Accès anticipé : visite du Book of Kells et du château de Dublin

Early Access Book of Kells and Dublin Castle tour: what you get

This is a 2.5 hour guided walking tour in English that gets you into the Book of Kells with guaranteed skip-the-line entry, then continues to Dublin Castle. Cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before the start time. Your guide meets you at 119 Grafton Street and leads the group through Trinity College, the Old Library and the Long Room, then on to the grounds of Dublin Castle. For more things to do in the city, see our Dublin tickets and tours.

The Book of Kells at Trinity College

Your guide explains the origins of the 9th-century illuminated manuscript in the exhibition Turning Darkness into Light. You learn about its rich ornamentation and symbolism, and how the pages were painted with a special technique. Entry to the College Treasury, where the Book of Kells is displayed, is included, and skip-the-line entry means you go straight in instead of joining the ticket queue. The tour also covers the 16th-century Trinity College campus.

Why take a guided tour

The Book of Kells is a Latin copy of the four Gospels made by monks around the year 800, and its pages are covered in animals, patterns and tiny figures that are easy to miss alone. With a local guide you learn what the symbols mean and why this manuscript matters to Irish history, then move on to the Long Room and the castle without working out the route yourself. It suits first-time visitors to Dublin who want the main heritage sights in one morning.

The Old Library and Long Room

After the manuscript, the tour enters the Old Library and its vaulted Long Room, the oldest vaulted library hall in Europe and home to about 200,000 of the library's oldest books. Trinity says the Old Library and Long Room remain open to visitors until the end of 2027, when restoration work is scheduled to begin. The Book of Kells is due to move to the restored Printing House during that work.

Dublin Castle, Molly Malone and the Viking landing site

From Trinity the walk continues through the city centre. The tour includes an exterior look at the 13th-century Dublin Castle and a visit to the Dublin Castle Victorian Gardens. Other stops are the Molly Malone statue and the spot traditionally linked with the first Viking landing in Dublin, in the 9th century. The castle visit is an outside tour and does not include entry to the State Apartments. Dublin Castle dates from the 13th century and was the centre of English and later British rule in Ireland until 1922, so the guide has plenty of political history to cover as you walk.

Plan your visit

• Meeting point: Meeting Point, 119 Grafton Street, Dublin. Arrive on time, because early access entry depends on the group starting together.
• Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes, mostly on foot with some standing.
• Language: the guide speaks English.
• Footwear: wear comfortable walking shoes. Parts of the route are cobbled and the buildings have steps.
• Accessibility: the supplier lists this tour as not wheelchair accessible.
• Weather: the walking part is outdoors, so dress for Irish weather.

Looking for more to do in Dublin? Visit the Guinness Storehouse, see the sights on a hop-on hop-off bus tour, or combine several attractions with the Go City all-inclusive pass.