Things to do in Dublin

I recently went to Dublin with my sister and we fell in love with this city. Everyone was so friendly and we did the perfect mix of seeing some history, sightseeing, and relaxing at a pub with a drink in hand. If you are planning a trip to Dublin and looking for things to do, check out my recommendations below.

What to do in Dublin

Visit the Temple Bar neighborhood for some fun bars. We stopped at the famous Temple Bar itself for a drink. It’s always busy but at night it gets much busier and you may have to wait in line to get in.

Take a tour of Trinity College’s Library – The Long Room. This room was so beautiful. First, you can walk through an exhibit dedicated to the Book of Kells, then you continue on into the Long Room. The Long Room has 200,000 books!

Grab a pint and tour the Guinness Storehouse. Here, you walk through a visual experience that shows how Guinness brews its beers. It also has a cafe and restaurant, as well as their Gravity Bar that has 360 views of the city. You can book tours through their website. If you don’t like their flagship beer, they do have other options such as a lager and red ale.

Take a tour of the city on a vintage tea bus. This is the most unique tour I’ve ever taken. You take a double-decker bus tour of the city while having tea, scones, desserts, and finger sandwiches! Points of interests are shared throughout the tour as well as fun facts.

Take a tour of Dublin Castle. This felt less like a typical castle and more like a palace. It is nestled right in the heart of the city and a nice short tour that gives you a peek into how the old rulers lived.

Get a drink at Darkey Kelley’s. This bar is dedicated to an iconic woman. She used to run a brothel (where the bar is located) and was accused of being a witch. However, recent studies have shown she may have been Ireland’s first ever serial killer.

Take a self-guided tour at the Museum of Archaeology. This was such a pleasant surprise. We went in with no expectations, and it was actually so interesting. It’s also free! You can give donations if you wish. They had an entire exhibit dedicated to bog bodies – which showed so many rituals and how people used to live since bogs perfectly preserve bodies for hundreds of years! The museum was set up so you can walk through differen eras of time and see how people lived.

Take a cocktail making class at Jameson. I’m not a whiskey drinker so I went into this with no expectations, in fact, I was actually nervous. I absolutely loved it and this experience was a highlight of our time in Dublin. Jameson has a bar so you can just go there and hang out and have a drink, but they also have a cocktail making class, a tasting, and blending class. In the class, we got to sip a small glass of whiskey, and then made a rhubarb sour, and an old fashioned. The instructor also made us a summer punch and we all got to drink that as a group and hang out after class was over. It was super fun!

Take a tour of Malahide Castle. This Medieval castle is about 30 minutes outside of Dublin. It has beautiful grounds and gardens. We took a 45 minute tour of the inside too.

Walk over the Ha’penny Bridge. This bridge connects two parts of Dublin city and allows you to cross over the River Liffey. Unlike the bridges nearby, it has a really unique design.

Where to stay in Dublin

The Morgan Hotel. This is in the heart of Temple Bar neighborhood. We loved it’s location, but do note that it is very loud at night! If you stay here I recommend bringing ear plugs or a white noise machine.