One day in Dublin
4 stops, about 1 h 01 of walking in total.
- Day 1: Trinity and College Green · Medieval DublinTrinity College and the Book of Kells → Dublin Castle → Guinness Storehouse → Temple BarOpen in Google Maps
Ireland
Dublin itineraries
Dublin is a compact city on the River Liffey, with most of its sights within a short walk of Trinity College and Dublin Castle. Medieval cathedrals, Georgian squares and free national museums sit close together, while the Guinness Storehouse and Kilmainham Gaol lie a tram ride to the west. The weather changes by the hour, so the plan works best when it can swap an outdoor stop for an indoor one.
- 15 stops checked
- 2 to 4 days
- 6 to book ahead
- Best in April to May and September
Data checked on October 5, 2026
Itineraries for Dublin
Each plan is built from the stop base, with visit time, the walk between stops and a lunch break. Open one and set your pace and arrival day.
2 days in Dublin
9 stops, about 51 min of walking in total.
- Day 1: The Liberties · Medieval DublinSt Patrick's Cathedral → Dublin Castle → Christ Church Cathedral → Guinness StorehouseOpen in Google Maps
- Day 2: Kilmainham and Phoenix Park · Georgian DublinKilmainham Gaol → St Stephen's Green → National Museum of Ireland, Archaeology → Trinity College and the Book of Kells → Temple BarOpen in Google Maps
3 days in Dublin
12 stops, about 1 h 03 of walking in total.
- Day 1: Kilmainham and Phoenix Park · Medieval DublinKilmainham Gaol → Dublin Castle → St Stephen's Green → The Little Museum of DublinOpen in Google Maps
- Day 2: The Liberties · Medieval DublinGuinness Storehouse → St Patrick's Cathedral → Christ Church Cathedral → Temple BarOpen in Google Maps
- Day 3: Trinity and College Green · Georgian DublinTrinity College and the Book of Kells → National Gallery of Ireland → National Museum of Ireland, Archaeology → Merrion SquareOpen in Google Maps
When to go to Dublin
April, May and September are the best months, with highs of 13 to 17 degrees and the queues thinner than in summer. June to August is the warmest and the busiest, with highs near 20 degrees. From November to February it rains on 10 to 12 days a month and the days are short.
- Best months
- April to May and September
- Busiest months
- June to August
9° Jan
9° Feb
11° Mar
13° Apr
15° May
18° Jun
20° Jul
20° Aug
17° Sep
14° Oct
11° Nov
9° Dec
Climate averages: Met Éireann.
Dublin by season
Spring
7 to 13 °C · about 10 rainy days a month
Highs of 11 to 15 degrees and about 9 to 10 rainy days a month. The parks come into leaf, and queues are moderate until Easter and around St Patrick's Day on 17 March.
What to wear: A waterproof jacket, layers and comfortable shoes for wet pavements.
Summer
13 to 19 °C · about 10 rainy days a month
Highs of 18 to 20 degrees and lows of 12 to 14. Daylight lasts late into the evening and the streets are at their busiest.
What to wear: Light layers, a rain jacket and sun cream for clear days.
Autumn
9 to 14 °C · about 11 rainy days a month
September is mild with highs of 17 degrees. From October the rain returns, with 11 to 12 rainy days a month in October and November.
What to wear: A warm layer, a waterproof coat and shoes that cope with wet leaves.
Winter
4 to 9 °C · about 11 rainy days a month
Highs of 9 degrees and lows of 4, with 10 to 12 rainy days a month. Daylight is short, and some attractions close on 24 to 26 December.
What to wear: A warm waterproof coat, a hat and gloves, and shoes with grip.
If it rains
Rain falls on 9 to 12 days in every month, so a plan needs an indoor option. The National Museum, the National Gallery, the Irish Museum of Modern Art, EPIC, the cathedrals and the Guinness Storehouse all work in the rain, and the museums are free. Showers pass quickly, so a light waterproof is more useful than an umbrella in the wind.
Stops under a roof
If it is hot and sunny
Dublin rarely gets hot, and the average high peaks around 20 degrees in July. On a clear day save the open stops such as Phoenix Park, Merrion Square and the Green, and keep the museums for cloudy hours. Daylight runs late in June, so evening walks along the river are possible well after dinner.
Better outdoors
What Dublin costs
Per person, without the hotel. Tickets are the prices of the stops in each plan, read on the official sites. Food and transport come from the city figures.
| Plan | Tickets | Transport | Food | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day | €59 | €6 | €46 to €75 | €111 to €140 |
| 2 days | €90.50 | €12 | €93 to €150 | €195 to €252 |
| 3 days | €108.50 | €18 | €139 to €224 | €266 to €351 |
- Meal in an inexpensive restaurant€21
- Coffee€4.39
- Single ride€2
- 24-hour pass€6
What to eat in Dublin
Full Irish breakfast
A plate of fried eggs, sausage, bacon, black and white pudding, tomato and toast. Cafes and hotels serve it until late morning.
Irish stew
A slow-cooked stew of lamb or mutton with potato, carrot and onion. Pubs serve it in autumn and winter.
Seafood chowder
A creamy soup of fish and shellfish, usually served with brown soda bread. It is a standard order on a cold, wet day.
Boxty
A potato pancake from the north-west of Ireland, filled or served with meat, fish or vegetables. Some restaurants in the centre serve it as a main dish.
A pint of stout
A dark, creamy drink poured slowly in two stages in a pub. Ask for it at the bar and wait for the settle before it is topped up.
Irish coffee
Hot coffee with whiskey and sugar, topped with lightly whipped cream. It suits an evening after rain.
Besides the sights
- 1
A traditional music session in a pub
Sessions run most evenings in the pubs around Temple Bar and across the river. Arrive early for a seat and order at the bar.
- 2
The Howth cliff walk
A DART train from the centre takes about 30 minutes to the fishing harbour, and a path loops around the headland above the sea.
- 3
A walk along the Liffey at dusk
Start at the Ha'penny Bridge and walk east past the quays to the Samuel Beckett Bridge. It is free and best after the evening light turns warm.
- 4
Sandycove and Dun Laoghaire pier
Take the DART south for a walk along the pier and the sea at Sandycove. Some people swim at the Forty Foot, even in cold weather.
- 5
Gaelic games at Croke Park
In summer and early autumn the big hurling and Gaelic football matches take place at the stadium north of the centre. The stadium also runs visitor tours.
Arriving
From Dublin Airport, express and city buses reach the centre in roughly 30 to 50 minutes depending on traffic, and a taxi takes a similar time outside rush hour. Trains from the rest of Ireland arrive at Heuston, on the Luas Red line, or at Connolly, about ten minutes on foot from O'Connell Street.
Getting around
The centre is best on foot. Use the Luas Red line for Kilmainham and the Storehouse, the Luas Green line for the Green and Trinity, and the DART for the coast. A TFI Leap Card caps daily travel at 6 euros, so it pays off from about three separate journeys in a day.
Where to stay
- Georgian Dublin and St Stephen's GreenQuiet evenings, with museums, parks and Grafton Street within a short walk.
- Temple Bar and the city centreClose to every sight and the nightlife, but loud at weekends.
- Smithfield and StoneybatterNorth-west, with a local feel, the Luas Red line and an easy route to Phoenix Park.
- Ballsbridge and Grand Canal DockCalmer, with DART access and a ten to twenty minute walk or tram ride to the centre.
Before you go
- Tap on and off with a Leap Card, because the daily cap only works if every ride is registered.
- Book the Book of Kells and Kilmainham Gaol early, as both sell out and Kilmainham tickets release 28 days ahead.
- In a pub, order and pay at the bar, and do not expect table service.
- Carry a light waterproof every day, since weather can change several times between breakfast and dinner.
- Check the day of the week before planning, because Monday closes the Irish Museum of Modern Art and Sunday shortens cathedral hours.
The 15 stops in Dublin
Every stop has its own page with opening days, ticket price, how to get there and where it fits in the itineraries.
-
Trinity and College Green
Trinity College and the Book of Kells
The oldest university in Ireland holds the Book of Kells and the Long Room of the Old Library. The visit is timed, runs through an exhibition and the Old Library, and ends in a shop.
Book ahead -
The Liberties
Guinness Storehouse
A self-guided tour through seven floors on how stout is made and sold, ending with a pint in the Gravity Bar at the top of the building. Allow a full morning or afternoon.
Booking advised -
Kilmainham and Phoenix Park
Kilmainham Gaol
A Victorian prison where the leaders of the 1916 Rising were held and executed. Entry is by guided tour only, followed by time in the museum.
Book ahead -
Medieval Dublin
Dublin Castle
A working government complex with the State Apartments, once the seat of British rule and today used for state occasions. You can tour the rooms alone or with a guide.
Booking advised -
The Liberties
St Patrick's Cathedral
The national cathedral of the Church of Ireland and the largest church in the country, with Jonathan Swift buried inside. Sunday visiting windows are short.
-
Medieval Dublin
Christ Church Cathedral
The medieval cathedral of Dublin, with a large crypt and a self-guided visit with an audio guide. It sits a short walk uphill from the river.
-
Georgian Dublin
National Museum of Ireland, Archaeology
The national collection of Irish gold, Celtic metalwork and Viking finds, in a domed building on Kildare Street. Entry is free.
-
Georgian Dublin
National Gallery of Ireland
Irish and European painting from about 1300 to the present, with works by Vermeer, Caravaggio and Jack B Yeats. The permanent collection is free.
-
Temple Bar
Temple Bar
A cobbled quarter of narrow streets, pubs and small galleries between Dame Street and the river. It is livelier after dark and quiet and cheaper by day.
-
Georgian Dublin
St Stephen's Green
A Victorian park in the middle of the city, with a pond, a bandstand and shaded paths. It suits a break between museums.
-
Docklands
EPIC, the Irish Emigration Museum
An interactive museum in the old vaults at the docks about the Irish who left and what they did abroad. It is a good rainy-day stop.
Booking advised -
Kilmainham and Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park
One of the largest enclosed city parks in Europe, with a herd of fallow deer, a walled garden and long paths. It needs half a day if you go beyond the main gate.
-
Georgian Dublin
Merrion Square
The best preserved Georgian square in the city, with brightly painted doors, a park in the middle and an Oscar Wilde statue. Allow a short stop between museums.
-
Georgian Dublin
The Little Museum of Dublin
A small museum in a Georgian house on St Stephen's Green, told through donated objects and a guided tour. It covers Dublin in the 20th century.
Booking advised -
Kilmainham and Phoenix Park
Irish Museum of Modern Art
Modern and contemporary art in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, a 17th century building with formal gardens. Entry is free and it pairs with Kilmainham Gaol.
Common questions
Is one day in Dublin enough?
One day covers Trinity College, Dublin Castle and a cathedral, with a walk through Temple Bar and the Green. You will miss Kilmainham Gaol and the Guinness Storehouse unless you book both early and move fast. Book the Book of Kells first, because it is the timed ticket that sells out.
What should I book in advance in Dublin?
Book the Book of Kells at Trinity and Kilmainham Gaol, which only runs guided tours and releases tickets 28 days ahead. The Guinness Storehouse, Dublin Castle, EPIC and the Little Museum are best booked too. The cathedrals, the free museums and the parks take walk-ups.
Which days are awkward for sightseeing in Dublin?
Monday closes the Irish Museum of Modern Art, and the National Gallery opens at 11:00 on Mondays and Sundays. On Sundays the cathedrals open only for short windows, such as St Patrick's from 9:00 to 10:30, 13:00 to 14:30 and 16:30 to 18:00.
How do I get around Dublin?
The centre is walkable. For the western sights, use the Luas Red line, which stops near Kilmainham and the Storehouse, and use buses or the DART for the rest. A TFI Leap Card caps daily travel at 6 euros across Dublin Bus, Luas, DART and commuter rail, and you must tap on and off at each stop.