Top 5 Things to Do in Dublin (If You’ve Never Been)
One day I’m going to make amazingly detailed city guides of various cities, Dublin included, but today is most definitely not that day. I know I’m going to be talking a lot more about Ireland soon, but before I move there and get the real “local” experience, I wanted to share what I think to be the top 5 things someone who’s a “Dublin virgin” MUST do when visiting this great place!
Now, let me start off by saying that there are way more than 5 things to do in Dublin! It’s the capital and largest city of the magnificent country of Ireland, and with that comes tons of sights, sounds, and things to see! It was actually pretty hard for me to narrow this list down to only 5!
I’ve been to Dublin twice, but both times were for only a few days. However, during that time I was able to do many of the main tourist attractions of the city, and some lesser-known sights a little further out of Dublin, and have narrowed them down to my favorite ones.
So, let’s say for some reason you’re in Dublin and you can only do 5 things (I am SO sorry for you). You’ve never been to Dublin, but you’ve gotta do what you can! Well, in this hypothetical and unfortunate situation, these are my top 5 recommendations!
So, without further ado….
1. Walk around/go out in Temple Bar
Obviously, this HAD to be on the list. Temple Bar isn’t a specific bar; its an area in the center of Dublin that’s a huge cultural spot and has a lively nightlife (due to the amount of bars in the area). Although this area is super “touristy,” its worth a visit because all of the bars are so quintessentially Irish. And even with all the tourists, there are still some locals to be found in the bars. Pop in to any bar in the area at night and you’re likely to find live music and a happy, relaxing atmosphere. The most popular Temple Bar bars are Palace Bar, the Temple Bar Pub, Oliver St.John Gogarty’s and the Auld Dubliner. So pop in to any bar in Temple Bar (at any hour of the day) to have a cold Guinness and a bit of craic.
2. Tour St. Patrick’s Cathedral
The largest church in Ireland and (obviously) named after the country’s patron saint. This church is absolutely beautiful both inside and out. This Cathedral has a rich history, so if you actually care about/are interested in that kind of thing, I recommend doing a guided tour so you can get as much information as you can! There is an entrance fee, but its reasonable and you are allowed to take pictures inside. If you’re a church/architecture aficionado like myself, this is definitely a must!
3. Experience Guinness
One Irish staple is Guinness. Brewed in Dublin, this stuff is like…holy to the people of Ireland. One of Dublin’s main attractions is the Guinness Storehouse Tour. Even if you don’t like Guinness, this tour is really cool and not only offers the history and process of making Guinness, but also ends with a rooftop bar that offers great views of Dublin. Read a more detailed account of my experience at the Guinness Storehouse here! Make sure to check this out on your first visit to Dublin and have a pint (or 5) of “the black stuff.”
4. Take a day trip!
Dublin is fantastic. But it is a bustling city. So, if you’re craving a bit of famous Irish landscape and scenery, there are day trips you can take from Dublin that are definitely worth missing a day in the city for. Take a 45-minute train ride out to Bray for some amazing coastlines, cliffs, and caves in this seaside town. Another day trip option is to take the 1.5 hour bus to Glendalough. (You even pass Bray on the way!) Glendalough is this picturesque “valley of the two lakes” that is home to these early Medieval monastic ruins. The scenery is absolutely spectacular. You can either just go check out the monastic ruins and lake in Glendalough, or you can do a hike from Glenmalure to Glendalough.
Bray…(read more about Bray in my blog post here)
Glendalough…
5. Do a pub crawl!
Last but certainly not least…what’s Ireland without a pub crawl?! The first time I visited Dublin, I did a pub crawl with my group of friends and had an absolute blast! We went to about 5 bars, which included Flannery’s and Whelan’s. It was great because it allowed us to check out several different bars in one night (most of which had great live bands) and we met a ton of awesome people. So many Irish accents, too little time!
Honorable mentions: Trinity College/Book of Kells, Phoenix Park, Georgian doors, Merrion Square, and shopping on Grafton Street. It is so hard to choose just 5 things to do in this great city! I will have more in-depth features of many of Dublin’s main attractions in later posts!
