Dublin, IrelandBy ArrivLast checked
Plan a trip to Dublin
A small capital with a big pub tradition and coastal walks twenty minutes out by train. Two days in the city is enough, and then you get on the DART and go to the coast, which is the half of this trip most people forget to plan.
- Weekend getaways
- Group trips
- History
- Music
Free to run, and you keep editing after. Add who's coming or a pace like “slow mornings” to shape the result.
Dublin at a glance
Timing first, because Dublin is a different trip in February than it is in July, and the notes below say which months to book and which to leave alone. Then the stops, Trinity College and the Book of Kells among them, and the three neighborhoods worth a look before you pick a hotel. 2 to 3 days covers it.
- How long
- 2–3 days
- When to go
- May to September has the longest days and the driest weather. Pack a coat anyway. Rain is a constant here, so the answer is to dress for it and stop refreshing the forecast. St. Patrick's Day in March fills every room in the city, which is worth knowing before you book.
- Getting around
- The center is walkable end to end. The DART train runs along the coast, the Luas trams cross the city, and a Leap Card covers all of it. A car only makes sense if you are heading for Wicklow or the west.
What to build the plan around
- 1
Trinity College and the Book of Kells
Timed tickets, and the Long Room is the reason to go, though it has been under phased restoration.
- 2
Guinness Storehouse
Seven floors ending in a panoramic bar, and if you book online the timed entry is cheaper.
- 3
Kilmainham Gaol
The best explanation of modern Irish history anywhere, which is why it sells out, so book ahead.
- 4
Howth cliff walk
Thirty minutes by DART train, and then a four-mile coastal loop with seafood at the harbor.
Where to stay in Dublin
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- Temple Bar
- Central and loud, priced for visitors, and convenient for a short trip, though locals avoid it. Browse stays in Temple Bar
- Portobello / Camden
- Where locals drink, ten minutes south on foot, so it is the better value of the three. Browse stays in Portobello / Camden
- Ranelagh
- Residential and quiet, with good restaurants, and a short Luas ride in when you need the center. Browse stays in Ranelagh
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Itineraries close to Dublin
Dublin has no itinerary of its own yet. These are the nearest ones, and every stop is already mapped.
Dublin planning questions
- How many days do you need in Dublin?
- 2 to 3 days is the usual answer, and the low end works only if you skip one of the four stops. Two days covers the city center comfortably. A third day belongs on the coast at Howth or up in the Wicklow Mountains, though Wicklow needs either a car or a tour to do properly.
- What is the best time to visit Dublin?
- May to September has the longest days and the driest weather. Pack a coat anyway. Rain is a constant here, so the answer is to dress for it and stop refreshing the forecast. St. Patrick's Day in March fills every room in the city, which is worth knowing before you book.
- Where should I stay in Dublin?
- Depends what you want to be able to reach on foot. Temple Bar: Central and loud, priced for visitors, and convenient for a short trip, though locals avoid it. Portobello / Camden: Where locals drink, ten minutes south on foot, so it is the better value of the three. Ranelagh: Residential and quiet, with good restaurants, and a short Luas ride in when you need the center. Nightly rate and walking distance pull against each other in all three, so you have to pick the version of that trade you mind least.
- How do you get around Dublin?
- The center is walkable end to end. The DART train runs along the coast, the Luas trams cross the city, and a Leap Card covers all of it. A car only makes sense if you are heading for Wicklow or the west.
- What should I see first in Dublin?
- Go to Trinity College and the Book of Kells early in the trip, before the days start filling up with things you booked later. Timed tickets, and the Long Room is the reason to go, though it has been under phased restoration. The other three stops can go in whatever order the map makes easy, since none of them depends on the others.
- Can I build a Dublin itinerary automatically?
- Yes. Arriv takes the trip length, the pace you want, and the size of the group, then returns a mapped Dublin itinerary built from venues that exist. Editing it is the point, so nothing it hands you is fixed, and you sign in only when you want to save or share.