Is Dublin Worth a Visit in 2024?
Heading to Ireland, and wondering if Dublin is worth a visit while you’re there? You’re in the right place.
Dublin is the capital, and largest city in Ireland and is one of the main places people visit. In fact, some people don’t see much of Ireland outside Dublin. But if you want to get capture the true ‘Irish experience’ is Dublin worth a visit?
Overall, I would say yes. I have spent time in all four Irish cities (Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Cork.) Of the hour, Dublin is my favourite city; a close second to Galway.
For one, Dublin is one of the most walkable cities in Europe. It has a very pleasant downtown atmosphere with the ability to walk to all the main attractions.
Also, 9 of the top 20 Irish tourist attractions are in Dublin, which is almost half of the attractions in the whole country. Dublin has buildings that are over 1000 years old, a very picturesque old town, a varied cuisine, some great museums.
So, is Dublin worth a visit? I believe it is, but I also think how much time you spend in Dublin depends how much time you have in Ireland and what your personal preferences are.
If you’re spending a week in Ireland, then I think you should definitely take at least a day to experience Dublin.
So, let’s jump in – let’s see what Dublin has to offer!
Fun Fact: Dublin was originally founded and settled by the Vikings in 841 AD
Is Dublin Worth a Visit? Highlights of Ireland’s Capital
Dublin has a lot of great qualities. Here is a snapshot of what Dublin has to offer
1. Dublin is great for all ages
Dublin is quite popular for stag and does from all over the British Isle, which make some people wonder if its still a family friendly place. I travelled to Dublin with my 3-year old child and we truly had a great time; there are many family friendly things to do in Dublin.
Dublin is a good destination for any age group – groups of friends, families, or couples on a romantic getaway.
2. Dublin was settled by Vikings has some of the oldest buildings in Ireland.
Dublin has a lot of notable historic sights, such as the 1,000 year old buildings: Christ Church Cathedral, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and the Dublin Castle. There are also some medieval castles you can stay in in and near Dublin.
Most of the tourist attraction medieval buildings are located right in the downtown core. The downtown of Dublin is very walkable and you can get to most attractions by foot
3. There are a lot of things to do outdoors in Dublin
Dublin has a lot of green space. St. Stephen’s Greens is a large Victorian park right in the city centre is a great way to spend a relaxing afternoon. Its right next to Grafton Street, a famous pedestrian-only street with shopping, buskers and places to eat
4. Dublin has a colourful foodie scene
A variety of food and great cuisine! Aside from traditional Irish pubs with Irish cuisine (such as the Temple Bar) you can find a great variety of food in Dublin, such as international cuisine, vegan restaurants, bars and great cafés.
5. Dublin has amazing museums
Dublin has a few really interesting museums that you can’t find anywhere else in Ireland, such as EPIC (Irish Emigration Museum), Dublina and the Irish Whiskey Museum
Pro Tip: Want to see the other parts of Ireland besides just Dublin? One option is to stay in Dublin, but book day trips to some of the most stunning sights around Ireland, such as this one.
My personal opinion is that Dublin is worth a visit.
Although the greater Dublin area has a population of 1.5 million as of 2022, the downtown core doesn’t feel that big at all. Even with a toddler, I was able to walk to all the landmarks in the city centre.
The city centre of Dublin is quaint, walkable, with a fun atmosphere, and even with the other spectacular things you can see around Ireland – there are a few gems in Dublin that are worth being on your itinerary.
Pro Tip: If you are not a city person at all, and tend to prefer small towns, then you Galway, which is is a smaller city. There’s less to do in Galway than in Dublin but it has amazing day trip options.
Things to Do in Dublin
Depending on your preferences, you might want to consider whether you want to spend the time in Dublin, or if you’re more keen on seeing other things to see in Ireland.
1. Tour the Christ Church Cathedral
Christ Church Cathedral is a large medieval church with a very deep history in Dublin. It was founded in the 1000s by a Viking named Sitric Silkenbeard, and it had to rebuilt in the 1100s by a Norman named Strongbow.
The legend says that Strongbow was buried in the Christ Church Cathedral. The cathedral has an impressive crypt, one of the largest in Europe.
I highly recommend checking out the Christchurch Cathedral while you’re in Dublin.
We spent a good 2 hours here wandering around through both floors. You should budget to spend around that amount of time too, because of what there is to see outside, inside the cathedral, as well as the crypt.
2. Do a Dublin food tour
The Dublin food tour is called the “Irish Food Trail” and its a 3-hour walking tour of Dublin. (Except you aren’t walking the whole time, quite a bit of the tour involves sampling Irish food.)
During the food tour, you get to visit some of the best restaurants and pubs in the city, and sample traditional Irish food, as well as craft beers.
Your guide is a Dublin local who can give you the inside scoop, and educate you on the history of Ireland cuisine.
Book your Dublin food tour here
3. Do a guided tour of the Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle, which is a must-see, (at least from the outside) is a medieval castle built in the 1200s on what used to be a Viking settlement in Dublin.
The castle has been many things over the centuries; a prison, a fortress, a court of law, and also the seat of the British rule in Ireland.
The castle is located in the downtown core, within walking distance of other attractions, like Temple Bar and Christ Church Cathedral.
You can do guided or self-guided tours of the inside of the castle. Guided tours are about 1 hour in length, and you can book them online on the caste’s website.
4. Try a pint at the Guinness Brewery
The Guinness beer was created in Dublin in 1759, so its a traditional Irish drink. Although you can find Guinness just about anywhere in the world by now, Dublin is the only city that has the one and only original Guinness Brewery.
At the Guinness Brewery (besides trying the Guinness of course) you can also sample Irish whiskeys, order food, and enjoy a beautiful view of the Dublin. I recommend you book a skip the line tour, as it can get very popular at peak times.
The Guinness Brewery also has a range of merchandise, such as T-shirts, hoodies, and even coffee and fudge with the official Guinness trademark logo. These can make unique Irish souvenirs to bring home.
Book your Skip the Line Tour to the Guinness Brewery here
5. Take a walk through the St. Stephen’s Greens
St. Stephen’s Greens is a large Victorian park right in Dublin’s downtown Core. The entire park covers 27 acres (11 hectares), so its a beautiful piece of green right within the city. There’s a pond, gardens, and mature trees for shade.
The park was first opened in 1880, so it has a long history as a Dublin public park.
St. Stephen’s Greens is right across from Grafton Street, (a famous shopping street where you’ll find all kinds of shops, restaurants, pubs, cafés – more on that below.)
St. Stephen’s Green is great if you’re travelling with kids (there’s a children’s playground inside) but it makes a nice outing on your own too.
6. Take a walk down Grafton Street
Grafton Street is a famous street in Dublin, with a history in busking. You can find places to eat, pubs, and even the Irish Whiskey Museum on Grafton street. The street is flat, walkable and completely car-free, so it makes for a nice leisurely stroll.
Grafton Street has a history with the art of busking, which is traditional in Ireland. We enjoyed watching the buskers when we were there in the summertime.
Pro Tip: Bring some spare change for the buskers if you’re there in the summer if you want to support the musicians
7. Have a drink at Temple Bar
Temple Bar is an old pub in the old part of Dublin that has been open since the 1300s. Needless to say, its a famous pub and one of the most iconic in Ireland.
There are a few things to keep in mind before visiting the Temple Bar however. For one, its become insanely busy (like most popular European tourist attractions.) Due to this, some feel that its a bit more of a “tourist trap” that doesn’t capture the authentic feel of a typical Irish pub frequented by locals.
However, if you still want to visit Temple Bar, then I’d recommend going in for a drink during the day, when its less busy. It’s almost impossible to get in there at night. Temple Bar doesn’t take reservations, so you just show up.
Pro Tip: If you book the Irish Food Trail, it includes a stop at the Temple Pub where you’re guaranteed to be able to visit.
8. Visit the St. Patrick’s Cathedral
St. Patrick’s Cathedral was founded in 1191 as a Catholic Church is the national Cathedral of Ireland and is famous for its choir, which still performs.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral has beautifully landscaped grounds with gardens in the summertime, and you should bring your camera to get some beautiful photos of both in and outside St. Patrick’s.
In case you didn’t already know, St. Patrick is the name of the saint who brought Christianity to Ireland. Prior to that, Ireland was inhabited by Celtic people. So, St. Patrick’s Cathedral is significant for that reason.
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is located right downtown, a short walk from the Christ Church cathedral. Its open for visitors every day from 9:30-5pm, with differing hours on Sundays.
9. Visit one of Dublin’s amazing museums
Dublin has some interesting museums which are conveniently located right downtown, within walking distance of other attractions.
Here are some museums to check out in Dublin:
- EPIC (Irish Emigration Museum) which explores Irish contributions to the world throughout history.
- Dublina the Viking Museum, which shows how the Vikings lived when they settled in Dublin. It has interactive displays which are informative and interesting for adults, and fun to look at for kids
10. Spend an afternoon at Malahide Castle
Malahide Castle dates back to the 12th century, and located just 12 km (7.4 miles) from the Dublin city centre. You can take a guided or self-guided tour of the castle, explore their butterfly garden, or their fairy garden (for kids.)
You can get to Malahide Castle by driving (they have free parking) if you have a car. There’s also public transit to the castle from the city. Or, you can book this tour which will bring you there.
There are different packages you can reserve on their website for the type of visit you want to have.
11. Ride the Hop-on-Hop-off bus
Dublin is known for being very walkable, but the hop on-hop off tour bus to expand on what you could see on foot. There are 25 different sights that you’re shown, and its with a live local guide that can teach you a lot about Dublin and its rich history.
I personally don’t always like being ‘stuck’ or committed to a long tour, so its really nice to be able to get on and off as you wish.
Book your hop-on-hop-off bus tour of Dublin here
12. Do the “Hidden Dublin” Horror Walk
The Hidden Dublin is the haunted walk of the Dublin City Centre. It’s a 90-minute walk through the old down, where you’ll see some of the famous landmarks by night.
You’ll get to hear a lot of dark stories from Dublin’s past. And when you have a city as old as Dublin, there are quite a few stories – mysterious, executions, disappearances, murders, you name it. There are also of course, accounts of paranormal activity in the city which you’ll hear about as well.
The haunted walks of Dublin start at 8pm at the City Hall on Dame street. From there, you’ll embark on your walk with a professional local guide and small group (maximum of 15 people.)
The tour finishes at the Brazen Head Pub
Book the haunted tour of Dublin here
13. Go see the Book of Kells
Many tourists visiting Dublin are interested in seeing the famous Book of Kells, a medieval, handwritten manuscript. It’s located at Trinity College, which is a tourist attraction in itself- with its Hogwartz like ‘long room’ with endless collection of books.
The Long Room one of the most instagrammable places in Dublin. It’s important to know that getting to Trinity College isn’t as straight forward, since it isn’t in the city centre. You’ll need to either drive, Uber or take public transit. Click here to see options on getting to Trinity College.
The Book of Kells is highly sought after, with often long line ups, so I recommend grabbing a skip the line ticket in advance.
14. Take a leisurely walk through the old town
One of the best parts of Dublin is how you can get around on foot. The downtown core is perfect for strolling through medieval, narrow alleyways and checking out shops, restaurants and traditional Irish pubs.
I enjoyed spending a couple hours just wandering through, taking in the sights and taking photos.
15. Attend a festival
Ireland is a country of festivals, with many fun, quirky and artsy events happening year-round. Quite a few of these festivals take place in Dublin, or just outside of it.
Some of the festivals that take place in Dublin are:
- The Forbidden Fruit Festival and Longitude Festival (both music festivals in June)
- Dublin Pride Festival (June)
- St. Patrick’s Day (March) and Christmas Markets (December)
- Tradfest at Temple Bar (music festival in January)
How many days in Dublin is enough?
The length of time I’d suggest staying in Dublin depends on how long you plan to be in Ireland for.
If you’re only planning to be in Ireland for a week, then I would spend about 2 days in Dublin, and spend the rest of the time exploring the other options I mentioned above. If you have two weeks in Ireland (which is a great length of time that I’d suggest spending) then I think at least 3 days allocated to Dublin will really enhance your trip.
Two days is enough in Dublin to see all of the historical sights – the two cathedrals, the Dublin Castle and the museums and still have time to enjoy the old town atmosphere. Three days would give you enough to see some of the bonus sites, like Malahide Castle, which are just outside the city.
Where to Stay in Dublin
There’s lots of great places to stay right in downtown in Dublin, that fit a variety of budgets. Regardless of which of these you choose, you’ll be close enough to walk to all of the famous sites and notable highlights
Budget – Abigail’s Hostel Whether you choose a shared dorm or a private room, you can’t go wrong being just seconds away from Dublin’s Temple Bar for an affordable price.
Mid-Range – The Hendrick Smithfield Enjoy great amenities like a terrace, bar and free breakfast, right in the centre of town
Luxury –Hard Rock Hotel Dublin Just steps away from downtown, enjoy air conditioning, 24 hour service desk, a full English/Irish breakfast (with vegetarian options) in a airy and colourful hotel
Things to Do in Ireland (Besides Dublin)
Dublin has almost half of the top tourist attractions in Ireland, but there are many places to see that are also There are a lot of other places to consider seeing in Ireland, such as:
- Cliffs of Moher, breathtaking cliffs on the ocean – one of the most visited sites in Ireland. Consider staying nearby which allows you to see them at less busy times, such as sunrise or sunset.
- The Wild Atlantic Way, a road along Ireland’s west coast. It has lots of gems on it, such as The Burren, Connemara National Park
- Lots of castles. Ireland has thousands of castles, some that you can visit, some which are abandoned and lying in ruins (which you can get great photos of)
- Many quaint, historic small villages that make you feel like you’re in a fairy tale, such as Adare, Cong, Kinvarra and many others
- The Ring of Kerry, (pictured below – one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to in my life)
- Other major Irish cities: Galway, Cork and Limerick
- The Aran Islands, one of the remaining places in Ireland where people still speak mostly Irish!
Day Trips from Dublin
You don’t necessarily need to rent a car and drive around Ireland to see some of the amazing sights that we mentioned above. You can use Dublin as a home base while you take day trips to see some of them. You can relax, and let someone else do the driving.
1. Cliffs of Moher
Cliffs of Moher are one of the most visited places in Ireland. They are breathtaking cliffs that overlook the Atlantic Ocean, and have a small Victorian lookout tower which you can climb to get a better view.
See Cliffs of Moher, the city of Limerick, and the Burren on this tour which picks you up from your accommodation in Dublin and takes you by private coach and train to see the most majestic sights
Book your day trip to Cliffs of Moher from Dublin here
2. Blarney Castle
Blarney Castle is a medieval 1400s castle in Ireland and is just under 3 hours from Dublin, in the city of Cork.
You can take a day trip out to Blarney Castle, built in the 1400s and Cahir Castle, built in the 1100s.
Book your day trip to Blarney Castle from Dublin here
- See Cliffs of Moher, Dunguaire Castle and the picturesque town of Kinvarra on this day tour from Dublin
Is Dublin Worth a Visit? FAQ
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about visiting Dublin
Is Dublin Ireland worth seeing?
Yes, Dublin in Ireland is worth a visit. There are many sites in Ireland worth seeing, but almost half of the top 20 are located in Dublin. If you enjoy history, then Dublin is worth a visit while you’re in Ireland
Why is Dublin worth visiting?
Dublin is worth visiting for two main things: the history, and the atmosphere. Dublin was founded by the Vikings and is full of buildings that were built in the middle ages. Through the architecture and museums, you can explore fascinating history in Dublin, as well as try great cuisine and enjoy the joyous, friendly atmosphere of the downtown core
Is Edinburgh or Dublin better?
Both Dublin and Edinburgh are beautiful, medieval cities with historic old towns and heritage buildings that date back to the Middle Ages. You can’t go wrong with either city. The one you prefer will likely depend on your personal preferences and the time of year you’re going. Dublin is better for museums, whereas Edinburgh has a more picturesque setting. August for example, is a bad time to visit Edinburgh because of the Fringe Festival, so you might have to take that into consideration.
Is it safe to visit Dublin?
Based on statistics, the rate of crime is lower in Dublin than it is in other capital cities around the world. The U.S. Department of State ranked Dublin as “medium” when it comes to safety in walking around due to the risk measured in pickpocketing and mugging. Inevitably, as with most major cities, there may be pickpockets that target tourists in Dublin, but you are unlikely to encounter a problem.To increase your chances of having no issues with crime, its best to exercise the same caution you would anywhere else – keep valuables secured and out of reach.
Is Dublin expensive?
Dublin is relatively expensive. It is cheaper than New York, but its more expensive than Paris, and than Canadian cities like Toronto and Vancouver. You should budget about €49 per day in food costs alone while you’re in Dublin, with the total of all your costs being around €90 to €175 per person per day. Of course, these estimates will vary from person to person and will depend on your personal preferences and spending habits.
Is Dublin a good place to live?
Dublin is a good place to live, being a walkable and safe capital city compared to others. However, like other major cities, it is also quite expensive so a good level of income is needed in order to support yourself living in Dublin.
Is Dublin Worth a Visit? Final Thoughts
Dublin is the capital of Ireland, and one of the first places to come to mind when you think of a trip to Ireland.
Ireland is one of my favourite countries, and I’ve travelled to all the other major cities and spent quite a bit of time in the countryside.
So Dublin has quite a few things to see that are considered to be the top in the country. However, Ireland is full of very picturesque gems, and depending on how much time you have, it might be hard to decide how to divide that time.
Dublin is a charming city in Ireland that is well worth a visit while you’re in the area. I appreciate the ambiance and vibe of Dublin. In the summertime, the blooming flowers, the outdoor eaters and lots of live street music make it a cheerful, upbeat atmosphere. Its a great city to walk from attraction to attraction without having to worry about having a car. Its great for a variety of travellers, and has things of interest for everyone.
I appreciate your visit to this blog and I hope that this post was helpful to you in planning your trip to Ireland and Dublin.