Attraction
Book of Kells Experience at Trinity College
The ninth-century Book of Kells and the 65-metre Long Room of Trinity College's Old Library, with immersive digital galleries in a separate pavilion.
There are plenty of things to do in Dublin, a compact capital on the River Liffey where most of the main sights are within walking distance of each other. Visitors come for the Book of Kells at Trinity College, the national museums and gallery, the medieval cathedrals and the Guinness Storehouse, and for an evening culture built around pubs, live music and theatre.
The south city centre around Grafton Street, St Stephen's Green and Merrion Square holds the major museums, shops and grand hotels, while Temple Bar, the Liberties, Smithfield and the north quays each have their own character. The food scene runs from Michelin-starred restaurants to traditional Irish cooking, specialty coffee and casual neighbourhood spots. The sea is never far away, and the DART coastal railway makes day trips to Howth and Dún Laoghaire easy. Three days is enough to see the main sights at a comfortable pace, and four or five days allows time for a coastal walk, a stadium or distillery tour and a few long evenings of music.
Attraction
The ninth-century Book of Kells and the 65-metre Long Room of Trinity College's Old Library, with immersive digital galleries in a separate pavilion.
Attraction
Seven floors of exhibits in a 1902 fermentation plant at St James's Gate, ending with an included drink in the rooftop Gravity Bar.
Attraction
A former county gaol of 1796 where leaders of the 1916 Rising were held and executed, now a museum seen on guided tours.
Attraction
Ireland's national collection of archaeology on Kildare Street, home to the Ardagh Chalice, the Tara Brooch, prehistoric gold and Viking Ireland, with free entry.
Attraction
Ireland's national art collection on Merrion Square, free to enter, with Caravaggio's The Taking of Christ, a Vermeer and the Yeats collection.
Attraction
Ireland's largest church, founded in 1191, where Jonathan Swift served as dean and is buried, with free guided tours from Monday to Saturday.
Café
Dublin's oldest grand café, serving Grafton Street since 1927, with Harry Clarke stained glass, a full Irish breakfast and afternoon tea.
Café
An independent tea and coffee house on South William Street, open for 15 years, serving loose-leaf teas, espresso and pastries.
Café
A daytime café and bakery on Fumbally Lane in the Liberties, with its own sourdough, a weekly Friday dinner and workshops in the Fumbally Stables.
Café
A small specialty coffee shop on Drury Street in the Creative Quarter, pouring a 3fe house blend alongside cakes and pastries.
Café
The Grand Canal Street café of 3fe, the Dublin specialty coffee roaster, serving its own coffee and food daily near Grand Canal Dock.
Café
The city-centre flagship of Brother Hubbard on Capel Street, open seven days for breakfast, brunch and lunch made from scratch.
Hotel
Dublin's grand five-star hotel on St Stephen's Green, welcoming guests since 1824, with the Horseshoe Bar, the Saddle Room and afternoon tea.
Hotel
A five-star hotel in four restored Georgian townhouses on Upper Merrion Street, with an 18-metre pool, an art collection and Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud.
Hotel
A five-star Doyle Collection hotel on Balfe Street in central Dublin, home to WILDE restaurant, The Sidecar bar and afternoon tea in the Gallery.
Hotel
A design-led hotel on Harcourt Street with Sophie's rooftop restaurant, The Dean Bar and a boutique gym, a short walk from St Stephen's Green.
Hotel
A four-star, 175-room hotel on Harcourt Street that presents itself as Europe's first fully sustainable hotel, near the Iveagh Gardens and Grafton Street.
Hotel
A long-established hotel on Lower Abbey Street, in business in some form since 1845, with 76 en-suite rooms near the Abbey Theatre and O'Connell Street.
Bar
A pub on Bridge Street Lower that dates its history to 1198 and calls itself Ireland's oldest, with food daily, stews and traditional music.
Bar
A family-run pub on Smithfield Square, famous for traditional Irish music sessions every day of the week and gigs in its Backroom.
Bar
A long-running live music venue and bar on Wexford Street, with a main venue, upstairs room and several bars open until late every night.
Bar
A cocktail bar behind an unmarked black door in the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, with a subterranean punch house and whiskey caverns serving small plates.
Bar
A traditional pub on Merrion Row dating back to 1789, with live Irish music every night and en-suite rooms upstairs.
Bar
A Victorian heritage pub on Fleet Street with a famous snug and a whiskey collection, praised by Patrick Kavanagh as a wonderful temple of art.
Restaurant
A two-Michelin-star restaurant beneath the Dublin Writers Museum on Parnell Square, cooked by Mickael Viljanen since 2021 and open since 1992.
Restaurant
Dublin's long-standing French fine-dining restaurant, open since 1981 and the first in the city to win two Michelin stars, now at The Merrion Hotel.
Restaurant
A Michelin-starred neighbourhood restaurant on the South Circular Road serving modern Irish cooking at dinner from Wednesday and a Saturday lunch.
Restaurant
A first-floor restaurant above a historic bookshop on the Liffey, looking out on the Ha'penny Bridge and serving modern Irish dishes.
Restaurant
A modern Irish restaurant on Nassau Street with dining rooms overlooking Trinity College, open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday and lunch on Saturdays.
Restaurant
A city-centre restaurant on Trinity Street serving modern Irish cooking with French flair, with lunch, à la carte dinner and a pre-theatre menu.
Thing to do
Dublin's cobbled cultural quarter between Dame Street and the Liffey, with pubs, the Irish Film Institute, galleries and weekend markets.
Thing to do
A working whiskey distillery on Newmarket in the Liberties, the first new distillery in Dublin in 125 years, with tasting tours from about 50 minutes.
Thing to do
Ireland's national theatre, opened in 1904 by Yeats and Lady Gregory, staging new Irish writing and classics on its main stage and the Peacock.
Thing to do
Guided tours of the 82,300-capacity home of Gaelic games, with entry to the GAA Museum and its Hall of Fame included in the ticket.
Thing to do
A waymarked 7.8 km clifftop loop from Howth DART station around Howth Head, with views of Ireland's Eye, Lambay Island and Dublin Bay.
Tour operator
Guided walking tours of Dublin founded by historian and author Pat Liddy, with public tours in several languages and private themed walks.
Tour operator
An award-winning pub crawl founded in 1988, in which professional actors perform Joyce, Beckett, Wilde and Behan, starting at The Duke on Duke Street.
Tour operator
A pub crawl led by two professional musicians who play tunes and tell the story of Irish music, starting upstairs at the Ha'penny Bridge Inn.
Tour operator
Sightseeing cruises across Dublin Bay linking the city, Dún Laoghaire and Howth, with trips to Ireland's Eye and Dalkey Island.
Tour operator
A 45-minute guided cruise along the River Liffey from the Sean O'Casey Footbridge on Custom House Quay, with a guide telling the story of the river.
Three days covers the main museums, cathedrals and Trinity College, while four or five days allows time for a trip to Howth, a stadium or distillery tour and evenings of live music
The south city centre around Grafton Street and St Stephen's Green is the most convenient, with Harcourt Street and the north side near O'Connell Street offering more mid-range and budget options
Dublin Airport is north of the city, and airport buses and taxis connect it with the city centre; journey times depend on traffic
Dublin can be expensive for hotels and eating out, but free national museums, parks and walking routes help to keep costs down
Dublin is generally safe for visitors, though as in any city you should watch your belongings in crowded areas and take care late at night