I had seen the New Europe Tour guides playing the Pied Piper in Berlin in the spring of 2009. Actually, I just wandered by as the tour guide was making a final pitch for tips. When I saw the company was offering tours in Dublin, I was intrigued. Mostly because they bill the walking tours as free and historical. And if there’s one thing I love while traveling it is free history.
The tours start every day at 11 and 13 and meets at City Hall. No matter the weather the tour must go on. We tested this theory on the icy streets of Dublin, and while the city itself was running out of grit, the 20-25 of us in the group managed to trek through town with no broken limbs.
The walking tour of Dublin focuses on the main attractions such as Dublin Castle and Trinity College. It is a cursory glance at the sights themselves, but the stories and history told give a great overview of the city, everything from the Viking history of the 800s to the 1916 Easter Rising.
Our guide, Christopher, did an excellent job of mixing the history of Dublin (and Ireland) with a healthy dose of pride in the city he grew up in. In the end, they stay true to their word, and the tour is free. Of course, tips (as mentioned above) are greatly appreciated and after a nearly three hour tour of the city, I was more than happy to give a few Euros.
The tour gave a great introduction to the city and helped to focus the remainder of the trip. Plus, having never been to the city before before, the tour was a great way to get comfortable with the streets of Dublin and which sights were worth revisiting.
