Route map for Red Bus:
http://www.viator.com/mapShow.jspa?id=1010&productId=1016&productType=SIC&code=2916DUB&
Ticket is valid for 24 hours from first use, so COULD span two days.

Green Bus: http://www.dublinsightseeing.ie/citytour.aspx
In combo with Dublin Pass: http://www.dublinpass.ie/p-5-dublin-bus-city-sightseeing-tour.aspx

Bob

Thanks for weighing in, Bob, but do you have a preference? I'm leaning towards green at the moment.

I really don't have a preference. I've used both, at one time or another.
If you are inclined to the Green, consider a "Freedom" ticket:
http://www.dublinsightseeing.ie/FreedomTicket.aspx
Don't think it covers the Luas, but it DOES include the Airlink, the HOHO and ALL City buses.

Both bus lines have stops just outside of Trinity. While at Trinity, check to see if they are offering student conducted walking tours of the campus. I know that they USED to.

Bob

Thanks, Bob, I must get out my calculator and see if the Freedom ticket would save anything since we will only be there nearly two days and probably would not use the city buses.

I have taken the Trinity walking tours but only as recently as '03. Will check into that.

The HOHO tours are helpful for understanding Dublin's layout, but not so good for subsequent transportation. The routes get bogged down around Temple Bar and you could walk from place to place faster than ride.

I've done the Historical Walking Tour of Dublin and the Traditional Musical Pub Crawl (twice). I highly recommend them both.

First, there was a lot that I liked about the Historical Walking Tour. They are all led by graduates of a history program of one of the universities in Dublin. (Our guide was a graduate of Trinity College.) So you know you are getting some accurate information on your tour and you know that if you ask a question, your guide is going to be able to answer it. Also, our guide was not only knowledgeable, but he was quite entertaining. Even my high school and college-aged children, who normally hate guided tours, enjoyed this one. The group was not large and that was another plus for us. (Note: You probably won't be asked to pay for the tour until about halfway through, which seemed unusual, but kind of nice.) This tour does not have to booked in advance.

Second, the Traditional Musical Pub Crawl is really informative and a LOT of fun. Because we have done it twice, we have been able to see 2 different sets of musicians. While they were each different as regards to instruments they played, songs they sang, etc., I can say that they all were excellent musicians, good storytellers and charming fellows. The tour is a large group, but if you hang out near the musicians as you walk from pub-to-pub, you'll get a chance to chat with them and they are fun guys. A BIG warning here is that you need to book this tour in advance. On both tours we were on, there were a lot of disappointed people who showed up on the night of the tour without a booking and had to be turned away. (They can only take as many as will fit in the various pub rooms.) Also, while you are free to buy drinks at each pub, you are NEVER pressured to do so. As the musicians say, "It's about the music, not about the drink."

Thanks, Southam and longhorn; just what I was looking for.

longhorn, are you a UT grad?

Jaja, yes, I am a proud graduate of the University of Texas. Hook 'em!

My family is all over the Texas (and Oklahoma) universities map. Living in Kingsville where husband retired from A&M Kingsville.

Longhorn, there seem to be more than one musical pub crawl. Can you help me differentiate the one(s) you went on? I think I can figure out the historical walking tour.