Updated September 2022.

The Fair City

Dublin was named after vikings settled and named it Dubh Linn (Black Pool) based on where the Danes moored their boats. Today, it is the capital and the largest city of Ireland. While walking throughout the streets, there is a lot of history to be learned, especially Ireland's pride in receiving independence from Britain.

It is also a great launching point to head to other places around Ireland with day tours taking you to Galway, the Cliffs of Moher, or Giant's Causeway.

Overview

Path is ~ 11.5 miles of walking.
  • ​9:00 AM - 10:00 AM: St. Patrick's Cathedral - biggest church
  • 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM: Dublin Castle - center of former British rule
  • 10:47 AM - 10:50 AM: City Hall - Georgian architecture and dome
  • 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Irish Whiskey Museum - tours and whiskey tastings
  • 12:30 PM - 1:00 PM: Trinity College and Book of Kells - oldest Irish university and historic book
  • 1:15 PM - 2:30 PM: Lunch and Other Activities - parks and museums
  • 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Guinness Storehouse - museum for beer tastings with great views
  • 4:30 PM - 5:45 PM: Kilmainham Gaol - famous prison
  • 6:00 PM - 6:30 PM: Irish National War Memorial Park - WWII memorial park 
  • 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM: Abdulla Bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Center - tallest mosque
  • 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Museum of Islamic Art - museum of artwork
  • 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM: Phoenix Park - large park with the Papal Cross and fallow deer
  • 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Aspire Tower - tall building with best city views
  • 8:30 PM - 10:00 PM: Irish Dance Shows - enjoy dinner while watching an Irish dance show
  • 10:00 PM - 1:00 AM: Temple Bar - nightlife with drinks
​Click the star to add the map to your Google Maps!​ To view it, simply open Google Maps, navigate to the Menu, choose “Your Places,” click "Maps", and voila, the map should be added.

Travel Tips

To/From Airport
Dublin Airlink Express (€7): One of the most affordable methods to get to/from the Dublin Airport is through this bus system that has different pick-up spots along the city.

Note that at pick-up spots, they will have people wearing the Dublin Express uniforms to help!

Taxis: Like in most cities, taxis are a much quicker way to get around but can be more costly. 
Getting Around
The easiest way to get around Dublin is by walking as most of the places are relatively close; however, there are trams and buses that are easy to use. I would recommend the Luas over the buses since it can be harder to navigate, but both are great options:

  • ​Payment Methods:
    • Leap Card (€10/1 day or €19.50 for 3 days): Reusable, prepaid smart card on all Dublin transit.
    • DoDublin Card (€45): 72-hour access to buses, Luas, Dart, commuter rail, and Hop on-Hop off sightseeing bus. ​

​Luas and DART
  • Luas: Tram system (Red and Green) that travel in the City Center. Useful if needing to get to outer parts of the city.
    • Monday - Friday: 5:30 AM to 12:30 AM
    • Saturday: 6:30 AM - 12:30 AM 
    • Sunday: 7:00 AM - 11:30 PM
  • DART: (Dublin Area Rapid Transit): Electrified commuter rail railway network that operates on the coast of Dublin. Trains run every 10 minutes
    • Monday - Saturday: 6 AM - 12 AM
    • Sunday: 9:30 AM to 11 PM
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LUAS Tram beside Dublin Heuston train station
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Dublin double-decker bus

​Dublin Bus
Operates 6 AM (10 AM on Sundays) to 11:30 PM.

The main public transit throughout Dublin are the double-decker buses. Sometimes, even while waiting at a bus stop, you'll need to flag down a bus to have them stop for you. 

​Fares vary depending on where you are going/the zone. They don't have change on board and don't accept bills or card, so ensure you have exact change. Recommend paying with a card instead.

1-Day Plan

9:00 - 10:00 AM: St. Patrick's Cathedral
The tallest church in Ireland. This is supposedly where St. Patrick baptized converts to Christianity. Since then, there has been a church on this site, with the current cathedral built around 1225. Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels served as Dean in the early 1700s. His tomb is on the south side of the entrance and a WWI exhibit is also inside.

​One can buy tickets online for self-guided tours inside.
10:00 - 10:45 AM: Dublin Castle
1204 to 1922, Dublin Castle was the center of British rule in Ireland where it was a royal palace, parliament, and a prison. A self-guided booklet provides in-depth information about the State Apartments which until 1922 was the official residence of the viceroy, or Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, who represented the British monarchy in Ireland. Today, they are used for state entertaining by the Irish president and government.

The rooms are extravagent and one can enter the ballroom where the President is inaugurated, visit the gardens in the back, and also see the chapel (although that will require going on a guided tour and take longer).

One can only book 7 days in advance on their website.
10:47 AM - 10:50 PM: City Hall
If time permits, head to City Hall for quick peek at the beautiful dome, rotunda, and statues. Its Georgian architecture is world-renowned with marble floors and murals. Many people get married in the rotunda, so hopefully you can go in quickly for the view.

It was the former financial center for the merchants of Dublin, before becoming a government building in 1852.
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House of Parliament
While walking to the Irish Whiskey Mueum, you will be passing the Irish House of Parliament across the street
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Irish Whiskey Museum
The first Irish Whiskey Museum in the world that offers hour-long tours and whiskey tastings. This was my favorite place to visit in Dublin as the staff were incredibly kind and it was an incredibly fun experience.

The proper way to drink whiskey is to swirl it in your palm for friction, breathe in the flavors with your mouth, then take a swig and let it sit on your tongue for 3 seconds before swallowing.

​Book online! For tastings before noon, there is a 15% discount. I would recommend the Premium Tour to try an additional whiskey and to take a whiskey glass home.
Click here to read more about the history of Irish Whiskey

Alcohol was first brewed by monks who kept their processes secret until Henry VIII conquered Ireland, so the monks decided to share the secret with the Irish people. They created pudgin, which is 80% proof alcohol. It was so strong that people sometimes would be thought dead (when they really entered comas due to methanol for three days) and were thought to be dead. As such, they were buried alive. Bells were installed in case the dead came back to life, but due to Irish weather, the bells always rang. Then they would try partying to wake people up, coining the term “Irish Wake”.

Irish whiskey came to be when speakeasies would roll barrels into the forest to hide from taxmen. When these barrels would be found years to decades later, the barrels naturally fermented the alcohol due to the contraction and expansion of the barrels, infusing the pudgin with flavors and diluting the alcohol amount. It was now referred to as spirits because they helped people ease into death.

Whiskey became popular throughout Ireland up until it fell in the early 1900s due to three regions. 1) World War I and the bombing of the distilleries 2) The Irish Rebellion and Easter Rebellion 3) American Prohibition seeking alcohol from other sources. At its peak, the Whiskey Empire had over 100 distilleries and was reduced to 5 with 41 distilleries in Ireland at the moment with the goal of having 50 by 2025.



12:30 PM - 1:00 PM: Trinity College and Book of Kells

​​Oldest Irish university that is known for their beautiful library. The main chamber of the Old Library is called the "Long Room", which contains 200,000 books and an original copy of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic (similar to America's Declaration of Independence) before the 1916 Rising. The Book of Kells is on display, which is a work of art from the Dark Ages (800 AD) that contains 4 gospels of the New Testament and is made from vellum (calf-skin prepared for writing). It has lots of decoration, calligraphy, and colorful images.

Since there is no photography allowed in the room that holds the Book of Kells and the pages can't be turned, go through the exhibit room slowly to see what the book contains.

There are three options for tours: campus tours, Book of Kells and the Old Library, or both. I'd recommend just the Book of Kells and the Old Library tour, unless one is interested in seeing the university (add 45 minutes more for timing). Book tickets online! ​​
1:15 PM - 2:30 PM: Lunch and Additional Activities

  • Merrion Square Park: Leafy park known for the Oscar Wilde Memorial.
  • ​Department of the Taoiseach: Office of the Irish Prime Minister.
  • The Little Museum of Dublin: Humorous guided tour of the history of Dublin within a small house. One can also take a tour of St. Stephen's Green or participate in the Big Little Treasure Hunt.
  • St. Stephen's Green: Central park in Dublin with beautiful flowers, waterfalls, sculptures, and places to eat around it.
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Guinness Storehouse

A former fermentation plant built in 1904 turned into museum and tourist attraction, there are 7 floors to learn about the process of making beer, enjoy beer tastings, and experience a 360-degree panoramic view at the Gravity Bar. My favorite activity is their beer-foam printer which can etch your face onto the foam of a beer. Most of the tour is self-guided and one can go at their own pace.

Recommend booking tickets in advance online, and if one wants to nurse a beer and enjoy the view, head here earlier.

​4:30 PM - 5:45 PM: Kilmainham Gaol (pronounced "Kill-mine-um Gal") 


​Ireland's most famous prison and used in films like the original "Italian Job" or "In the Name of the Father". The guided tour is incredible, and I highly recommend it to learn more about Irish history, which is followed by the opportunity to visit museum exhibits. One can only book tickets 28 days in advance.

The goal of the jail cells was to implement the 3 s’s: Separation, Supervision, and Silence. People were supposed to have their own rooms, but it became too crowded with 3 people in a room to 5 once the famine hit. People were jailed for begging on the street, which the Vagrancy Act considered a crime, adding up to 9,000 people.

For supervision, they implemented the panopticon, which one guard tower could supervise all the rooms at any time. People who misbehaved were sent to dark dungeons as well.
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It is notorious for jailing many of the Irish rebellion leaders, 14 of whom were executed in the courtyard outside. 
6:00 PM - 6:30 PM: Irish National War Memorial Park

​​Park designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and dedicated to the 49,400 Irish soldiers who died during WWII. There is a rose garden, a Garden of Remembrance, fountains, and a War Memorial.

​6:30 PM - 8:00 PM: Phoenix Park

Opened in 1747, this park is twice the side of New York's Central Park. One can find the 35 m (~115 ft) Papal Cross (erected for Pope John Paul II's visit in 1979) and discover the renowned fallow deer who enjoy the plains and the shade of the trees. I don't recommend you feed them, but they are quite gentle despite the massive horns.

There's also the Wellington Monument, an obelisk to commemorate the 1st Duke of Wellington in 1861.

If one has time, they can visit the Dublin Zoo and the People's Garden on the Northeast side of the park.

​At the entrance, one can also rent bikes to bike around!
​From Phoenix Park, one can take the Red Luas tram from the Heuston stop to the Jervis Luas stop to save a 1.25 mile walk.
8:30 PM - 10:00 PM: Irish Dance Shows (timing depends on selected show)
PictureCeltic Nights performance
Head to Gaiety Theatre, a classical Victorian auditorium, for a Riverdance experience from Tuesdays to Sundays. This experience is usually only available during summers and one can purchase tickets starting from €25.

For a dinner and a show, there are a variety of options (note the prices are for dinner and a show).

My top recommendation is ​Celtic Nights €46.90 (6:30 to 8:30 [3-course dinner seating every half hour], 8:30 - 9:30 PM show): World Championship dancers and All-Ireland winning musicians which includes Ireland’s ‘Sean Nos’ (old style) Irish dance & the famous Brush Dance.


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  • Murray's Bar & Grill​ €20 (dinner only) (10:00 PM+ show): World performers that start at 10 PM. Enjoy some beer and food before the performance begins.
  • Irish House Party €55(6:30 or 8:00 [3-course dinner seating times], 8:00 - 9:30 PM show): All-Ireland champion musicians and dancers.
  • Belvedere Irish Nights €49 (7:00 [3-course dinner], 8:00 - 9:45 show): "Choreographed by the Directors of “Damhsa” and Jim Murrihy, with an original score by Anthony Davis" as denoted from their website with multiple Irish dancing styles from "Sean Nos' to Modern Irish dancing.
  • Merry Ploughboy Pub €65 (€12 Shuttle)(6:30 [3-course dinner], 8:00 - 10:00 PM show): On the outskirts of Dublin, this All-Ireland Irish step dancing offers a fun out-of-Dublin experience.

For an earlier Irish dance, try the following: 
  • Irish Dance Party (3:00 - 5:00 PM): If you'd like to watch and learn to dance, try an early evening show set in a traditional Irish pub.
10:00 PM - 1:00 AM: Pubs and Nightlife
If one isn't exhausted yet, check out the nightlife scene! The Temple Bar is the notorious neighborhood for having a good time, but there are a lot of great bars and pubs to check out throughout Dublin.
Temple Bar Pubs
  • The Temple Bar Pub: Most famous Dublin pub since 1840. They have Ireland's largest whiskey collection and also have a live camera to see what is happening all the time.
  • Merchant's Arch: 19th century guildhall turned into pub known for its "tower" with framed photos.
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Victorian Pubs
Interior of a pub that has a design scheme reminiscent of the Victorian interior design, known for wallpaper ceilings, ornate decorations, wood panelling, etched glass windows, tiled floors around the bar, antique lighting, velvet or leather seating, and gilt-framed mirrors.
  • The Palace Bar
  • O'Neill's Pub & Kitchen
  • The Longhall

Historic Pubs
  • The Confession Box: During the War of Independence, rebels sought refuge and made confessions to clergymen in secret rooms here, which led the bar to change its name from "The Maid of Erin" to its current name. It is a smaller bar with with a lot of history.

​One can also head across the famous O'Connell Bridge to see the O'Connell Monument dedicated to the national hero, Daniel O'Connell, also known as the "The Liberator", for mobilizing Catholic Ireland in the 1800s and championing liberal laws as a Parliament member.

Also check out the Spire of Dublin (the Monument of Light), a stainless steel monument standing 120 m (~390 ft) that replaced the former Nelson's Pillar, which was bombed by Irish republicans in 1966 who didn't want a statue honoring Horation Nelson, an Englishman, in the center of the city.
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Spire of Dublin

Other Attractions

Museums
Besides the following musuems mentioned in the Day-Plan (The National Museum of Ireland and ​The Little Museum of Dublin), there are a few other museums one can visit:​
  • National Gallery of Ireland: Free art gallery to see many famous artists, such as Vermeer, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and Monet with shifting exhibits.
  • The National Museum of Ireland (3 museums):
    • Decorative Arts and History, Collins Barracks: Irish military history and jewelry, glassware, ceramics, clothing, and furniture.
    • Natural History: Global animal galleries with the lower floors dedicated to Irish specimens.
    • Archaeology: Artifacts from around the world known for the Kingship & Sacrifice, Egyptian, and Viking exhibits.
  • EPIC Irish Emigration Museum: 1,500 years of Irish history and the paths Irish emigrants have taken.
  • James Joyce Center: Museum dedicated to the life and works of the Irish novelist and poet, James Joyce, most famous for his novel Ulysses and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.
  • The Irish Rock N Roll Museum: 60-minute guided tours to learn about the history of music in Dublin, see the Wall of Fame, and enter into famous recording studios while seeing artifacts from legendary Irish Rock n Roll bands such as Thin Lizzy and U2.
  • Dublinia: In the historic building, learn about how the Viking and Medieval eras impacted Dublin in an interactive museum.
  • Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI): MoLI is an homage to Molly Bloom, a fictional character in James Joyce's Ulysses. Besides James Joyce material, there are revolving exhibits of Irish literary figures.
  • Pearse Museum: Located in St. Edna’s Park, this museum is where Patrick Pearse, the leader of the 1916 Rising lived and ran a school from 1910-1916 teaching the Irish language. One can learn about Patrick’s life.

Other Attractions
  • Croke Park: Stadium where the Gaelic games are played, mainly national games of hurling and Gaelic football. One can take a stadium tour or head to the Ericsson Skyline-Croke Park rooftop tour with the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) museum included. ​Make reservations online.

Dublin Dining

Restaurants
While one can head to the pub for food, here are a few restaurant options:

Higher End:
  • Chapter One (only open on Sundays and Mondays): A 2-star Michelin restaurant, it offers stunning dishes with slight twists to the Irish cuisine. It is pricier than other options and it is recommended to make reservations online beforehand.
  • Variety Jones: A modern take with a blend of European influences, this restaurant serves a 6-course pre-determined chef's choice menu that varies from season to season. Recommend making reservations online.

Affordable:
  • Little Pyg: Dublin's best-priced pizza with great 2 for 1 deals (bring a friend). It's located in the mall and requires you to go through the Pygmalion.
  • The Pepper Pot (closed on Sundays and Mondays): Cafe that serves breakfast all day.
  • Bunsen: With multiple locations for great cheeseburger and hamburger options.

Quick Lunch Spots for Takeout:
  • Beanhive Coffee: Besides hot drinks, it offers quick options for sandwiches and pastries.
  • Tang: With multiple locations, this Middle Eastern restaurant allows you to build your own customized wraps. One can also head here for breakfast.
Whiskey Tastings
For other tastings outside of the Irish Whiskey Museum, there are the other distilleries:
  • Teeling Whiskey Distillery: Opened in 2015 as the first distillery to open in Dublin in 125 years.
  • Jameson Distillery: Visit to taste whiskey from a live maturation warehouse.
  • Pearse Lyons Whiskey Distillery: Boutique distillery located in the former Church of St. James.
  • Dublin Liberties Distillery: In a 300 year old mill building with copper pot stills.

Fun Facts

The "Guinness" beer symbol (at least that's what it looks like) can be found in many places, but in reality, the gold harp is the national emblem of the Republic of Ireland. The Guinness logo is a harp facing the other direction. Ireland is the only country to have a musical instrument as its national symbol.

You'll also note the three burning castles representing the Dublin Coat of Arms with the city motto of "Obedientia Civium Urbis Felicitas", which translates to "the obedience of the citizens produces a happy city". There's an unknown origin of the coat of arms, with the castles either representing the watch towers outside the city, Dublin Castle repeated 3 times since the number three has mystical significance, or the gates into the ancient Viking city.

Giant's Causeway

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Giant's Causeway


​Legend has it that this was once a bridge connecting Scotland and Ireland. To prevent retribution, a giant crossed over and broke the bridge.
The 40,000 interlocking hexagonal basalt columns were created from geothermal activity due to volcanic fissure activity. The fluid molten basalt intruded through chalk beds to create the volcanic plateau. Once the lava cooled, contractions fractured the ground, seeping downward to create the pillars.

To get down to the Giant’s Causeway, before the Causeway Hotel, head through the tunnel and onto the main road. Walk about 0.75 miles to get to the Giant’s Causeway. It is a little steep to return, but they do offer a bus that can take you back up to the top.
There are tours that leave for Giant's Causeway daily. Recommend booking through Paddywagon and Wild Rover. ​On the way to Giant's Causeway, most tour groups will also stop at other iconic spots in Northern Ireland:
Dark Hedges
They are a row of beech trails framing a road. The site grew in popularity after the Game of Thrones show, where in Season 2 Episode 1, Arya Stark, after the death of her father, Ned, escapes King’s Landing in disguise traveling along the Kingsroad.
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Dark Hedges
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Kingsroad (Source: Game of Thrones)
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Carrick-a-Rede Bridge
​Carrick-a-Rede Bridge
​The first rope bridge, built in 1755, to span a 20 m (~65 ft) wide chasm over the water that reaches the neck of an extinct volcano, Rathlin Island. The island is known for seabird breeding colonies, seals, and country roads.

Unfortunately, it wasn't open for tour groups when we visited, but one stops at a good vantage point to see it at least.

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