Hopefully you’ll have more than two days to spend in Dublin, but even with just 48 hours you can pack a lot in! This guide is based on my experience in March 2023 and includes my tips for a weekend in Dublin if you like a mix of walking, museums, and other “cultural sights” (which I’m gonna say includes both churches and pubs!)
After the 48 hour guide, I’ve included a few tips on where to stay in Dublin, how to get around, and other practicalities so feel free to skip down (but don’t skip the photos)!
Day 1 – South Bank
9am – Head out to get a feel for the city (and take some photos if you like) before it gets really busy. Call me a Boomer but I love a Rick Steves walking tour, and his Audio Europe app has a South Bank walk that provides a nice overview and some fun insights into stops around the city center. Pick it up midway at Trinity College, then head west along Dame Street past City Hall, the Dublin Castle and Christ Church Cathedral. Be sure to stop into the Bank Bar to admire the stained glass and paintings, and also to see the replica of the Book of Kells. You can get a Full Irish at the Bank, or grab breakfast wherever you like along the way.
11am – Take Christchurch Place down to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Enjoy the view from St. Patrick’s Park, then head inside. (There is a fee to visit, unless you’re attending a service.)
11:30am – Right down St. Patrick’s Close towards the rear of the cathedral you’ll find Marsh’s Library, with a private collection that has been open since the eighteenth century. Some of the books are likely on display, and the overall vibe is very similar to the Trinity College Library (if on a smaller scale).
12pm – Head for St. Stephen’s Green. The St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Center can be a good spot for photos and possibly lunch. From there, you can pick the walking tour back up as you take Dawson Street, to Anne Street, to Grafton Street, checking out some historic pubs and the Mansion House along the way.
1pm – Grafton Street has plenty to explore; don’t miss Bewley’s stained glass interiors, and take your time enjoying the buskers and browsing in the shops. If you haven’t already eaten and are looking for a healthier option, Cornucopia Wholefoods Restaurant right off Grafton on Wicklow St has a variety of vegetarian and vegan options for combination plates at good value for lunch. There’s also a cafe on the top floor of Marks & Spencer with some light lunch options as well as treats.
3pm – Take your pick of sights for the afternoon: the National Museum, National Library, and National Gallery of Ireland are all free and in the same area just past Trinity College, or you can loop back to Dublin Castle.
5pm – Finish up a long day of exploring by celebrating in the Temple Bar area, with plenty of options for pints, dinner, or whatever you like for the rest of the evening.
*After seeing the replica of the Book of Kells in the Bank Bar as well as visiting Marsh’s Library, you can decide if you want to purchase advance tickets to see the real Book of Kells and the Trinity College Library (tickets typically aren’t available day-of). The exhibit about the Book of Kells is well done but the book is – well, a book, open to whatever pages they’ve chosen for a period of time. In the library you can see the oldest harp in Ireland, a copy of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic, and various other artifacts in addition to the beautiful two floors of shelves filled with historical books. Personally, I won’t say it wasn’t worth the price of admission, but that after seeing both Marsh’s Library and the Book of Kells replica at Bank Bar I didn’t feel like the actual Trinity College Library experience was all that different.
Day 2 – Museums, North City, Guinness/Jameson
10am – Start the day with whatever museums/historical sights you didn’t get to yesterday afternoon – the Dublin Castle, the National Museum, the National Library, the National Gallery of Ireland, or the Trinity College Library. If you’re looking for another free attraction near the Dublin Castle, the Chester Beatty museum right behind the castle is renowned for its collection of manuscripts, as well as other art and artifacts.
12pm – No matter where you spend the morning, the Silk Road cafe at the Chester Beatty has great options for lunch. If you feel like more of a walk I also heard great things about The Cake Cafe but unfortunately didn’t make it out that far.
1pm – After lunch, there’s another Rick Steves walk to enjoy for all us Boomers/audio-tour fans. Start from O’Connell Bridge and head up O’Connell Street, stopping to at least look inside the General Post Office and also to visit the GPO Museum if you like.
3pm– The walk ends near the Dublin Writers Museum and the Hugh Lane Gallery; 14 Henrietta Street, an 18th-century tenement building offering tours highlighting Dublin life through the centuries, is also fairly nearby. Or, you can head over to the Guinness Storehouse or the Jameson Distillery. (Note that 14 Henrietta, the Guinness and Jameson tours all typically require advance booking.)
6pm – If you explored Temple Bar last night, the area around O’Connell and Parnell Streets is another popular place to go out.
Essentials for a Weekend in Dublin
Tips to help you in planning a weekend in Dublin –
Where to stay in Dublin: I stayed at an Airbnb north of the river and just northeast of Connolly Station; it felt slightly out of the way but I was able to walk or take the bus or tram from near the house to anywhere I wanted to go. Unless you really want to be right in the middle of the tourist party scene I wouldn’t necessarily recommend staying in the Temple Bar area. There seemed to be a lot of hotels north of the river in the area between Four Courts and Ha’Penny Bridge; I might look there next time I come back.
Getting around Dublin: From the airport, you can take a city bus or the Dublin Express private bus into the city center. The Dublin Express actually has two routes, the 782 and the 784; check their website for the latest details but in my experience, the 782 has the quickest connections between the airport and St. George’s Quay – and from St. George’s it’s fairly easy to walk or take the tram wherever else in the center you need to go. Also note that there are two pickup locations at the airport and it may save you time to go to the stop directly at Terminal 2.
What to do about money in Dublin: I used my card for almost everything with no problems. Note tipping is not particularly common but if you do want to tip you may want cash, you’ll have to make a point of asking to add a tip on a credit card payment. The one other thing I found it convenient to have cash for was taking the city buses (although to use the tram or the train line, you can buy tickets at a machine using a card).
Best photo spots/times in Dublin: I liked wandering the center city streets, around Temple Bar, Grafton Street, and Dame Street, in the morning before they got too busy. Likewise, the Trinity College green is relatively empty and beautiful first thing. I liked the Georgian architecture around Merrion Square Park in the late afternoon, and would have liked to get some good sunset shots on the River Liffey.
