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.
Roger;
1st Great Thanks for hosting this excellent web resource.
And, while it’s unlikely you will be able to facilitate my suggested change to the Dublin Pass, still here it is (with reason):
We are flying in, 9-day venture in Ireland. Our Itinerary has us staying 2 nights in each location, including Dublin. Actually will be 2 nights upon arrival then another 2 nights kinda-close by. This means we really cannot use a 2-day pass because the consecutive nature of the passes. It would be great if we could arrive, do 1/2 the pass, discover what we did not have time for, and use the other 1/2 (or 2/3rds if we bought a 3-day) pass before coming back to the US.
Just a shout-out. And thanks again for being a wonderful resource.
Ray & Kim, Tennessee USA.
OH, clarification: The 2nd 2-nights is just before getting back on plane for return to USA. Other times of the 9-day are indeed not near Dublin.
Ray & Kim,
Sounds like a great trip. I’m really glad you are getting out of Dublin for most of your visit because honestly it’s the countryside and small towns in Ireland that contain most of its charm.
The Dublin Pass and most others are totally computerized so as far as I know there is no flexibility to split them up manually. Still, if you are going to be doing enough of the included attractions in one of your visits, the pass can still save time and money. Have a great trip. -Roger
trying to order the dublin pass and discount code is not working… where do i type it in on the website?
Victoria,
You put the passes you want in your shopping cart and then in Step 3 a bit down the page it says “Promo code? Click here”. After you click there you can type in the code POT10, and then hit Apply. I just tried it now and it works. Let me know if you still have trouble with it. -Roger
Thank – you I’ll purchase the tickets now
Can you recommend a good travel insurance for two senior adults in Ireland from Aug. 23 through September 9, 2017 ? Thank – you
Norville,
I’m not an expert on travel insurance, but I’ve heard good things about this site, which provides bids from many different companies at once. It’s called insuremytrip.com. I hope that helps. -Roger
Will you renew the 10% discount. We land in Dublin early on August 24.
Should I wait to purchase the 3 day bus until the discount is available ?
Norville,
The 10% discount using code POT10 has been extended through next Tuesday. Sorry about that. I just updated the post. They only announce sales for short runs at a time. -Roger
What I find out of step with other city passes in other European cities is the HOHO bus is only good for 24 hours which makes the pass NOT an attractive value for 72 hours. and as Roger mentioned Kilmainham Gaol is not listed on the Dublin pass website, but you list it on your site. I know Dublin is small but with mobility issues this is NOT a good option to get to the sites. Now I have to purchase additional transportation options.
Erin,
Kilmainham Gaol used to be included in the Dublin Pass, but it hasn’t been since 2015 or so. Fortunately it’s quite cheap on its own. As for the HOHO bus, you can see a lot in 24 hours considering that you can break that into an afternoon and then the following morning. Most of the sights are close enough together that it’s actually faster to walk or take public transport than wait for the next bus though. Even with mobility issues you should be able get around on buses for €7 per day unlimited. Sorry if there was some confusion. -Roger
This POT10 discount code expired yesterday.
Is there a new code available?
Marc,
The Dublin Pass people have approved the same code for this month (May), so it should still work. Please give it a try and let me know if it doesn’t work. If it doesn’t I will contact them and I’m sure they can fix it in a day or two. Thank you. -Roger
The price of the Dublin Pass is €49 not €39!
Joanie,
Thank you for the comment. Evidently, Dublin Pass has recently raised prices, but they’ve also added the hop-on, hop-off bus tour, which is another highly recommended attraction. I’ve updated the prices and article. -Roger
Cannot see Kilmainham Gaol listed on the Dublin pass website, but you list it on your site. Can you advise?
Grant,
Hmmm…it appears that Kilmainham Gaol has dropped out of the Dublin Pass program, and raised its price to €7. It could be that it was complicated since they are now on a reserved tickets system. Fortunately, it’s still a pretty cheap attraction so it doesn’t change the math much on the Pass. It’s still mostly about the Guinness and Jameson tours from a cost perspective. Thanks for pointing that out. -Roger
I am unable to avail the discount through the promo code. help….!
Smita,
What is happening when you try to enter the promo code? POT10 should work right now as long as you enter it in the right place. -Roger