So, you’re heading to Dublin? You’ve read the guides on everything to do in the capital city and they’re all leading to the same place – The Guinness Storehouse Experience. Dubbed as a must-see on the tourist trail of Ireland; is the Guinness Storehouse Experience worth it?
This review of the Guinness Storehouse will tell you everything you need to know about the experience, what to expect, and if it’s really worth the hype!
About
What is the Guinness Storehouse?
The Guinness Storehouse is Ireland’s most popular tourist attraction with over 1.8 million visitors each year. This Guinness-themed museum is located in St James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin and is spread across a vast 7-floor unit surrounding a central, glass atrium in the shape of a Guinness glass. In fact, the glass is the largest ‘pint’ glass in the world, needing more than 14 million pints to fill!
The storehouse is filled with everything you can imagine to do with Guinness and its history, providing visitors with an immersive experience of one of the world’s most prolific beer brands.
History of the Guinness Storehouse
The building where the Storehouse is now located was originally a fermentation plant (or ‘hop house’) for the stout. Following the move to a new plant near the River Liffey, the building was converted.
In November 2000 the Guinness Storehouse Experience was opened, and the public could finally take a peek into Guinness’ 250-year history. And of course, get a taste of the black stuff straight from the source!
Experiences on offer (+Tickets and Prices)
There is a choice of four different Guinness experiences:
- Guinness Storehouse Experience (€26.00)
- Guinness Academy Experience (€36.00)
- Stoutie Experience (€34.00)
- Connoisseur Experience (€80.00)
As standard, all options include a walk through the Guinness Storehouse to explore the story and history of Guinness in Dublin. They also all include a Guinness beer or non-alcoholic drink in the Gravity Bar.
You can buy tickets and find out more on the Guinness Storehouse website. Prices vary for students, seniors, and families, but children aged 0-4 have free entry.
I recommend buying your tickets online and well in advance to get the timeslot that you want.
They also run a Guinness Brewery Tour which takes visitors behind the scenes to see more of the Guinness process. The brewery tour is currently closed (2022) but used to cost 95 euros.
What to expect at the Guinness Storehouse
Guinness Storehouse Opening Hours
The Guinness Storehouse Experience is open every day excluding Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day.
Opening times are 10:00-19:45 (Monday-Thursday), 9:30-20:45 (Friday-Saturday), and 9:30-19:45 (Sunday) with last-entry two hours and 45 minutes before closing.
Getting to the Guinness Storehouse
The Guinness Storehouse is located in an industrial area just south of the river Liffey and west of the city centre.
By Public Transport
Getting to the Guinness Storehouse by public transport is relatively simple. Heuston Train Station (Dublin Heuston) is a 15-minute walk away. Or alternatively, you can get the light rail system (LUAS) from the station to Fatima. I recommend walking the whole way as the light rail will only save you a couple of minutes.
The nearest bus stops to the storehouse are James Street and Steeven’s Lane which are both approximately a 5-minute walk away. The 13, 40, and 123 buses all stop at both bus stops and all go via the Temple Bar area.
By Car
There is a free car park at the Guinness Storehouse on Crane Street. Be aware that it can fill up quickly, particularly during peak hours and the weekend as it is first come first serve.
The drive time from Dublin city centre to the Guinness storehouse is around 20 minutes (of slow-moving traffic). The drive from Dublin airport to the Guinness Storehouse is around 45 minutes depending on traffic. For this reason, you may be better off using public transport.
By Bike
The cycle time from Dublin city centre should take around 10 minutes. You can lock your bike at the Guinness Storehouse car park. Alternatively, there is a Dublin Bikes station at Market South Street near the front entrance to the storehouse.
From Temple Bar
The walk from Temple Bar to the Guinness Storehouse takes just over 20 minutes taking you via Dublin Castle and Christ Church Cathedral. As mentioned above, you can get the bus from Temple Bar to the Guinness Storehouse if you don’t want to walk.
From Dublin Airport
Get the Dublin Express from outside Dublin airport to the city centre. It costs 7 euros for a single and the journey takes around an hour depending on traffic.
The best bus to catch is the Dublin Express 782 which stops at Usher’s Quay, which is a 10-15 minute walk away from the storehouse.
Whichever route you take, you will see the quiet, cobbled streets surrounding the Guinness Storehouse. On arrival, you will be greeted at the entrance and asked which experience you have booked and be given a ticket accordingly.
Traversing the Guinness Storehouse: What’s on each floor
Starting on the ground floor, you gradually make your way up through the Guinness experience.
Lower Floors
The ground floor welcomes you to the story of Guinness. Here you will are introduced to the four key ingredients of Guinness: barley, hops, yeast, and water. If you have been to a brewery before, this won’t be anything new. You can also see the 9000-year lease signed by founder, Arthur Guinness in 1759.
The first floor continues your Guinness education with more information and stories about Arthur Guinness. There are further displays for all the senses in the roasting room, as well as exhibits on harvesting, barrels, and more. I found the story of the barrels particularly interesting.
The second floor is where the Guinness tasting experience is. Here you are welcomed into a room full of vapours, demonstrating the smells of the ingredients found in Guinness. You’ll be invited to grab a freshly poured Guinness (small glass only) and wander into the next room where you are taught how to taste Guinness by an expert.
The third floor is home to Guinness’s whacky world of advertising. Throughout the floor, you will find an array of advertising campaigns run by Guinness over the last 80+ years. Try to see how many you recognise!
There are a few good photo opportunities here. Recreate the iconic workman carrying a beam, or stand in front of any of the famous animal characters of the 1930s and 1940s.
Upper Floors
The fourth floor is where you will find the optional extras – the Guinness Academy Experience and the Stoutie Experience.
- The Guinness Academy gives you the opportunity to pour your own pint. A group will be assigned an expert who takes you through the process of pouring the perfect pint – this is really good fun. You get to drink your creation at the end and receive a certificate (though I probably didn’t deserve mine!).
- The Stoutie Experience is certainly one for the gram as you can get a photo on the head of a pint of Guinness!
The fifth floor is where you can stop to refresh yourself with food (and more drink) with a view over the city. The 1837 Bar & Brasserie offers authentic Irish cuisine using Guinness as both an ingredient and an accompaniment. While Arthur’s Bar is a more casual setting to refuel as you make your way through the storehouse.
Don’t ask me where the sixth floor went, maybe I had one too many Guinnesses, or maybe it doesn’t exist.
The seventh floor is the Gravity Bar, which marks the end of your Guinness Storehouse experience.
Gravity Bar
On the top floor of the Guinness Storehouse is the finale – the Gravity Bar. Here you can collect your well-earned drink, relax and look out over the city of Dublin.
Gravity Bar can get quite busy, particularly on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday which can make it difficult to find a table. Have a wander around to get 360-degree views over the city.
Once you have finished your drink, be prepared for high prices if you want another, or you can head back down to street level to explore the bars of Dublin on foot!
How long does the Guinness Storehouse take?
It should take around 90 minutes to explore the Guinness Storehouse. Add an extra 60 minutes for additional activities such as the Stoutie or Guinness Academy (this depends on queues and how quickly you drink). The whole Guinness Storehouse experience could take between 2-3 hours, though you could do it in less if you’re strapped for time. And plenty more if you want more to eat or drink!
There are self-guided audio tours on offer in English, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Chinese. These tours cost 3 euros.
Should you visit the Guinness Storehouse?
If you return home from Dublin without visiting the Guinness Storehouse, some people may question why you visited Dublin at all! But there are actually plenty of other things to do in Dublin!
That being said, I would recommend a visit to the Guinness Storehouse Experience in Dublin. It is Ireland’s most popular attraction for a reason!
Though there isn’t much new for you if you’ve visited a brewery before (in terms of the process, science, and tools), learning about history unique to Guinness adds that bit extra to make it worthwhile. In my opinion, the taste test, Gravity Bar, and any other experience (Stoutie/Guinness Academy) round off the whole experience.
(Promise it doesn’t get better the further up you go just because you’ve had more drinks!)
I may be wrong, but I also think the Guinness tastes better in Dublin! Or at least it should if I’ve poured it myself or has my face on it!
What if I don’t like Guinness?
If you don’t like Guinness, having a day structured around the black stuff might not be for you… Thankfully though, your Gravity bar ticket does include a range of other Guinness beers (which are distinctly less Guinness-y)!
If you’re undecided about the stout, an afternoon at the Guinness Experience may finally confirm that you’re not a Guinness drinker… though at least you’ll now know for certain.
But then again, you might be converted!
If you decide the Guinness Storehouse isn’t for you, then there are plenty more things to do in Ireland to keep you busy.
Is visiting the Guinness Storehouse worth it?
I’ve explained why visiting the Guinness Storehouse is a fun activity, but is it actually worth the money? It is rather expensive, after all!
But then again, so are a lot of things in Dublin… As one of the most expensive cities in Europe, an activity lasting 3 hours and including alcohol isn’t bad. Hypothetically, if you took away the cost of a drink, the standard entry would be around 20 euros – is that worthwhile for entry into a unique attraction that will keep you entertained for an hour or two? I’ll let you make that decision…
Anyway, when else are you going to be able to drink a Guinness from its origin?
So whichever Guinness Storehouse Experience you pick, I would say it’s worth it (as long as you have budgeted appropriately). Just remember, there are plenty of cheaper, more authentic places to explore in Dublin afterward where you can take your new-found knowledge of Guinness!
Let’s just hope you enjoy the black stuff!
Before you go
Thank you for reading my travel guide on the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. If guides and travel content like this interest you, head over to my blog page to find out more.
If you are new to Matt’s Next Steps, check out the About Me page to find out a bit more about who I am, my travel adventures and why I wanted to become a travel writer.
Please comment below and let me know your thoughts and experiences, or if there is anything else you want information on.
Happy travelling!
No Comments