Day 1 in Dublin: Morning
Sweets and pastries at the front of Queen of Tarts Breakfast at Queen of Tarts – try the smoked Irish salmon with scrambled eggs. It comes with homemade toasted soda bread and delicious red pepper jelly on the side. The food is delicious - and on the healthier side, the service is great, and the cozy, homey décor is a nice way to ease into a day of touring and exploring. 30-45 minutes
Day 1 in Dublin: Late Morning / Early Afternoon
Dublin Castle Cross the street from Queen of Tarts and visit the Dublin Castle. For 4.5 Euros, you can explore the grounds on your own or take an hour-long guided tour which will provide context to the rooms you walk through and give access to the undercroft – the subterranean chamber from the original Viking castle in the 10th century! I think the tour is worth it, and you can always break off and wander on your own. 1-1.5 hours
Right next to the castle is the Chester Beatty Library, a museum dedicated to human creative expression that showcases the texts, rare books, paintings, and more from the personal collection of Sir Chester Beatty, a native New Yorker (born in 1875) who loved to travel and collect art and books from around the world, ultimately settling in Ireland and building his own library. Entry is free and I enjoyed the current exhibits (Arts of the Book and Sacred Traditions) as well as the beautiful garden out front. 1 hour or less
Right next to the castle is the Chester Beatty Library, a museum dedicated to human creative expression that showcases the texts, rare books, paintings, and more from the personal collection of Sir Chester Beatty, a native New Yorker (born in 1875) who loved to travel and collect art and books from around the world, ultimately settling in Ireland and building his own library. Entry is free and I enjoyed the current exhibits (Arts of the Book and Sacred Traditions) as well as the beautiful garden out front. 1 hour or less
Day 1 in Dublin: Afternoon
Tiger: the quirky & fun shop I thought there were a lot of coffee shops in New York, but after a day in Dublin, I may have to reconsider. I passed blocks with three, even four different coffee spots to choose from. So my recommendation for the afternoon is to pick one, grab a coffee and then walk through the Trinity College campus and/or go fo.
After being re-energized by the coffee, take a stroll along Grafton street for [window] shopping and people watching. Some stores I recommend on or around Grafton Street:
After being re-energized by the coffee, take a stroll along Grafton street for [window] shopping and people watching. Some stores I recommend on or around Grafton Street:
- Sporting goods: Elverys Sports which carries local and imported brands at fair prices and has very good service.
- Clothing: River Island is what I consider a nicer H&M or similar to Zara - good quality, less expensive fashion (men and women)
- Quirky and fun gifts: Tiger is a store that you can't quite put your finger on. They sell everything from craft materials to gag gifts to candy and kitchen supplies. Definitely worth stopping in! (Some of my favorites below)
Day 1 in Dublin: Evening
Irish beef with Guinness stew at O'Neill's For a low-key, more casual evening, try dinner at O’Neill’s for traditional Irish stew, live Irish music and a mix of expats, locals and tourists. Walk through Temple Bar, the famous nightlife district, point and laugh at the hen and stag parties dressed in ridiculous costumes, but unless you want to be one of 1,000 tourists in a bar, I would recommend moving on to find a bar.
Depending on what part of the city you are staying in, some bars to check out include Cassidy’s (north of the Liffey, a bit hipster, they have board games to play and encourage writing on the walls and bar), O’Donoghues on Baggot street (I only had a chance to walk by but it has the outdoor atmosphere of a German beer garden and looked like a lot of fun) or the Porterhouse by Grafton Street (they have bottles from all over the world as well as multiple local beers on tap... I liked the Chiller, the local light lager).
Depending on what part of the city you are staying in, some bars to check out include Cassidy’s (north of the Liffey, a bit hipster, they have board games to play and encourage writing on the walls and bar), O’Donoghues on Baggot street (I only had a chance to walk by but it has the outdoor atmosphere of a German beer garden and looked like a lot of fun) or the Porterhouse by Grafton Street (they have bottles from all over the world as well as multiple local beers on tap... I liked the Chiller, the local light lager).
Day 2 in Dublin: Morning
Main hall at Kilmainham Gaol Start at Kilmainham Gaol, the former jail, which opens at 9:30 on a weekday. For the active traveler, walk there from the city center which will take you about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how lost you get (it’s pretty simple). Sign up for a tour, which will take you inside the jail for about an hour. 1 hour
Day 2 in Dublin: Late Morning / Early Afternoon
Guinness-pouring school Make a right when exiting the jail and cross the street to grab lunch at the pub. They have good food and good prices! Then take a 10-minute walk over to the Guinness Storehouse where you will spend the next two-hours learning how to make, pour and drink the dark stuff that flows through the blood of the Irish. 2-3 hours
Day 2 in Dublin: Afternoon
The interior of the funky Foam coffee shop After the Guinness Storehouse, hop on the city bus to rest your legs a bit while you head back into the city center. Swing by Foam (north of the River Liffey) for fresh coffee and pastries in a quirky, colorful café. Then walk north to Henry street and stroll through my favorite shopping street in Dublin which has a range of stores from Dunnes and Penneys to Arnotts and Zara. Stop for a gelato at Gino’s or buy some fruit off the street if you are in the mood for (another) snack.
Day 2 in Dublin: Evening
The Bank on College Green (photo cred: their website) For a nicer, more fancy night out, start at The Bank on College Green for a cocktail in a former bank with a beautiful interior. Then take a stroll over to Dawson Street for dinner where you will find people a little bit more dressed up. While on Dawson, walk into The Dawson Lounge, which claims it could be the smallest bar in the world. I don’t necessarily think that’s true, but it did make me a bit claustrophobic and I walked in to take a photo and walked out.
Alternative things to do in Dublin
If you want to swap out any of my suggestions or have another day in Dublin, these are my recommendations / things on my list that I didn’t have a chance to do…yet:
Jameson Distillery – Jameson is one of the most popular Irish whiskies and the distillery offers tours to learn more about how Jameson is made. I heard that a few lucky people on each tour get selected to do a taste test of multiple Irish whiskies to share their favorites and guess which is which.
Experience Gaelic Games – a program that introduces people to the traditional Gaelic sports of hurling and Gaelic football and then lets you get out and play!
Croke Park – stadium where rugby, concerts and events take place. It is supposed to be really nice and if there is something going on while you are in town, get tickets! Otherwise, you can go on a tour to see the ins and outs of the stadium.
Day trip to Belfast – about a 2-2.5 hour journey each way, Belfast can be a good day trip for those looking to see another city in Ireland. With rich history and a brand new Titanic exhibit, there is a lot to do to fill up a day. Tours are offered by most tour companies, but you can also just buy round trip tickets on the train and have a black cab take you around for a short tour while you are there for about 7 or 8 Euros.
Jameson Distillery – Jameson is one of the most popular Irish whiskies and the distillery offers tours to learn more about how Jameson is made. I heard that a few lucky people on each tour get selected to do a taste test of multiple Irish whiskies to share their favorites and guess which is which.
Experience Gaelic Games – a program that introduces people to the traditional Gaelic sports of hurling and Gaelic football and then lets you get out and play!
Croke Park – stadium where rugby, concerts and events take place. It is supposed to be really nice and if there is something going on while you are in town, get tickets! Otherwise, you can go on a tour to see the ins and outs of the stadium.
Day trip to Belfast – about a 2-2.5 hour journey each way, Belfast can be a good day trip for those looking to see another city in Ireland. With rich history and a brand new Titanic exhibit, there is a lot to do to fill up a day. Tours are offered by most tour companies, but you can also just buy round trip tickets on the train and have a black cab take you around for a short tour while you are there for about 7 or 8 Euros.
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