Guinness & Whiskey

Dublin's reputation as a beer and whiskey city isn't a marketing invention: Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease at St James's Gate on 31 December 1759, and in 1780 John Jameson founded his distillery on Bow Street. Both addresses can be visited today – though as museums and visitor centres rather than working production sites. This guide sorts out the main stops with prices, opening hours and tour formats (as of 2026), and says when each one is worth it.

Guinness Storehouse: address, prices and tour

The Guinness Storehouse is located at St James's Gate, Dublin 8 (D08 VF8H), in the historic brewery quarter southwest of the city centre. The building itself was constructed in 1902 as a fermentation plant; it didn't open as a visitor centre until 2 December 2000 – the brewery itself is more than 240 years older. It's Dublin's most-visited attraction.

The standard "Experience Only" ticket starts at around €22 per person. It includes a self-guided tour across seven floors (officially around 90 minutes), ending with a pint of Guinness or an alcohol-free Guinness 0.0 in the Gravity Bar, with panoramic views over the city. If you like to read every panel and linger over tastings, allow closer to two or three hours.

Prices are dynamic and time-dependent – the figures given are starting ("from") prices. The operator doesn't officially publish a fixed price table by age or concession group; specific child or student prices circulating online come from third-party sources and can't be reliably quoted here. What is reliable: booking online in advance is usually cheaper and secures a fixed entry slot.

Upgrades at the Storehouse: Academy, STOUTie and Open Gate

Beyond the standard ticket, there are several paid experiences, each with "from" prices:

• Guinness Academy – from around €34, about two hours. In a roughly 90-minute session you learn the correct two-part pour and receive a certificate. If you're visiting the Storehouse anyway, this is a modest add-on for your own perfectly poured pint.
• STOUTie – from around €30, about two hours. The experience prints a portrait into the foam of your pint.
• Home of Guinness Experience – from around €48, fully guided, English only, ages 18+, weekdays between 11:00 and 15:00.
• Experience & Paddle at Open Gate Brewery – from around €39, about 2.5 hours, ages 18+, with a tasting paddle at the in-house experimental brewery.

For most visitors, the standard ticket plus optionally the Academy is enough. The more elaborate, fully guided formats pay off mainly for guests with a genuine interest in the brewing process and tasting.

Opening hours and the best time to visit

The Guinness Storehouse is open daily. For 2026, the following are guide figures:

• Monday to Friday – 10:00 to 19:00, last admission 17:00
• Saturday – 09:30 to 20:00, last admission 18:00
• Sunday – 10:00 to 19:00, last admission 17:00

In July and August, opening hours are extended, with last admission sometimes as late as 19:00. Times are indicative – check them when booking.

It's quietest on weekdays, especially Tuesday and Wednesday, either early after opening around 10:00 or in the late afternoon. Peak times are summer and school holidays; in high season the queue can run over an hour. That makes booking online in advance practically essential – the recommendation is to book at least 72 hours ahead. The same applies to Jameson and Teeling, where tours can sell out.

Whiskey in Dublin: Jameson, Teeling and beyond

Dublin's whiskey scene is broader than just Jameson. The main addresses at a glance:

• Jameson Distillery Bow St. – Bow Street, Smithfield, Dublin 7, on the original site of the distillery founded in 1780. No whiskey has been produced here since 1971; production takes place in Midleton, Co. Cork. Today it's a heritage experience with tours and tastings.
• Teeling Distillery – Dublin's first new distillery in 125 years, in the so-called "Golden Triangle" of the Liberties.
• Roe & Co – the city's newest distillery (Diageo), telling the story of distilling pioneer George Roe.
• Pearse Lyons Distillery – housed in the historic St James's Church in the Liberties, only around a five-minute walk from the Guinness Storehouse.

So the three best-known names aren't the only choice – anyone planning several tours will find plenty of options packed into the Liberties and Smithfield.

Jameson Bow St. and the Irish Whiskey Museum

The Jameson Bow St. Experience takes around 45 minutes and ends with a comparative tasting (Jameson versus Scotch versus Bourbon) plus a signature cocktail. 2026 prices are around €26 off-peak and €31 in the afternoon and evening; an alcohol-free ticket costs around €15. Children under 12 go free, with around €12 payable from age 12. Opening hours are Monday to Thursday 10:00 to 19:00 (last tour 18:00), Friday and Saturday until 20:00 (last tour 18:30), and Sunday 11:45 to 19:00 (last tour 18:00). Add-ons include the Secret Whiskey Tasting (about 40 minutes), the Black Barrel Blending Class (90 minutes) and the Whiskey Shakers Masterclass (60 minutes). These tiered prices come from a visitor guide rather than directly from Jameson's own site – reliable as a rough guide, but worth checking on the day.

If you'd rather stay central, head to the Irish Whiskey Museum at 119 Grafton Street, Dublin 2 (D02 E620), right next to Trinity College. It's open daily from 10:00 to 18:30, with the first tour starting at 10:30 and the last at 18:00. The 2026 tours:

• Classic – €25, one hour, three tastings
• Premium – €30, one hour, four tastings plus a souvenir glass
• Blending Experience – €37, one hour and 15 minutes, four tastings plus creating your own blend

A soft drink is included for children and non-drinking adults. The museum tells the story of Irish whiskey across brands, making it a good first stop for anyone who hasn't yet settled on a single distillery.

Is the Dublin Pass worth adding?

The Guinness Storehouse and Jameson Bow St. are both included in the Go City Dublin Pass; their combined gate value runs up to around €61. Depending on the variant and duration, the pass costs roughly €79 to €159 – the All-Inclusive version covers more than 35 attractions over one to five days. It's often combined with EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, Christ Church Cathedral, St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin Zoo and Jameson; some versions also include a hop-on-hop-off bus.

Run the numbers and the pass pays off from around three to four paid attractions: savings are roughly €40 to €50 over one day, more than €60 over two days, and around €90 over three days. If you're already planning the Storehouse, a whiskey tour and two or three more sights, it usually works out cheaper – full details in our guide to the Dublin Pass. If you're only after the Storehouse and maybe one tasting, it's better to book individually and in advance online.