Original Dublin

A guide collective running walking tours in Dublin

Original Dublin runs its own walking tours in Dublin, Ireland, with its own guides. The About page describes it as "a local tour company formed in Dublin City in 2022" and "a guide collective," adding that "Before 2022 we spent over 10 years crafting exceptional visitor experiences in Dublin." It calls itself "an Irish-owned company" whose "sole focus is on Dublin." Tours meet at 3 Crown Alley, near Temple Bar Square, and the private tours page offers guides for day trips and multi-day trips elsewhere in Ireland on request. Prices on the site are in euros, and the site runs in English and Spanish.

The model is what sets it apart. The About page says "every guide who works with us has a say in how we run the company," and that under its "guide-first model" the "vast majority of revenue generated by Original Dublin goes directly to tour guides." The homepage describes the collective as "writers, actors, musicians and accredited tour guides," and the About page says most of its guides are creatives: "You can find us performing at fringe festivals, and working as stunt doubles on popular tv shows." The same page says the company "launched five Dublin walking tours in our first year." It claims "a 5-star rating on Google with over 7000 reviews," and the homepage lists TripAdvisor Best of the Best and Travelers' Choice awards for 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026.

The tours

The tour menu names the Original Dublin Walking Tour, the Original Dublin Haunted Tour, the Dublin Mythology and Folklore Tour, the Queer Dublin Walking Tour and the Original Dublin Pub Tour. A guest review on the site describes the haunted tour as "A 2 hour tour with delightful tales of a haunted Dublin past."

The Pub Tour page gives the most detail. Starting in Temple Bar, it visits "Four Great Pubs," and guests "learn to pour the perfect pint of Guinness, enjoy Irish whiskey tastings, make your own traditional Irish coffee, and enjoy live Irish music sessions." The page notes twice that "This tour is currently only available as a private tour," and it is for over 18s only. The page frames the evening around one question, what makes Dublin's pubs "the gold standard in hospitality," and promises "storytelling, tastings, history, music, and plenty of laughter."

For Spanish speakers there is a Free Tour Dublin Español and a Tour de Mitología y Leyendas Irlandesas. The free tour covers Dublin Castle and its gardens, Temple Bar, medieval Dublin, Christ Church Cathedral and the Viking settlement, the 1916 Rising, the War of Independence, the River Liffey, the old Irish Parliament, the Irish language and Irish literature. It runs on a pay-what-you-think model: the page says the guide earns only from what satisfied guests pay, and that the average payment "suele oscilar entre 15 € y 50 € por persona," usually between €15 and €50 per person. Card payment is available on the spot.

Private tours

The private tours page says "All of our private tours are led by expert local guides and tailored entirely to your interests, pace, and schedule." It offers "a two-hour city walk, a half-day or full-day sightseeing tour, or even a multi-day trip around Ireland," and lists what an inquiry can cover: corporate events and conferences, one-to-one guiding, family trips, a different schedule or meeting point from the public tours, introductions for students new to the city, and specialist topics such as literature, music, pubs, museums or galleries. The inquiry form lets you pick English or Spanish, a tour type (including a food tour and a bespoke option), and a length from 2 hours or less to a full day. The pub tour page adds that all of the company's tours are also available as private tours, which it pitches at "corporate groups, language schools or individuals."

How the day works

The meeting point for the public tours is 3 Crown Alley, and the pub tour page asks guests to arrive "no later than ten minutes before the tour is due to start" and to "Look for the guides with the green umbrellas and lanyards." Tours go ahead in any weather: the pub tour is mostly indoors but walks between pubs, and the Spanish free tour is outdoors throughout. The free tour page says the tour is family friendly, that under-18s must be accompanied by an adult, and that some topics may call for parental discretion.

Group rules differ by tour. On the pub tour, "Groups of more than 10 people must contact us and book at least 24 hours in advance." On the Spanish free tour, groups of 6 or more pay a fixed group rate, and groups of 15 or more should get in touch at least 24 hours ahead so enough guides are available. The About page adds that the company trains new guides and helps them work toward official accreditation.

Booking and contact

Public tours are booked through the Book Now buttons, and private tours through the inquiry form. The office hours are 9.30 AM to 6 PM, Monday to Sunday, the address is 3 Crown Alley, Temple Bar, D02 CX67, and the contact details are hello@originaldublin.com and +35314370948. The footer links to Terms and Conditions and the menu to a Frequently Asked Questions page, but the pub tour, private tour and Spanish free tour pages do not state a cancellation window or refund terms.

What the site leaves open, and who it suits

The pub tour and private tour pages show no prices, and private tours are quoted through the inquiry form. Neither the pub tour page nor the Spanish free tour page gives a maximum group size for a public departure, and neither mentions wheelchair access.

The strengths are easy to see: a fixed, central meeting point, clear rules on weather, lateness and groups, tours in both English and Spanish, and a guide-owned structure that the company says rewards its guides. The reviews shown on the site name many individual guides, which fits the collective's pitch. It suits visitors who want a story-driven introduction to Dublin, Spanish speakers looking for a free tour, adults after a pub tour with a guide, and groups or companies that want something built around them.