24 hours in Dublin

The capital of Ireland is one of those destinations perfect both for families and single travellers ready to get the party started. The home of the Guinness beer (which here for sure tastes better), is also a home to many amazing pubs and bars as well as many parks perfect for picnics with your loved ones. Not to forget, this city will amaze you especially if you’re a literature fan, since it’s a birthplace of legends like James Joyce and Oscar Wilde. 24 hours are definitely not enough to see all Dublin has to offer, but you will sure fall in love with it and want to come back someday. Check out our short guide to see what’s not to miss in a single day in Dublin!

The fastest and safest way to reach Dublin is by plane. Check out our recent post to see your options of getting there from the airport (and back).

09:00 – Perfect time to try some Irish breakfast in one of local cafes, such as Lemon Crepe & Coffee Co with amazing Belgian waffles and delicious pastries, Pantry Café offering traditional breakfast at very reasonable prices, O’Neills with famous Black and White pudding, meaty sausages and yummy bacon or Laine, My Love where you can try homemade granola with Greek yogurt and a blueberry compote and many other delicacies! However, wherever you go, you can’t miss.

10:00 – Your first stop should be Kilmainham Gaol, a former prison where some of the most famous political and military leaders in Irish history such as Robert Emmet, Charles Stewart Parnell, the 1916 Rising leaders and Eamon de Valera were being held. It gives a dramatic and realistic insight into what it was like to have been confined in one of these forbidding bastions of punishment and correction between 1796 when it opened and 1924 when it closed. Access is by guided tour only.

11:30 – If you’re not sure where to go next, we recommend you Dublin’s top attraction, the Guinness Storehouse. The place situated in the very heart of the St James’s Gate Brewery is home to delicious ale since 1759. This visit gives you the opportunity to learn everything you ever wanted to know about this beer. The best part of the tour is the Gravity Bar where you are offered a free Guinness and a chance to relax while enjoying the breathtaking 360-degree view of the city.

13:30 – It’s time for the Book of Kells, one of the most beautiful illuminated manuscripts in the world, written around 800 AD. It consists of 680 pages of the Four Gospels in Latin. It was written by Irish monks and buried in the ground for fear of the Vikings. It was deposited in Trinity College Dublin after rediscovering in 1653. The entrance fee is 11€. It is totally worth it, the Old Library is really stunning.

14:30 – Lunch break! Since Dublin can be a bit spicy in prices, we’ll recommend a few excellent-but-on-a-budget like restaurants. Try out Boojum – Millennium Walkway with delicious Mexican food for 6€ and very friendly staff, the Parnell Bar with traditional bacon and cabbage, Bunsen with one of the best burgers in the city, or if you’re up for something fore Asian, go to Pho Viet or Mongolian Barbeque. Another cool place to eat at is Bite of Life with delicious sandwiches.

15:30 – Next stop on our route is St Patrick’s Cathedral, named after the patron saint of Ireland. This impressive cathedral dates from 1191 and contains the well-known Marsh’s Library, the oldest one in the country. Free tours with volunteer guides are available so make sure to use one and enjoy this lovely experience.

16:30 – Make sure you go to Dublin Zoo before its closing time at 18:00. Entrance fee for adults is 17.50€ (children and students 13.50€). The zoo is located in the Phoenix Park in the centre of Dublin and is the country’s most popular family attraction which welcomes over one million visitors per year.

18:00 – Since most of the attractions close by 08:00 p.m., you don’t have much choice. Take a stroll through St Stephen’s Green, a historical park and garden providing oasis as an escape of the city hassle. The park contains numerous monuments of Irish history and is home to many bird and plant species, all of which you can see by taking an evening walk through the park.

20:00 – Dinner time! Relax after a long day of exploring the city in one of the amazing restaurants with yummy food. For an amazing burger, go to Generator, where you’ll lose much time deciding which one to try, or if you’re more of a pizza person, Ciao Bella Roma is the place to go, it’s an authentically Italian restaurant with outstanding food which won’t leave you penniless. The best sea food is at the Seafood Bar, where even vegetarians can find something for themselves in case they don’t choose to go to the best vegetarian place Brother Hubbard.

21:00 – You can’t say you’ve been to Dublin without paying a visit to one (or a few, even better) classic, most popular Irish pubs, the Church bar in Mary Street, a former St. Mary’s Church of Ireland which now houses bars, restaurants, cafes and a juice bar, and Temple Bar, the most crowded place in Dublin on St Patrick’s Day and a bar with probably best beer choice in the city.

23:00 – Finish your evening with live music in the Brazen Head, Ireland’s oldest bar operating since 1178, where even famous writers like James Joyce and Samuel Beckett were regular guests. Enjoy the atmosphere of the free concert while sipping out your (hopefully not last) pint of Guinness beer.