This post was originally published on A Globe Well Travelled in 2017. The content has been revised and updated with fresh information.
I don’t think I’ve ever written a city guide with so many boozy recommendations.
Some cities are known for their landmarks, others for their food — but Dublin has built a reputation around its pub culture, and honestly, it lives up to the hype. From cosy, dimly lit bars to lively venues filled with traditional Irish music, it’s the kind of place where an evening pint can easily turn into a late night out.
I was excited to visit the classic Irish pubs when my husband and I visited Dublin for the first time in 2017, but it didn’t take me long to realise that there’s a lot more to the city than sipping on Guinness and whiskey. Historic cathedrals, riverside walks and surprisingly fascinating museums made it easy to fill a couple of days with activities.
If you’re planning your first trip, this guide pulls together the best things to do in Dublin into a simple weekend itinerary — along with a few honest tips on what’s worth your time (and what you might want to skip).
Quick summary:
Planning your first trip to Dublin? This weekend itinerary covers the best things to do, from historic landmarks and cultural sites to iconic pubs, whiskey tastings and live music — plus practical tips to help you make the most of your time in the city.
Recommended tours & tickets:
🍺 Guinness Storehouse Entry Ticket – Self-guided brewery experience with Gravity Bar views over Dublin
🥃 Jameson Whiskey Distillery Tour with Tastings – Interactive tasting experience at the original Bow Street distillery
🎶 Irish House Party Dinner & Show – Traditional music, dancing and Irish dinner in an intimate setting
How to Spend a Weekend in Dublin
This is roughly how I’d recommend structuring a weekend in Dublin based on what I did during my visit.
Day 1: Historic sights and a first taste of Dublin’s pub scene
Morning:
Start your day by exploring Dublin’s historic centre. Visit Dublin Castle, then make your way to St Patrick’s Cathedral and Christ Church Cathedral. All three are within easy walking distance, so it’s an easy way to cover a few of the city’s main landmarks in one morning.
Afternoon:
After lunch, make your way towards Trinity College to visit the library and see the Long Room, one of Dublin’s most iconic sights.
From there, head down to the River Liffey and spend some time wandering along the waterfront. Crossing the Ha’penny Bridge is one of those simple things that really helps you get a feel for the city. If you’re in the mood for a break, this is also a good time to stop for an Irish coffee.
Evening:
Spend your evening in a traditional Irish pub. It’s worth taking a walk through Temple Bar to see what it’s like, but I wouldn’t recommend staying there all night — it’s very touristy and tends to be more expensive.
Instead, head slightly further out for a better atmosphere. This is the perfect time to enjoy a pint of Guinness and your first proper taste of Dublin’s pub culture.
Day 2: Whiskey, history and classic Dublin experiences
Morning:
Start your day with a proper Irish breakfast — it’s one of the classic things to try in Dublin, even if it’s not the lightest way to begin the day. Afterwards, spend some time wandering through the city centre, picking up anything you might have missed on your first day or just enjoying the atmosphere at a slower pace.
Midday:
Head to either the Guinness Storehouse or the Jameson Distillery for a tour and tasting experience. Both take a couple of hours, so they fit well into the middle of your day.
Afternoon:
Plan your visit to Kilmainham Gaol around your booked time slot. It’s one of the most insightful historical experiences in Dublin and well worth the short trip out of the city centre. Since tours run at specific times and have limited capacity, it’s best to book this in advance and structure your day around it.
Evening:
Head back into the city and spend your final evening enjoying a night of live music in a local pub, or if you’re after something more structured, you could book a traditional music and dance show.
Best things to do in Dublin
Pubs and Drinks in Dublin
Dublin is one of those cities where drinking culture isn’t just a side activity — it’s a huge part of the experience. There’s an Irish pub on what feels like every corner, and it doesn’t take much effort to find somewhere with a good atmosphere.
Most first-time visitors end up in Temple Bar at some point, but I’d honestly recommend heading slightly away from that area if you can. Temple Bar is very touristy and full of drunk Brits having bachelor parties, and it didn’t feel like the kind of place you’d want to spend too much time.
Instead, head southeast towards the area between Temple Bar and St Stephen’s Green. The narrow streets here have plenty of historic bars and restaurants that don’t feel as overpriced or crowded.
My personal favourite was drinking outside The Dame Tavern. This divey pub had a few empty Guinness barrels lined up outside to use as tables, and we ended up sitting there for quite a while, perfectly positioned to hear the live music drifting over from The Stag’s Head across the road.
Another place to check out is The Brazen Head, which is the oldest pub in Ireland. This 800-year-old venue has multiple rooms, an outdoor seating area, and plenty of old-time charm to soak in while you drink.
Trying Guinness in Dublin
Even if you’re not a big beer drinker, it’s hard to come to Dublin and not try a pint of Guinness. It’s sold at nearly every venue in the city, so you won’t need to go far to find one. One of the main attractions for visitors is the Guinness Storehouse.
🍺 If you’re planning to go, you can book a Guinness Storehouse Entry Ticket in advance, which gives you access to the full self-guided experience inside the brewery at St. James’s Gate.
The tour takes you through a seven-storey exhibition inside an old fermentation plant, covering everything from the ingredients and brewing process to Guinness’s advertising campaigns. It finishes at the Gravity Bar, where you’ll get a pint of Guinness along with panoramic views over Dublin.
That said, I’ll be honest — we found it to be slightly disappointing. The experience felt quite commercial and overcrowded (my husband described it as “the factory farming of brewery tours”), and overall just not great value for money. If you don’t mind overpriced tourist attractions you might enjoy it, but otherwise you can just grab a pint in a pub for a more authentic experience.
Sampling Irish whiskey
The Jameson Distillery at Bow Street runs guided experiences throughout the day, and it ended up being one of the better Dublin attractions.
🥃 If you’re planning to visit, you can book a Jameson Whiskey Distillery Tour with Tastings, which includes a guided tour of the original Bow Street distillery along with a tasting experience.
During the tour, you’ll learn about the history of John Jameson and how whiskey is made, with a mix of interactive elements where you can smell, taste and compare different styles. It finishes with a drink at the bar — either neat or with ginger ale — which is a nice way to wrap things up.
They also sell whiskey chocolates in the gift shop, which are dangerously good.
🥃 If you’d prefer something a bit more focused on the broader history of Irish whiskey rather than a single brand, another option is the Irish Whiskey Museum Tour and Whiskey Tasting.
This is a guided, storytelling-style experience that walks you through the rise, fall and revival of Irish whiskey, finishing with a tasting led by expert guides.
Trying an Irish coffee
Before visiting Dublin, I don’t think I’d ever had an Irish coffee. This drink is made with Irish whiskey and coffee, and is topped with cream.
I did some research on the best places to get Irish coffee in Dublin and ended up at The Stage Door Café. Can confirm — it was extremely tasty, and definitely worth trying at least once while you’re in the city.
Live Irish music
One of the best things to do in Dublin at night is find a pub with live music. Not every place plays traditional Irish tunes, but there are plenty that do if you know where to look.
We found some great live music at O’Shea’s, The Cobblestone and The Brazen Head. Sitting in a pub with a drink in hand, listening to ballads about the Irish countryside, is a great way to spend an evening.
🎶 You can also book a Music and Dance Show at The Irish House Party. This is a hosted evening in an 18th-century townhouse, where you’ll get a traditional Irish dinner followed by a live performance from musicians and dancers.
The show focuses on traditional instruments like the harp, bodhrán and uilleann pipes, with a mix of music, storytelling and audience interaction. It’s a more structured way to experience Irish music compared to a pub, but still feels intimate and authentic.
Historic Sites to Visit in Dublin
Dublin has a surprising number of historic landmarks packed into a fairly small area, which makes it easy to visit several in a single day. Even if you’re not usually big on sightseeing, these are worth making time for — they give a bit more context to the city beyond the pub scene.
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle is almost completely hidden from view by the buildings surrounding it, but it’s definitely worth seeking out. You’ll find the pedestrian entrance next to the City Hall building.
The castle’s elaborate staterooms can be explored on a self-guided tour. You can also choose to join a guided tour, which allows you to see the Viking excavation and the Chapel Royal as well as the staterooms.
St Patrick’s Cathedral
St Patrick’s is the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland and dates back to 1220. It’s kept in excellent condition for visitors, which is funded by the entry fee.
⛪ If you’re planning to visit, you can pre-book a St Patrick’s Cathedral: Self-Guided Cathedral Admission, which gives you access to the interior along with exhibits that explore the history of the building.
Inside, you’ll also find displays connected to Jonathan Swift, who was once the dean of the cathedral, as well as a small discovery space with interactive exhibits. The building itself is the main highlight though — especially the stained glass windows and overall scale.
Christ Church Cathedral
Christ Church Cathedral dates back to 1028 and is one of the oldest structures still in use in Dublin today.
While the interior is not quite as large and grand as St Patrick’s, I actually found it more interesting. You can walk down into the crypt beneath the cathedral, which is home to a collection of memorials and artefacts — including the famous mummified cat and rat, known locally (with typical Dublin humour) as “Tom and Jerry”.
⛪ If you’re planning to visit, you can book a Christ Church Cathedral Entrance Ticket & Self-Guided Tour, which includes access to the cathedral interior and crypt.
Trinity College Library
A long while ago I saw a beautiful photo of the Trinity College Library on Pinterest, and I’ve wanted to visit ever since. I’m so glad that I got to tick this one off my travel list.
The Long Room in the library is absolutely gorgeous, with towering wooden shelves filled with ancient books.
To get access to the library, you have to purchase a ticket to the Book of Kells exhibition, which includes original copies of the gospel books. I didn’t find the exhibition to be all that interesting except for the displays on Celtic calligraphy and book-binding, but it’s still worth it for the library alone.
Kilmainham Gaol
Kilmainham Gaol is not located in the city centre, but it’s absolutely worth the short journey out (we caught a bus there in under 15 minutes).
This ended up being one of the most interesting places we visited in Dublin. The gaol has housed political prisoners from Ireland’s uprising and civil war, and the guides do a great job of telling the stories of the people who were held there.
You can’t explore the gaol independently — entry is only via guided tour, with limited numbers per session. If you’re visiting during a busy period or have a specific time in mind, it’s worth booking tickets ahead to avoid missing out.
Where to Eat in Dublin
Boy, the Irish can eat. Every meal we had was an enormous portion of carb-heavy food.
One of the main dishes to try is a full Irish breakfast, which usually includes bacon, sausages, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, baked beans and toast.
For vegetarians like myself, Ireland can be a bit tricky, as most of the dishes are quite meat-heavy. That said, I did manage to find a few great spots for vegetarian food in Dublin.
Umi Falafel was perfect for something quick and healthy, and Cornucopia — a vegetarian bistro — had plenty of solid options if you’re looking for a proper meal.
Where to Stay in Dublin
Some websites might suggest staying in the Temple Bar area in Dublin — but I wouldn’t recommend it.
Temple Bar is very touristy and full of drunk evening crowds, so it’s not the best place to stay if you’re hoping for a quieter base.
Instead, I’d suggest staying south or west of Temple Bar. It’s just as easy to get around from these areas, and the atmosphere is noticeably calmer.
🏨 We ended up staying at Staycity Aparthotels Saint Augustine. I loved everything about it — the room was large with a separate lounge and kitchen, the staff were super friendly, and the location was excellent.
The only downside was that our room was on street level, so we had people constantly walking past our window. If you book it, I’d recommend requesting a room on a higher floor.
How to Get Around Dublin
Overall, getting around Dublin is pretty straightforward and doesn’t require too much planning. Dublin is a very walkable city, and most of the main attractions are located within the city centre. For anything a bit further out — like Kilmainham Gaol — public buses are a convenient option.
Is Dublin Worth Visiting?
I think Dublin is definitely worth visiting, especially for a first-time trip to Ireland.
It’s not the most visually spectacular city in Europe, but what it lacks in big landmarks, it makes up for in atmosphere. The combination of history, pub culture and live music gives it a really distinct feel.
That said, it can be quite expensive, and some areas — particularly Temple Bar — feel very geared towards tourists.
If you go in with the right expectations and focus on the more authentic experiences, Dublin is a really enjoyable city to spend a couple of days.
Dublin FAQ
Is Dublin expensive to visit?
Yes, Dublin can be quite expensive compared to other European cities, especially when it comes to accommodation, food and drinks.
How many days do you need in Dublin?
Two days is enough to see the main highlights of Dublin and get a good feel for the city, though I spent a few extra days there so that I could see the sights at a relaxed pace.
Is Temple Bar worth visiting?
It’s worth walking through Temple Bar to see what it’s like, but I wouldn’t recommend spending too much time there.
What is Dublin best known for?
Dublin is best known for its pub culture, Guinness, Irish whiskey, live music and historic landmarks.
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