11 Sightseeing Bus Tours in Ireland to Build a Day Around

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

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

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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2.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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3.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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4.City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 597 reviews · from $36

Use a 24, 48, or 72-hour City Sightseeing Dublin ticket to reach Guinness Storehouse, Phoenix Park, Temple Bar, Trinity College, and more. Expect live English guides on some buses, eight audio languages on others, an included walking tour, Wi-Fi, and frequent city-center stops.

“Great way to find out about the city, interesting stories about locals too. Guide us very informative and fun.”

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5.Galway: City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 321 reviews · from $18Best value

Use a 24 or 48-hour pass to explore Galway by open-top double-decker bus. Hear English commentary, visit the Browne Doorway and Spanish Arch, then ride out to Salthill, Blackrock, O’Connell’s Bar, and Galway Cathedral. Buses run every 90 minutes, or every 45 minutes in summer.

“The tour guide really made the whole tour with his craic and knowledge of the local area”

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6.Big Bus Panoramic Night Tour with Live Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 309 reviews · from $30

Ride an open-top double-decker through Dublin after dark, passing Temple Bar, Dublin Castle, Christ Church Cathedral, the Docklands, and St. Stephen’s Green. An English-speaking guide, with guides such as Brian, Jerry, James, and Lee on different departures, adds history, jokes, and useful city tips.

“Excellent tour. I’m from Belfast and have visited Dublin a lot but this was my first tour. The guide Jimmy was very knowledgeable and his commentary very interesting. Definitely recommend this tour.”

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7.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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8.City Sightseeing Galway Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 134 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $25

Ride a one-hour loop through central Galway, Salthill, the university area, and the cathedral district. Use the English audio commentary to get your bearings, then hop off at selected stops. Buses run every 90 minutes, or every 45 minutes in summer, so plan carefully.

“I feel like I wasted my money. The bus went so fast passed places we all wanted to see it was impossible to enjoy the tour. I would not recommend this outing to anyone.”

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9.Dublin Live Guided Panoramic Open-Top Night Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 92 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $31

Settle into a one-hour Big Bus ride from O’Connell Street and see Trinity College, the Liffey, Docklands, Temple Bar, Dublin Castle, and Christ Church Cathedral. A live guide such as Jerry, Paul, or Liam adds stories and local tips, though darkness, weather, and bus seating can affect the view.

“This was a great way to get to see Dublin in a short amount of time. You learn a lot about the building and architecture and some great places to visit if you’re staying in Dublin.”

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10.Dublin Shore Excursion: City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 89 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $32

Use a 24 or 48-hour Dublin hop-on hop-off ticket to reach Trinity College, Dublin Castle, Guinness Storehouse, Phoenix Park, Jameson, and more. The route starts at the Irish Whiskey Museum, runs every 20 to 25 minutes, and includes multilingual audio commentary plus a guided walking tour.

“Don't. Not on time, poor signage, limited pickup points, driver bad attitude, couldn't hear speaker about Dublin, and i didn't or couldn't use it at all!!”

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11.Dublin Shore Excursion, Live Guided Open-top, Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 21 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $40

See Dublin by open-top bus on a 24 or 48-hour route covering Trinity College, Temple Bar, Guinness, Phoenix Park, and more. English live commentary runs on the Red Route, with recorded narration in eight languages. A 48-hour ticket can include a walking tour and night tour.

“I had a sudden unexpected day in Dublin and wanted to see as much as possible in my limited time. This was perfect. I rode the entire loop with driver David, who was fun and informative, and then rode around again to hop off at the stops which I decided to explore more. Thanks for the fun introduction to your city!”

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