Things to do in Dublin
Dublin is a small capital with an endless amount of things to do. The trick is knowing which of the famous things deserve your time and which you can skip. Here is our list, from people who live here.
Our Top Ten Things to do in Dublin
Dublin Tours, Distilleries, and Attractions
- Teeling Whiskey Distillery, the first new distillery to open in Dublin in over 125 years and still one of the most interesting whiskey tours in the city
- The Guinness Storehouse, touristy and worth it! Don't skip the Gravity Bar view across the city
- Trinity College and the Book of Kells, best booked early in the morning before the queues form
- Kilmainham Gaol, the single most affecting hour in Dublin and essential for understanding modern Ireland
- The Irish Whiskey Museum or a private tutored tasting, depending on whether you want an exhibit or an education
- Temple Bar, briefly, and then somewhere locals love for the evening
- The Georgian squares around Merrion and Fitzwilliam, plus the National Gallery, free and excellent
- St Patrick's Cathedral and Christ Church, ten minutes apart and both worth it
- Howth, a half hour by train, for the cliff walk and seafood
- A pub with actual traditional music rather than a covers band. Ask your guide at Ireland Whiskey Tours. They will not disappoint!
Dublin for Whiskey Lovers
Dublin was once the whiskey capital of the world. The Liberties district had distilleries stacked on top of each other and Irish whiskey outsold everything. Then Prohibition, independence, trade wars and two world wars very nearly finished it. What happened next is one of the great comeback stories in drinks, and Dublin is where you can see it happening.
Teeling brought distilling back to the city in 2015. Roe and Co, Pearse Lyons and the Dublin Liberties Distillery followed. Add a tutored tasting with one of our specialists and you can go from knowing nothing to being an enthusiast in a single afternoon.
Best Day Trips From Dublin
- Cliffs of Moher and Doolin, around three hours each way, our most requested day tour
- Wicklow and Glendalough, forty minutes to a different world of lakes and monastic ruins
- Belfast and the Giant's Causeway, roughly two hours north
- Kilkenny and the Rock of Cashel, castle and cathedral country to the southwest
- Slane Castle and the Boyne Valley, whiskey and neolithic history in the same day
- Cork, Blarney Castle and the Jameson Distillery at Midleton, a long day and a rewarding one
Plan Your Trip to Dublin
Fill out the form to start building tour custom itinerary to explore Ireland! Whether you want to spend your entire trip in Dublin or use it as a base for day trips to the rest of Ireland, our expert guides will craft the perfect plan.
THE MOST COMMON
QUESTIONS
How many days should I spend in Dublin?
Two full days covers the city comfortably. Three if you want a distillery tour and a slower pace. Beyond that, Dublin is the perfect base for day trips.
Is the Guinness Storehouse worth it?
Yes, with one caveat: book the earliest slot you can. It is genuinely well done and the view from the top is the best in the city, but it is the busiest attraction in Ireland and the middle of the day shows it.
What is the best whiskey distillery to visit in Dublin?
Teeling for the story and the quality of the tour, since it was the first new distillery in the city in over a century. Roe and Co for design and cocktails, and the Guinness Storehouse if what you actually want is a brewery rather than a distillery.
Can you do a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher from Dublin?
Yes, and thousands of people do it daily. It is around three hours each way, so budget eleven hours door to door. Our private version includes the Doolin ferry along the base of the cliffs, which is the part most coach tours skip.
If your question is not here, call us. USA toll free 1-844-204-7470, Ireland +353 87 708 5947, or email info@irelandwhiskeytours.com.