Is the Go City Dublin Pass worth it?
Worth it — with the right pass for your itinerary.
Go City Dublin offers three products at three price points, and the right one depends entirely on how many attractions you're planning and whether your list includes anything outside the Essentials pool. For most 2–3 day visitors doing four or more attractions, the Explorer Pass saves meaningfully. For a single busy day, the All-Inclusive 1-day pass at €79 is the cheapest way to pack in six or more paid stops.
Prices verified July 2025- €59 adult / €29 child
- From
- Essentials · Explorer · All-Inclusive
- Passes
- 30 days from first use
- Validity
- Up to 37
- Attractions
- 2–4 day trips
- Best for
Three passes, one decision
Go City sells three structurally different Dublin products, and understanding how they differ is the entire decision. They share a name and a provider — that's where the similarity ends.
- Essentials Pass — €59 adult / €29 child. Pick 3 attractions from a fixed pool of 7. Valid 30 days from first use.
- Explorer Pass — from €69 adult / €34 child. Pick 3, 4, 5, or 7 attractions from a wider pool of 33. Same 30-day validity.
- All-Inclusive Pass — from €79 adult / €39 child. Pick 1 to 5 consecutive calendar days and access all 36 attractions during that window. Unlimited visits per day.
Explorer is the right product for most Dublin visitors. The decision between Essentials and Explorer comes down to one question: is the Game of Thrones Studio Tour on your list?
Essentials vs Explorer: the gap that matters
The Essentials Pass and the Explorer 3-choice pass are only €10 apart (€59 vs €69). On the surface they look identical — both give you 3 attraction credits, both run for 30 days. The difference is the pool. Essentials locks you to 7 attractions: the Guinness Storehouse, Big Bus tours, Jameson Distillery, EPIC Museum, Teeling Distillery, and the two cathedrals. Explorer opens to 33 attractions, including the Game of Thrones Studio Tour, the Big Bus Coastal Tour, Dublinia, and 23 others that don't appear on Essentials at all.
The concrete example: the Game of Thrones Studio Tour (up to €28 individually) is Explorer and All-Inclusive only. If it's anywhere on your Dublin wish list, Essentials is off the table regardless of the €10 saving. Pick the 3-choice Explorer at €69 and use one of your credits there.
There's a second point specific to Dublin that doesn't apply to Essentials pools in every other city: this one doesn't guarantee break-even on any combination. The Essentials pool contains three low-value attractions — Saint Patrick's Cathedral (€12), Christ Church Cathedral (€12), and the Teeling Whiskey Distillery (€20) — that together total €44, well below the €59 pass price. To save money, you need at least two of the three Tier 1 picks: Big Bus (€37), Jameson (€31), or Guinness (€30). The calculator below shows the exact math for your specific combination.
What's NOT included
These are popular Dublin attractions no pass tier covers. If your itinerary leans on any of these, individual tickets will likely work out cheaper.
- Trinity College Dublin and the Book of Kells — the most-searched Dublin attraction; individual tickets required (from €18)
- Kilmainham Gaol — requires a timed entry ticket booked separately (from €8); not on any Go City Dublin pass
- Dublin's free national museums — the National Gallery, National Museum (Natural History), and Chester Beatty Library are all free-entry and don't require a pass
- Public transport — DART, Dublin Bus, and Luas tram are not included; hop-on hop-off buses in the pool are not a substitute for point-to-point travel
- Dublin Castle full tour — currently listed as closed for the season; check before building an itinerary around it
Which attractions are worth a credit?
The Explorer Pass presents all 33 attractions with equal visual weight. That's not how the maths works. Your first credits should go to the highest-value items individually: the Big Bus Coastal Tour (up to €40), Big Bus Hop-on Hop-off (up to €37), The Murder by Temple Bar (up to €38), Jameson Distillery (up to €31), Guinness Storehouse (up to €30), and the Game of Thrones Studio Tour (up to €28). Any of these as a credit is worth significantly more than the per-credit cost on the 4-choice pass (€21 per credit).
Below €20 individually — Saint Patrick's Cathedral (€12), Christ Church (€12), the GPO Museum (€15), Dublin Castle (€8) — you're using a credit worth €21 to access something you could buy at the door for less. Use credits here only after you've covered your high-value picks. If your entire itinerary consists of lower-priced attractions, the Explorer Pass won't save money.
One special case: the Game of Thrones Studio Tour is marked "Must See" on Go City's own listings and is the highest-profile exclusive on the Explorer/All-Inclusive pools. It's located in Banbridge, Northern Ireland — roughly 90 minutes each way from Dublin city centre by transfer or coach. Budget a full day if you're going. The pass covers the entry fee; the travel to get there is separate.
What's free in Dublin — and what the pass doesn't cover
Dublin has a stronger free-attraction circuit than most cities of its size. The National Gallery of Ireland, the National Museum of Ireland (both the Kildare Street archaeology site and Collins Barracks), the National Museum of Natural History, and the Chester Beatty Library are all free-entry institutions housing serious collections. None of them require a pass. If your Dublin trip leans heavily on these — a reasonable plan for a culturally focused visitor — the paid pass adds value only on top of that free layer, not as a replacement for it.
Two of Dublin's most-visited sites aren't on any Go City pass at all. Trinity College Dublin and the Book of Kells require a separate ticket (from €18) and aren't in the Explorer or All-Inclusive pools. Kilmainham Gaol, the most-reviewed attraction in the city on most travel platforms, also operates independently — individual tickets are required and should be booked well in advance. Build either of these into your Dublin itinerary and factor the cost in separately.
Who should buy which pass
Essentials fits a short 1–2 day visit where your entire list sits within the top 7 — Guinness Storehouse, Big Bus, Jameson, EPIC, Teeling, and the two cathedrals — and where you'll pick at least two of the three higher-value options to break even. At €59, the savings on the right combination are genuine, though narrower than the Essentials pools in other cities.
Explorer fits most first-time visitors spending 2–4 days who want flexibility beyond the core seven. The 4-choice tier at €84 (€21 per credit) is the sweet spot for a typical Dublin itinerary: cover the Guinness Storehouse, Big Bus, Jameson, and either the Game of Thrones Studio Tour or EPIC Museum, and the pass pays for itself with room to spare.
All-Inclusive fits visitors spending 3–5 days who plan to move fast — multiple paid attractions per day, early starts, dense itineraries. The 1-day All-Inclusive at €79 can work for a single packed day of six or more attractions, but it's demanding. The 3-day (€134) and 5-day (€159) tiers offer the best per-visit value for visitors spending a full week exploring.
Skip the pass if your Dublin itinerary centres on the free national museums, Trinity College, and Kilmainham Gaol — none of which appear on any Go City pass. If you're adding just one or two paid attractions on top of a free-heavy trip, individual tickets will be cheaper in every scenario.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Essentials, Explorer, and All-Inclusive?
Essentials and Explorer are both credit-based — you pick a set number of attractions and use them within 30 days of your first visit. Essentials gives you 3 choices from a fixed pool of 7 top attractions. Explorer lets you pick 3, 4, 5, or 7 choices from a broader pool of 33. All-Inclusive is different: instead of picking attractions, you buy 1 to 5 consecutive calendar days and get unlimited access to 36 attractions during that window.
Is the Essentials Pass always worth it — can any three picks save money?
No — and this is the most important thing to know before buying. Dublin's Essentials pool includes two cathedrals (€12 each) and the Teeling Distillery (€20), which together total €44 individually — €15 less than the €59 pass price. To save money on Essentials, you need at least two of the three higher-value picks: Big Bus (€37), Jameson (€31), or Guinness Storehouse (€30). Use the calculator above to check your specific combination before committing.
Is the Game of Thrones Studio Tour included in all Dublin passes?
No. The Game of Thrones Studio Tour (up to €28 individually) is only available on the Explorer and All-Inclusive passes — it's not in the Essentials pool. It's also located in Banbridge, Northern Ireland, around 90 minutes from Dublin city centre, so plan a full day if it's on your list. If it's a must-see, you'll need at least the Explorer 3-choice pass at €69.
How does the All-Inclusive Pass count days?
By consecutive calendar days, not 24-hour periods. If you visit your first attraction at 3pm, day one still ends at midnight — you don't get a full 24 hours from that point. Starting early on your first day matters most on the 1-day pass at €79, which requires a packed itinerary to beat individual tickets.
Does the Dublin pass include public transport?
No. DART, Dublin Bus, and Luas tram travel are not included on any pass tier. The Big Bus Hop-on Hop-off and Coastal Tour are sightseeing routes in the Explorer and All-Inclusive pools — they're not a substitute for getting around the city. A Leap Card or day ticket covers point-to-point travel separately.
What age range is the child pass, and what about under-5s?
Go City Dublin defines child passes for ages 5–15: €29 (Essentials), €34 (Explorer, 3-choice), €39 (All-Inclusive, 1-day). Go City's general policy covers children under 5 free at most attractions, though individual venues set their own under-5 policies — confirm with each attraction before your visit.
Can I get a refund if my plans change?
Yes, but only before you activate the pass. Go City refunds non-activated passes within 90 days of purchase. Once you scan in at your first attraction, the pass is locked in. Unactivated passes remain valid for 12 months from purchase, so buying early for a future trip carries no risk within that window.
Is there a CityPASS for Dublin?
No. CityPASS operates in 17 US and Canadian cities only — it has no European product. Go City is the only multi-attraction pass available in Dublin.
Before you buy — things to know
- Game of Thrones Studio Tour (€28) is only on Explorer and All-Inclusive — not Essentials. It's also located well outside central Dublin; budget at least 90 minutes of travel time each way.
- The All-Inclusive Pass runs on consecutive calendar days, not 24-hour periods. Starting at 3pm on day one means you lose that morning — activate early.
- Guinness Storehouse requires advance booking through the Go City app even with a pass. Show up without a slot and you may be turned away.
- Children aged 5–15 require a child pass (priced separately). Go City's general policy covers children under 5 free at most attractions, but check individual attraction age policies before visiting.
- The Essentials pool is fixed at roughly the top 7 attractions — if any of your must-sees aren't in that group, you'll need to step up to Explorer regardless of price.
- Pass validity is 12 months from purchase date for unactivated passes, but 30 days from first use once activated. Buy early for planning flexibility; don't activate until you're actually visiting.