Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
HELICOPTER TOURS
Want a bird's-eye view of Dublin's fair city?
First Flight Aviation
Ltd.,
Dublin, Helicopter Centre NSC, Cloghran, County Dublin
(
&
1800/471147
toll-free or 01/890-0222; www.firstflight.ie), offers
20-minute helicopter tours over the center city, with more distant
views of Dublin Bay and the north and south coastlines. The cost is
from
€
150 ($181) per person.
LAND & WATER TOURS
The immensely popular
Viking Splash Tour
(
&
01/707-
6000;
www.vikingsplashtours.com) is an especially fun way to see
Dublin. Aboard a reconditioned World War II amphibious landing
craft, or “duck,” this tour starts on land (from Bull Alley St. beside
St. Patrick's Cathedral) and eventually splashes into the Grand
Canal. Passengers wear horned Viking helmets (a reference to the
original settlers of the Dublin area) and are encouraged to issue war
cries at appropriate moments. One of the ducks even has bullet
holes as evidence of its military service. Tours depart roughly every
half-hour every day 9:30am to 5pm and last an hour and 15 min-
utes. It costs
€
€
14 ($17) for adults,
8 ($9.60) for children under
€
12, and
47 ($57) for a family of five.
WALKING TOURS
Small and compact, Dublin lends itself to walking tours. If you pre-
fer to set off on your own, the
Dublin Tourism Office,
St.
Andrew's Church, Suffolk Street, Dublin 2, has been stellar in the
development of self-guided walking tours around Dublin. To date,
four tourist trails have been mapped out and signposted throughout
the city: Old City, Georgian Heritage, Cultural Heritage, and Rock 'n
Stroll/Music Theme. For each trail, the tourist office has produced
a handy booklet that maps out the route and provides commentary
about each place along the trail.
If you'd like some guidance, some historical background, or just
some company, you might want to consider one of the following
options.
Historical Walking Tours of Dublin
This award-win-
ning outfit has recently expanded its repertoire to include six terrific
introductory walks, all 2-hour primers on Dublin's historic land-
marks, from medieval walls and Viking remains around Wood Quay
to Christ Church, to the architectural splendors of Georgian Dublin,
to highlights of Irish history. All guides are history graduates of Trin-
ity College, and participants are encouraged to ask questions. Tours
Value
