Travel

It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out that the city of Dublin holds a very special place in my heart. Between the vibrant buskers showing off their talents on Grafton Street to the beautiful pieces of street art that spontaneously pop up around town, the city has a plethora of charm and hidden gems that have yet to be explored. 

The Big Bus Tours Dublin offers a lively hop-on, hop-off bus tour experience which allows both locals and tourists alike to explore many aspects of Dublin through a lens which heightens the appreciation for the city’s cultural profile and rich historical background – trust me, I would know. 

I recently had the opportunity to do some sightseeing with The Big Bus Tours Dublin. Needless to say, my love for the big shmoke has massively increased since seeing some of the city’s biggest attractions on an unexpectedly sunny day.

It took a Big Bus Tours experience for me to come to the realisation that after all the years I’ve spent socialising in the city centre’s swanky cocktail bars, nothing can quite compare to the feeling that comes from re-discovering the beauty of Dublin – warts and all. 

So without further ado, here are 5 reasons to add The Big Bus Tours Dublin to your Irish bucket list:

1. Value for money

There are a number of ticket options available with The Big Bus Tours, each of which offer great value for money. I was gifted with a Premium ticket (€23.20 online) which includes a 2 day hop-on, hop-off tour, 2 free child tickets with every adult ticket, a guided walking tour, a panoramic night tour and free entry into the Pearse Lyons Distillery.

I found this to be an absolute steal, especially since both the night tour and Pearse Lyons Distillery tour alone would cost over €15.00 each. A package deal with the Big Bus Tours is definitely the more reasonable option to me because of all the other added benefits.  

Alternatively, if you are someone who simply wants a bus tour, then you can choose to opt for a Classic ticket (€17.60 online) as The Big Bus Tours tailors to a broad range of sightseers. Other ticket options include: a Deluxe ticket (€29.60 online) or a combined Classic + Guinness Storehouse ticket (€48.00 online).

Note: You can save 20% on selected tickets when you buy online rather than on-street. For information on ticket prices and packages, have a look on the Big Bus Tours website.

2. Hop-on, hop-off

The Big Bus Tours puts the ball in your court because with a hop-on, hop-off tour, you get to dictate exactly where your journey begins as well as when it ends. If you’re wondering how that works, allow me to give you a low down on the whole thing. 

Step 1: Download the free Big Tours Bus app after purchasing your ticket and use the live bus tracker to find your nearest hop-on stop.

Step 2: Enjoy the views of the city from The Big Bus Tours bus and hop off at any stop to visit your favourite Dublin landmarks.  Buses run every 15 – 20 mins so you can hop back on at the same stop whenever you like.

Step 3: Finish the tour at your own pace and time but bear in mind the last whiskey tour at Pearse Lyons Distillery is at 5pm!

When I did the day tour, I hopped on at St. Stephen’s Green and stayed until the second last stop. My day tour lasted about 1hr 15mins but it didn’t feel like it at all! 🙂

3. Free whiskey tasting

Free entry into the Pearse Lyons Distillery with a Premium or Deluxe ticket gives guests a full guided tour with a whiskey tasting at the end. As someone who is not green to whiskey tours, I have to say the Pearse Lyons Distillery really hit it out of the park. 

Our tour guide Sheila was very educated on all things whiskey, her love and passion for the Pearse Lyons Distillery overall was beaming throughout the tour adding to everyone’s excitement for tasting the product. 

The guided tour lasted for about 50 minutes before finishing with the much-anticipated tasting. Safe to say, I had a few Robin Scherbatsky ‘dayum! that’s smooth’ moments throughout the tasting with my favourite one being the 12-year-old single malt Founder’s Choice. 

Cherry on top? We even got the opportunity to try Mil Gin – it is heavenly!

Since we are on the topic of free drinks, I should also note that Big Bus Tours ticket holders get a free glass of Guinness at Nancy Hands Pub at stop 26 and 28 – I did say value for money, didn’t I? 🙂

4. Dublin after dark

The free Big Bus night tour is included with a Premium and Deluxe ticket as well as an upgrade to Classic Ticket holders. With the night tour, there is only one starting point (O’Connell Street) as it is a panoramic tour, meaning you cannot hop on or off.

Driving over O’Connell Bridge which is said to be the only traffic bridge in Europe that has the same width as its length, the evening tour guide proudly points out some fantastic pubs and bars around town so you can plan the rest of your evening. 

5. Cultural ‘wokeness’

I sometimes get asked about what to do in Dublin by friends who live abroad. On such occasion, I often find myself almost reiterating the same itinerary I gave to a friend who asked previously.

But after my experience with The Big Bus Tours I feel that I can now give people more specific information about where to go and what to do. More importantly, I can stop them from falling into tourist traps.

As for non-tourists, it can be very easy to get caught up in a rut of doing the same activities or getting too comfortable in a routine. I think The Big Bus Tours can break that cycle by providing a fun day out! 

So there you have it, my top 5 reasons for why I think adding The Big Bus Tours Dublin to your Irish bucket list is something you will not regret!  🙂 Buy tickets online here. 

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*Disclaimer: While this is a sponsored post, all views remain to be my own.

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