilmainham Gaol, and Dublin Zoo, then use your free Little Museum voucher. Guides such as Gary O, Darren, Tony, and Brendan are known for adding personal stories and humor.

“Driver very funny and informative. Enjoyed the ride. Doing it again Monday, now that we know where everything is.”

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2.Afternoon Tea Bus Tour in Dublin

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,791 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $72Top rated

Ride a restored front-engined double-decker through Dublin, Phoenix Park, Georgian streets, and past Trinity and St. Patrick’s Cathedral while enjoying afternoon tea. Hosts such as Orla, Aleks, Hannah, and Liam add jokes, local stories, and attentive service. Choose from three daily departures.

“Tour was great! Bus was cute and seating was comfortable. Staff were personable, prompt, and helpful. The food and beverages were tasty! We did the tour as a low-key introduction to Dublin right after we arrived. It was an easy walk from our hotel to the meeting point. After the tour, we had some food and warm beverages in our systems and our bearings in the neighborhood. Afterwards, we explored St. Stephen's Park, the Art Gallery, Trinity College/Book of Kells, all right there. I would recommend as a fun, low-key intro. The guides don't talk too much, but give useful info and spur participants to explore more. The sandwiches and…”

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3.Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,470 reviews · from $36

Use a 24 or 48 hour DoDublin pass to connect Trinity College, Dublin Castle, Guinness Storehouse, Kilmainham Gaol, Phoenix Park, and more. English-speaking drivers add jokes, songs, and local stories, while audio commentary is available in eight other languages. One child under 15 rides free with each paying adult.

“Such an amazing driver. Brendon commentated all the way around, interspersed with the taped comments. He welcomed new passengers and introduced himself at each stop. Very helpful and cheerful. Made it a very positive experience. Over and above the other driver we had the following day.”

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4.City Sightseeing Dublin Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 2,416 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $32

Ride an open-top double-decker around Dublin with multilingual audio commentary, then hop off near Trinity College, Dublin Castle, Guinness Storehouse, Phoenix Park, EPIC, and St. Stephen’s Green. Passes last 24, 48, or 72 hours, with a walking tour and family savings included.

“We always use city sightseeing for our trips in various locations. Enjoyed a trip on the bus. We went to the open top on the 2nd of January and braved the cold Dublin air. Buses were regular, clean and very friendly staff. We only took the 24 hours but would recommend 48 hours instead as would’ve saved us money visiting attractions by taxi etc. would highly recommend.”

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5.Big Bus Dublin Hop-on, Hop-off Sightseeing Tour with Live Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,387 reviews · 1 hour 50 minutes (approx.) · from $41

Ride through Dublin with live English commentary or digital audio, stopping near Trinity College, Temple Bar, Guinness Storehouse, Phoenix Park, and more. Guides such as Jerry, Alan, Pat, and Gerry have earned praise for clear stories and humor. Choose 24, 48, or 72 hours, with extra tours on longer tickets.

“Great way to orient yourself to the city. Commentary was entertaining and informative. Would recommend.”

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6.Afternoon Tea Vintage Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,664 reviews · from $65

Ride from St. Stephen’s Green on a restored 1960s double-decker, with afternoon tea, unlimited tea and coffee, 1960s music, and live Dublin commentary. Hosts such as Adam, Leah, Rachel, and Niamh bring the route to life. Vegan, halal, vegetarian, and gluten-free menus need advance notice.

“Good Music, funny Story, lovely Staff and an excellent afternoon tea.”

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7.Dublin Ghost Bus Tour with Professional Actors

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 949 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $42

Ride with a professional actor-guide and driver through Dublin’s darker past. Hear tales linked to Dr. Clossey and Bram Stoker, visit St. Audoen’s Church, and walk through St. Kevin’s Graveyard. Expect history, jokes, short scares, and a few interactive surprises.

“We had a nice time. Edgar was great, very personable, and Richie was a good driver and monster. Got a couple scares and learned more about Irish history. Thank you!”

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8.Dublin Public Transport and Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 851 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $59

Use a 72-hour Dublin Freedom Pass for Dublin Bus, Luas, DART, commuter rail, and airport routes 16 and 41. Add a 48-hour DoDublin hop-on hop-off tour with audio commentary, lively drivers such as Kevin and Ken, a city map, and selected attraction discounts.

“Really enjoyed the experience...Drivers were funny...supportive....helpful..one of the.best things I've done in 2019!”

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9.Big Bus Hop-On, Hop-Off Tour with Live Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 845 reviews · from $36

Use a 24, 48, or 72-hour Big Bus pass to see Dublin from O’Connell Street to Phoenix Park. Live guides such as Ross, Gerry, Anne, and Jimmy add local stories and humor. Longer passes include a city walking tour and panoramic night ride.

“Ross was awesome. He was knowledgeable, quick witted and proud of his heritage”

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10.Howth Coastal Half-Day Bus Tour from Dublin with Live Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 652 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $48

Ride from central Dublin to Howth Summit and its fishing village on a four-hour Big Bus tour. Expect cliff views, a walking route, free time for seafood or shops, and lively guides such as Jerry, Ross, Gerry, and Alan. Choose a 9:45 a.m. or 2 p.m. departure.

“Don’t go with rain in the forecast. It poured on us at the summit and we couldn’t see much. That said, our driver and tour guide was knowledgeable and entertaining and he provided lots of information and history that was interesting. I would do this tour again on a better weather day.”

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11.Hop On/Hop Off Cork City Sightseeing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 189 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $26

Ride Cork’s open-top sightseeing bus for about 90 minutes, using the route to reach the English Market, Cork City Gaol, Shandon Bells, UCC, and Crawford Art Gallery. The English-language commentary covers local history, while friendly drivers such as Cathy add practical tips. Tickets are mobile and attractions cost extra.

“It was not even an hour long and the driver was as miserable as anything! Asked the driver questions and we felt we were intruding on him As he really was the most miserable driver EVER!!”

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12.Cork City Hop On/Off Open Top Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 89 reviews · from $25Best value

Take a 24-hour Cork City hop-on hop-off tour from the stop outside Cork City Library. Ride past Shandon Bells, Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral, UCC, Fitzgerald Park, the Victorian Quarter, and Cork City Gaol, with an onboard audio guide and open-top views. Drivers also add local comments along the way.

“It worked really well. We left the bus where we wanted and hopped on one of the next later. I found the personal comments from the drivers, sprinkled in between the recorded information, cool.”

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13.Private Ring of Kerry Highlights Tour from Cork, Car or Minibus

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 39 reviews · 8 hours (approx.)

Travel from Cork in a private car or minibus with a driver-guide such as Tony, Brian, Jim, or Sara Jane. Visit Gougane Barra, Glengarriff, Healy Pass, Kenmare, Moll’s Gap, Ladies’ View, and Torc Waterfall in about eight hours, with hotel pickup and a flexible private setting.

“Abbiamo fatto con amici questo tour privato aspettandoci quanto era descritto nel sito che riporto testualmente: "Descrizione completa Tour privato di un'intera giornata del Ring of Kerry, noto anche come penisola di Iveragh. Scopri un panorama mozzafiato di dolci colline, laghi, cime smeraldo e frastagliate coste atlantiche in un tour privato del sentiero turistico Ring of Kerry da Cork. Considerato uno dei percorsi più panoramici del sud-ovest dell'Irlanda, il viaggio ti porta attraverso la "Wild Atlantic Way", un territorio incontaminato e stimolante ricco di bellezza e leggende. Attraversa città affascinanti come Killarney, Killorglin e Waterville, mentre una guida privata di autisti e g...”

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14.Blarney Castle and Cork City 2025 award winning minibus tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews · 5 hours (approx.)

Join local guide Sean of Cork City Taxi Tours for a private minibus outing from Cork to Blarney Castle, Blarney Woollen Mills, the English Market, and St Fin Barre’s Cathedral. Early timing can help you avoid long waits for the Blarney Stone, while the small-group format allows room for local stories and flexible stops.

“Request Sean Holihan. He was the best guide out of 20+ tours with Viator. He was prompt, friendly, knowledgeable of Irish and Cork history. He correctly advised us to get of the ship early and get to Blarney as early as possible. We didn't have a wait and by the we finished, the line was past the one hour mark. The rest of tour was pleasant seeing the other landmarks in Cork. He picked us up and dropped us off right at the gangway. He immediately answered messages. Great day.”

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