Quick answer: Pick the Guinness Storehouse if you want Dublin’s big-ticket, self-paced attraction with a pint and a 360° view at the end, and if you’re bringing kids. Pick Jameson Distillery Bow St. if you’d rather have a shorter, guided 45-minute tour with a three-whiskey tasting. They’re only about a 20-minute walk apart, so plenty of visitors just do both.
Ah, Dublin! Sure, it’s the age-old question: stout or whiskey? Both are on every first-timer’s list, both pour you a drink at the end, and both get booked out at busy times. Here’s how they really compare in 2026: prices, timings, what you actually get, and how to fit both into one day without needing a lie-down.
Guinness Storehouse vs Jameson Distillery at a Glance
| Guinness Storehouse | Jameson Distillery Bow St. | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | St James’s Gate, Dublin 8 (The Liberties) | Bow St, Smithfield, Dublin 7 |
| Standard adult ticket (online) | From €24 (early weekday slots); €33 most weekday slots; €35 Fri–Sun | From €26 weekdays; €31 weekends |
| Children | 5–17: €10; under 4: free; family (2+2) from €62 | Child (13–17) €12 on the Bow St. Experience |
| Format | Self-guided, seven floors | Guided tour |
| Time needed | At least 90 minutes | 45 minutes (arrive 15 minutes early) |
| Drinks included | A pint of Guinness or Guinness 0.0 (soft drink for under-18s) at the Gravity Bar | Three-whiskey comparative tasting plus a Jameson signature cocktail |
| Opening hours | Mon–Fri 10am (last admission 5pm); Sat 9:30am (last admission 6pm); Sun 9:30am (last admission 5pm) | Sun–Thu 10:30am (last tour 6pm); Fri–Sat 10am (last tour 6:30pm) |
| Nearest Luas (Red Line) | James’s, about a 7-minute walk | Smithfield, about a 2-minute walk |
Prices are what the official booking sites showed for November 2026 dates when we checked in October 2026. Both venues change prices by date and time slot, so check yours when you book.
Guinness Storehouse: What You Get
The Storehouse is the home of the black stuff, set at St James’s Gate in The Liberties. The standard Guinness Storehouse Experience is a self-guided walk through seven floors on the history, ingredients and culture of Guinness. It ends with a pint of Guinness or Guinness 0.0 in the Gravity Bar, with its views right across the city.
Guinness Storehouse ticket prices 2026
- Adult: from €24 for the earliest weekday slots (around 10am). Most weekday slots after 11am were €33, and every slot on Friday, Saturday and Sunday was €35 for the November dates we checked.
- Child (5–17): €10. Under 4s: free. Family ticket (2 adults, 2 children): from €62.
- The Storehouse says booking on its website is €2 cheaper than paying at the door.
Upgrades worth knowing about
- Guinness Academy (learn to pour your own pint, with a certificate): from €36, adding about 30 minutes.
- STOUTie (an extra pint with your selfie printed on the head): from €32.
- Connoisseur Experience: from €95. It’s a small-group tasting on the fourth floor, roughly 1 hour 15 minutes long, at 12pm, 2pm and 4pm, with a limit of 16 people. Over-18s only.
- Storehouse + Roe & Co Cocktail Workshop: from €49. More on Roe & Co below.
Our full Guinness Storehouse guide has more tips, or you can book Guinness Storehouse tickets here.
Jameson Distillery Bow St.: What You Get
John Jameson founded his distillery on Bow Street in Smithfield in 1780. One thing to know before you go: whiskey isn’t made here any more. Production moved to Midleton in Co. Cork in 1975, and Bow St. is now a visitor experience in the original buildings. That’s no reason to skip it, though. The guides are great craic, and the tasting is a proper introduction to Irish whiskey.
Jameson Bow St. Experience prices 2026
- Adult (18+): €26 on weekdays and €31 on weekends for the November dates we checked. No booking fees.
- Student (with ID) or Senior (65+): €23 weekdays, €28 weekends.
- Child (13–17): €12. Under-18s can only join the Bow St. Experience and get a soft drink. Jameson’s FAQ also mentions free entry for under-12s, so contact them before booking with younger children.
- Non-alcoholic ticket: €15.
The 45-minute guided tour includes a comparative tasting of three Jameson whiskeys and a Jameson signature cocktail. Groups are capped at 30 people, and tours leave roughly every 15–30 minutes.
Other experiences at Bow St.
- Tasting & Cask Draw (60 min, from €41): adds the live maturation warehouse and cask-strength whiskey drawn straight from the barrel.
- Secret Whiskey Tasting (45 min, €40): four premium whiskeys and a peek into John Jameson’s office.
- Redbreast Tasting (60 min, €50), Cocktail Making Class (60 min, €60) and Black Barrel Blending Class (90 min, €60).
See our Jameson whiskey tour guide for more detail.
How Far Apart Are They?
Not far at all. The Storehouse is south of the Liffey in Dublin 8, and Bow St. is just across the river in Smithfield, Dublin 7. In a straight line they’re roughly 1 km apart, and the walk takes about 20 minutes along the quays.
If your legs aren’t up to it, take the Luas Red Line between James’s stop (about 7 minutes’ walk from the Storehouse) and Smithfield (about 2 minutes from Jameson). Both are also stops on the hop-on hop-off routes. Our DoDublin hop-on hop-off guide covers how that works.
Which Should You Visit?
Choose the Guinness Storehouse if…
- It’s your first time in Dublin and you want the “big one”.
- You’re travelling with children. Kids are welcome with an adult and get a soft drink.
- You like to wander at your own pace rather than follow a guide.
- You want that skyline view from the Gravity Bar.
Choose Jameson Bow St. if…
- You’re short on time. It’s 45 minutes, start to finish.
- You’d rather have a storyteller than a self-guided route.
- You’re curious about whiskey, or already love it and want to upgrade to a cask draw or a Redbreast tasting.
- You’re staying on the northside, near Smithfield or Stoneybatter.
How to Do Both in One Day
It’s very doable. Here’s the plan we’d follow:
- 10:00, Guinness Storehouse. Book the first weekday slot. It’s the cheapest (from €24) and the quietest time to go round. Allow about 90 minutes, plus a bit more for the Gravity Bar.
- 12:00, Lunch in The Liberties. Get some food in before the whiskey.
- 13:30, Walk or Luas to Smithfield. About 20 minutes on foot, or hop on the Red Line from James’s to Smithfield.
- 14:30, Jameson Bow St. Experience. Arrive 15 minutes early. Last tours are at 6pm Sunday to Thursday and 6:30pm on Friday and Saturday, so you’ll have plenty of time.
Going on a weekend? Expect €35 at the Storehouse and €31 at Jameson. Either way, pace yourself: that’s a pint, three whiskeys and a cocktail in one afternoon.
Nearby Alternatives Worth Considering
Roe & Co Distillery
Roe & Co is Diageo’s whiskey distillery (the same company behind Guinness), in the former Guinness Power Station at 92 James’s Street. The Storehouse says it’s just a five-minute walk away. It has two 45-minute experiences: the Flavours Experience cocktail workshop (€25) and Beyond the Blend (€42). Both finish with a complimentary cocktail in the Powerhouse Bar, and both are strictly over-18s. Experiences run from 12pm. See our Roe & Co Flavours Experience guide.
Pearse Lyons Distillery
This is a working distillery inside the restored St James’s Church at 121–122 James’s Street. The distillery says it’s a five-minute walk from the Storehouse. The tour takes about an hour and includes the old graveyard, and you can pick from three tasting tiers: Trilogy €22 (three whiskeys), Signature €27 (four) and Legacy €32 (five). Tours run from 11am, or from 12pm on Sundays. Read our Pearse Lyons Distillery guide or book the Legacy Tour.
Teeling Whiskey Distillery
Teeling Whiskey Distillery is at 13–17 Newmarket in Dublin 8, also in The Liberties. Tours cost €22 (Teeling Tour), €26 (Trinity), €35 (Distillery Select) or €55 (Connoisseur Cask Collection). It’s open 11am–6pm Monday to Friday and 11am–7pm on Saturday.
Irish Whiskey Museum
The museum sits right in the centre at 119 Grafton Street, beside Trinity College. It isn’t tied to any one brand and works with more than 30 Irish whiskey brands. The 1-hour Classic Tour includes three tastings, and the museum’s own site lists it at both €23 and €25 per adult. It’s a good fit if you’re staying near Grafton Street. Check out our Irish Whiskey Museum Irish Coffee Masterclass guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Guinness Storehouse or Jameson Distillery better?
Neither is better. They’re just different. Guinness is bigger, self-guided and family-friendly. Jameson is shorter, guided and focused on tasting. If you only have time for one and it’s your first visit, most people go for the Storehouse.
How much does the Guinness Storehouse cost in 2026?
Adult tickets start from €24 online for early weekday slots. Most weekday slots are €33, and weekends are €35, based on November 2026 prices on the official site. Children aged 5–17 are €10.
How long is the Jameson Distillery tour?
The Bow St. Experience is 45 minutes. Jameson asks you to arrive 15 minutes early.
Can you walk from the Guinness Storehouse to Jameson Distillery?
Yes. It’s about a 20-minute walk across the Liffey. The Luas Red Line between James’s and Smithfield is the quicker option.
Is whiskey still made at Jameson Bow St.?
No. Production moved to Midleton in Co. Cork in 1975. If you want to see a working distillery in Dublin, try Pearse Lyons or Roe & Co.
Can children visit?
Yes, at both, with limits. Children are welcome at the Guinness Storehouse with an adult and get a soft drink. At Jameson, under-18s can only join the Bow St. Experience. Roe & Co is strictly over-18s.
Plan Your Dublin Drinks Trail
Whichever one you pick, book ahead. The cheapest slots go first. Browse Dublin city visitor attractions to sort your tickets. And once you’ve had your fill of the city, have a look at our top 10 day tours from Dublin. Sláinte!
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