Book of Kells tickets: €25 with the digital exhibitions, €19 for the Old Library alone, and what the Long Room looks like now

💡 The Short Version: The Book of Kells Experience is €25: the Old Library, where the Book of Kells and the Long Room are, and the digital exhibitions in the Red Pavilion. The Old Library alone is €19 and takes about 45 minutes. Entry is timed and tickets are non-refundable, so book on Trinity’s own site. The Long Room’s books have been removed except in the first four bays. Trinity says the Old Library stays open to the end of 2027, then the Book of Kells moves to the Printing House. There is no bag storage. Or book a tour: the Book of Kells, Dublin Castle and Christ Church walking tourad is from €22.09 and its three-hour option includes timed Book of Kells entry.

Tickets and prices

Trinity College Dublin runs the Book of Kells Experience and sells it at visittrinity.ie. Search results for “Book of Kells tickets” include sites that are not Trinity’s. Prices are per person, the adult rate.

• Timed entry, no refunds. Online booking is strongly recommended and entry is timed. Tickets are non-refundable once bought.
• Concessions. Senior and student tickets are sold. Students show a valid student card at the door.
• Hours. Monday to Thursday 8:30 to 18:30, Friday and Saturday 8:30 to 19:00, Sunday 9:00 to 18:30.
• Which to buy. The €25 ticket adds three digital exhibitions to the €19 one. The €19 ticket is listed as limited availability.

Tours worth paying for

A guide costs €65 at Trinity. These two tours on GetYourGuide add one for less. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.

Book of Kells, Dublin Castle and Christ Church walking tour

From €22.09 · 2 to 3 hours · 1,831 reviews

Dublin: Book of Kells, Dublin Castle and Christ Church Tourad is run by Rosotravel in English with a licensed guide, from 42 Wellington Quay in Temple Bar. The from price is the two-hour option, which passes the sights on the outside and includes no Book of Kells entry. The three-hour option adds timed entry to the Book of Kells and the Old Library; it skips the box-office queue but not the entrance security checks. Entry to Dublin Castle and Christ Church Cathedral is not included, and the castle’s courtyards and gardens are closed in 2026. Cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund. It is not suitable for people with mobility impairments.

Trinity Trails walking tour

From €16 · 45 minutes · 853 reviews

Dublin: Trinity Trails Guided Walking Tourad is Trinity’s own student-guided campus walk, listed by Trinity Brand Commercial Services Limited at €16 against €17 on Trinity’s site. It starts at the Bell Tower in Front Square and takes in the Museum Building and the Dining Hall. The ticket does not include the Book of Kells or the Old Library, so book the Experience separately or take the €37 bundle on Trinity’s site. Cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund.

Front Square at Trinity College, with the Campanile at the centre. Photo: Adam McGrath, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

What to see

Allow 90 minutes for the Experience. The visit runs in two buildings, and the Pavilion is less than a minute’s walk from the Old Library.

The Old Library at Trinity College, the building that houses the Long Room. Photo: Patrick Theiner, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

1. The Treasury. The Book of Kells is a manuscript about 1,200 years old, shown in the Treasury, in the Old Library. Its pages are turned several times a year, and Trinity’s pages on display page says which folios are open. Photography is banned in this room.
2. The Long Room. The great hall of the Old Library has lost its books except in the first four bays, and the room now holds the Gaia installation.
3. The Red Pavilion. Three digital exhibitions: the Secret Life of the Collections, with interactive sculptures including Ada Lovelace, Jonathan Swift and Rosalind Franklin; The Book of Kells 360; and The Long Room Reimagined. The visit ends at the gift shop here.

What to skip: the Red Pavilion, if the Book and the Long Room are what you came for. The €19 ticket leaves it out and saves 45 minutes.

What happens to the Old Library

Trinity says the Old Library and the Long Room “will remain open to visitors until the end of 2027”, after which the Book of Kells goes to the restored Printing House. Trinity News reported on 14 September 2026 that the Old Library is set to close in late 2027 and is expected to reopen in 2030. Trinity’s FAQ on the redevelopment has the college’s own wording.

Practical information

• Where: Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2. The Dublin Express airport coach stops at Trinity College.
• Bags: there is no bag or luggage storage in the Book of Kells Experience.
• Photography: non-flash photography is allowed for personal use throughout, except in the Treasury. Tripods are not allowed.
• Audio guide: free in 13 languages, opened from a QR code at the start of the exhibit.
• Toilets: none in the Old Library. They are towards the end of the visit.
• Accessibility: the Old Library has a lift, and staff arrange for a Library Guard to help on arrival. The Pavilion is on one ground floor.

Dublin Castle and the Chester Beatty are shut: see Dublin Castle and the Chester Beatty. St Patrick’s and Christ Church cathedrals are open. Museums in Dublin lists the free National Museum and National Gallery. What to book before you go to Dublin has the closed days for every sight, Dublin walking tours compares the guided walks, and free things to do in Dublin lists what costs nothing. 3 days in Dublin builds the plan round the bookings. To stay near Trinity, see where to stay in Dublin.