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Travel bucket list idea:

Last updated: 13 March, 2024
Expert travel writer: Nicola Brady

Dublin has been designated as a UNESCO City of Literature. It’s the birthplace of James Joyce, and Nobel Prize for Literature winners William Butler, Yeats, George Bernard Shaw and Samuel Beckett, and home to some of Literature’s greatest minds. Hence this two-hour crash course in Irish literature and history.

Educational, sociable and thoroughly entertaining, the actors/guides summarise the history of the most illustrious Dublin pubs, acting out literary passages by Joyce, Beckett, Oscar Wilde and Seamus Heaney. The ‘pub crawl’ evening tour option includes, of course, the added bonus of pub stops along the way. For non-pubbers, there’s a day walk alternative.

Combining street theatre with the ‘craic’ that makes Dublin pubs world-famous, it’s no wonder this was listed among the world’s best 50 walks by the Sunday Times.

Logistics

Price from: £12
Minimum age: 13
Age suitable: 18+
When: All year around
Duration: 2 hours 20 mins

Getting there & doing it

The tour meeting point is at the Duke pub, between Trinity College and St Stephen’s Green. It’s a good idea to start the tour on a full stomach – food is available at the Duke, assuming you arrive early. There is also food at the second pub but you’ll only have time for a snack with your drink. The crawl lasts about 2.5 hours.

Dress for the outdoors and bring rain gear as Dublin weather is unpredictable and parts of this tour are under the stars (or clouds), including a walk around Trinity College. Book ahead via the website.

When to do it

The pub crawl starts at 7.30pm. Between April and October, it runs daily; between November and March on Thursday and Sunday only. The ‘Lit Walk’ is on Monday mornings.

Who to go with: organised tours

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Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Dublin Literary Pub Crawl

Dublin

Dublin Literary Pub Crawl
Immerse yourself in Dublin's rich literary heritage and enjoy a few pints along the way on a literary pub crawl through Dublin. This walking tour is a wonderful introduction to Dublin's literary past and exciting pub culture.

Price: €16

Min age: 16

Rating 4.70 / 5 [1237 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Destination guides

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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Dublin

County Dublin, Ireland

A bridge and houses reflecting in the River Liffey in the evening light

Medieval history, literature, art and culture marry epic nightlife and dining in a charming urban village.