Dublinia visitor guide: Opening hours, tickets, and how to plan your visit

Dublinia is an interactive Viking and medieval history museum located at St Michael’s Hill, Christchurch Place, Dublin. It’s housed in the former Synod Hall of Christ Church Cathedral and directly connected to the cathedral by a stone bridge. This 2026 travel guide covers opening hours, ticket prices, how to get there, parking, accessibility, what to see inside, and practical tips for planning your visit.

Dublinia is one of the many Dublin attractions you can enter for free with the Go City Dublin Pass.

Updated February 2026. Ticket prices were verified against the official Dublinia website in February 2026. Several widely circulated third-party guides still list the adult admission as €14.00 or €15.00 — the current adult walk-up price is €18.00, with a €1 discount available when booking online. The seasonal opening hours also vary significantly: the museum closes at 5 pm from October to March (last entry 4 pm) and at 6 pm from April to September (last entry 5 pm), a distinction missing from many listings.

Quick facts

Dublinia opening hours

Dublinia is open daily from 10:00, with seasonal closing times. From October to March, the museum closes at 17:00 with last admission at 16:00. From April to September, it closes at 18:00 with last admission at 17:00. The museum is closed on 24, 25 and 26 December only, and is otherwise open year-round including all Bank Holidays. The coffee shop is open on weekends from 10:00 to 17:00 during the October to March period; the gift shop is open daily throughout the year.

Opening hours were checked on the official website and last updated in February 2026.

Dublinia ticket prices

The standard adult admission costs €18.00 on the door, or €17.00 when booked online — a saving of €1 per ticket. The same €1 online discount applies to all ticket categories. Children, seniors, and students each have reduced rates, and two family ticket formats are available depending on group composition. All admission tickets include entry to all three exhibition floors, free daily guided exhibition tours, and Living History sessions with costumed guides.

Go City Dublin Pass holders get in free.

A combination ticket covering both Dublinia and Christ Church Cathedral is available, purchasable at either attraction’s ticket desk. The Dublin Pass also covers Dublinia admission. Booking online is recommended in advance to secure the discount, though walk-up tickets are available at the Welcome Desk on arrival. There is no need to print a booking confirmation — display it on your phone or provide your name at the desk.

Ticket prices were checked on the official website and last updated in February 2026.

How to get to Dublinia

Dublinia is located at Christchurch Place in Dublin’s south inner city, approximately 12 minutes’ walk from Trinity College Dublin and 15 minutes’ walk from O’Connell Bridge. Several Dublin Bus routes serve Christchurch Place directly — check dublinbus.ie for current route information, as a number of routes including the 49X, 50X, 54A, and 78A have historically served this stop. All three of Dublin’s hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tours — DoDublin, Big Bus Tours, and City Sightseeing — have a stop directly outside Dublinia. From St Stephen’s Green, the museum is approximately 1.2 km on foot, passing Dublin Castle and Christ Church Cathedral on the approach. The nearest Luas stop is Four Courts on the red line, approximately 12 minutes’ walk.

Parking at Dublinia

The nearest car park to Dublinia is Q-Park Christchurch on Werburgh Street, approximately 50 metres from the entrance. Dublinia provides discounted Q-Park parking tickets for visitors — collect these from the Dublinia gift shop before returning to the car park. On-street parking in the immediate area is limited and time-restricted. Public transport or walking from elsewhere in the city centre is the more practical option for most visitors.

How long to spend at Dublinia

The recommended visit duration is 90 minutes, which allows time to move through all three exhibition floors at a comfortable pace, take in a Living History session, and join a free guided tour if one is running during your visit. The free guided exhibition tour lasts approximately 40 minutes; the free outdoor walking tour of Viking and medieval Dublin lasts approximately one hour. Visitors who join both a guided exhibition tour and a walking tour should allow two hours or more in total. The gift shop and coffee shop (weekends only in winter) are additional stops outside the main exhibition.

Accessibility at Dublinia

Dublinia is wheelchair accessible throughout the main exhibition floors, with ramps and lifts providing access to the Viking Dublin, Medieval Dublin, and The Past Today exhibitions. The exception is St Michael’s Tower, the medieval tower accessible at the end of the visit, which is reached via 96 steps and has no lift. Visitors who are unable to climb the tower can still access all three exhibition floors in full. Accessible toilets are available on site. Visitors with specific accessibility requirements are encouraged to contact the museum in advance by phone on +353 1 679 4611.

Inside Dublinia: what to see and do

All admission tickets cover three exhibition floors plus free daily guided tours and Living History sessions. The visit is self-paced, with costumed Living History Guides stationed throughout the exhibitions.

Viking Dublin occupies the first floor and covers the period from the arrival of Norse settlers in the 9th century through to the Battle of Clontarf in 1014 and the gradual decline of Viking power in Ireland. Visitors can walk through a reconstructed Viking longship, handle replica weapons and objects, try on Viking costume, and explore recreated interiors of Viking-age Dublin. The exhibition draws on artefacts recovered from the Wood Quay excavations — the site of the original Viking settlement, located a short distance from the museum — as well as replica objects and interactive displays. A particular focus is placed on Viking trade networks, which made Dublin one of the most significant trading ports in early medieval Europe.

Medieval Dublin covers the period from the Norman arrival in the 12th century through to the late medieval period. The exhibition recreates a street scene of medieval Dublin, including a merchant’s kitchen, a barbersurgeon’s workshop, and a medieval market. Visitors can handle replica objects, experience the scents associated with the period (herbs, spices, and less agreeable smells), and learn about medieval Dublin’s systems of law, crime and punishment, disease, and daily commerce. The barber surgeon’s display, which covers medieval medical practices and tooth extraction, is a regularly noted highlight.

The Past Today (also referred to as History Hunters on some parts of the website) occupies the upper floor and focuses on the practice of archaeology and how historians and archaeologists piece together Dublin’s past. Visitors can examine real artefacts from the Wood Quay excavations and see how laboratory analysis is used to interpret finds.

St Michael’s Tower provides a view over Dublin from the top of a surviving medieval structure. It is reached via 96 steps and is not wheelchair accessible. The tower forms the final stop before exiting through the gift shop.

Free guided exhibition tours run daily at 14:00. These are led by a guide and cover highlights from all three floors. The tour is included with admission and requires no separate booking — simply join at the starting point.

Free Viking and Medieval Dublin walking tours depart at 11:00, Monday to Saturday. The outdoor walking tour covers the immediate surrounding area of Christchurch Place and the historic Liberties neighbourhood, placing the museum’s content in its geographic context. Both guided tours are subject to availability — confirm at the Welcome Desk on arrival.

Living History sessions run daily throughout the museum’s opening hours, with costumed guides covering topics including Viking weapons, medieval medicine, herbs, and historic games such as Hnefatafl (a Viking chess-like strategy game). These sessions are drop-in and require no separate booking.

Practical visitor tips

Frequently asked questions about Dublinia

Things to do near Dublinia

Christ Church Cathedral — directly adjacent, connected by a covered stone bridge. A working Anglican cathedral dating from around 1028 with crypt access and a Treasures of Christ Church exhibition included in admission. A combination ticket with Dublinia is available.

Dublin Castle — approximately 500 metres east. State apartments, the Chapel Royal, the Record Tower, and the Chester Beatty Library (free admission) are all within the castle grounds. Guided tours of the state apartments require a ticket.

Chester Beatty Library — within Dublin Castle grounds, approximately 500 metres east. A free museum housing one of the world’s most significant collections of manuscripts and printed books from Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral — approximately 500 metres south. Ireland’s largest cathedral, with guided tours included in admission. Features the grave of Jonathan Swift and the Door of Reconciliation.

Teeling Whiskey Distillery — approximately 5 minutes’ walk south, at Newmarket. A fully operational craft whiskey distillery offering guided tours with tastings.

EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum — approximately 25 minutes’ walk east along the north quays, at Custom House Quay near the Famine Memorial and Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship. An interactive museum tracing the history of Irish emigration.

More Dublin travel

Other Dublin travel articles on Planet Whitley include:

• Embrace the cheese at the National Wax Museum Plus and the earnestness at the Irish Rock ‘N’ Roll Museum Experience.
• What you’ll see at the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin.
• Enjoy the character-packed tours at the Little Museum of Dublin.
• Trace the tale of the Easter Rising at the GPO Museum.
• Explore Malahide Castle, Newbridge House and Farm and the Skerries Mills to the north of Dublin.