Dublin: Night Bus Tour & Lit Landmarks Open-Top

Climb aboard Dublin's night bus and watch the city glow

You board an open-top bus in Dublin for a one-hour night tour guided by someone who knows the city's stories. You pass Christ Church Cathedral, Trinity College, Temple Bar, Dublin Castle and the River Liffey all lit up, moving through the route without stops so you see how the landmarks sit in relation to each other. The tour includes the guide and the ride. You're back where you started within the hour.

Step-by-step itinerary

Dublin panoramic night bus tour

• Board open-top night bus
• Pass General Post Office
• View River Liffey
• See Jeanie Johnston tall ship
• Cross Samuel Beckett Bridge
• Pass Trinity College
• Drive through Merrion Square
• View Oscar Wilde Statue
• Pass St Stephens Green
• See Molly Malone Statue
• Drive through Temple Bar
• Pass Dublin Castle
• View Christ Church Cathedral
• Listen to expert guide stories
• Complete one-hour panoramic tour

The experience

Climbing onto the open-top deck, you're moving through Dublin as the sun drops and the streets shift into evening mode. The one-hour night bus tour rolls past the General Post Office, then down toward the River Liffey where the Jeanie Johnston tall ship sits lit against the dark water. Your guide is already talking: stories about the city's history and the buildings sliding past, their facades picked out in gold and white light. It's the kind of tour where you're not stopping much, just moving through, and that's the whole point. You get the shape of Dublin without having to navigate it yourself.

The route takes you through Temple Bar, where the narrow streets are crowded and warm-looking from above, then past St. Stephen's Green and the Oscar Wilde Statue before swinging toward Trinity College Dublin. Christ Church Cathedral comes up lit like something from another century. Dublin Castle appears solid and old in the darkness. You're seeing the landmarks that matter (the ones people actually want to photograph), but you're seeing them from a bus that keeps moving, which means you're not fighting crowds or trying to find parking. The guide fills the gaps between stops with actual detail about what you're looking at, not just reading off a script.

What makes this different from walking the same route is the pace and the vantage point. You're high enough to see how the streets connect, how the Liffey cuts through, where the old city sits against the newer parts. The open-top means you're in the air, not hemmed in, and the night means the city looks like itself: lit up for locals and visitors both, not staged for daytime tours. It's one hour, which is long enough to feel like you've actually moved through the place, short enough that you're not sitting still too long. Wheelchair accessible, and the bus takes small children in prams without fuss.

What’s included

• One-hour panoramic night tour on an open-top bus.
• live guide commentary on Dublin's history and architecture.
• views of Christ Church Cathedral, Trinity College, Temple Bar, Dublin Castle, St. Stephen's Green, the River Liffey and other illuminated landmarks.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 19:00 and 20:30

AgesAdult (16 and older) · Child (5 to 15 years) · Under 5: can't be included in the booking

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.Operator's directions: “Please present your booking confirmation to a Big Bus Tours staff member at least 15 minutes before the tour departs. Night Tour depart at 7:00pm and 8:30pm from 13 Upper O'Connell Street.”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Big Bus Tours Dublin

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see Dublin's main sights lit up at night without arranging your own transport or timing multiple stops: the continuous route and fixed hour mean you cover the central landmarks in one smooth loop.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 15 years). Under 5: they can't be included in the booking.

How long is the Dublin night bus tour?

One hour. The bus moves continuously through the city, passing landmarks without extended stops.

Is the bus wheelchair accessible?

Yes. The bus is wheelchair accessible and infants can travel in prams or strollers.

What landmarks do you see on the night tour?

Christ Church Cathedral, Trinity College Dublin, Temple Bar, Dublin Castle, St. Stephen's Green, the Oscar Wilde Statue, Molly Malone Statue, the River Liffey and the Jeanie Johnston tall ship, all illuminated at night.

Can you get on and off the bus at different stops?

No. This is a continuous panoramic tour, not a hop-on hop-off service. The bus completes the full route without passenger stops.

Is there a live guide on the tour?

Yes. An expert guide shares stories and information about Dublin's history, culture and architecture throughout the journey.

What's included in the ticket price?

The one-hour open-top bus ride and the live guide commentary. Entry to attractions is not included.