Is the Guinness Storehouse Worth It?
Short answer: the Guinness Storehouse is worth it if you like Guinness, clever branding or a pint with a view, but it’s a polished brand experience, not a tour of a working brewery. The seven floors are slick and entertaining, and the rooftop Gravity Bar has one of the best panoramas in Dublin. Just don’t expect to watch Guinness being brewed, and book a quieter time slot so the finale isn’t a scrum for a window spot.
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Key takeaways
- A drink in the Gravity Bar is included: a pint of Guinness, another beer, Guinness 0.0 or a soft drink.
- Tickets are sold in time slots with dynamic pricing, and booking online is cheaper than paying at the door.
- Official tickets are non-refundable, though you can change the date and time up to 24 hours before.
- Allow at least 90 minutes for the self-guided visit, more if you add the pouring class or a tasting.
- It’s family-friendly: under-18s can visit with an adult and get a soft drink, but some add-ons are over-18 only.
Brewery or brand museum? What you’re actually paying for
This is the part many visitors don’t realise until they’re inside. The Guinness Storehouse is the visitor experience at St. James’s Gate, the brewery site where Arthur Guinness signed his famous 9,000-year lease in 1759. The beer is still brewed on the site, and you’ll often smell it on the walk up. But the standard ticket doesn’t take you into the working brewhouse. Instead, you follow a self-guided route through seven floors of exhibitions about the ingredients, the brewing process, the brand’s famous advertising and the story of Arthur Guinness, ending at the glass-walled Gravity Bar on top.
Judged on its own terms, it’s very well done: atmospheric, interactive and easy to enjoy even if you’ve never had a pint of stout. Judged as a “brewery tour”, it can feel like a very expensive advert. Which camp you fall into mostly depends on your expectations.
- Great for: Guinness fans, first-time visitors to Dublin, anyone who enjoys vintage advertising, and people who want a rainy-day activity with a reward at the end.
- Less great for: beer geeks hoping to see real brewing up close, or travellers who resent paying for a marketing experience.
The floors worth slowing down for
The ingredients and brewing floors
The early floors cover barley, hops, yeast and water and how they become stout. It’s sensory and visual rather than technical, which suits most visitors. Brewing enthusiasts will find it light on detail.
The advertising exhibition
For many visitors this is the unexpected highlight. Guinness advertising has a long, witty history, from the toucans and “Lovely day for a Guinness” posters to its award-winning TV commercials. It’s fun even if you don’t drink beer.
The Tasting Room
A short, immersive session that walks you through how to taste Guinness properly. It’s quick, but it changes how you drink your pint upstairs.
The Gravity Bar
The finale and, honestly, the reason many people go. The Gravity Bar sits at the top of the building with 360° views across Dublin’s rooftops and spires. Your included drink is poured here. At peak times it’s packed and noisy, so you may stand rather than sit by the windows. An earlier time slot makes a real difference here.
Guinness Storehouse ticket prices
Prices depend on the date, the time slot and the visitor’s age. According to the official Guinness Storehouse FAQ at the time of writing:
| Ticket | Price (at the time of writing) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (Guinness Storehouse Experience) | From €26 | Self-guided visit plus a drink in the Gravity Bar; lower “midweek saver” rates are sometimes offered online |
| Child (5–17) | €10 | Must be with an adult; includes a soft drink |
| Children under 4 | Free | |
| Family (2 adults, 2 children) | From €62 | |
| STOUTie add-on | + €10 | Your selfie printed on the head of your pint (18+) |
| Guinness Academy add-on | + €14 | Learn to pour your own pint (18+) |
The Storehouse says its website offers the best price, €2 cheaper than buying at the door. Tickets are non-refundable, but you can change your booking free of charge up to 24 hours before your slot (paying any price difference). Check guinness-storehouse.com for current prices.
Value for money? For a regular visitor, it’s fair rather than cheap: you’re paying for 90 minutes of well-made exhibitions and a pint with a view. The add-ons are where it gets expensive. The Guinness Academy is the one we’d pick, because pouring your own pint is genuinely fun and you drink it afterwards.
Self-guided, premium experience or a combined tour?
The standard ticket is self-guided, and that’s enough for most people. If you want more, the Storehouse offers several upgrades, all strictly for over-18s:
- Guided tour: a fully guided walk through the seven floors, in English.
- Connoisseur Experience: a small-group tasting of different Guinness beers at a private bar, including pouring your own pint. The FAQ lists sessions at 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00 (subject to change), adding around 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Guinness Brewery Experience: the option for those who do want to go behind the gates, including the modern Brewhouse 4, the underground tunnels, lunch and the Gravity Bar.
- Combos with a tasting paddle at the nearby Guinness Open Gate Brewery or a cocktail session at the Roe & Co whiskey distillery.
Buying through a third party is fine as long as it’s a recognised seller; the Storehouse’s own FAQ names GetYourGuide as one. It’s worth considering if you want a different cancellation policy or a combination with something else in Dublin:
- Guinness Storehouse entry ticket: the standard self-guided experience with your Gravity Bar drink.
- Guinness Storehouse Connoisseur Experience: for stout lovers who want the tasting session.
- Guinness Storehouse ticket plus a “perfect pint” pub tour: pairs the brand experience with Dublin’s real pubs.
How long does the Guinness Storehouse take?
- About 90 minutes: the Storehouse’s own recommendation for the self-guided visit including the Gravity Bar.
- 2 hours: add the STOUTie or Guinness Academy (around 30 minutes each).
- 2.5 to 3 hours: add the Connoisseur Experience or lunch in one of the on-site restaurants.
Getting there and opening hours
The Storehouse is at St. James’s Gate in the Liberties, west of the city centre. Options, according to the official site:
- On foot: about 20 minutes from College Green, via Dame Street, past Christ Church Cathedral and along Thomas Street.
- Luas tram: Red Line towards Tallaght to the James’s stop, then about a 7-minute walk.
- Bus: route 73 from O’Connell Street or Dame Street to James’s Street. The hop-on hop-off buses also stop at the entrance.
- From Heuston Station: roughly a 15-minute walk.
Opening hours vary and the official site lists slightly different times on different pages, so always confirm when booking. Broadly, the Storehouse opens from about 9:30 or 10:00, with last admission around 17:00 (later on some Saturdays) and the building open for a couple of hours after that. Arrive five minutes before your slot: if you miss your 15-minute window, you’ll be moved to the next available one, and you’ll pay extra if that slot is more expensive.
Tips for a better visit
- Book a morning or midweek slot. It’s cheaper and the Gravity Bar is far more pleasant before the afternoon rush.
- Don’t drink your pint too quickly. If you’ve booked the Academy or STOUTie as well, that’s more than one pint in a short time.
- Eat on site if you’re hungry. The Storehouse has several places to eat, including a brasserie with Guinness stew and a pub-style bar.
- Bring luggage if you must. There’s a storage facility for bags (but not coats), useful on a travel day.
- Snap the famous gate. The historic St. James’s Gate entrance on Crane Street is a classic photo stop.
- Visiting with teens? Mixed adult and under-18 groups can’t book the group rate, and 18+ add-ons exclude them.
When the Guinness Storehouse isn’t worth it
- You want to see real brewing. Unless you pay for the Brewery Experience, you won’t. A tasting at Guinness Open Gate Brewery nearby may suit you better.
- You don’t drink and don’t care about brands. Dublin’s free national museums or Trinity College’s Book of Kells may be a better use of your time.
- You’re on a tight budget. A pint in a traditional Dublin pub costs a fraction of the ticket and comes with better conversation.
- You can only go at a peak afternoon slot. Crowds in the Gravity Bar can spoil the main payoff.
Final verdict on the Guinness Storehouse
For most first-time visitors to Dublin, the Guinness Storehouse is worth doing once. It’s entertaining, well designed and ends with a genuinely memorable view and a well-poured pint. Go knowing it’s a brand experience rather than a brewery tour, pick an off-peak time slot, and consider the Guinness Academy if you want one extra. To compare time slots and options in one place, see Guinness Storehouse tickets on GetYourGuide.
📍 Planning a trip? See our guide: Things to Do in Dublin
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Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to go to the Guinness Storehouse?
At the time of writing, the official FAQ says adult tickets start from €26, children aged 5–17 pay €10, under-4s are free and family tickets start from €62. Prices vary by date and time.
Is a pint included in the Guinness Storehouse ticket?
Yes. Your ticket includes one drink in the Gravity Bar: a pint of Guinness, another beer, Guinness 0.0 (18+) or a soft drink.
Do you see the actual brewery at the Guinness Storehouse?
Not on the standard ticket. The Storehouse is an exhibition building on the brewery site. To go behind the gates into the working brewery, you need the separate Guinness Brewery Experience.
Do I need to book the Guinness Storehouse in advance?
It’s strongly recommended. Entry is by time slot, popular times sell out, and online tickets are cheaper than at the door.
Can children go to the Guinness Storehouse?
Yes. Under-18s must be accompanied by an adult and receive a soft drink. The building is buggy-friendly, but STOUTie, the Guinness Academy and the premium experiences are for over-18s only.
Can you visit the Gravity Bar without a ticket?
No. The Gravity Bar is only open to visitors with a Guinness Storehouse ticket.
Featured image: Photo: Steven Lek, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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