Dublin, Ireland was meant to be a layover for us but we are so glad we extended the stay.
We are officially in love with Ireland and we cannot wait to go back and explore outside of Dublin. As everyone from any other city in Ireland told us their city was the best and much better than Dublin, we cannot wait to visit all of the “bests.”
Everything about Dublin had us charmed. The architecture is stunning, the pubs are a blast, and the people were wildly friendly. Everyone we encountered there is so nice and we feel like they genuinely want to stop and have a conversation with us. The same was true for us in Scotland, it’s so refreshing to see people value human connection.
Besides all of these great stops, we highly recommend roaming around the Dublin streets and just soaking in the city life. We were pretty touristy on this trip, but honestly… these touristy stops were just too good.
Here are the 6 things you must do in while you’re in Dublin.
1. Guinness Storehouse Factory
This was Andrew’s #1 stop on his Dublin list, my expectations were pretty low. I mean what all can you really see on a beer tour… Turns out a lot. This is honestly one of my favorite experiences. I actually recently read this is currently the top tour in Europe. And fun fact: This was my first Guinness… Also now I can never drink it anywhere else. It really does taste better there.
Arthur Guinness’ story was incredible to me, so inspiring. Did you know he signed a 9,000 year lease on the Dublin Storehouse? Now that is commitment to your goals.
They walk you through the entire process, which is oddly extremely entertaining, and a lot more goes into making one beer than one thought.
We also got a beer selfie, or a #Stoutie, which is your photo in a Guinness weird concept but we couldn’t turn it down. And it was a wildly reasonable price… like maybe $6 US, that would never be a thing in the states it would be like $25. We couldn’t skip out…
And then there was the food, plus the view. You’re basically trapped in here for a full day… could be a worse place to be trapped I suppose. Lots of Guinness on an empty stomach calls for some good food, and their restaurants have just that. I had Guinness Stew and it was DELICIOUS!
The lines weren’t bad when we were there in January, but we were told they stretch down the street at times. However, you can buy tickets to skip the line here at this link: Book your Guinness Tickets in advance to avoid the lines!
You can’t leave here without the top floor view though with a free Guinness on the side.
If you’re in Dublin… 100% go for the Guinness tour!
2. Christchurch
We stayed at a charming hotel right across the street from Christchurch. So we walked around Christchurch quite a bit.
It is really a stunning work of architecture. We showed up to tour on a Sunday and a Wednesday… right in time for mass. FYI: No tours during mass, but you can attend!
We opted to come back later. If you are into stunning architecture, history, and crypts… Weird combo, but if that is your fancy… check out Christchurch! There’s also a copy of the Magna Carta kept in the crypts, pretty cool!
3. Jameson Distillery
Is it weird that I structured this post Alcohol, Church, Alcohol, Church… or kind of perfect for Dublin?
Next stop: Jameson Irish Whiskey Experience
So, we actually didn’t make in time for the tour here, but sat at the bar and worked through some of their specialty drinks. What can we say, it was cold and they advertised hot cocoa with whisky. Yes, it was just what we needed.
I’m sure the tour is lovely, as it got some great reviews from other tourists who sat at the bar with us, however, that night we were just happy to have made it in time for some warm drinks and good company.
4. Saint Patrick’s Cathedral
Back to church we go!
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is really worth a stop. It’s a quick tour, lasting maybe an hour or less to see Saint Patrick’s Cathedral… in Dublin… I feel like that makes sense.
It is a gorgeous building inside and out and our tour guide was so passionate about sharing the history with us. It’s always a nice extra when a tour guide really loves what they do. Also, the tours are free! When you arrive simply ask the front desk when the next guided tour is. You can also wonder around by yourself, but if you have time we highly recommend the tour. Lastly, while the tour is free, we offered our guide a tip, which he kindly turned down, but suggested we donate it to the church as the upkeep is quite expensive.
5. Trinity College Library
Making both of my librarian parents proud, we had to make a stop at the Trinity College Library. 200,000 books surround you as you walk through this space. This was a quick stop for us, as we had a flight to catch the same day, however, we were lucky enough to join a tour last minute.
We were there in January, so as you can guess, with it being cold in Dublin there weren’t a lot of tourists in the city, but the Trinity College tour was packed! Fortunately, if you’re wanting to visit the library and see the Book of Kells, one of Irelands most famous treasures, you can book a smaller guided tour online. These guided tours operate during times the public isn’t allowed in. This allows you to take your time exploring and also gives you an opportunity to take some really good photos without all the people. Here’s the link to the tour times and prices: https://indefinitetravel.com/trinitycollege
6. Kilmainham Gaol Prison
Someone told us, you must go visit the prison… okay strange. Now every time someone asks me Dublin tips I say, I know this is strange, but you have to go visit the old prison!
Kilmainham Gaol was built in 1796, and is full of Irish history and a little bit spooky. The tour lasts between 60-90 minutes and tickets are limited so they must be bought online in advance at the museums official website site; https://kilmainhamgaolmuseum.ie/. At the time of writing this tickets are $11 USD for adults.
P.s. If you are there in the winter it is COLD, in all capitals. Especially for us summer chasers. There’s something about the way the wind whips through the stones. So if you’re visiting in the winter, make sure to bundle up in layers.
Bonus section… Dublin Food and Drink!
The Temple Bar
Mostly because it’s ‘The Temple Bar’. If you don’t know about the Temple Bar, allow me to catch you up. It’s modern day claim to fame is that it boasts over 450 different kinds of rare whiskies, the largest collection in Ireland. It was also established nearly 200 years ago, in 1840. We walked by it a couple times in hopes that it wouldn’t be too crowded, however, we quickly found out that it’s always busy. So eventually one night we fought through the crowd to have a seat and glass of whiskey.
A good local Dublin pub…
Ask a local for a spot to grab a pint and listen to some local music.
Our hotel concierge sent us to ‘Darkey Kellys’ and it did not disappoint. We enjoyed live music and out of this world stew and burgers. The energy of this live music in Ireland was so cool to me!
When in Dublin, we recommend simply taking a night or two to wander through the streets and just pop into some of the pubs and enjoy the music. A lot of people really hate on Irish food, but we really enjoyed it! Fish and Chips, yes please. Amazing burgers, YES. And the stews are delicious.
We cannot wait to come back to Dublin and explore more of what Ireland has to offer. Like we said at the beginning, according to locals everyone else’s hometown was the best, so we can’t wait to see who was right 🙂
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