I will admit I’m not a huge fan of cities when I travel because they don’t seem to have the same charm elsewhere…Dublin is the exact opposite! Yes, Dublin is a city, but it’s filled with charm and felt like home. Its definitely in my top 3 cities. I spent 3 days in Dublin so if you’re short on time, 2-3 days is a perfect amount of time to venture through this amazing city and soak in what it’s all about: FUN. It’s also a great walkable city so save some money and walk around (especially on a beautiful day!).
When I traveled to Ireland, I roadtripped in a circle around the whole country (including Northern Ireland) and used Dublin airport to fly in and out which makes it a great starting and ending point if you do the same.
Things to do in Dublin
- Dublin Castle – Dublin Castle is nestled inside the city and is almost hidden from the outside, but the inside has beautiful architectural features. The garden is also nice to stroll in. You walk across a path over the street and walk down into the garden that also has a helicopter pad!
2. St. Patrick’s Cathedral – So obviously, you travel to Ireland you need to see something related to St. Patrick so why not check out the cathedral? I’ll admit it comes across as a little touristy, but what was unique about the cathedral were the intricate floor tiles.
3. Guinness – Ok, lets state the obvious. You’re in Dublin, Ireland so you HAVE TO go to Guinness and have a pint. Walking to Guinness felt like stepping back in time because the streets are all cobble stones and surrounded by old brick factory buildings. The actual Guinness Brewery/Museum has several floors with each level giving you history about the Brewery. My favorite level was the “mascot” level with all of the animals Guinness has used in its advertising, but another level that was really cool was the smelling room that reminded me of an adult Guinness Willy Wonka room. This room had pedestals that released the scent of all the flavors/ingredients that goes into Guinness during the brewing process. Once you reach the top level, you have earned a pint of Guinness with a skyline view of the city which you can find at the top bar. If you’re hungry, they have two restaurants at the top level too.
4. Jameson Distillery – While Guinness Brewery was pretty cool, the Jameson Distillery was even more fun and more interactive. At Jameson you can take a tour (which I highly recommend) and normally I’m not a tour fan at all because I don’t want to be herded or bored out of my mind… not at Jameson! It was intriguing, interactive and you got to end your tour with a comparison of Scotch and Jameson (Scotch is whiskey that is smoked in Scotland and Jameson is Irish whiskey). You also are given a ticket for a free Jameson cocktail to enjoy at their bar. I had the Cherry Jameson sour and it was delicious!
5. Walk around and explore – Wandering around is my favorite way to see new or interesting things when traveling. Wander around the cobble stone streets, stop in a pub, enjoy music that’s being played along the street, or walk in a park like St. Stephens Green. You’re sure to see some great finds around Dublin!
Where & what to eat:
- Fish and Chips at Brazen Head – Brazen Head is said to be the oldest pub in Dublin and this was the first stop I ordered fish and chips. I ordered fish and chips randomly throughout my Irish roadtrip and the ones I had at Brazen Head were hands down the best! Super cripsy and flaky fish… I still think about it.
- Boxty at Boxty – A Boxty is an Irish potato pancake and the restaurant Boxty serves them in fun and filling ways! I got a lunch boxty platter with corned beef and I couldn’t even finish it all even though I really wanted to. These guys were also featured on the Netflic show Somebody Feed Phil.
- Ice Cream at Murphy’s Ice Cream – When isn’t ice cream a good idea? The ice cream flavors at Murphy’s makes it hard to chose just one! One of my favorites I tried was the Dingle Salted Caramel because the town Dingle is known for their sea salt on the western coast of Ireland.
If you’ve been to Dublin, I’d love to hear your favorite spots around this city by commenting below!