Things to Do in Dublin — The Complete Guide (2026)

Dublin sits at the mouth of the River Liffey on Ireland’s east coast — a city of 1.4 million people that somehow manages to feel like a large town in the best possible way. The streets are walkable, the locals are talkative, the pubs are extraordinary, and the cultural life punches well above its weight for a city of its size.

It’s also one of Europe’s youngest capitals demographically — Dublin has been transformed in recent decades by immigration, investment, and a tech boom that has brought Google, Facebook, and dozens of other global companies to the city’s docklands. The result is a city that retains its historic character while feeling genuinely energetic and forward-looking.

Don’t make the mistake of treating Dublin as just a gateway to the rest of Ireland. Give it two or three days. Walk its neighbourhoods. Sit in its pubs. Watch a match at Croke Park. You’ll leave wanting to come back.

Essential Dublin — The Must-Sees

Trinity College and the Book of Kells

Trinity College Dublin is Ireland’s oldest university, founded in 1592, and its campus in the heart of the city is one of the finest in Europe. The cobblestoned Front Square, the Campanile, and the ancient Dining Hall give it a timeless quality that makes you feel history in your feet as you walk through.

The Long Room library — Ireland’s largest library and one of the most beautiful rooms in the world — houses the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript of the four Gospels created by Celtic monks around 800 AD. The craftsmanship is extraordinary — intricate, vibrant, impossibly detailed for its era. Admission approximately €16–20 for adults. Book online in advance as queues can be very long in summer.

Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle was the seat of British power in Ireland for over 700 years — from the 13th century until Irish independence in 1922, when the keys were handed over to Michael Collins in the courtyard. The State Apartments are opulent and fascinating, the Record Tower is medieval, and the Chester Beatty Library in the grounds is one of the world’s finest small museums — housing manuscripts, prints, and objects from ancient Egypt, the Islamic world, and East Asia, all completely free to visit.

Kilmainham Gaol

Kilmainham Gaol is Dublin’s most moving historical experience — a former prison where the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising were executed in the stone-breakers’ yard, sealing their place in Irish history and turning public opinion decisively towards independence. The guided tour is excellent and the experience deeply affecting. Book well in advance — it sells out weeks ahead in peak season. Admission approximately €8.

The Guinness Storehouse

The Guinness Storehouse at St James’s Gate is Ireland’s most visited tourist attraction — a seven-storey experience in the heart of the original Guinness brewery exploring the history and craft of Ireland’s most famous drink. The Gravity Bar at the top offers 360° views across Dublin with a pint of Guinness included in your admission. Touristy? Absolutely. Worth it? Yes. Admission approximately €20–26 — book online for a discount.

History and Culture

The GPO and O’Connell Street

The General Post Office on O’Connell Street is the symbolic heart of Irish independence — the headquarters of the 1916 Easter Rising, its columns still bearing the bullet marks from the fighting. The GPO Witness History museum inside tells the story of the Rising in impressive detail. O’Connell Street itself, with the Spire at its centre, is Dublin’s main thoroughfare — broad, grand, and lined with statues of nationalist heroes.

The National Museum of Ireland

The National Museum of Ireland has three Dublin locations — Archaeology on Kildare Street (with the Tara Brooch, the Ardagh Chalice, and bog bodies), Decorative Arts and History at Collins Barracks, and Natural History on Merrion Street. All three are completely free. The Archaeology museum is the unmissable one — a world-class collection of Irish prehistoric and early Christian artefacts in a beautiful Victorian building.

The National Gallery

The National Gallery on Merrion Square West houses Ireland’s national art collection including works by Caravaggio, Vermeer, and Rembrandt alongside the finest collection of Irish art in the world. Free admission. The Yeats collection — works by Jack B. Yeats, brother of the poet — is particularly worth time.

Merrion Square and Georgian Dublin

Merrion Square is Dublin’s finest Georgian square — four sides of elegant 18th century townhouses around a beautifully kept park. Oscar Wilde lived at number 1. The colourful doors of the surrounding streets are one of Dublin’s most photographed sights. Walk from Merrion Square through Fitzwilliam Street and Baggot Street for the best of Georgian Dublin.

Sport — GAA, Rugby and More

Dublin is one of the great sporting cities in the world — and understanding its sporting culture is essential to understanding the city itself.

GAA at Croke Park

Croke Park is the home of the GAA — Gaelic Athletic Association — and the third largest stadium in Europe with a capacity of 82,300. On All-Ireland Championship days in July, August, and September, the atmosphere in the city and in the stadium is unlike anything else in Irish sport. Dublin versus Kerry in an All-Ireland football final is one of sport’s great occasions — tribal, passionate, and uniquely Irish.

Even if you’re not visiting during championship season, the Croke Park stadium tour and GAA Museum is excellent — covering the history of Gaelic games and the role of the GAA in Irish cultural and political life. Book a match ticket early if you can — the big championship days sell out completely. Croke Park is in the north inner city, a short walk or bus ride from the city centre.

Six Nations Rugby at the Aviva Stadium

The Aviva Stadium in Ballsbridge is the home of Irish rugby — a gleaming 51,700-capacity ground where Ireland play their Six Nations home games in February and March. The Six Nations is one of the great sporting competitions — Ireland versus England, France, or Wales in Dublin creates an atmosphere that takes over the entire city for the weekend.

Match tickets are very difficult to get through official channels but hospitality packages are available and the atmosphere in Dublin on a Six Nations weekend — in the pubs, on the streets, in the stadium — is something every rugby fan should experience once. Even without tickets, watching a game in a Dublin pub surrounded by passionate Irish supporters is an experience in itself.

Horse Racing

The Curragh in County Kildare — 45 minutes from Dublin — is the home of Irish flat racing and hosts the Irish Classics including the Irish Derby in late June. Leopardstown Racecourse in south Dublin has flat and jump racing throughout the year and is one of Ireland’s finest racecourses. A day at the races is a quintessentially Irish experience.

The Best Pubs in Dublin

Dublin’s pub culture is one of the great things about the city — and knowing which pubs to choose makes all the difference. Here are the ones worth seeking out.

Kehoe’s — Best Guinness in Dublin

Kehoe’s on South Anne Street is, in my view, the finest pub in Dublin — and it pours one of the best pints of Guinness in the city. A Victorian pub of extraordinary character — the original snugs, the dark wood panelling, the frosted glass, the complete absence of anything that wasn’t there 100 years ago. It gets busy but never loses its soul. Go early evening on a weekday if you want a seat in the snug. South Anne Street, off Grafton Street — you’ll walk past it a dozen times during your visit. Go in every one of them.

The Dawson Lounge — Dublin’s Smallest Pub

The Dawson Lounge on Dawson Street claims to be Dublin’s smallest pub — a tiny, characterful room down a few steps from street level that holds about 20 people at a squeeze. The Guinness is excellent and the atmosphere, when it’s full, is unlike anywhere else in the city. Worth the inevitable squeeze for the experience alone.

Mulligan’s of Poolbeg Street

Mulligan’s has been pouring pints since 1782 and is consistently cited as serving the best Guinness in Dublin. A proper old Dublin pub — no music, no food, no frills — just excellent stout, good conversation, and a room that has barely changed in a century. On Poolbeg Street near the Liffey boardwalk.

The Long Hall

The Long Hall on South Great George’s Street is one of Dublin’s most beautiful pub interiors — Victorian mirrors, dark wood, elaborate chandeliers, and a bar that stretches the full length of the room. A genuinely lovely place for a quiet afternoon pint.

Avoid Temple Bar Pubs

Temple Bar has a justified reputation for overcharging tourists. A pint that costs €6.50 in Kehoe’s can cost €9–10 in a Temple Bar pub. The area is worth walking through for the atmosphere but drink elsewhere.

Where to Eat in Dublin

Dublin’s food scene has been transformed in the last decade — the city now has a genuine claim to being one of Europe’s better food capitals, with a range of excellent restaurants across every price point.

Grafton Street and surrounds

The streets around Grafton Street have Dublin’s best concentration of good restaurants — from casual lunch spots to serious fine dining. South William Street, Drury Street, and Fade Street have excellent independent restaurants. The George’s Street Arcade is a covered Victorian market with good food stalls and independent traders.

Ranelagh and Rathmines

If you want to eat where Dublin actually eats rather than where tourists eat, head to Ranelagh or Rathmines — 2km south of the city centre on the Luas tram. Both villages have outstanding restaurants, cafés, and casual dining at lower prices than the city centre.

Seafood

Dublin is a coastal city and fresh seafood is excellent throughout. Howth — a fishing village 15 minutes by DART from the city centre — has outstanding seafood restaurants right on the pier. A half-day trip to Howth for a seafood lunch with views across Dublin Bay is one of the city’s genuine pleasures.

Outdoor Dublin

The 40 Foot at Sandycove

The 40 Foot is a sea swimming spot at Sandycove on Dublin Bay — a natural rock platform that has been used for swimming year round for centuries. It features in the opening pages of James Joyce’s Ulysses and remains one of Dublin’s most beloved outdoor spaces. Wild swimming here — particularly in winter — is a Dublin rite of passage. The water is cold, the views across Dublin Bay are magnificent, and the sense of exhilaration afterwards is real. Take the DART to Sandycove station — it’s a short walk from there.

Phoenix Park

Phoenix Park is one of the largest urban parks in Europe — 707 hectares of parkland, woodland, and open grassland within 3km of the city centre. The President of Ireland’s residence (Áras an Uachtaráin) and the US Ambassador’s residence are both within the park. A wild herd of fallow deer — about 600 animals — roam freely and are commonly seen near the main road through the park, particularly in the early morning and evening.

Howth Head

Howth is a fishing village and peninsula 15 minutes from the city centre by DART — a beautiful headland with cliff walks, seafood restaurants, and views across Dublin Bay to the Wicklow Mountains. The cliff walk around Howth Head takes 2–3 hours and is one of the finest coastal walks within easy reach of any European capital.

St Stephen’s Green and Iveagh Gardens

St Stephen’s Green is Dublin’s best-known park — a 22-acre Victorian park in the heart of the city, perfect for a lunchtime walk or a rest between sightseeing. The Iveagh Gardens, just off Harcourt Street, are less well known and correspondingly quieter — one of Dublin’s hidden gems.

Seasonal Highlights

Grafton Street at Christmas

Grafton Street at Christmas is one of Ireland’s great seasonal experiences. The street is pedestrianised and in December becomes a magical corridor of lights, buskers, carol singers, and Christmas shoppers. The atmosphere on a cold December evening — with the lights above, the smell of roasting chestnuts, and the sound of music drifting from the pubs — is genuinely wonderful. Dublin in December is one of the most atmospheric times to visit the city.

St Patrick’s Festival — March

St Patrick’s Day on 17 March is Ireland’s national holiday and Dublin’s biggest annual celebration. The St Patrick’s Festival runs for several days around the 17th with a massive parade down O’Connell Street, outdoor concerts, cultural events, and the entire city in a festive mood. Book accommodation months in advance — the city fills completely for the weekend.

Summer — Long Evenings

Dublin in June and July has extraordinary long evenings — sunset after 10pm at the solstice. The outdoor terraces fill, the parks are busy until late, and the city takes on a Mediterranean ease that its latitude doesn’t usually permit. Outdoor events, festivals, and street performance are at their peak.

Day Trips from Dublin

Glendalough in the Wicklow Mountains deserves special mention — a 6th century monastic settlement in a glacial valley of extraordinary beauty, about an hour from Dublin. The combination of ancient round tower, ruined churches, and mountain lake scenery makes it one of Ireland’s most visited sites and completely justifiably so.

Getting Around Dublin

Dublin city centre is compact and very walkable — most of the main attractions are within 30 minutes walk of each other. For longer journeys, the public transport options are good:

• Luas tram — two lines crossing the city, excellent for south Dublin and the docklands
• Dublin Bus — comprehensive network, buy a Leap Card for discounted fares
• DART — coastal rail line running from Malahide in the north to Greystones in the south, excellent for Howth, Dún Laoghaire, and Sandycove
• Dublinbikes — public bike hire scheme with docking stations throughout the city centre

Where to Stay in Dublin

Dublin has accommodation to suit every budget — from excellent hostels to world-class luxury hotels. The best area for most first-time visitors is around St Stephen’s Green and Grafton Street — central, walkable, and close to the best restaurants and pubs.

For a full breakdown of every neighbourhood and what suits different types of visitor, read our dedicated guide. See the complete Where to Stay in Dublin guide here.

Key advice: book early. Dublin is one of Europe’s most in-demand city break destinations and accommodation fills fast — particularly for Six Nations weekends, St Patrick’s Day, and summer months. Compare hotels across all Dublin areas for your dates here.

Frequently Asked Questions