One of the best ways to visit any city is by walking its streets, and Dublin is no exception offering a fantastic pedestrian view of the more interesting aspects of the historic Georgian town.

Walking tours are available throughout the city, and if you happen to be as lucky as I was, you'll get a very well versed Guide to lead you through the ins and outs of what may often be overlooked.

Starting at the crowded junction of Grafton Street, our certified-Guide Barbara takes us through a stroll down the popular shopping precinct before heading toward the free-entry National Gallery of Ireland. 

The lovely building is home to some of Europe's most famous works from the early Renaissance through to the mid-twentieth century.  Well worth a visit, the Gallery also offers its own free-talks and tours throughout the grounds.

A short leisurely stroll from the Gallery to the corner of Merrion Square Park offers an insight into historic Georgian Dublin, where the wide streets are lined with beautiful large Georgian houses. 

Now often converted into office spaces for doctors, lawyers and the like, the grandeur of the once prestigious homes of Dublin's rich and famous is explained in great detail from the door colours to the coal holes, making for a more interesting experience.

The Park is also home to one of Ireland's most famous characters, Oscar Wilde, who happen to live across the street, now a converted American Irish University.

Any tour of Dublin would be incomplete without visiting the beautifully manicured lawns of Trinity College, where even its dining hall is perhaps the most impressive in the world. 

Trinity College, located in the heart of the city, is also home to the world-famous Book of Kells.  'Turning Darkness into Light', the Book of Kells contains lavishly decorated copy, in Latin, of the four gospels.  An amazing piece of history, the exhibition and Long Room upstairs is a must-see for any visitor.

For more information, visit www.tourismireland.com

GETTING HERE:
Visit Dublin from Australia with Etihad Airways www.etihad.com