Updated December 2024–If you want to enjoy Ireland’s popular tourist attractions without wasting time, you’ll need to decide between simply purchasing a general admission ticket to a tourist attraction or booking a guided tour.
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Here are some of the differences between the two.
Your goal should be to beat the crowds, save money and enjoy Ireland's tourist attractions at the same time.
Purchase Tickets in Advance
Since many of Ireland’s popular tourist attractions like the Book of Kells, the Cliffs of Moher, and Blarney Castle are among Ireland's most popular attractions, it is wise to book your tickets ahead of time.
Blarney Castle and Gardens
Tickets for Blarney Castle and Gardens — including the infamous Blarney Stone — can be booked online.
Prices have been increased this year.
From Jan. 1st, they are as follows: €23 each for adults; €18 for seniors (65+) and students; €11 for children (ages 6-16), and €60 for a family of 4.
The Book of Kells Experience
There are a variety of tours available at the Book of Kells in Dublin’s Trinity College.
They include the 90-minute self-guided Book of Kells Experience from €21.50 per adult; €17.50 for seniors (60+) and students, €16.50 for children aged 13-17 , and €12 for children aged 6-12.
Family tickets are on sale for €54.
Other options included the guided Book of Kells Experience and the Book of Kells Experience and Trinity Trails tour. All can be accessed on the official website.
If you want fast-track access to the Book of Kells, along with a tour of Dublin Castle and the Molly Malone statue, this combination guided tour may be for you.
Most of the books in Trinity's Old Library have been removed for an important conservation project.
During your visit you will see the Book of Kells and four bays of remaining books.
Kilmainham Gaol/Jail Museum
If you are hoping to get a ticket at the entrance to Dublin's Kilmainham Gaol, you will be disappointed since this, too, is a very popular tourist attraction.
Tickets are only available 28 days in advance, so be sure to mark your calendars so you don't forget.
Remember the time difference between your location and Dublin so that you give yourself the best opportunity to securing tickets for the date that you want.
If there are any cancellations for a particular day, they will be released online between 9:15 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.
Tickets are €8 for adults, €6 for seniors (60+), €4 for student (18+) and children 12-17, and €20 for a family of two adults and 2-3 children ages 12-17. The attraction is not recommended for children under the age of 6.
Even if you have a Heritage Card, you still need to pre-book since tickets are timed.
Newgrange/Brú na Bóinne
If you want to see Ireland’s sacred site Newgrange (otherwise known as Brú na Bóinne), you’ll also need to book your tickets in advance.
There are different types of tickets available for the attraction, including guided tours of the chamber at Newgrange, access to Knowth (a nearby archaeological site and part of the complex), and tickets that allow you to explore the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre only.
Book a Guided Tour
You’ll find that many guided tours of Ireland’s famous attractions are often packaged together by online travel sites such as TripAdvisor, GetYourGuide, and Viator, as well as some other private tour companies.
While such tours will cost more than a single admission ticket, you’re often getting additional value because you are either seeing more than one attraction or you have the benefit of a knowledgeable, local tour guide.
The Guinness Storehouse
Regular admission tickets to the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin will entitle you to a self-guided tour (no guided tours are offered by Guinness).
Tickets are from around €32 and up depending on the experience you're interested in.
Information on the price of other experiences at the Guinness Storehouse can be found on the booking page.
If you want to get a more in-depth understanding of Dublin’s famous brewery, a guided tour is essential.
Viator’s Skip the Line Guinness and Jameson Irish Whiskey Experience tour gives customers skip-the-line access and includes guided tours of both attractions.
The Rock of Cashel
While the self-guided Rock of Cashel tour will introduce you to the history of this phenomenal attraction, not to mention the seriously cool photos you'll get from this vantage point in County Tipperary, the guided tour of Cormac's Chapel is something you don't want to miss.
Built in the early 12th century, this imposing piece of Romanesque architecture is considered one of the most important surviving examples of the architectural style in all of Ireland.
Its exterior features include intricate stone carvings and a beautiful doorway, while the interior contains beautifully preserved frescoes that depict scenes from the bible and the Last Judgment. It also houses the sacrophagus of King Cormac, its founder.
Newgrange, Knowth and Hill of Tara Guided Tours
Rather than booking tickets for the Newgrange Visitor Centre, as mentioned above, a guided tour of Newgrange and the surrounding region might be more beneficial to you.
For €75, Mary Gibbons' Newgrange Tours include skip-the-line access to the Newgrange monument as well Knowth, in addition to the Hill of Tara.
Gibbons, a professional tour guide, runs an excellent bus tour that picks up customers at several stops in Dublin.
Other options include the Dublin to Newgrange, Monasterboice Small Group Guided Tour, which includes stops at Newgrange, the Oldbridge Estate/Battle of the Boyne Visitors Centre, where the infamous Battle of the Boyne took place, changing the trajectory of Ireland's history, and the Monasterboice Monastic Site, a 5th-century holy site, and the 6 and a 1/2-hour private tour of the Boyne Valley, suitable for groups of 4;
See Attractions for Free
As incredible as it may seem, there are a few of Ireland's tourist attractions that you really don’t have to pay for, even though they are rarely advertised that way.
For example, you could see the beautiful Cliffs of Moher without paying a penny, that is, if you don't use the car park across the street from the visitor center.
This is especially useful if you are staying in Doolin, which is about 4 miles (7.5 km) north of the cliffs.
From there, you can hop on the northern section of the Cliffs of Moher Trail. However, as of August 2024, parts of that trail have been closed for upgrades.
From Doolin, you must turn back at Surfers Path, where you can still get a good view of the cliffs for free.
In addition, the southern section of the trail (Liscannor to Hags Head) is fully closed at this time.
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The Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland is another hugely popular attraction, but you don’t need to pay the fee to see that either – if you don’t use the parking lot.
Like the Cliffs of Moher attraction, you’ll need to do some walking to get to the attraction.
Provided the weather is agreeable, I suggest that you take the walk from either Dunseverick Castle known as the North Antrim Cliff Path, 9 kilometers/5 miles away, or from the small seaside village of Portballinatrae, a much shorter walk of about 3.6 miles (almost 6 kilometers).
The beauty of the Coastal Causeway is incredible and what better way to see it than to walk along this magnificent piece of coastline?
Once you get to the Causeway, you are free to explore to your heart’s content. The visitor center is a short walk away, but again, no need to go there if you don’t want to spend the extra money.
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Killarney National Park
Killarney National Park as well as Ireland's other national parks, are completely free to visit. You'll get a good taste for this one if you are interested in exploring the Ring of Kerry in your rental car.
Some of the free attractions that you can enjoy in the park include the beautiful Lakes of Killarney, the 15th-century Muckross Abbey; Knockreer House & Gardens, once part of the Kenmare Estate (the house is now to the Killarney National Park Education Centre and isn't open to visitors but feel free to take a walk around the grounds where you will get fabulous view of the Lower Lake); Ladies View, a scenic viewpoint on the Ring of Kerry drive, as well as two beautiful waterfalls, O’Sullivan’s Cascade and Torc Waterfall.
Duckett's Grove Walled Gardens
Feel free to wander around this County Carlow attraction completely free of charge.
The Gothic Revival-style ruin was once the home of the Duckett family, who were at one time the largest landowners in all of County Carlow.
Built between 1815 and 1850, the derelict house, complete with towers and turrets, has attracted paranormal seekers for years.
In 2011, it was featured on Syfy’s “Destination Truth,” a weekly paranormal reality TV series.
The house was destroyed by fire in 1933.
Free guided tours are available at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., Fridays through Sundays.
You can also pick up a free audio guide at the reception point within the courtyard to hear the stories and meet some of the characters that lived and worked here for 250 years before the disastrous fire of 1933 destroyed Duckett’s Grove.
Are you curious about how to enjoy Ireland's tourist attractions and save money at the same time? Let me know in the comments below.
