Last Updated: 2026-10-20 20:24:02
Dublin
A thousand years of history on the River Liffey, and one of Europe's friendliest capitals.
Small city, big stories
Founded by Vikings and rebuilt by the Georgians, Dublin packs a lot into a compact, walkable centre. In a single day you can see a 1,200-year-old manuscript, walk through the jail where the leaders of the 1916 Rising were held, and end up in a pub that has been pouring pints for centuries.
It is also the home of a literary tradition that runs from Swift and Wilde to Joyce, Yeats and Beckett, and a music scene that never really stops.
Don't miss
- Trinity College, the Book of Kells (around AD 800) and the Long Room library.
- The Guinness Storehouse at St James's Gate, ending with a pint in the rooftop Gravity Bar.
- Kilmainham Gaol, essential for understanding modern Irish history. Book ahead.
- The Ha'penny Bridge (1816) and an evening wander through Temple Bar.
- Howth, a fishing village on the DART line with a cliff walk round the headland.
Quick facts
Where: Co. Dublin, east coast
Region: Dublin & Ireland's Ancient East
Airport: Dublin Airport, about 30 min to the centre
Getting around: on foot, Luas tram, DART train and Dublin Bikes
Time needed: two to three days
Good for: museums, pubs, literature, food
Easy day trips from Dublin
Dublin is a natural base for the east. Newgrange is under an hour north, Glendalough about an hour south in the Wicklow Mountains, and the Rock of Cashel under two hours south-west.
Local tip
Temple Bar is fun for a look, but Dubliners drink elsewhere. Try the old pubs around Baggot Street, Camden Street and Stoneybatter for a pint at local prices.