Tours in Dublin

Stand on the Ha'penny Bridge at the end of a working day and watch the city cross the Liffey on foot. That is Dublin in a nutshell. It is a place you move through at walking pace, stopping when something catches you, and the river keeps pulling you back to it.

The centre is smaller than you expect, which is why a bike suits it so well. Cross from the cobbles of Temple Bar to the Georgian squares south of the river and the mood changes within minutes. Merrion Square and St Stephen's Green are where office workers eat lunch on the grass when the weather lets them, and it often does, for a little while. Brightly painted front doors line the streets around them, and no two are quite the same.

Trinity College sits right in the middle of it all, and the Book of Kells is the reason most people queue there. Dublin Castle, Christ Church Cathedral and St Patrick's Cathedral are all close enough to link in one easy loop. Across the river, the Custom House and the wide stretch of O'Connell Street show you a different, more open side of the city. Further out, the Guinness Storehouse and Kilmainham Gaol draw their own crowds, and Phoenix Park gives you a great green space to breathe in.

We have a guided bike and e-bike ride here, and it is a good way to start. You cover a lot of ground without tiring yourself, and a local rider points out the corners you would otherwise glide past. Bring a waterproof, because Dublin weather changes its mind. If there is a building or a pub or a literary haunt you want to see properly on foot, ask, and a local guide can arrange it.