Dublin Bay Boat Tours: a fun and unusual way to see Dublin from the water

Dublin Bay Boat Tour review. How to get tickets, what to bring, what to expect: all you need to know to plan a day out on the water

The other day, we wanted to do something a little different with the kids and my eye got quickly caught by the of Dublin Bay cruises, a company offering boat trips in Dublin.

What they offered seemed great fun: motorboat trips around Dublin Bay, with promises of great views on the gorgeous coastline around the city and the Irish sea.

We were intrigued and now that we are back, I can confirm the day was a success! This a fun activity to do in Dublin with kids and an easy one to enjoy at all ages.

How to book a Dublin Bay Boat Tour

Dublin Bay Cruises offers different types of trip along the bay, with different starting and arrival points, duration and departure time.

You can choose between:

• Dun Laoghaire to City – and vice versa
• Dun Laoghaire to Howth – and vice versa
• Dublin City to Howth (Via Dun Laoghaire)
• Howth Roundtrip
• Howth to Dublin City
• Dun Laoghaire Dalkey Island and return

The cost of a full ticket is 25 Euro but kids under 3 go free and there are special prices for families/students/OAP

You can find official info here

GREAT OFFER! If you need flexible plans, you can book this cruise on GetYourGuide here, which allows you to cancel for free up to 24 hours before the tour. So convenient!

How to choose the best Dublin Bay Boat Tour for you

If you are not familiar with Dublin, choosing among the cruise itineraries available can be overwhelming however, I can hopefully help.

All the locations served by the cruises are withing easy reach from Dublin city center and connected to town by the DART, the city urban railway system. This means that whatever trip you choose, you will not be stranded on arrival!

It is convenient to know that:

• Dun Laoghaire is to the South of Dublin
• Howth is to the North

The two are connected by the DART which gets you from one to the other in a little less than an hour. We took and one-way boat trip across the bay and the DART back and it was easy and fun for the kids albeit indeed a little long.

If you are worried this may be too much, I recommend you pick one of the road trips by boat instead.

Please note: the DART ticket is not covered by the standard boat ticket however, the DART is part of the Dublin bus network and tickets are available at all stops.

Dun Laoghaire to Howth, our day on the sea

Among the many cruises available,  we chose the one that left at about noon, a 90 minute journey from the southern tip of Dublin Bay to the Northern one (Dun Laoghaire harbour to Howth). 

Ninety minutes seemed a good duration for the kids to enjoy it without getting bored and I was tempted by the idea of getting to Howth at lunchtime: Howth is a beautiful fishing village with amazing fish restaurants, so you see –  I had a strong motive!

When we arrived at the boat the kids were overly excited.

We had booked our tickets online and we were able to board straight away, without queues or delays. 

While we were there without buggies, but we noticed a few families with them and made a mental note about how helpful the staff seemed to be to get them on board and safely parked.

We also noticed that the boat was open to four legged friends: we don’t have a dog, but we made the most of the company of the black companion we found on board.

The boat has two decks and a covered area with a café serving hot drinks, Guinness and snacks.

We had come prepared with wind-proof jackets and hoods (we took this trip in October!), so we took our seats on the top deck, to get the best views. We were not disappointed.

The first views are of course of Dun Laoghaire harbor and lighthouse, but soon the ferry leaves the sheltered harbor waters and takes to the open sea.

From there, I had hoped to also get a view of Dublin city center, but we were too far out.

I was able to see the outline of the stadium and the tall towers of Sandymount, but my eyes were constantly driven away from Dublin towards the beautiful gray slate of the sea and then the rugged Howth promontory.

Good to know: if you want to see Dublin city center from the water, I recommend you take a boat trip on the Liffey river instead.

What type of scenery to expect from Dublin Bay

After about 20 minutes, the view changes dramatically.

With the Howth promontory to your left and Ireland’s eye in front of you, the scenery here is wilder and greener, a perfect embodiment of the image of wild Ireland so many people (rightly) hold.

From the boat, you get a glimpse of the Howth Cliffwalk, Ireland Eye and the Baily Lighthouse, which holds the record for being the last lighthouse in Ireland to have become automated!

Once you pass the promontory, calmer views await you.

Isolated villas slowly turn into clusters of houses and finally you approach Howth village, with its colorful boats and busy seafront life.

On arrival, you find yourself in the very heart of Howth. From the docking station, you are less than a minute away from all the famous seafood restaurants in Howth, the DART station, the beach and access to the cliff walk.

What to bring for a Dublin Bay Boat Tour

No special equipment is needed for this excursion however, some things will come in handy.

• A wind-breaker (in all seasons)
• Non-slip shoes such as runners/sneakers to stay comfortable and safe on the outdoor decks of the boat
• Binoculars to spot the seabirds and the details of the coastline
• A reusable water bottle with water if you don’t want to spend money at the concession stand

I hope you enjoyed the Dublin Bay Cruise review! Safe travels in Ireland!

Please note: this review is unsolicited and unbiased and we received no compensation or discounts for it. Our opinions are, as always, our own. This article first appeared on our travel blog Learning Escapes.