A perfect vacation in Ireland includes charming bed and breakfasts, pubs with local fare, and the Dingle Peninsula. You're also going to be spending a lot of time in the beautiful city of Dublin. After checking out Dublin museums, there's something else that you have to do: take a tour of the Guinness Storehouse.
You can do a self-guided tour and it takes 90 minutes. Before setting off on your journey, it's a good idea to be aware of what you're going to see and what the tour will entail. Keep reading to find out all about this fascinating tour.
Buy Tickets Ahead Of Time
Whether you're someone who likes to buy last-minute plane tickets or you're an early bird, you're going to want to buy tickets for the Guinness Storehouse ahead of time. Adult tickets (meaning 18 and older) start at €19.50 and included in the ticket price is a free pint of Guinness.
The hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 7 at night, and in the summer months of July and August, you can visit this tourist site until 9 at night. After buying your tickets on the website, you'll choose a date and time.
There Are Seven Floors
There are seven floors that you'll see on your tour. When you're on the ground floor, make sure to pick up an audio guide. There are many to choose from: Mandarin, Portuguese, Italian, French, Spanish, or German.
According to the official website, "The journey begins at the bottom of the world's largest pint glass and continues up through seven floors filled with interactive experiences that fuse our long brewing heritage with Ireland's rich history."
When you get to the seventh floor, you'll be at the Gravity Bar, which is on the roof of the building. You'll be able to enjoy a pint of Guinness, which is the perfect ending, and you'll see "360 views of Dublin," according to a Trip Advisor review.
What You'll Learn
You'll learn about how Guinness is brewed and according to Ocallaghancollection.com, you'll be educated about all things Guinness as you walk through each floor. There's a cafe on the first floor, so you can stop and grab a pastry or sandwich if you're hungry, and the next six floors talk about Arthur Guinness, who started the beer, and why it's so popular around the world.
According to The Planet D, you'll learn about how Guinness has done their advertising through each decade. You'll also visit the tasting room which has neon lights, which sounds really cool. The website explains another highlight of the tour: "Once you learn about the early beginnings, you are lead to a blue waterfall where the freshwater from the Wicklow Mountains is pumped into the brewery."
Enjoy Food In One Of Four Restaurants
There are four restaurants to choose from in the Guinness Storehouse, so you'll have many options when you get hungry. Many people wrote on Trip Advisor that they ate lunch at Brewer's Dining Hall before they went on their tour, so that sounds like a good idea. Every restaurant is on the fifth floor so you could grab a bite before or after.
The menu at 1837 Bar & Brasserie includes oysters, roast chicken, beef and Guinness stew, burgers, chicken wings, and flatbreads. There's also Arthur's Bar which is more of a traditional Irish pub experience. The menu offers nachos, Beef and Guinness Pie, soup, and a Reuben sandwich. As mentioned previously, The Cooperage Cafe is on the first floor and it offers a more casual dining experience with sandwiches and pastries.
It'll be really fun to take a 90-minute self-guided tour of the Guinness Storehouse. After you get your free pint of the delicious beer, which restaurant will you visit?