Merrion Hotel Dublin: Stay of Distinction

The Merrion Hotel, located in the heart of Dublin city centre, is the capital's most luxurious five star hotel and a proud member of The Leading Hotels of the World. The Merrion Hotel is home to the 2-star Michelin Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, The Cellar Bar and Restaurant and the intimate No. 23 Cocktail Bar. An impeccable restoration of four Georgian townhouses, The Merrion Hotel is a marriage of exquisite comfort, relaxed elegance and advanced guest facilities, including free Wi-Fi, an 18m pool, spa and gym. This luxury hotel is to be found in the heart of Georgian Dublin, opposite Government Buildings and a few minutes' walk from galleries, museums, the I.F.S.C, Dublin Convention Centre, pubs, restaurants and the shops of Grafton Street.

Our Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour allows you to experience all the history and culture of Dublin in one visit. There are two routes on the tour, the Original route is 1 hour 45 minutes long with 26 stops conveniently located close to Dublin's most popular attractions. You can hop-off at any time to go visit attractions like Dublin Zoo, the Guinness Storehouse or The Book of Kells in Trinity College. Your guide will point out all the most famous landmarks and points of interest along the way, showing you where famous Dubliners like James Joyce, Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett (among others) lived and spent their time.

The second route is through Dublin's Docklands, and takes 45 minutes with 9 stops including The Jeanie Johnston Famine Memorial ship, The Bord Gais Energy Theatre and The National Convention Centre. You can also hop-off at Stop 7 to take a Dublin Bay Cruise. Buses start at 9am daily, and arrive at each stop every 10-15 minutes. You'll enjoy live commentary from our Failte Ireland trained drivers, all native Dubliners who will charm and entertain you.

The Guinness Brewery in Dublin is Europe's largest stout producing brewery and home to the Guinness Storehouse. Opened in 1904, the Storehouse was an operational plant for fermenting and storing Guinness. Today it houses a very fine exhibition dedicated to the Guinness story. Visitors will discover what goes into the making a pint of Guinness - the ingredients, the brewing process, the time, the craft and the passion. The exhibition shows how the brew has been marketed and how it is today sold in over 150 countries. Once the tour has finished, the guest is invited to the Gravity Bar to enjoy their pint of Guinness. Regular demonstrations on the art of pulling a pint of Guinness also take place in the Storehouse. Launched on the fifth floor in 2011, "Five" at Guinness Storehouse, includes a small replica authentic Irish Bar, an 18th Century inspired Brewers Dining Hall, and a restaurant named Gilroy's where guests enjoy a Guinness gastronomical experience driven entirely by the Irish tradition of wholesome local produce. Menus include local foods such as Ardsallagh goat's cheese, Irish mussels from Carlingford and the Waterford Blaas bread supplied by MD Bakery in Waterford. This area will host from time to time live cooking demonstrations using Guinness in the recipe and it includes an interactive recipe sharing bank that allows visitors to take Guinness recipe cards home.

Epic Ireland is the dramatic 21st Century visitor experience showcasing the unique journey of the Irish people around the world through the ages, centrally located in the beautiful vaults of the 1820 CHQ building. Through 21 remarkable galleries, using cuttingedge interactive technologies, visitors explore the many tales of migration, the forces that have driven it, and the impact that it has had on the world. This is the authentic and epic story of 10 million journeys and the roots of 70 million people, told with memorable style and passion. Epic Ireland is a "must see" visit in any tour of Dublin and Ireland. It is located at the heart of Dublin, at Custom House Quay on the River Liffey, the original departure point for so many of Ireland's emigrants.

This is a perfect way to experience Irish Whiskey in the company of friendly local people. Irish Whiskey is the original and best in the world and an Irish pub is a perfect place to relax, meet new people, and experience what it truly means to be Irish. "Let the music of whiskey falling into a glass be an agreeable interlude"
Dublin is steeped in history, art and culture which provides the perfect setting to share a drink.

With your private driver-guide leading the way, today you'll head east to visit a few historical and sacred sites in Ireland. Declared a World Heritage Site in 1993, Bru Na Boinne is host to a remarkably fascinating, if somewhat mysterious, history. Found approximately 40 kilometers north of Dublin and on a slight river peninsula and bordering the meandering Boyne River, Bru Na Boinne is host to a cluster of prehistoric monuments. Ranging from the mid-30th century BCE to the 3rd century BCE, some of the sites predate the Egyptian pyramids, while others serve as magnificent examples of standing stones, burial mounds, and seemingly significant sites that align with astrological cycles. A site often overlooked on trips to Ireland, it surely one of the most incredible places to visit on the Emerald Isle. Later in the day, and after a break for lunch (not included) you'll travel to Trim Castle, which is likely the best-preserved and most impressive example of Anglo-Norman castle architecture in Ireland. It offers a spectacular insight into the lives and traditions of the people from the middle ages and leads well into your last stop of the day, The Hill of Tara. Best known for having been the royal residence of the ancient High Kings that ruled Ireland in Celtic times and beyond, it is said that a quarter of Ireland's landscape can be seen from this hill. You'll have the time to take in this spectacular vista before heading back to your hotel in Dublin.