Dublin
Irish history, art & Georgian streets
Dublin tells a particular part of Ireland’s story: through its political history, Georgian streets, museums and social life.
It is also somewhere you can eat very well and spend an enjoyable afternoon without moving far. I lived here for more than a decade, and the guides below draw on that familiarity to help you choose what deserves your time. Start with your interests, then build a visit around them.
Plan your Dublin trip
Plan your visit
Put two days to good use
The two-day itinerary brings together the city’s history and its everyday pleasures without treating every famous attraction as compulsory. Kilmainham Gaol is a particular priority if you want to understand modern Irish history; time for walking, a pub and a good meal matters too. If you are deciding whether Dublin belongs in your wider trip, the city assessment sets out who it suits and the compromises to consider.
Food & city life
Make a meal part of the plan
Dublin’s food is a good reason to leave old expectations about Irish cooking behind. There is seafood, baking and contemporary cooking worth seeking out, alongside the pleasure of somewhere informal you can return to. The restaurant guide helps you choose by the sort of meal you want, rather than treating dinner as whatever happens to be nearest when sightseeing ends.
When to go
Winter depends on the month
December’s festive activity and the quieter weeks of January or February make quite different visits. Museums, pubs and restaurants give you plenty to enjoy when the weather turns, but short daylight hours change how you arrange the day. The winter guide sets out those differences so you can decide what appeals to you.
A useful rule
Give Dublin more than a stopover
If history, art and culture are what draw you to a city, Dublin can keep you occupied for days. The National Gallery, Chester Beatty and the National Museum of Ireland offer quite different collections, while Kilmainham Gaol and the city’s Georgian buildings open up other parts of its past. You don’t need to visit them all, but I would look at what interests you before automatically giving Dublin a single day at the start or end of an Ireland trip.
Every published guide
All Dublin guides
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