Things to Do With Family in Dublin: 10 Ideas

Dublin works well for families because most big sights sell family tickets and sit close together. This list gives each idea with its prices, the age rules and a plan for rain.

1. Dublin Zoo: the classic family day

Dublin Zoo is the best first choice for families with children of any age. It sits on 28 hectares in Phoenix Park and holds more than 400 animals from 70 species, as the zoo's ticket page states. Online day tickets cost €22.50 for an adult and €17 for a child aged 3 to 15, and children under 3 are free. A family ticket for two adults and two children starts at €62.50 online, against €75 at the gate.

Snacks and drinks add up on a family day, and the guide to drink prices Dublin shows what to expect at cafés and pubs. The zoo opens at 09:30 and the last entry is 16:30. Its own page shows one set of hours, so check them for your date. All of the zoo's own tickets are non-refundable, so book for a day when the weather looks fine.

You can also buy a day ticket through GetYourGuide. The Dublin Zoo entry ticket is from €23 per person, rated 4.6 from 195 reviews, with free cancellation. It is run by Dublin Zoo itself, and there is no separate meeting point. Booking through the zoo's page has the same entry, so the real difference is the cancellation rule. Doing it yourself is enough for the zoo, and the listing helps only if your plans may change. The listing includes entry, all open animal habitats, picnic areas and keeper talks when scheduled, and it leaves out food, drinks and special events. For tickets and the visit itself, see Dublin Zoo.

Pro Tip The African Plains close at 17:00, half an hour before the rest of the zoo, so see them first.

2. EPIC: a museum that children can touch

EPIC, the Irish emigration museum, is an interactive indoor stop that suits school-age children and teenagers. It is in the CHQ building in the Docklands, about an 8 minute walk from O'Connell Street, and it opens daily from 10:00 to 18:45. The last entry is at 17:00.

EPIC's visit page lists the prices. Online, a child aged 6 to 12 pays €11 and a teenager aged 13 to 17 pays €15. Infants up to 5 are free. The 2+2 ticket for two adults and two children is €58 online and €60 on the day. Your ticket also includes a free return visit within 10 days, which helps if you run out of energy.

The museum is indoors, so it is a safe pick for rain. Young children may enjoy the touch screens more than the reading, so it fits ages 6 and up best.

3. Croke Park: a stadium tour and a Gaelic Games session

Croke Park is a good pick for sporty children and teenagers, because the stadium tour includes the GAA Museum. The stadium's tour page lists a 2026 adult ticket at €18 and a child aged 3 to 12 at €12. Children under 3 are free. The family ticket costs €48 for two adults and two children, or €52 for two adults and three children. One adult with one child pays €27.50.

Arrive 10 minutes before your tour starts. On match days the museum may be closed or the tours may run to a different schedule, so check the date before you go.

If your children want to play rather than watch, try a hands-on session. The Gaelic Games Experience is a 3 hour session of hurling, Gaelic football and handball, from €45 per person, rated 4.9 from 27 reviews. It is run by Experience Gaelic Games and Ceilí for groups of up to 20 and starts at Na Fianna CLG in Glasnevin. It is not suitable for children under 5, and the guides ask everyone to sign a waiver. It has free cancellation.

4. St Patrick's Cathedral: a short, cheap indoor stop

St Patrick's Cathedral is a quick visit that suits a gap between bigger plans or a wet morning. The cathedral's visit page lists a child aged 6 to 12 at €5.50, an infant under 5 free and a family ticket at €31. The family ticket covers two adults and up to three children.

Free guided tours run from Monday to Saturday at 10:30 and 14:30, and there are none on Sundays. For a free day with children, use these tours and Phoenix Park, which has no entry fee listed on the OPW page; the cathedral's own entry is not free. Tours can be cancelled at short notice. Weekday visits start at 09:30, and the last admission is at 17:00. The cathedral does not list Sunday hours in a way that is clear to read, so check its page before a Sunday visit.

The cathedral is wheelchair accessible. Expect a visit of about an hour, and not much more for young children.

5. Guinness Storehouse: yes, children can go

The Guinness Storehouse welcomes children, and there is no minimum age. The Storehouse FAQ says under-18s must be with an adult and cannot drink alcohol. A child aged 5 to 17 pays €10, children under 4 are free, and the ticket includes a soft drink in the Gravity Bar. The 2+2 ticket starts from €62, and adult tickets start from €26.

Allow at least 90 minutes for the self-guided tour. Pushchairs fit in all areas, and the building has ramps and lifts. The quietest hours are Tuesday to Thursday from 10:00 to 12:00. On the first Wednesday of each month the Storehouse runs Sensory Friendly Hours from 09:00 to 12:00.

The tasting add-ons are for adults only. On a family ticket, children can watch but not take part. See the Guinness Storehouse guide for tickets and times. This is the most adult of the ten ideas, so it is the weakest pick for children under 8.

6. Kilmainham Gaol: for children aged 6 and up

Kilmainham Gaol is a strong history stop for older children, and the OPW (Office of Public Works) says it is not recommended for children under 6. The gaol's visit page lists €20 for a family of two adults and two or three children under 18. Adults pay €8.

Entry is by guided tour only, and tickets must be booked online from the gaol's own site. Third-party tickets are refused at the door, so book the gaol's own tour yourself; a separate tour is not needed. A select number of tours are released 28 days ahead, and extra tickets for the day are released from 09:15. Buggies and wheelie bags are not allowed on the tour, and the building is very cold in winter.

Allow about 90 minutes in total. The nearest Luas stop is Suir Road on the Red Line, and there is no car park.

Key Takeaway Children under 6 are not recommended on the Kilmainham Gaol tour, so book it for older children and keep a pushchair at home.

7. A hop-on hop-off bus: one child rides free

A hop-on hop-off bus is an easy way to rest small legs, and one child under 15 travels free with each paying adult on the DoDublin ticket. The hop-on hop-off bus tour is run by DoDublin and costs from €29 per person, rated 4.5 from 3,533 reviews, with free cancellation. The listing says the ticket lasts 24, 48 or 72 hours depending on the option, and the meeting point varies by option. It does not state a group size. The ticket does not include entry fees, food, drinks or tips. For a family, doing the sights on foot is enough in the city centre, and the bus helps when children are tired.

The listing also includes free entry to the Little Museum of Dublin, which is another short indoor stop. The bus does not cover entry fees to the sights it passes. A Leap Visitor Card is not valid on hop-on hop-off services, so you pay for the bus separately from your other travel.

For stops and how the buses compare, see the hop-on hop-off bus page. Younger children may tire of a long loop, so use it as a ride between two stops, not as the plan for the whole day.

A family day goes best when each child gets one stop they chose.

8. Jeanie Johnston: a 50 minute ship tour

The Jeanie Johnston is a replica tall ship in the Docklands, and the guided tour is short enough for most school-age children. The Jeanie Johnston tall ship tour lasts 50 minutes and costs from €16 per person. It is rated 4.7 from 630 reviews, with free cancellation. The operator is the Jeanie Johnston Famine Museum, and the group has up to 30 people.

The tour tells the story of people who left Ireland during the Famine, so it covers sad history. Read the listing first and decide if it suits your children. The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users or people with limited mobility, because you walk on board a ship.

The ship starts at Custom House Quay, close to EPIC. EPIC's visit page lists a combined ticket with the ship at €34 for an adult and €18 for a child.

9. Museum of Illusion: a wet-day photo stop

The Museum of Illusion is an easy indoor pick for a wet day and for teenagers who like photos. The Museum of Illusion admission ticket is from €18 per person, rated 4.5 from 145 reviews, with free cancellation. The operator is Illusion Museum Dublin, and the listing gives an average visit of 45 to 60 minutes.

The museum stands at 16 and 17 College Green, beside Trinity College. Staff help with photos and group pictures, and the listing says food and drink are not allowed. The museum is not suitable for wheelchair users, according to the listing.

Prices for children are not shown on the listing's price line, so check the ticket options for your children's ages when you book. For more indoor plans, see things to do in Dublin when it's raining.

10. Phoenix Park: space to run, and wild deer

Phoenix Park is the free-feeling break in a busy day, and the OPW's Phoenix Park page says the park is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. It is one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital. Wild fallow deer live there, and visitors should not feed or approach them.

Dublin Zoo is inside the park, so you can pair a zoo morning with a picnic and a run on the grass. The main gates at Parkgate Street and Castleknock are open all day. The side gates open from about 07:00 to 22:45.

Public transport is cheap for children. Children aged 0 to 4 travel free on TFI services, and children aged 5 to 8 travel free with a Child (5-8) Leap Card, according to TFI Leap. Bank cards cannot be tapped on Dublin Bus, Luas or DART today. For routes and fares, see getting around Dublin.

How to choose things to do with family in Dublin

The right idea depends on the age of your youngest child and on the weather. Use the table below to pick one main stop and one short one.

In Things to Do in Dublin's count of GetYourGuide listings on 25 October 2026, 21 listings fall in the "Entry ticket" category, from €10 to €75 per person. Most venues in this list sell their own tickets as well, so compare the price and the cancellation rule before you book. The zoo's own tickets are non-refundable, while the GetYourGuide listings above show free cancellation, as checked on 25 October 2026. For more ideas on a budget, see free things to do in Dublin.

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 25 October 2026.