Viking Splash Tour

Don a helmet, jump into the amphibious WWII vehicle and prepare to ROAR your way around the streets and waterways of Dublin.
An interesting way to tour the city (and canal) — this gives a different perspective from the usual tour bus. Sense of fun and sense of humour needed to enjoy this to the full.

For many years we talked about going on the viking splash tour as it zoomed by us on the street waving their arms in the air! Finally had the opportunity to hop on board and it was as good craic as it looks and there is a fantastic view of dublin from the tour. The tour guide was very witty and really brought the experience to life! Great tour to do as a dubliner!!!

If your from Dublin the Viking splash is just one of those things you see going around, you pay no heed or thought to it its just part of the city background. PLEASE give it a go just once. Genuinely great fun!
Its not one of the normal city tours just driving around showing the points of interest with a little history (although they do, do that too) its Hilarious!!! The drivers are so funny and so entertaining, they stay true to Dublin humour as well. Our Driver Ciaran was particularly hilarious. This isnt just for the kids. I really enjoyed it

Tout comme Cyrielle et Florence, jamais je né ferais le Viking Splash en temps normal. C’est kitsch, c’est bien ridicule, et moi ce que j’aime c’est marcher, marcher, marcher et me perdre dans une ville pour la découvrir, pas m’y faire trimbaler en bateau-​bus et en groupe avec un casque de Viking sur la tête !
Cela dit, on s’est vraiment bien marrés sur ce Viking Splash, fait comme team building entre collègues lors de notre semaine à Dublin. C’est ultra kitsch, mais en groupe et avec des gens que l’on connaît, on s’amuse bien. Un casque ridicule sur la tête, et tout le monde joue le jeu et hurle en passant à côté des groupes de touristes sur le trottoir. Ca animé, ça né fait de mal à personne… et ça a un côté régressif à souhait !
En résumé, je né le recommande pas si vous êtes seul ou en couple ou si vous recherchez une découverte culturelle de la ville, mais pour un groupe de potes, un team-​building ou un enterrement de vie de jeune fille/​homme, ça peut le faire ! La vue sur la ville depuis l’eau (pour la partie aquatique de l’activité) est plutôt sympa, sinon, et on apprend tout de même quelques choses, même si j’avoue avoir eu du mal à tout saisir entre l’accent irlandais et le bruit de la ville !

Ah it’s just great craic really isn’t it. What can be said that hasn’t been said before?
— Have a sneaky drink before you go on — merriness will help the cause ;-)
— Wear warm clothes even if it’s not cold outside — you’ll thank me for this advice!
— Sit up front if you can — it can be quite difficult to hear the (perennially hilarious) driver /​guide up front if you’re near the back
— Have your camera ready for the water part. It’s rare to see Grand Canal Dock from this vantage point, and it really is a sight to behold.
— Resistance is futile. Embrace the RRRAARRRRR!!!
— Go get yourself a nice cosy drink in the Dawson Lounge afterwards, or some nosh in Hatch & Sons that’s right across the way from the drop off point.
If you can’t have fun on the Viking Splash, you can’t have fun anywhere. Fact.
Job done!

Tolle, transhistorische Unterhaltung im Rahmen eines Touriprogramms gibt’s definitiv auf der Viking Splash Tour. Zunächst boarded man ein restauriertes Amphibienfahrzeug aus dem zweiten Weltkrieg, das mit offenen Deck an Land und Wasser durch ein beschauliches Dublin führt. Die Kopfbedeckung — ein Vikingerhelm — ist nun wirklich nicht optional, sondern erhöht das Vergnügen gleich mal um die Mitmach-​Dimension. Zugleich wird man vom lustigen Tourguide/​Fahrer/​Alleinunterhalter in die Vikingerkunst des Gröllens eingewiesen. Das waren aber auch wirklich fiese Gesellen, die so ziemlich alles angröllten, was zu wenig vikinger für sie war. Auf ihren Spuren konnte man sich dann so richtig austoben. Die Leute auf der Strasse waren wenig verwundert, dass eine ganze Wagenladung voller Probe-​Vikinger sie angröllte. Viele winkten retour. Was für ein Spaß!
Die Ausführungen unseres Guides waren allesamt super lustig und mit diesem typisch irischem Schmäh versehen. Echt eine super Möglichkeit Dublin in kurzer Zeit zu sehen und erleben. Kann ich allen Besuchern und auch Dublinern nur wärmstens weiter empfehlen!

Je rejoins Florence N sur le fait que c’est vraiment le type d’activité que je né ferais pas en vacances ou même dans ma ville. Mais honnêtement, quand on est en groupe, ultra motivés et que le soleil est au rendez-​vous (mais attention il fait froid, couvrez-​vous bien !), ça devient très vite fun !
C’est parti, on embarque dans des bus hybrides (vous allez vite comprendre pourquoi), on pose nos casques de viking sur la tête et à grand coup de «grouaaaaaah» collectif, le chauffeur démarre. On commence par un tour de ville à toute vitesse rythmé par les anecdotes de notre guide qui n’hésite pas à donner régulièrement de la voix et on termine à l’eau ! Oui oui à l’eau ! Je vous raconte pas l’effet de surprise et la petite appréhension du «What? Le bus va vraiment flotter? On va pas tous couler hein ?!». Et là petit tour sur l’eau avec nos jolis gilets de sauvetage tout rouge avant de revenir sur la terre ferme et de terminer le tour (toujours en «grouaaaaah»). Un bon moment de rigolade (et de culture) que je vous recommande donc surtout si vous êtes en groupe.

Wer schon immer mal das Gefühl hatte ein Wikinger sein zu wollen oder einfach nur das Tier im Manne rauslassen möchte, der sollte in Dublin definitiv die Viking Splash Tour machen.
Diese Sightseeing Tour ist mal was ganz anderes.
In einer Art Amphibienfahrzeug zeigt einem der Guide alle Sehenswürdigkeiten der Stadt. Dabei ist das Fahrzeug zu allen Seiten hin offen und man bekommt, damit der Spaß noch größer ist, einen Wikinger Helm aufgesetzt.
Normal würde man meinen, bräuchte man für diesen Spaß einen gewissen Pegel, aber das geht hier ganz einfach ohne.
Nach einer kurzen Einweisung ins richtige Wikinger-​Geschrei, werden dann spontan gerne mal an der Ampel die Wartenden angebrüllt, die dann stehts jubelnd und winkend antworten. Umso länger die Fahrt geht, umso mehr hat man sich auch eingebrüllt. :-)
Der Guide berichtet während dieser Tour über alles Sehenswerte von Dublin, von Historie bis Gegenwart. Hat man die Stadt auf der Strasse sozusagen abgefahren, geht es ab ins Wasser und aus dem Auto wird ein Boot. Nun findet noch eine kleine Tour auf dem Wasser statt. Hier wird eher der neuere Teil Dublins vorgestellt.
Diese Tour ist ein Spaß für die ganze Familie. Lass den Wikinger raus!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHAAAAAA! (Remainders of some of the moments I lived up in the super amazing Vicking Splash busboat). This experience has to be rated as many things: great way of getting to know overall Dublin, best exercise ever for your brain if you are not an English speaking person (you have to hear the guy, OMG this irish accent and 50 words per minute), good way to see that you can actually survive to the cold, chilly wind this city might give you for free, million laughs and fun, fun, fun. It all starts with a Viking helmet, obviously, a lot of horns and shouts: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHAAAAAAAAA!
In the first hour you are able to understand better Dublin, because the speaker mixes the history with drops of continuous sarcasm, and the beauty of this is the result, an amazing and unique local experience driving to the best corners it has. When someone is passionate for his job you can see it from the beginning and I am pretty sure that this man haves so much fun while he is driving this crazy Viking bus around the city. The tour is quite viking-​drive-​way (you know what I mean), we were screaming «viking style» to every group of people walking on the street or having a coffee in any terrace and YES, it was quite liberating, also advisable for stress therapy if you are needing one, I have to say.
The river tour was even colder, ohhh did I forget to mention it? the viking bus ends up floating and gives you an exciting tour sailing across the Dodder for half an hour more… unbelievable but true, buses can sail!
Things I would change: I’d close the bus during winter, we were absolutely freezing (not to mention people without warm jackets), so please, bring one if you don’t want to end up frozen stiff. I know this is a law matter but… we are in Ireland right? where is the beer? I needed a big pint enjoying the ride with me, I was thinking about her, she’d have enjoyed it soooo much. Congrats to these guys anyway, we all loved the trip and they deserve all the best for giving foreigners such a different, real and great experience. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHAAAAAAA!

Soyons honnetes: c’est typiquement le genre d’activité que je né ferai pas de moi meme en temps normal. C’est dit.
MAIS (parce que pour mériter 4 étoiles, il faut bien un mais), ça a été une aventure vraiment drole ! L’effet de groupe vous fait vite oublier les chapeaux de Viking, et le côté complètement absurde du bus/​bateau prend le relais pour un délire d’une bonne heure !
On dévale les rues à toute vitesse, le museau dans le froid glaçé du Dublin (oui je suis du sud, 10 degrés: c’est glaçé !), en criant des «GRrrooooaoaaaaa» de vikings sur les passants. Puis arrivés au port, on passé un gilet de sauvetage et «plouf ! «. Ou plutot Splash pour être vraiment précise.
Les guides sont hilarants, vraiment. Ils vous font découvrir la ville avec beaucoup d’humour et des anecdotes très très drôles !
Petite astuce: N’y allez pas sans un bonnet et une écharpe ! :)

If anybody comes to town and wants to do something very unique, cool and crazy, then this is definitely the thing to go for!
It is a bus with open top that cruises around Dublin and tells you some of the touristic stuff, in a funny and quirky way with the loooovely Irish accent of course (hope you understand it!). Everyone gets to wear a plastic Viking hat and there’s lots of growling noises to be made whilst cruising around: «Raaawwwwr!!!» Awesome!!!
There are some great photo ops BUT the coolest thing yet remains, because… drumroll please… the bus turns into a BOAT!!! Yes! Can you believe it?! You literally take a little swim around some of the newer parts of town, where fancier buildings can be seen. The local, up and coming, trendy neighborhood. Of course the neighborhood is even trendier with local offices of Google and Facebook nearby. Hear hear!
If you’re a Viking and are not afraid of a little fun, then you should definitely give it a try!

Einmal im Leben Vikinger sein… mit Löwengbrüll und Hörnern auf dem Schädel, ähmm…auf dem Helm, der wiederrum auf dem Schädel sitzt. Löwengebrüll mit Schädel mistamt Helm und Hörnern gibt es also bei der Viking Splash Tour in der irischen Metropole. Hier heißt es, rauf auf den gelben Truck, ähm…das gelbe Boot aber dazu später. Ober-​Viking-​Seeräüber alias Tourguide lotste uns mit Getöse und Gebrüll in die Fluten der wilden Vikinger. Die Befehle des nordichen Seeräubervolks sind zugegebnermaßen äußerst minimalistisch gehalten. Anschnallen, Helm auf und alle Kelten einschüchtern, die einem über den Weg laufen… Wie darf man das verstehen?
1.) Bei jedem Coffeeshop, den man mit dem monströsen Viking-​Gefährt passiert, heißt es Attacke «Cappuccino-​Kelten»… Einmal alle böse schauen, Kampfschrei & Zähnefletschen…Raaaawwwww!!!
2.) Ein Raaaaawww gibt es auch für Passanten mit Stadtkarten oder Fotoapparat in den Händen… auch als Touristen-​Kelten bekannt!!!
…am Ende bekommt jeder ein Raaawwwww, der eben kein Vikinger zu sein scheint. Memo an mich: Ich bin für die nächste Stunde ein echter Veecky! :D Unser Oberhäuptling alias Vikinger-​Guide und Fahrer war wirklich die absolute Stimmungsgranate. Ein Wunder, dass er nach dieser Tour überhaupt noch eine Stimme hat, aber die Iren sind bekanntlich hart im nehmen und das war unser Seeräüber auf jeden Fall. Ist man des irischen Akzent mächtig, dann kann man sich über interessante Fakten und Geschichten zur Stadtgeschichte, der Architektur, sowie den berühmtesten Ex-​Bewohnern Dublins wie Bram Stoker oder Oskar Wilde freuen. Allerdings hatte ich doch das ein oder andere Verständnisproblemchen, gelacht hab ich trotzdem, spätestens beim nächsten Cappu-​Kelten-​Schreiangriff…
Der Höhepunkt der Tour findet beim Eintauchen ins Wasser statt, denn der gelbe Truck verwandelt sich tatsächlich in ein Boot. Kein Witz! Auf der spritzigen Schwimmroute an der fancy dancy Region der Stad bleibt kein Auge mehr trocken, denn hier haut der Seehäuptling einen witzigen Spruch nach dem anderen raus.
Wer Dublins rauhe Seite kennen– und herausschreien lernen will, der sollte definitiv bei der Viking Splash Tour mitschwimmen! Ein Raaaawww-​Spaß für Aug’ und Ohren und Rachenraum, daher unbedingt Lutschpastillen einpacken!

I have loved the «duck boat» tours in San Francisco and Boston, so I had high expectations for this one as well. The Dublin tour was just o.k. We arrived early to get good seats, but our group was separated to make room for late arrivals with mll children. The bus was very crowded and perhaps over booked. The guide was enjoyable, but there were no significant sights on the water portion of the trip. The next day we took the hop-​on hop-​off bus tour, which was far superior at a lower cost.

Like some of the other Unilocalers, I’d wanted to do this for a long time; always hearing them come up and yell cheerfully at unsuspecting pedestrians and cyclists.
So, having so many liberties with my events calendar, I thought it would be an ideal opportunity to go and bring my students to experience Irish joviality at its best.
When we climbed on board, we found Viking hats to wear and our tour guide gave us a cheery and enthusiastic welcome and safety speech. And then we were off.
Lots of the usual tourist spots on the route, plus some interesting facts about them. But what made it more fun than the usual historical and cultural tidbits were the enthusiastic AAAARGHs towards the celts. Some of the faces, as mentioned in previous reviews, were priceless.
Unfortunately, as an adult, it got old after about an hour. Still, fun. I would totally recommend it to other people who’ve always wondered what it would be like.

Potentially, this tour is very good. Driving around the city dressed like vikings, learning about the long Dublin history. But it could be better, it is just so many things went wrong that day, I thought sharing will help you find a way to book it right.
I guess our group was just unlucky that day. It was nice and sunny, and rain came attacking as soon as the tour started. When the tour finished so did the rain. The last 4 seats of the cool yellow DUKW are not covered, so you are going to get super wet.
Some notes to the tour organizers:
1. You should offer ponchos before the tour started, not after the rain. How about getting the entire vehicle covered?
2. The driver/​guide tour drove with the handbrake on for at least 10 minutes, and we had to breathe burnt rubber for most of the beginning of the tour. Not cool.
3. We missed many parts of tour because many roads were blocked that day due to the «Giro d’Italia» race. We asked before we booked if it will affect, and they promised that it wouldn’t. Not cool.
If you book this tour, really try to wait a day before when you know the what’s the weather going to be like. When you group meet, you should board the vehicle as soon as you can and get good seats. We didn’t to sit together because we waited outside talking to each other while others took all the center seats.
Overall, a nice tour, the water splash section is a gimmick, I could have enjoyed also without it.

I want to give this 3.5 stars and felt just the 3 would be overly harsh hencet he 4-​star rating.
As has been said, it is a little on the expensive side at € 20 a pop for adults.
I’d resisted attempts to get me to go on this when we lived in an apartment overlooking the Grand Canal Basin as I could relay the stories from there verbatim, having heard them so many times overt he couple of years we lived there.
But yesterday, when my Dad came up to visit, we decided to do something different for the day and went on it. And we thoroughly enjoyed it. The driver/​MC made it really enjoyable and intertwined with the historical info were a few jokes that would probably seem cringeworthy in another context but here it had everyone laughing a lot.
My Dad spent the full hour and 15 with big smile on his face and whilst the tour wasn’t cheap, that was priceless!

This would probably be the one thing i suggest to anybody who’s heading to Dublin. I’ve been to Dublin a few times and this is my favorite tourist attraction by far. Call early as seat fill up. Think they can only seat 28 per tour. If it rains they pull over the top so you stay dry. They take you all over the city and the tour is over an hour. Driver was witty and funny.
Downside is the seats have no leg room. i’m 5’9 and my knees nearly got crushed.

This is tour for people who want a giggle rather than a serious tour I guess.
I was a bit bored by it to be honest although it had its moments.
There’s a lot of shouting and a lot of comments to people in the street but due to the water bit they avoid a lot of good areas of dublin and end up taking you down a lot of busy streets.
Avoid this trip during rush hour, it is painful indeed.

Hear me ROOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!
Put 20 plus (I was gonna say 20 odd) Unilocalers in an amphibian longship wearing horns and you just know it’s gonna be a blast. What a way to celebrate my elevation to elitehood.
I have to admit that for something I would have thought of as a «tourist» gimmick, it was an enjoyable ride, even if we didn’t get to go in the water.
The driver was witty, in that certain Irish self deprecating way, and seemed knowledgable. I agree with previous reviews that this is not a deep historical tour and the information comes in snippets, but driving around Dublin, even through the 30 KPH zones, does not leave a lot of time for lectures on each site.
Great for kids and those looking to roar at unsuspecting Celts.

What an excellent tour the Viking Splash tour is. On land and water.
Climbing on board we found a Viking hat on each seat, yay! Our tour guide, Viking Bill went through all the safety precautions, while maintaining the entertainment factor. And then we set off!
We laughed, smiled, waved and shook our fists all around the city. It really was a hoot. To see the reaction of some of the celts (AAAARGH!!!) as we drove past was priceless. From broad smiles, to bemusement, to «what-​the…», to pretending we were not there. Hilarious.
I did think at times the driver was rushing a bit, but maybe the tour normally goes fast in some places to make up for time lost in traffic? That said, the guide was immensely humorous, the highlights being the Lady in Red and Chelsea guy. He also had some great information and history to tell along the way. There was a good mix of laughs, while not getting too serious with the the history lesson. Thanks Bill.
These amphibious vehicles, DUKW, were built by women during WW2 for use in the war. Girl power and all that. I’m sure the Spice Girls are delighted about this.
We didn’t get to splash due to a death in the canal basin. Maybe next time.
Recommended fun, I would think kids would love this and all the roaring.
AAAARGH! CELTS! AAAARGH!

I always wondered how this tour is like. Today I finally got to try it. It’s a great and fun way to discover the city. And even if you live here there’s always something you didn’t know before. And what I never thought I’d like: Rrrrrwaaaarrrr isacutually fun.

What a hoot! Our Viking Splash Tour guide had me/​us in stitches! He was very entertaining! I highly recommend the tour if only to get a good laugh and to work out any stress in the form of ‘Hagar the Horrible’ yells at unassuming Celts. AAArrrggghhh!!! Yeah, this tour is good for the soul! A lot of laughter and yelling in a ‘safe environment’ (i.e. big yellow boat-​ish thingie on wheels) never hurt anyone!
As for the tour aspect of it, well, one can glean little tidbits here and there. But, you are moving and there is a noise factor; so, don’t plan on this tour as a reference for your Irish history research paper.
Go with a friend. Go with a group of buddies. Have a drink beforehand and enjoy the ride. You will learn a little something and you will laugh and, at minimum, you’ll be able to don a horned helmet finally.
Aaarrrggghhh!!!

This is a silly, tourist-​filled 75 minutes of humor and joy. You’ll laugh, you’ll roar at complete strangers and you may even learn a bit of history. If it’s your first time in Dublin it’s a fun way to get a basic overview of the city.
Plus, viking helmets.

This was actually very good, it was the perfect length for a bus tour of 75 minutes. There was no getting bored and it was quite a different tour than any of the walking ones that I have been on. It went down all the important streets, but I actually found that the Grand Canal section was the most interesting as I have never thought to «tour» that area before.
The guides all have a sense of humor and the quicker you buy into acting the angry Viking all the more fun for you. The water bit is a little silly, as an army vehicle gets loaded with floaties to bob around a large swimming pool, but it was fun all the same.
Perfect for a morning activity with plenty of ideas of where to spend the rest of your trip if you are visiting, without the exhaustion of one of on-​off do/​see everything buses.

I’ve wanted to do this for ages! it Its one of those things which all the tourists do and the local look at and think «I must do that some day»
It is fun and informative overall, does pretty much what it says on the tin; you wear Viking helmets and go for a splash
The kids had a ball but i must confess I got bored of the yelling and shouting pretty quickly — even junior was over it by the end
It does cost rather a lot too and while it is a grand* way to spend a couple of hours, once is more than enough.
I feel mean only giving 3 stars but it I think it’s about right.
*by grand, read: «I’m irish and not willing to say anything overtly negative, plus, while no one actually died it wasn’t the most fun I have ever had with my clothes on

Attention: ceci est réservé à ceux qui né se prennent pas au sérieux ! Voici une création originale: un tour commenté de la ville, détendu et plein d’humour, dans des jeeps de guerre amphibies, le tout sous le thème des Vikings, et qui se termine dans la Liffey !
RESERVATION INDISPENSABLE (téléphone ou Internet), c’est littéralement pris d’assaut en saison.
L’accueil se fait non loin de la cathédrale. Les jeeps portent toutes un nom de Dieu Viking: Thor, Odin, Loki… On vous affuble d’un casque Viking, et hop ! embarquement immédiat.
Le tour de la ville prend le même circuit que les autres… mais se termine pas un plongeon du véhicuel dans la Liffey, ce qui n’est pas courant. Et les commentaires, bien documentés, sont additionnés d’épisodes franchement marrants. Comme quoi on peut faire pas sérieux et très sérieux.
A faire absolument, surtout en famille, mais pas que !

You will not believe that as a Dublin resident I have been on the Viking Splash Tour twice, what has compelled me? Well, mostly obligation to friends with visitors from abroad, but the first time at least, curiosity. Or that, I have another friend, and Dublin resident, that has been on it five times this year, and now knows the tour guides by name. He’s weird, don’t ask.
The Viking Splash takes a cursory swing through the cities Viking hot-​spots like Suffolk Street, Christchurch and the Liffey then swoops over to Grand Canal Dock for the much anticipated Splash.
The tour guide notified us of lots of pseudo-​Viking related stuff a lot of which I didn’t know before. The River Poddle for example is now a road, don’t ask me how Dublin City Council swung that but they did. The centre of Viking Dublin which, now has the monstrous Dublin Civic Offices plonked on top of it, I think corruption and an unhealthy disregard for national heritage is how they swung that.
The splash is something of a disappointment but how could it be otherwise, I don’t really know. A chilly tootle around the Grand Canal Dock, though looking at it’s very best now, post-​docklands development, is not what the crowd were looking for and has nothing really Viking at all about it.
So, save for the fact that shockingly little of Viking Dublin remains in any way visible, this is a pretty fun excursion especially if you have little ‘uns. If you want an extensive, serious minded tour though, I would look elsewhere.
You can book tickets on their website, by phone or at any Dublin tourism centre.

Es un curioso tour por la ciudad de Dublín. Lo primero que nos llama la atención es el curioso medio de transporte es un vehículo híbrido, es decir, que un trayecto de tour se hace por carretera pero de repente, se mete en el agua y se convierte en un barco!
El tour muestra los principales puntos de interés turístico de la ciudad de Dublín y dura unos 75 minutos (55 por tierra y 20 sobre el agua).
Además, a los niños les dan el gorro típico de los vikingos y es gracioso ver pasar estos ‘barcos’ por la ciudad, ya que los encargados del tour animan a la gente a gritar cuando pasan por calles concurridas comportandose como autenticos vikingos.
En cuanto a los precios, el ticket de adulto son 20 €, los estudiantes y personas mayores, 18 € y los niños de 3 a 12 años son 10 € (los niños menores de 3 años no pueden ir en el tour por el agua).