For our afternoon in Dublin, we booked a 3:30 Viking Tour, leaving from St. Stephen’s Green. We also had a Guinness Factory tour booked for 5:30. The timing worked well for us, but it didn’t leave much time for additional exploring between the two tours.
St. Stephen’s Green
We had about 45 minutes between lunch and the start of our tour, so we decided to spend some time in the park. We wanted fresh air after the long flight, and it was also the nicest day we expected to have on our trip. We figured we should get some sun while we could.
The kids also had a lot of energy and needed space to run and play.
We did a loop around the park and then ended up at a fantastic playground. It was perfect for mixed ages and offered a lot of opportunities for climbing, which is my kids’ preferred playground activity.
The playground was about a 5-minute walk to the pickup spot for our tour. The hardest part about getting to the pickup location was getting the kids to say goodbye to the playground.
Viking Splash Tour
The Viking Splash Tour uses DUKW amphibious vehicles so that you can drive around the city streets and then plunge into the water to see the city from a different vantage point. In some cities, like Boston, you may see these types of tours referred to as Duck Boat Tours.
We arrived about 15 minutes before our departure time. A representative from the company checked us off on their list and then welcomed us on board. Each seat had a plastic Viking hat available to wear during the tour, and we were encouraged to wear them.
The tour left right on time, and we had a really charismatic tour guide who sang folk songs, shared a lot of information about the Viking history of Dublin and the surrounding areas, and pointed out various landmarks.
Despite my 5-year-old taking a quick catnap during part of the tour, it was one of his trip highlights. Our 9-year-old also really enjoyed it, and I learned a lot about Ireland. I’d recommend this tour, especially as a way to kick off a trip to Ireland.
After the tour, we took a quick ice cream stop on our way to the car, before heading off to the Guinness Storehouse.
The Guinness Storehouse Tour
At this point, the kids were starting to drag a bit and wanted to go to the hotel. But when we checked in for our tour, and the kids learned that their tickets included a special drink at the end, they perked up.
After the initial intro, the tour is mostly self-guided, which was perfect with the kids. It was also very accessible for kids, with visually stunning displays, like the barley room, and multimedia, including a video on how to make barrels, which kept the kids captivated for a good 10 minutes.
Another highlight was the history of Guinness advertisements and a sensory room, and for my partner and me, the tasting, where we were given tips on how to properly taste Guinness.
The tour ended with a complimentary pint for the adults and a complimentary soda for the kids. We had hoped to grab dinner at the Storehouse following our tour, but the sit-down restaurant was closing for the night, so after finishing our drinks, we made our way to our hotel.
The Hotel
For our one night in Dublin, we stayed at Beckett Locke, at the North Docks. We opted to stay in a less central part of the city for a couple of reasons. One: we wanted a larger room and booked so last-minute that our options in the historic area were limited. Two: we wanted a place to park the car easily.
The hotel was comfortable. We had a two-bedroom suite with a small kitchenette and sitting area between the rooms. There were also two bathrooms. The hotel had an on-site cafe with a simple breakfast menu. While parking wasn’t on-site, there was an underground garage close by.
The one downside was dinner. There were limited options, but we were able to find a simple pub-style restaurant within walking distance of the hotel.
For our first night in Ireland after a very long day, it ticked all of our boxes.
Have Kids, Will Travel 
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