How To Spend A Day In Dublin
I prefer to travel to a place and spend more than just a day there, but sometimes one full day is all you get. With the constraints of my class schedule and flight prices while I was studying abroad in Spain in 2018, I was only able to spend one day in Dublin. But I had the company of three great friends that made the trip worthwhile.
If you have a short trip booked for Dublin, I would suggest breaking your day apart and picking the Irish sites that best fit your interests.
- Morning: Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin Castle
- Afternoon: The Guinness Storehouse
- Evening: Ha’Penny Bridge, Temple Bar
Morning: Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin Castle
A visit to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral —⁓after breakfast of course — is a serene start to your day in Ireland. The cathedral’s open hours are slightly different between peak tourist season and off- season, but you can generally visit the cathedral as early as 9:00 am. Plus, the cathedral is an open place of worship so you have the option to attend a worship service, depending on which day of the week you are in Dublin.
This cathedral was founded in 1191, so there is plenty of history to soak in within its walls. And, if you are an avid reader of classic fiction and political satire, you may be interested to known that Jonathan Swift, the author of Gulliver’s Travels, is buried at this cathedral.
If you are an early riser, you can also visit Dublin Castle, as early as 9:45 am. In my experience, this castle is one of those places that you go to not quite knowing what to expect, and end up being awed. Not only does the castle have the splendor and beauty of a historic site of government, but it also has great museum displays that ensure you can understand the history of the castle even if you know little to nothing about Irish history.
But, to prepare you with a glimpse into the history of this castle, the original construction of the structure began in 1204 and was largely finished by 1230. This castle has stood through major points in Irish and British history, serving as the seat of British government in Ireland until 1922. After the signing of two peace treaties in 1921 and 1922, much of Ireland gained its independence from British rule and the Dublin Castle was handed over to the provisional Irish government.
Afternoon: The Guinness Storehouse
In the afternoon of my day in Dublin, two of my friends went on a tour of The Guinness Storehouse. I did not go — I opted to wander the city with nowhere in mind — but, from the stories of my travel companions, I missed a great experience.
It is best to visit The Guinness Storehouse in the afternoon because tours do not generally begin until 2 pm. As of 2021, ticket prices for a tour of the storehouse run around 15 euros. The tour takes you on walk through the history of Ireland’s most famous beer and also includes one drink selection at The Gravity Bar. This bar is located on the seventh floor of the storehouse, which has amazing views of the city.
If Guinness is not your drink of choice, there are plenty of other options around Dublin to do some day drinking. For instance, if you are a fan of whiskey, you can visit the Irish Whiskey Museum, and end your tour with a whiskey tasting.
Further Reading: If you have the opportunity to explore the broader United Kingdom, Scotland also has excellent whiskey tour options.
Evening: Ha’Penny Bridge, Temple Bar
My own aimless wandering brought me to Ha’Penny Bridge at the start of my evening in Dublin. Yes, it is just a bridge, but the architecture of bridges fascinates me. And there is nothing quite like standing in the middle of a bridge over water in the capital city of Ireland, listening to an Ed Sheeran album. Plus, I am always a fan of good naming stories. Ha’Penny Bridge received its name from the toll that pedestrians originally had to pay to use this bridge and cross River Liffey — a half penny.
To close the night, I reunited with my friends and went to Temple Bar. This name describes both an actual bar in Dublin and the greater area surrounding the bar. Basically, it is a great area for tourists to experience nightlife. The actual Temple Bar was packed the winter night that we were in Dublin, so we could not drink there. But there are plenty of other bars in the area. Plus, there are some excellent gelato and sweets shops where you can try every sort of Irish cream flavor that you could think of.
Extra Tips
My friends and I stayed at an AirBNB on Thomas Street. It was an easy enough location to walk everywhere that we wanted to go, which means we saved money on transportation. Plus, there were plenty of restaurants nearby.
There are also plenty of other things to do in Dublin that are not included in this itinerary. If I were ever to go back to Dublin, I would likely visit the Library of Trinity College and Kilmainham Gaol (an abandoned prison) because I am fascinated by the history of artifacts located in both locations.
