When it comes to tours around Dublin, Dublin Castle is an important visit. When it rains it can be a little tricky to always get the guides to take you through the courtyard, but for the most part the whole tour is completed 100% to satisfaction. Don't be afraid to ask questions, after all that is the best way to learn more than just the script. You'll learn history, walk through the castle, see the church attached to the castle, and also have a chance to see remains from the Vikings. This tour is best if also taken with a trip to Kilmaiham Gaol in town. read more

There's been fortifications on this hilly site since at least Viking times, and probably before. There's a rich and wonderful history as a result. The various parts of the castle you see on the tour range from the 1200's onwards. They've survived things like the civil war, and witnessed a whole heap of events (like holding James Connolly prisoner before he was taken to Kilmainham and executed) as the Irish Republic was slowly born. Parts of the castle still functions as state apartments, so inside there's lavish furnishings and artwork. Witty, interesting guided tours are 4 or 5 quid and get you into the apartments (when they're not being used), Chapel Royal and undercroft. This last part is amazing - you can see the remnants of the underground river that gave Dublin it's name and parts of the early castle walls. One of Dublin's must-see historical set pieces. read more

Dublin Castle - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Dublin, D

a very informative and interesting tour through an old castle and old ruins..i would definetely recommend it...and then stop at the Queen of Tarts before you head over to St. Patrick's! read more

Dublin Castle - July 2011 - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Dublin, D

Beautiful Castle! The history attached to this site and the part that it has played in European and world history since the time of the Vikings, to the present day, is amazing. It is a very amazing and very sobering place to visit. read more

After taking the Dublin City Tour, we decided to take a walk from our hotel to the Guinness Storehouse, but given that was a 25 minute walk away, we chose to stop off at the Dublin Castle. Looking at the complex from Castle Street is a bit deceiving - one would think that the entire area dates from about 600 years ago. Well, that is not quite true, the reception area can't be more than 20 years old, and was probably the first place we experienced in Ireland that seemed to have advanced past 1980 (to be fair, we had only been in the country for about 24 hours at this point). As we had some time to kill, we strolled through the nearby Dubhlinn Garden, a scene that is very much worth exploring, even if it was chock full of students. I can definitely see how that area can be a relief from the day-to-day stress a nearby worker might experience. Regrettably we did not visit the library, as I'm sure there was many a treasure to be witnessed. As for the castle itself, we paid for our tour, and our host, a very Irish fellow, short with brown hair and glasses, proved more than adequate for the task. He took us into the basement, where one does indeed feel like they've stepped back about half a millennium. The host proved himself to be witty and informative, and made a number of quotes about the likes of Cornwallis and Oliver Cromwell. Regrettably the entire castle wasn't open due to some sort of exhibition happening that day, so it wound up in the church. Still, not a bad way to spend one's first "museum-like" experience in this nation. read more

Gorgeous castle, I absolutely loved my time here. Went here on a walking tour and learned a lot of history. It's a beautiful castle and it has some unique stories to tell. One of the best parts is taking the tour to go underneath the castle to see the river hat runs under Dublin. Definitely recommend! read more

The tour of Dublin Castle is fast and fun and gives you a brief overview of Irish history. Turns out that ever since the first English King came over and claimed some of Ireland, Dublin castle has been the center of the government for Ireland. The castle has both old and new touches in it, as well as some beautiful old art. The only thing I'd request is a bit of the history of the Easter Uprising. This is mentioned multiple times in the tour but it seems to be taken for granted that this bit of recent history is what everyone already knows - but that isn't true, and so it should be worked into the tour somewhere. read more

I was excited to visit Dublin Castle but it wasn't as thrilling as I hoped it would be. Paid for a tour which was kind of humdrum. Another reviewer hit it on the head, Castle seems more like a mansion than an actual castle. You don't feel the grandeur you feel while visiting other castles in Europe. read more

Dublin Castle - Dublin Castle - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Dublin, D

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This is not a very decorative or super ornate castle. It looks more fort-like than some of the other more extravagant castles i've seen. It really only has a few really decorative rooms inside. However, this landmark has played a central role in the political history of Ireland and is a must see for tourists and history buffs alike. This is where the British ruled Ireland from and where the Irish war of independence was finally won. Though, I think there are better attractions in this city (like the prison), I would say to anyone "just go and see it!" The castle has so much cultural and historical significance it would be a shame to leave it out of your trip. I had a great time and learned a lot about Irelands political history in the process. I'm a descendant of Irish immigrants who moved to America and I found the tour extremely interesting and significant! Two thumbs up! read more

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Not a bad guided tour. The guide wasn't the greatest but the place itself was really cool.

I suggest doing a guided tour! You learn so much about the castle/palace and it only takes about an hour and 15 min. We got to see the original walls of parts of the castle underground as well as the Chapel Royal, which I don't think you have access to if you don't do a guided tour. This place is very beautiful and the history behind it very interesting. read more

All my princess dreams burst when I walked in the court yard. Didn't look like a castle to me. I cried myself to sleep that night. Needless to say I was not impressed read more

I have to admit, I really didn't want to take the tour. I had the kids with me and we needed something to pass the time instead of getting lost again driving the very crowded Dublin streets (that really need to be better marked). My 10 year old history lover (my pride spilleth over), was really the catalyst for going in. Of course now she thinks I owe her. So the tour was very interesting as the tour guide went room to room of this functional "castle" explaining details of each room and it's historical relevance. Portraits of leaders and figureheads were pointed out, light fixtures and furnishing described. Etc and so on. But really, it was interesting! Rounding out the tour, and I hate to be the spoiler but, our guide talks about the occupiers of Ireland before the Brits; The Vikings! Here's the best part, a large portion of modern Irish likely have Norwegian Viking lineage in them. My wife, an Irish native, didn't find as much humor as I did about that bit of history. Oh well. To me? Ceol, Caint, agus Craic (music, talking and fun). read more

Came here on a day when they were prepping for Joe Biden's visit. The main part of the castle was cut off from access but I was able to still see the church section, the surrounding grounds, and the remnants of the old medival castle for a decently discounted price. This castle inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula and has a formidable presence with its stone towers stretching to the sky. It has guided tours, which I enjoy because I get to ask questions and hear factoids often missed in headphone guided tours. It's worth a visit and provides about 2 hours max worth of history and space to explore. read more

Interesting castle. Enjoyed touring and visiting the library. A real shame that contemporary buildings have gone up all around the castle wall. read more

this is an amazing building. I took the tour of the castle with my class and got to see the dungeon and the river that runs underneath. It was within walking distance of my hotel the Temple Bar. I stopped here on my way to see the Chester Beatty Library. The garden out back is amazing. The restaurant inside had really good food as well. the Dining room was beautiful and the gold chandelier was amazing. I highly recommend visiting this location. read more

At this point Dublin castle is not really a castle, and resembles more of a large palacial home now used for state events. If sightseeing in Dublin, it is however worth the visit. We had a great tour guide who answered our questions about architecture and politics, and who allowed us to wander around and take as many pictures as we liked. read more

if you are in the area than it's worth a pop in. The royal chapel has great architecture and a short write up on the history of it on a plaque. The castle itself is pretty cool to take a few pictures of and knowing the history behind it and how control was handed over to the Irish was exciting for me. I am glad that I was able to see it, but would not suggest a special out of your way stop to go there. read more

A really beautiful castle. But when you've seen over 20, they all start to seem alike. Again, a must see, but what info I retained and actually spit back out in my life in Cali is limited. read more

I went with the self guided because I was pressed for time, but I DEFINITELY regretted it once I heard the guides and saw the groups. I eavesdropped a little bit, but hurried along. It was only a few Euro more for the guided tour and would have provided far more information than the posters and displays available to read. More areas are covered as well, which would have been very interesting to hear about based on what I heard of the groups I passed. The castle itself is right in the middle of the city, making it a convenient stop while touring around Dublin, without having to get on a tour bus. read more

Didn't have time for the guided tour but certainly enjoyed the aesthetic appeal. Took quite a few photos and then continued down the block to see where Handel first performed the Messiah. It was directly across the street from Christ Church Cathedral. I was able to check three things off of my " to see" list in half an hour before walking back to The All American Launderette where I dropped off some clothes to be washed and dried. They were done in an hour for 8.50 euros. Yeah, clean clothes! read more

Love history, but this wasn't as interesting as expected. Maybe it was due to the self guided tour versus having a tour guide, but it was just "meh". Compared to the cathedrals and other castles visited, this didn't seem as unique. Maybe reduced entry fee would be more desirable. The court yard was pretty, definitely take a stroll through that area. Otherwise, it was overall just "okay". read more

Covered by the Heritage Card, which is a card that pre-pays admission to a number of historical sites at a discount. Not anything compared to Buckingham Palace, but what do you expect? It's right in the center of town and an interesting start to learning Dublin. Shame you cannot see inside the oldest turret or in the Church. But you do get to see impressive staterooms and the ancient foundations. read more

Dublin Castle isn't really a castle, not anymore anyways! However I would highly recommend the tour for 8.50 euros. For 6.50 you only get aself guided tour of the state rooms (which are impressive with beautiful paintings and furniture) however for 2 more euros you get a tour of about 20 people which includes seeing the medieval remains with a explanation of what the castle used to be like and also you get to go inside the 18th century chapel. All in all a good tour, very interesting to learn about medieval Dublin, 18th century Dublin and also a bit about the 20th century rebellions. Our tour guide was also excellent. 3* only because I think other attractions in Dublin top this and I have been to more stunning state rooms and more impressive ruins. A must for the history and all for a very good price. read more

Rainy and dreary and still wonderful. We happen to stumble upon the president during the 100 th anniversary ceremony of the Rebellion! Not only was that amazing but we ran into a group of Deaf, I know ASL so I was so excited when I realized we could understand each other. ISL is as beautiful as ASL. I was so happy to have the experience! What a wonderful moment in my life! read more

Great to visit. May be better once renovations are complete. Slightly underwhelming. Garden outside w helipad was nice.

Very basic in terms of castles, especially compared to something like neuschwanstein.

This is well worth your time while visiting Dublin. The tour was reasonably priced and our guide spoke loud, kept us moving but not so fast that we could not enjoy the beauty of the castle and was knowledgeable about the subject she was talking about. They have an archeological dig site in a section of the castle which was very interesting. It was unearthed during some construction and contains sections of the original walls. The guide offered interesting side notes during the tours such as who had recently visited the castle, why certain rooms are used for certain purposes, why mirrors are placed in certain spots on the wall and many other political correct happenings. It is a decent walk up Dame St. from Trinity but if you are in any kind of shape it should not be an issue. read more

Dublin Castle was much less assuming then other castles I've toured in Europe. Despite the conservative appearance I thought the castle and accompanying tour were well worth it. It was interesting to learn about the many roles the castle has served throughout history. The castle is definitely worth a visit even if you only have time for a quick stroll around the courtyard. read more

The castle is like a patchwork of Dublin's history, with new bits kind of glommed onto old bits as the need arose. So it's not the prettiest or most romantic of Irish castles, especially as its still a working civic office, but it's a fascinating insight into the city. The tour gives an overview from its early medieval Viking foundations to its boring 20th century concrete offices and is worth doing, especially for €5. Even if you don't feel like parting with a fiver on the day, walking around the grounds is lovely. It's a nice to thing have in the middle of a busy city. read more

The history is great but the layout explains the Irish history is disjointed. We took the self guided tour and took every bit of reading muscle to get the whole picture. We still highly recommend the Dublin Castle! read more