Is the Go City Dublin Pass 2024 worth it? We review value and prices here

As popular as Dublin is for tourists, it’s actually quite compact and easy to visit in only two or three days. The Go City Dublin Pass is a standard “city pass” that covers admission to pretty much every popular attraction in town for one flat price. The Go City Dublin Pass doesn’t include public transportation, but most attractions are within walking distance for those staying in the city center anyway. Also, the Go City Dublin Pass DOES include a one-day hop-on, hop-off bus ticket, and it stops near almost every major Dublin attraction covered, so it can be a useful way of getting around.

The most popular attraction in Dublin is the extremely entertaining Guinness Storehouse, and of course it is included in the Go City Dublin Pass (including a free pint in the top-floor Gravity Bar at the end). Assuming you are planning on visiting the Guinness tour, it’s very likely that the Dublin Pass is a good idea, but we’ll run the numbers below.

The second most popular Dublin attraction is the hop-on, hop-off bus tour, which was added to the Dublin Pass in recent years. This bus tour is highly recommended for any first-time visitor to Dublin who only has a few days, whether you buy the pass or not.

The Go City Dublin Pass now comes in two forms with one being the standard “all-inclusive” version where you pay for a set number of sightseeing days and can see as much as you can fit in during those days, but now also an Explorer Pass where you pre-pay for set number of attractions (3,4,5, or 7) and you have 60 days from when you visit the first one to use the remaining attractions. We will explain it all more below.

Note: This article was updated most recently in March, 2024.

Prices of popular attractions covered by the Go City Dublin Pass

  • Guinness Storehouse: €28 (includes a pint)
  • Hop-on Hop-off bus tour: €30
  • Game of Thrones Studio Tour: €45.43
  • Big Bus Coastal Tour: €35
  • Old Jameson Distillery, Bow Street: €30 (includes samples)
  • Teelings Whiskey Distillery Tour: €20 (includes samples)
  • Roe & Co Distillery: €25 (includes a whiskey cocktail)
  • EPIC The Irish Immigration Museum: €23
  • Irish Rock ‘n Roll Museum Experience: €20
  • Dublin Zoo: €21
  • National Wax Museum Plus: €18
  • Malahide Castle: €8
  • Dublinia: €15
  • Jeanie Johnston Tallship & Famine Museum: €16
  • Christ Church Cathedral: €10.50

Unsurprisingly, the Guinness Storehouse is by far the most popular attraction in Dublin, and it’s quite expensive on its own. The Go City Dublin Pass covers its admission along with the excellent pint of Guinness you get at the Gravity Bar overlooking the city at the end.

If you also do the informative Old Jameson Distillery Tour or Teelings Whiskey Distillery Tour or the Roe & Co Distillery Tour (for Explorer Pass holders), you’ve already saved enough money for most of a 1-day Dublin Pass, and you’ve still got half a day left for 1 to 3 other attractions. If you also do the hop-on, hop-off bus tour, you’ve more than paid for a 1-day Go City Dublin Pass, and you’ve still a few hours left to do other things. In other words, if you are going on these popular alcohol-themed tours (probably better later in the day) and the HOHO bus, then a Go City Dublin Pass pretty much pays for itself. But if you aren’t a drinker, it might be hard to save enough with the pass.

Skip the ticket queues on the big attractions as well

A Dublin Pass allows Fast Track Entry at the Guinness Storehouse, Dublin Zoo, Dublinia, and many other top attractions. Being able to walk past the ticket queue will also save you from 5 minutes to an hour at each stop, especially in summer.

Prices of popular attractions that AREN'T covered by the Dublin Pass

  • Trinity College Library – Book of Kells: €21.50
  • Kilmainham Gaol Museum: €8

2024 Prices of the Go City Dublin Pass

All-Inclusive Go City Dublin Pass

  • 1-day Adult Dublin Pass: €79
  • 1-day Child Dublin Pass: €49
  • 2-day Adult Dublin Pass: €109
  • 2-day Child Dublin Pass: €59
  • 3-day Adult Dublin Pass: €129
  • 3-day Child Dublin Pass: €69
  • 4-day Adult Dublin Pass: €154
  • 4-day Child Dublin Pass: €74
  • 5-day Adult Dublin Pass: €164
  • 5-day Child Dublin Pass: €79

A Child Dublin Pass is for ages 5 to 15

Explorer Go City Dublin Pass

  • 3-Choice Adult Dublin Pass: €74
  • 3-Choice Child Dublin Pass: €39
  • 4-Choice Adult Dublin Pass: €94
  • 4-Choice Child Dublin Pass: €44
  • 5-Choice Adult Dublin Pass: €104
  • 5-Choice Child Dublin Pass: €54
  • 7-Choice Adult Dublin Pass: €129
  • 7-Choice Child Dublin Pass: €64

EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT for Price of Travel readers

Click to use this discount for 5% off all Go City Dublin Passes

Use coupon code: GO5POT (Look for “have a promo code?” on the shopping cart page)

NOTE: Using the link above will give you the best discount on the Go City Dublin Pass. If a larger discount is being offered on the longer passes, you’ll get that discount using the link.

Should you get the All-Inclusive or Explorer Pass?

For most people it will be obvious which of the two types of passes will better suit their visit, but we will offer some advice here as well. The All-Inclusive Pass gives you free admission to the 42 included attractions in a set number of days, while the Explorer Pass gives you a set number of attractions that you can visit within 60 days from the first one you go to.

It’s definitely worth noting that while most of the 46 total attractions included with the pass are included with EITHER the All-Inclusive or the Explorer Pass, about 10 or 12 of them are only included with one or the other. Most of the ones that are NOT included with the Explorer Pass are cheap ones (under €10) that you would never want to visit using the pass anyway, but a few of them such as the Roe & Co Distillery are ONLY included with the Explorer Pass so they are not available for the All-Inclusive Pass.

If you have, say, 1 to 3 full sightseeing days in Dublin and you want to do as much as possible then the All-Inclusive Pass is obviously going to be your best option. If you start early and plan well you’ll be able to do 3 or even 4 attractions each day, especially as most of them are typically enjoyed in two hours or less each.

On the other hand, if you aren’t good at starting early or planning and you just want to save money on a few specific attractions then the Explorer Pass is your better choice. For example, if you focus on just the 4 most popular Go City Dublin Pass attractions, here’s how it adds up.

  • Guinness Storehouse: €28 (includes a pint)
  • Hop-on Hop-off bus tour: €33
  • Old Jameson Distillery, Bow Street: €30 (includes samples)
  • Teelings Whiskey Distillery Tour: €18 (includes samples)

Total cost without the pass: €109
4-Choice Explorer Pass: €94 (or €89 using our discount code)

So if you are already going to do the popular and informative hop-on, hop-off bus tour and the Guinness Storehouse, that’s €61 right there. For €21 more you can visit both the Old Jameson and Teelings Distilleries instead of the normal €48 price. Or if you aren’t as much of a drunk as some of the rest of us you could choose the Big Bus Coastal Tour and the EPIC Irish Emigration Museum and even save a bit more.

Is the Dublin Pass a good deal? Let's run the numbers

Doing the alcohol-based attractions?: It’s a great deal

The tourist part of Dublin is fairly compact and walkable, so it’s quite easy to see 4 or even 5 of the major attractions in one full day. In two days it would be easy to see 7 or 8 attractions if you were motivated. Assuming that you are interested in the Guinness Storehouse Tour, the HOHO bus, Old Jameson Distillery, and the Teelings Whiskey Distillery Tour, that more than pays for a 1-day Dublin Pass even if you don’t get a discount.

It’s worth noting that the new Game of Thrones Studio Tour is located about 90 minutes from Dublin in Northern Ireland and you’ll have to arrange your own transportation. So if you are based on Dublin that one will take most of a full day by itself.

Skipping the Guinness, Old Jameson Distillery, and Teelings Distillery Tours?: Probably skip the Go City Dublin Pass

If you skip the Guinness, Old Jameson Distillery, and Teelings Tours, it would take a lot of work to get good value out of a Go City Dublin Pass. The good news for you is that you’ll probably remember everything more and you’ll save money in general because the other attractions are more modestly priced.

The hop-on, hop-off bus is now included

Recently they added the popular City Sightseeing hop-on, hop-off bus tour, which now makes it a much better deal. The full loop takes 90 minutes, but there are 25 stops included in your pass.

The HOHO bus does stop at or near nearly every attraction included in the Dublin Pass, and the bus ticket is good for one full day. In most cities we recommend AGAINST using HOHO buses for transportation from one attraction to another, but in Dublin it can actually work because the buses come every 20 minutes or so, and Dublin isn’t known for crippling street traffic in the way that most other big cities are. Dublin also doesn’t have an underground system, so city buses are usually the fastest way to get around anyway.

If you have 3 or fewer days in Dublin, the HOHO bus is a highly recommended way of seeing most of the city in a short time, even if you don’t buy a Go City Dublin Pass. But if you are going to buy a Go City Dublin Pass, the HOHO bus is a great added feature and now a much better deal.

When deciding, forget any attraction less than €9

The Dublin Pass includes free entry to 46 popular attractions, but when you look at them individually you’ll notice that many of them are quite cheap on their own. The easiest way to calculate whether a Dublin Pass is good for you is to just forget the cheap attractions (those under €9) and count how many of the more expensive ones you’d want to see.

There are really only about 34 attractions that charge enough to be useful in Dublin Pass calculations, which makes a decision easier. If you only want to visit 2 or maybe 3 of those more expensive attractions, it’s probably better to skip getting a Dublin Pass.

Who the Go City Dublin Pass is ideal for

  • First-time Dublin visitors who want to see most of the top attractions
  • Anyone doing the Guinness, Old Jameson Distillery and Teelings Whiskey Distillery Tour who wants to see at least a few other things in Dublin as well
  • Visitors in Dublin for 1 or 2 quick days who want to see a lot and skip ticket queues

Who the Dublin Pass is NOT ideal for

  • Very low budget backpackers
  • Visitors who WON’T go to the Guinness, Old Jameson Distillery, or Teelings Tours
  • Those spending 5 or more days in Dublin who prefer slower sightseeing

Important advice: Start early in the day and plan a bit ahead

Generally speaking, the included attractions are the least busy just after they open in the morning, so savvy travelers will leave their hotel early and get in their best sightseeing while other people are still getting organized. Also, Dublin is a compact city but it’s still helpful to figure out an efficient route before you head out for the day. If you plan wisely you can easily do 3 or 4 good attractions in a day, so getting great value out of the Dublin Pass is guaranteed.

The Bottom Line

For most city passes it’s a more complicated calculation about whether or not they are good value for any given visitor, but in Dublin it’s more straightforward. As mentioned a couple times above, if you want to do the Guinness and distillery tours and a few other things, a Go City Dublin Pass is almost certainly a good idea. You get to skip the queues at many attractions, which can be quite long in summer, so you save time and money.

On the other hand, Dublin is a pleasant and easy-to-visit city and you are likely to enjoy it even if you don’t spend your days in the main attractions. It’s also worth mentioning that Dublin is NOT the most charming part of Ireland (not even close), so if you have less than a week to spend in the country, it’s probably better to see Dublin in one day, and spend the rest of your time in the other towns and in the countryside.

EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT for Price of Travel readers

Click to use this discount for 5% off all Go City Dublin Passes

Use coupon code: GO5POT (Look for “have a promo code?” on the shopping cart page)

NOTE: Using the link above will give you the best discount on the Go City Dublin Pass. If a larger discount is being offered on the longer passes, you’ll get that discount using the link.

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All Comments

  1. Donn Eddy says:

    Is there a code for summer 2020 Dublin pass. Still trying to figure out.
    If it’s worth it. Will do the Guinness store house. Will be staying 8 days. Side trio to Galway

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Donn,

      The code for 2020 will likely be the same, but they don’t activate it until the end of this year. That said, prices usually go up late in January and you can buy a pass to use anytime in the following 12 months, so it would be cheapest to buy it late this year for a 2020 visit. As mentioned in the article, if you’ll do the Guinness thing and also one of the whiskey tours, the pass pretty much pays for itself. -Roger

  2. Tara says:

    is HOHO included for each day on a multi-day pass? Thank you.

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Tara,

      All Dublin Passes are good for a 24-hour pass on the HOHO bus. Most of these city passes include a “one-day pass” which is only good on one calendar day. The Dublin Pass, however, includes a 24-hour pass so you can start using it at, say, noon on one day and still use it until noon the next day. That said, Dublin is compact enough that you probably don’t want to ride around on the HOHO bus more than that. It’s a pretty slow way of getting between attractions, and many are actually walking distance from each other. -Roger

  3. Joan Kolb says:

    If I purchase a Dublin Pass on your site and prefer not to have it on my phone, how do I obtain the actual pass in Dublin?

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Joan,

      If you buy using the link on this website, it still takes you to the Dublin Pass site for the purchase. They give you the option of the mobile version or they will ship it anywhere in the world for €9.95 in 15 days (or a higher price if you need it sooner), OR you can pick it up free in Dublin at their collection center, which is very centrally located near Trinity College in the heart of Dublin and it’s open 7 days a week. Let me know if you have any questions. -Roger

  4. Donna Houston says:

    Thanks for the discount code! I thought we were just going to do the green Hop on Hop Off bus pass, but after your review and discount code, we chose the Dublin Pass!

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Donna,

      I’m glad we were able to help. -Roger

  5. SK says:

    Does the HOHO 24hour validity start as soon as you board the Aircoach at Dublin airport to the city center or does it start when you board the first HOHO bus. Thanks for your response.

    1. Roger Wade says:

      SK,

      The hop-on, hop-off bus ticket starts when you board the HOHO bus for the first time. But the Dublin Pass itself will start its valid period the first time you use it anywhere. I don’t think the Aircoach triggers that because it’s only a discount. -Roger

  6. Maureen says:

    Hi – I understand that you can use the pass for a discount on airport transportation. Is that for both directions and does is start the clock on using the pass for the Dublin attractions? Thank you

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Maureen,

      As far as I understand on the Dublin Pass website you can get a 15% discount (basically €1 each way) on the Aircoach airport bus by showing a receipt for your Dublin Pass. It looks like you can get the same price on the Aircoach by booking online (instead of in person), so you might just do that to save the trouble. The Aircoach is definitely the best and fastest way to get into central Dublin as long as it stops at or near your hotel. Even if you use your Dublin Pass receipt to get the discount in person, I’m sure it doesn’t trigger the pass itself. I’ve used many of these passes all over the world and the discounts are always separate from the free/included attractions. Have a great trip and let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger

  7. Sophie says:

    Quick question. If buying a 3 day ticket as travelling for the weekend and staying 2 nights, I note that airport transfer is discounted (some pages say free others say discounted, so going for the more expensive option) would the HOHO bus be included for each day or is it just valid for one of the three?

    Thanks

    Sophie

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Sophie,

      The HOHO bus is for a 24-hour ticket with each pass. I recently confirmed with the Dublin Pass people that you can use it on two calendar days as long as it’s only 24 hours. In other words, if you start using it at 3pm one day you can use it the next day until 3pm and it’s still just the one 24-hour ticket. Have a great trip. -Roger

  8. D Heath says:

    I have read reviews stating the 24hr hoho is only good for one business day not a 24hr period. Do you have information on this?

    1. Roger Wade says:

      D Heath,

      This is an interesting question. Nearly all of these city passes include a 1-day ticket or a 2-day HOHO bus ticket, but this one actually says “24 hour ticket”. But then it says you should start using it early in the day to make the most of your pass duration, which implies that it’s a one-day ticket. I will contact them and get an official answer. For the moment I would assume it’s a one-day ticket, and I’ll add more to this comment if I find out otherwise. Thanks for asking. -Roger

  9. Steve says:

    Hello. Me and my 2 brothers are travelling to Dublin this weekend. What is the updated price of the pass please ? As I am seeing 2 different prices. Is the promo code still active? Thanks for article. Big help

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Steve,

      The prices in the article above are correct. There is currently a discount running on the main website for 3-day and 5-day passes, so maybe those are the other prices you are seeing. The POT10 code SHOULD be working now and the Dublin Pass people are looking into it. My guess is that by tomorrow (Tuesday) it should be working, but I’m not sure. I hope this helps. -Roger

  10. Marion says:

    Traveling to Dublin in March 2018. Is the promo code still active? Thanks.

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Marion,

      Yes, it’s still active and it’s not a misprint. The code should be good through the end of 2018. If for some reason it isn’t working please let me know ASAP and I will contact the Dublin Pass people. They’ve assured me that it’s already programmed to work all year. Have a great trip. -Roger