Top 10 Things To Do In Dublin
On my tip to Europe last summer, Rocio and I spent three days in Ireland. We both had always wanted to visit Ireland so it was amazing to finally be able to experience it! Ireland is such a lush, green country with so many sights to see. We spent a good portion of our time exploring Dublin and took a few day trips to the country side. Dublin is a very unique city with beautiful architecture and colorful culture. In this post I’m sharing my top ten favorite things we did in Dublin!
Grafton Street
Grafton Street is a popular shopping street in Dublin close to Temple Bar and Trinity College. I love the Georgian architecture of the buildings on this street. It was pouring outside while we were exploring so we had fun ducking into stores to browse and warm up.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral
St. Patrick’s Cathedral was absolutely stunning in person. We admired the beautiful architecture and gardens from outside. There were a lot of people playing with their dogs in the garden so we sat and people/dog watched while resting our tired feet on a bench. You can also tour the inside of the cathedral if you enjoy that!
St. Stephen’s Green
St. Stephen’s Green is a public park in the city center. We took a peaceful stroll through the park and admired the ducks in the pond. The park also had flower beds and a beautiful fountain in the center. This would be the perfect spot for a picnic on a sunny day!
Trinity College/Book of Kells
Trinity College is Ireland’s oldest university. The beautiful campus is located right next to the popular Temple Bar neighborhood. We explored the campus before our viewing of the Book of Kells, Ireland’s greatest treasure. I posed for a picture in front of the iconic bell tower! The viewing ended in the Long Room, the oldest library chamber in Ireland.
Tip: You can book your Book of Kells ticket online here.
Temple Bar
Temple Bar is Dublin’s busiest and most popular neighborhood. It’s filled with pubs, live music, quirky boutiques, and galleries. We had a lot of fun exploring the cobble stoned streets and admiring the colorful architecture of Temple Bar.
Dublin Castle
We only admired the Dublin castle from outside but you can actually tour it. Many buildings have been added on to the castle since it was built giving it a unique look.
You can buy tickets here.
Brazen Head
The Brazen Head is Ireland’s oldest pub dating back to 1198. The pub was historically a meeting place for rebels. I honestly felt like I was stepping back in time while dining in this lantern lit pub. It’s famous for it’s live Irish music. While we didn’t get to admire any live music, we thoroughly enjoyed the Irish stew we ordered. A visit to the Brazen Head is a must on a trip to Dublin!
Listen To Traditional Music in a Bar
We really enjoyed listening to performers playing traditional Irish music at O’Donohughes! You can easily find a bar playing live music at any corner, but we really enjoyed this spot. They had a covered area outside with space heaters where the performers were playing so it was much roomier than a crowded bar. You have to order an Irish coffee! It warmed us right up after walking there in the rain.
Find Colorful Doors
Dublin is well known for it’s colorful doors and Georgian architecture! We loved exploring a few of the Georgian Squares like Merrion Square, Fitzilliam Square, and St. Stephens Green. Of course we had to stop for photos in front of the doors!
Daytrip to Cliffs of Moher
We booked a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher through Viator. The day trip took us to Limerick, The Burren, Galway, Doolin, County Clare, and Bunratty Castle. Our favorite spot of the day was of course the stunning Cliffs of Moher! We wished we would have had more time to admire it but our tour had so much squeezed into one day. I would highly recommend booking a tour that covers a lot less so that you can enjoy the spots you visit like this tour.
We loved our visit to Dublin! I hope I’ve given you some ideas of what to do in Dublin if you are planning a trip there! If you have any questions about the spots I mentioned go ahead and leave me a comment and I will do my best to answer!
Also, check out my Ireland Travel Diary for another peek at my trip! https://youtu.be/eyihqirlyfA
XOXO
Dublin is so pretty, thank you for sharing. it is nice to see other cities through the eyes of a visitor
It is Cynthia! Thank you 🙂
I’ve never been to Dublin but it’s on my bucket list! St. Stephen’s Green looks so pretty . . . I always love finding green spaces in the middle of cities.
I do too Ann! Dublin was very beautiful 🙂
Naturally as someone who grew up being fascinated with history, l am of course drawn to the likes of Dublin Castle and Temple Bar. My friend is from Ireland, near Dublin and I would so like to see her home town and explore the bars in Dublin. I can imagine it being a load of fun.
We loved Dublin! It was so pretty there 🙂
I haven’t been to dublin for years – since i was very little. Would love to visit again. xx
You should Anna!
I need to get back up to Dublin. It has been far too long, on my next trip I really want to visit Trinity College, thanks for sharing.
You should Michael! 🙂
I love nature and landscapes in general. Visiting Ireland has always been one of my priorities . I would love to listen to country music and watch the beautiful landscapes.
You would love it, it’s beautiful!
I visited Ireland about 2 years ago. Would love to visit again to explore the country a bit more.
You should! There is so much to see 🙂
I haven’t been in Dublin, but I’d love to visit the city one day, especially after reading posts like this which enhance the beauty of Dublin. The Brazen Head is definitely must visit place!
The cliffs at Moher looks like a hike which is totally worth the time and the view from the top looks amazing. Brazen head looks really cute and amazing and something I would do if I am in the vicinity.
You would love it Nathan! 🙂