Dublin is the epicenter of Ireland’s metropolitan life. The city is booming with history, art and fun… By fun, I mean lots of drinking opportunities. However, Dublin is a great destination for any adventure seeker, whether you are a family or legal drinker.
When you don’t want to miss anything in Dublin, I have some advice. Here are my tips for the perfect day in Dublin!
Experiencing Irish weather.
Arriving to Dublin
When you arrive to Dublin Airport, you will have to make arrangements for transportation into the city. We decided to get a round trip ticket bus pass at the airport, which worked out really well for us. After a few days in Dublin— carless—our plan was to go back to the airport to pick up our rental car, and drive the rest of the vacation. That way, we could save a few bucks by renting a car for less days.
If you decide to take the bus, take it to your hotel first so you can drop off your luggage. When we arrived, it was pouring down rain and umbrellas could not handle the wind. As we raced from covering to covering with our luggage in tow, it was nice to be delivered only a few blocks away from our hotel on these foreign streets.
Since we landed early in the morning and check in was not until 3 p.m. I contacted my hotel ahead of time to see if they could hold our luggage until check in. Most hotels will hold your luggage if you are not able to check in right away. Once they accepted our luggage, we had a few hours of free time to explore the city.
What to Do in Dublin
Standing at the base and looking up
The Spire – In every city, I always try to find a landmark near my hotel so I can figure out where I am and not get lost. In Dublin, the Spire was my landmark to find my way back. Standing 120 meters, or 390 feet, high, the Spire stands out among all the surrounding buildings.
The stunning architecture of St. Patrick's Cathedral.
St Patrick’s Cathedral - One of my bucket list items was to visit Ireland over St. Patrick’s Day. To celebrate the holiday, we visited the awe-inspiring St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The beautiful stained glass windows and Gothic architecture of the Cathedral stood out among all the other buildings in the area. In the rear, a beautiful grass area and park was a perfect place to walk around, pack a picnic and/or take a million photos of the cathedral.
Dublin Castle – This castle is one of the most famous buildings in Ireland. 800 years ago, Dublin Castle was home to the British ruler. Today, it has been converted into museums, gardens, government facilities, a library and the Chapel Royal.
Street view of Christ Church Cathedral.
Christ Church Cathedral - Right off of the river is the gorgeous Christ Church Cathedral. One of my favorite sights while visiting any European city is seeing the cathedrals. They are usually rich in culture and history, and each one’s story differs so drastically. Find out the Christ Church Cathedral’s story while in Dublin!
Our route to the Guinness Brewery Storehouse entrance.
Guinness Brewery – The Guinness Brewery is easily one of Ireland’s most popular tourist destinations. The walk into the tour is stunning with dramatic wooden gates and brick streets. The brewery is everything you imaged the city of Dublin to be like. On the tour, you can taste the legendary Irish beer and peer out at the skyline at the sky bar.
Taste Testing Room in Jameson Distillery.
Jameson Distillery – The Jameson Distillery is rooted deep in Dublin’s history. Even if you are not a whiskey drinker, you will still find the history and story of the company to be very entertaining and worthwhile. During the tour, you will get to sample Irish, Scottish and America whiskey. The cherry on top of the tour is the complimentary drink in the luxury bar.
In the back of the room is a mummified corpse of a Crusader!
St. Michan’s Church – Right next to the Jameson Distillery is the quaint St. Michan’s church. It may look like a small city church tucked away in the busy Irish streets, but underneath lies thousands of years of history. In the crypts, you will find mummified corpses of religious figures. You can even see the hundreds of years old nails still on their hands and feet! Personally, St. Michan’s Church crypt tour is a must see in Dublin. The tour guides are entertaining, humorous and well versed in the history of the crypt and its residents.
Navigating the busy street at Temple Bar.
Temple Bar – Temple Bar is an area located next to the river. This is the cultural hub and nightlife area that is popular for visitors. There are many restaurants and pubs in this area for drinks and food.
Trinity College – Founded in 1592, Trinity College is an academic goldmine for Ireland. The college is well known for being Oscar Wilde’s alma mater and curating the Book of Kells.
Rain will not stop our exploration of Dublin!
Alternative Adventures
Since we all have different interests when visiting a city, here are some alternative adventures to do! Please note, this is not a sponsored post.
City Sightseeing Dublin Hop On Hop Off is a city bus tour for Dublin. If you have limited mobility or just want to see the sights from the top of a double decker bus, then this would be a great option for you.
Phoenix Park is the largest enclosed public park in a European city. It was formally a royal hunting park, but is now home to gardens and leisurely activities.
Oscar Wilde’s statue is a commemorative piece of art for the life of Oscar Wild. It is located in Merrion Square, which is not far from Trinity College.
The Famine Memorial is a series of statues by the Custom House Quary in memory of the victims of the Great Famine in the mid-19th century.
