Guinness Storehouse Guide: Which Tour Is Best?
The Guinness Storehouse is one of Dublin’s most popular attractions, and with several different tours and experiences available, deciding which one to book isn’t always straightforward.
Located at St James’s Gate, where Arthur Guinness signed his famous 9,000-year brewery lease in 1759, the Storehouse takes visitors through the history of Ireland’s most famous stout, from its ingredients and brewing process to its rise as a global brand.
I’ve taken the different Guinness tours over the years, and while I think the standard Storehouse Experience (book it here) is the best option for most people, some of the more expensive experiences are worth considering. Below, I’ll compare the different Guinness Storehouse tours, explain what you get for your money and cover everything you need to know before visiting.
Which Guinness Storehouse tour is best?
| Tour type | Price from | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Guinness Storehouse Experience | €24 | First-time visitors who want the full Storehouse experience without paying for extras |
| STOUTie Experience | €32 | Those who want the novelty of having their face printed on a pint of Guinness |
| Guinness Academy | €36 | Visitors who want to learn how to pour their own pint of Guinness |
| Home of Guinness Guided Tour | €48 | Those who prefer a guided experience with more stories and insights |
| Storehouse + Open Gate Brewery | €41 | Beer enthusiasts who want to sample more Guinness beers |
| Connoisseur Experience | €95 | Serious Guinness fans looking for a more exclusive tasting experience |
As you can see from the table above, there are several Guinness Storehouse experiences to choose from, ranging from the standard self-guided tour to more expensive guided tastings. Having done the different tours over the years, I’d recommend the standard Guinness Storehouse Experience for most visitors.
You’ll explore the seven floors at your own pace, learn about Guinness’s history and brewing process, and finish with a pint in the Gravity Bar overlooking Dublin. While the extras, like having your face printed on a pint or learning how to pour your own, are enjoyable, I don’t think they’re essential. The standard experience gives you everything you need for a memorable visit without paying extra.
Dublin itineraries: See my guides to spending 1 day in Dublin, 2 days in Dublin or 3 days in Dublin!
An overview of the different Guinness tours
When it comes to booking the Guinness tour in Dublin, you’ll have several different choices, each of which has pros and cons.
I have done each of the tours below in recent years, so the opinions below are based on my personal experience.
1. Guinness Storehouse Experience
The standard Guinness Storehouse Experience is the most affordable option and, in my opinion, the best choice for most visitors. It’s a self-guided experience, so you can explore the Storehouse’s seven floors at your own pace.
Along the way, you’ll learn about the four ingredients used to make Guinness, how it’s brewed and the history of the brand, including its famous advertising campaigns. The highlight for me is the Gravity Bar on the top floor, where you can enjoy your included pint while taking in panoramic views across Dublin.
My verdict: If it’s your first visit, I’d go with this one. Allow around 90 minutes, although you could easily spend longer if you take your time exploring the exhibitions.
2. The Stoutie
The STOUTie Experience is essentially the standard Guinness Storehouse tour with one extra – you get your face printed onto the head of a pint of Guinness. You still get to explore the seven floors of the Storehouse at your own pace, but you’ll also have your photo taken and recreated on the creamy head of your pint using malt extract.
It’s a fun novelty, particularly if you’re visiting with friends or celebrating a special occasion, and it makes for a memorable photo.
My verdict: I’ve tried this one and enjoyed it, but I wouldn’t pay the additional €8 again. Unless you particularly want a photo of your face on a pint, I’d stick with the standard experience.
3. The Guinness Academy
The Guinness Academy is another upgrade to the standard Storehouse Experience, but this time the focus is on learning how to pour your own pint of Guinness. After exploring the seven floors of the Storehouse, you’ll head to the Guinness Academy, where you’ll be shown how to pour a pint using the famous two-part pouring method.
You’ll then get behind the tap and have a go yourself, with a member of staff guiding you through the process.
My verdict: I’ve done this one, and while it’s enjoyable, I don’t think it’s worth paying an additional €12 for. It’s a nice extra if you’ve always wanted to learn how to pour Guinness, but otherwise I’d save the money and enjoy a pint in the Gravity Bar.
4. Home of Guinness Guided Tour
The Home of Guinness Guided Tour is worth considering if you’d prefer someone to take you through the Storehouse rather than exploring it on your own. Unlike the standard self-guided experience, this tour is led by a Guinness guide who’ll take you through the history of the brewery, explain how Guinness is made and share stories about the brand along the way.
You’ll also get access to the Storehouse’s exhibitions and finish with a drink in the Gravity Bar, where you’ll have views across Dublin.
My verdict: This is a good option if you enjoy guided tours and like being able to ask questions. However, at twice the starting price of the standard experience, I’d only pay the extra if having a guide is important to you
5. The Connoisseur Experience (€95)
The Connoisseur Experience is one of the more expensive Guinness Storehouse tours, and it’s aimed at visitors who want to learn more about Guinness beyond the standard exhibitions.
Along with access to the seven floors of the Storehouse, you’ll enjoy a guided tasting in a private bar, where a Guinness expert will introduce you to different varieties of the famous Irish beer.
You’ll learn about the differences between them, how they’re made and what to look for when tasting each one.
My verdict: At €95, this is a significant jump in price from the standard experience. I’d only recommend it if you’re a serious Guinness fan or particularly interested in beer tasting. For the average visitor, I don’t think the additional cost is justified.
6. Finding Dublin’s best Guinness
So, the Guinness Storehouse tour is well worth doing, but if you’re after the best pint of Guinness in Dublin, follow the little pub crawl outlined on my map above. These are the best Dublin pubs, in my opinion, for a pint of the Black Stuff.
Guinness Storehouse tickets, opening hours and visitor information
Although the Guinness tour is fairly straightforward, there are a few need-to-knows that’ll make your visit that bit more enjoyable.
Location
The Guinness factory is located slightly off Dublin’s south quays at St. Jame’s Gate. It’s a 15-minute walk from St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a 20-minute walk from Kilmainham Gaol and very short walk from some of the best whiskey distilleries in Dublin.
Opening hours
The Guinness Storehouse is open seven days a week, although opening hours vary depending on the day and time of year.
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Monday to Friday: 10am to 7pm (last admission at 5pm)
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Saturday: 9:30am to 8pm (last admission at 6pm)
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Sunday: 9:30am to 7pm (last admission at 5pm)
How to get there from Dublin City Centre
Getting around Dublin is handy once you know how. You have 5 options to get from the city centre to the Guinness Storehouse:
- Walk (40 minutes): From O’Connell St
- Public Bus (15 minutes): Get the 73 towards Walkinstown from O’Connell Street or Dame Street and get off on James’s Street
- Hop on/off Bus: If you plan on visiting multiple attractions, the hop on/off bus goes to the Storehouse
- LUAS (15 minutes): Take the Red Line in the direction of Tallaght
- Taxi/Uber (25 minutes): A taxi or one of the ride share apps will cost around €15
How long you need
I’d recommend allowing at least 90 minutes for the standard Storehouse Experience, although two hours is more comfortable if you want to take your time exploring the exhibitions and enjoying the Gravity Bar.
Book online to avoid the queues
I’d strongly recommend booking your Guinness Storehouse tickets online in advance, particularly if you’re visiting during summer or at weekends. Entry is timed, and popular slots can sell out. Booking ahead also means you won’t have to rely on tickets being available when you arrive.
Parking
So, there’s some very limited free parking at the Guinness Storehouse on Crane Street, (see it here on Google Maps). There’s paid parking near the Four Courts here (15-minute walk away).
Part of the Dublin Pass
Exploring Dublin over 1 or 2 days? If you buy a Dublin Pass for €70 you can save from €23.50 to €62.50 on Dublin’s top attractions, like the EPIC Museum, the Guinness Storehouse, The GPO, the Jameson Distillery Bow St. and more.
Things you’ll see on the Guinness Factory tour
The Guinness Storehouse occupies a former fermentation plant at St James’s Gate, where Arthur Guinness began brewing in 1759. What started as a relatively small operation grew into one of the world’s best-known beer brands.
By 1886, Guinness was producing over a million barrels annually, and in 1997, it became part of Diageo. Today, the Storehouse’s seven floors take you through that history, from the ingredients and brewing process to the advertising campaigns that helped make Guinness famous around the world.
1. The brewing process
One of the first things you’ll learn about is how Guinness is made, starting with its four ingredients: water, barley, hops and yeast. The exhibitions explain how the barley is roasted to give Guinness its distinctive dark colour and how the different stages of brewing work. It’s worth pointing out that this isn’t a tour of the working brewery.
You’re exploring exhibitions inside the historic Storehouse building rather than watching Guinness being produced on the factory floor.
2. Fittings from the original brewery
You’ll often see the Guinness Factory mentioned in guides to the best museums in Dublin. This puzzles some, but it is a museum of sorts.
The Storehouse is home to fixtures from the Guinness Brewery’s original days. Interestingly enough, some of these are from over 250 years ago.
3. Old-school Guinness ads
Immerse yourself in 80 years of Guinness advertising – you’ll be surprised at some of the memories it brings back!
Interact with the ads and take photos that put you in your very own Guinness ad.
4. The journey to greatness
Track the four key ingredients that go into every pint of Guinness in Ireland’s #1 tourist attraction.
Another part of the Storehouse explores how Guinness grew from a Dublin brewery into an internationally recognised brand. You’ll learn about the coopers who made the wooden barrels used to transport Guinness and how the brewery expanded its exports around the world.
Things to do near the Guinness Storehouse
There are endless things to do near the Guinness Storehouse – in fact, many of the best things to do in Dublin are a short walk away!
Here are some of my go-tos:
- Whiskey distilleries (3 to 6-minute walk): Some of the top whiskey distilleries in Ireland are a short walk away. Roe and Co (6-minutes), Pearse Lyons (5-minutes) and the Teeling distillery (15-minutes)
- Dublin’s Oldest pub (10-minute walk): The reigning champion of ancient pubs in Dublin is the Brazen Head which dates to 1198. See my guide to the oldest pubs in Dublin for more
- Phoenix Park (15-minute walk): Dominated by the 200ft tall Wellington Monument, the Phoenix Park is one of the largest enclosed public parks in any capital city in Europe
- Kilmainham Gaol (20-minute walk): Infamous for being the site of incarceration for many Nationalist leaders, Kilmainham Gaol is one of the city’s top attractions
Guinness Storehouse vs Jameson Distillery
I’ve visited both the Guinness Storehouse and the Jameson Distillery on Bow St numerous times over the last decade, and while I enjoy both, they offer very different experiences.
For most visitors, I’d recommend the Guinness Storehouse. It’s a much larger attraction, with seven floors covering everything from the brewing process to the history of Guinness advertising, and you get the added bonus of the Gravity Bar’s views over Dublin.
It’s also the better option for non-drinkers, as there’s plenty to enjoy without having a pint.
Jameson, on the other hand, has one big advantage: the standard experience is fully guided. I’ve always enjoyed the storytelling on the Bow St. tour, and the comparative whiskey tasting is particularly good if you’re interested in whiskey.
The standard Guinness tour is self-guided, although you can pay extra for a guide. Having done both versions, I think the guided tour brings the Storehouse’s history to life, but the standard ticket offers better value.
FAQs
I’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from ‘Is it worth the money?’ to ‘How long is it?’.
In the section below, I’ve popped in the most FAQs. If you have a question that I haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.
Is the Guinness Storehouse worth visiting?
Yes, I think the Guinness Storehouse is worth visiting, particularly if it’s your first time in Dublin. There’s plenty to see across its seven floors, from the history of Guinness and its famous advertising campaigns to the brewing exhibitions and Gravity Bar. However, I’d stick with the standard experience unless there’s a particular upgrade you’re interested in.
Which Guinness Storehouse experience is best?
For most visitors, I’d recommend the standard Guinness Storehouse Experience. It’s the cheapest option, includes access to all seven floors and finishes with a drink in the Gravity Bar. The STOUTie and Guinness Academy experiences are enjoyable extras, but I don’t think they’re essential.
How long does the Guinness Storehouse tour take?
Allow at least 90 minutes for the standard self-guided tour, although I’d recommend setting aside two hours. This gives you enough time to explore the exhibitions without rushing and enjoy your drink in the Gravity Bar. Guided experiences may take longer.
Can you visit the Guinness Storehouse without drinking alcohol?
Yes, and I’d still recommend visiting. Much of the experience focuses on Guinness’s history, brewing process and advertising rather than drinking. Non-alcoholic drink options are available, so you don’t need to drink Guinness to enjoy your visit.
Keith O’Hara has lived in Ireland for 35 years and has spent much of the last 13 creating what is now The Irish Road Trip guide. Over the years, the website has published thousands of meticulously researched Ireland travel guides, welcoming 40 million+ visitors along the way. In 2022, the Irish Road Trip team published the world’s largest collection of Irish Road Trip itineraries. Keith lives in Dublin with his dog Toby and finds writing in the 3rd person minus craic altogether.
