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Dublin
19 Best Things to See and Do in Dublin
Dublin is famous for its wonderful streets, beautiful doorways, live concerts, and archaeological architecture. Even though Dublin is one of Europe’s smaller capital cities, it has been famous for its ability to steal the heart of every visitor because it offers something unique for everyone. Dublin, the capital of Ireland, is popular for its beautiful cathedrals, architectural sites, bars with live concerts, old museums, and secret attractions. There are various silly, unique, extraordinary, and hidden places to explore in Dublin. This encompassing guide will show you all the fun and exciting things to see and do when you are in Dublin.
The leading locations to visit when you travel to Dublin
1. Go to St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Built in 1191, St. Patrick’s Cathedral is the biggest church in Ireland and the National Cathedral. It is believed to be where St. Patrick himself baptized Christian converts over 1500 years ago. However, St. Patrick’s Cathedral isn’t the only church in Dublin. Visitors can go in and enjoy the wonderful church interior design between 9 am and 5 pm every day.
2. Browse Some Books at Trinity College Library
This place is a must to see in Dublin. Founded in 1592, Trinity College is the oldest university in Ireland; it has hosted famous authors like Bram Stoker, Jonathan Swift, and Oscar Wilde. The Historical Library contains 200,000 old books in beautiful oak bookcases.
3. Christ Church Cathedral
This Dublin’s oldest building was built in 1030; apart from its collection of archaeological artifacts, this building has experienced many events in Dublin’s history. Christ Church is an important feature in Dublin because of its amazing architecture and its 12th-century underground vault. All thanks to their guided tours, you can now see the narrow corridors of the Cathedral and ring the ancient bells yourself, or view their collection of original 16th-century costumes.
4. Guinness Storehouse
Guinness is the most famous Irish beer and the Guinness Storehouse is Dublin’s must-visit place, it is a seven-story building where you can have a very informative experience about the beer brewing process and the history of Guinness. On top of the building, you will get to the Gravity Bar where you can have a pint of Guinness and enjoy probably the most beautiful views of Dublin city.
5. Stroll Across Ha’Penny Bridge
As a guest in Dublin, you should stroll across the Ha’Penny Bridge at least once. It’s one of the most important activities you can do in Dublin. This historic bridge over the River Liffey was created in 1816 to substitute the numerous ferries that transported people to and fro. It was called the “half-penny” because that was the toll needed to cross it. If you want an even more exciting & extraordinary experience, we advise that you kayak under the bridge with City Kayaking.
6. Listen to Buskers on Grafton Street
You can find many things on Grafton Street, and a great show is certainly one of them. This free entertainment is the perfect feature of your Dublin trip from Irish cultural music to rock and roll and hip pop. Ensure you take enough photos when you are there to preserve the memories.
7. Oscar Wilde Statue
The Oscar Wilde Statue can be found at a corner of Merrion Square Park, just opposite the place where Oscar Wilde, a renowned Irish poet and playwright, lived for a few years. It includes a statue and two pillars. The statue is that of Oscar Wilde, and the two pillars represent his wife, Constance Lloyd, and Dionysus, respectively. The sculptor used colored stones to add life and beauty to the statue.
8. DoDublin Bus Tour
Ireland is home to some greatest authors globally, such as Oscar Wilde, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, and W.B Yeats. If you take a DoDublin bus tour, the tour guides derive pleasure in showing you the best places in the city of Dublin while making mention of historical events and works of famous Ireland authors. You should expect a lot of humor, playful sarcasm, and enough traditional songs. It is a history class, comedy, and karaoke show combined.
9. See Wild Deer in Phoenix Park
Do you know that Phoenix Park is one of the largest walled urban parks in Europe and a national treasure for the Irish? Launched approximately 350 years ago, the park is 7 square kilometers in size and can be located not far away from the Dublin city center. Not only does this park serve as a home to the Dublin Zoo, but it is also famous for its herd of wild deer, which you can find walking randomly in the park. The wild deer were brought back in 1662 when the park itself was made to become a royal deer hunting park, but presently, the herd consisting of 450 deer is allowed to roam the park as they like. If you need a perfect place for an afternoon picnic, Phoenix Park is your best bet. However, you should be careful as the deer have been known to participate.
10. Trad Sessions at The Hairy Lemon
Many people visit Ireland because they want to have a firsthand experience of traditional Irish music. The Hairy Lemon pub is a 19th-century building painted in green and yellow. They do the best traditional songs in the whole of Dublin. You can also eat traditional foods like Cottage pie, Dublin Coddle, and Irish Stew when you go there.
11. The Hungry Tree at King’s Inns
If you are looking for a bizarre and mystical activity to engage in when visiting Dublin, the Hungry Tree is just one of them. The 69-ft tree at King’s Inns is 80-year-old and a popular species in Dublin in the 19th century.
12. Taste Some Irish Whiskey
Guinness is not the only alcohol Ireland is popular for. Ireland is also famous for its whiskey production, which has spanned over two hundred years. Dublin’s most popular whiskey tour is the Old Jameson Distillery on Bow Street, but presently, it’s only a museum and no more a distillery. However, we advise that you go to Feeling Distillery if you want to see a functional distillery.
13. Samuel Beckett Bridge
If you love unique ancient architecture, you’ll love the design of the Samuel Beckett Bridge. Built in 2009, the architect, Santiago Calatrava, used cable suspension to produce the Irish harp shape. You can walk across this bridge to get to the other side of the river to enjoy a meal or drink.
14. Little Museum of Dublin
You can take a break from exploring historical and mystical stuff to know all about the little museum of Dublin. You can relish a guided tour of the three floors that make up the little museum to know more about how life in the 20th century was. The little museum houses over 5,000 ancient artifacts. Other wonderful museums in Dublin that you can visit include:
– Irish Museum of Modern Art
– Irish Emigration Museum
– National Museum of Ireland
– National Gallery of Ireland
– National Leprechaun Museum
15. Stroll Down to Temple Bar
The Temple Bar area is a set of small streets containing pubs and live concerts. You can find it in the south area of the River Liffey; apart from being one of Dublin’s oldest places, it is also home to some of Ireland’s most popular bars. If you want to see how Dublin’s nightlife looks, you must visit this place. However, you can also find plenty of activities to engage in when you visit during the daytime. These activities include ancient architecture, food markets that are open every Saturday afternoon, and the oldest theatre in Europe. If you look closely at these activities, you will see why this area is popularly called Dublin’s cultural quarter. You can also walk down the narrow streets and see vintage shops, record shops, and boutiques.
16. Picnic at St. Stephen’s Green
Saint Stephen’s Green Park is a small piece of paradise located in Dublin’s city center and the perfect place to run away from the hustle and bustle of the city of Dublin. If you are thinking of a perfect picnic spot, you can bring your meals and drinks to enjoy by the pond. This pond contains ducks, so be sure to bring extra slices of bread for them. Over the past 400 years, Stephen’s Green has played an important part in Dublin’s history. When you stroll through the peaceful area, it’s difficult to imagine that this place was formerly a battleground during the Easter Rising in 1916.
17. Tour the Historic Dublin Castle
Found at the beginning of the 13th century, Dublin Castle was built on a Viking settlement site. During excavations, the ancient castle and the Viking’s original defenses were uncovered. The stone-covered embankment, the ancient curtain wall, and the stairs that led down to the original fosse have all been kept for you to see when you visit this ancient work. However, the history of Dublin doesn’t end there. Before the Easter Rising in 1916, the castle served as the British administration headquarters in Ireland. In 1922, after Ireland’s independence, the castle was given to the Irish government and opened for visitors to explore.
18. Chester Beatty Library
Popularly referred to as among the most prominent museums in Europe, visitors often miss the Chester Beatty Library. The library contains a large collection of unique books, manuscripts, and paintings dating back to 2700 B.C. The museum consists of religious and artistic items from all over Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe.
19. The Howth Cliff walk
Are you a lover of nature? You can spend time outside the Dublin city center by visiting the coastal town of Howth. There, you will get to eat one of the best seafood in Dublin, buy the perfect souvenirs at the weekend markets, and go for a coastal hike at the Irish Sea to enjoy a wonderful view. You can go there using a bus or by renting a car which is allowed in Ireland. If the weather is excellent, you will enjoy a view of Howth Harbor and Dublin Bay during the trip there. Walking across the Howth Cliff is a wonderful idea if you want to keep fit; however, you should remember that it is not safe to walk across there if the weather conditions are not favorable. In this case, you can stay in any surrounding pub or restaurant to have a great time.
Conclusion
There are many things you can see and do in Dublin that will make your visit worthwhile. The activities you can engage in range from sightseeing, shopping, picnic lunches, and reading. With this list of things to see and do in Dublin, we are sure that you will have a great time when you visit the city of Dublin.
*Important note: Please remember to check for the restrictions or any other changes while planning your trip.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.