Dublin city break guide: where to stay, things to do & getting around

T By Thomas · Updated 20 October 2026 · 3 min read

Airports

Dublin (DUB)

Best time to go

May-September; December for festive breaks

Type

City

Dublin is a city of easy pleasures: a pint by a turf fire, a wander through Georgian squares, live music spilling out of pub doors. It is small enough to walk across in under an hour, and with flights from London taking about an hour and a quarter it is one of the simplest city breaks you can book.

The catch is the price. Hotel rates are among the highest in Europe, and the headline sights sell out. This guide covers the practical side; for the rest of the country see our Ireland guide.

Where to stay

• St Stephen's Green and Grafton Street – central, safe and walkable, with grand hotels, shopping and the main museums close by. A good first-time base.
• Temple Bar – the cobbled pub quarter by the river. Lively and convenient but noisy late at night, and drinks here cost more than elsewhere.
• Smithfield and Stoneybatter – west of the centre, near the Jameson distillery and the Guinness Storehouse. More local, with good cafés and pubs.
• Docklands and Grand Canal Dock – modern hotels with river views, often cheaper at weekends when business travellers leave.
• Ballsbridge – leafy and upmarket, about 20 minutes' walk from the centre, with quieter Georgian guesthouses.

Things to do

1. Trinity College and the Book of Kells – the 9th-century illuminated gospel and the Long Room library. Timed tickets, so book ahead.
2. Guinness Storehouse – seven floors on the history of the stout, ending with a pint in the rooftop Gravity Bar. Pricey but popular.
3. Kilmainham Gaol – the former prison where leaders of the 1916 Rising were executed. Guided tours only, and they often sell out days ahead.
4. National Museum and National Gallery – both free, with bog bodies and Celtic gold at the museum's archaeology branch.
5. EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum – an interactive museum in the Docklands, good on a rainy day.
6. Phoenix Park – one of the largest enclosed city parks in Europe, with wild deer and Dublin Zoo.
7. Howth – a fishing village and cliff walk about 30 minutes away by DART train.

Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains make an easy day trip. The Cliffs of Moher are possible on a long coach tour, but it's around three hours each way, so a night in the west is better.

Getting there and around

Direct flights to Dublin Airport (DUB) run from most UK airports, or you can take the ferry from Holyhead or Liverpool. There is no rail link from the airport: the Dublin Express and Aircoach coaches reach the city centre in about 30-45 minutes depending on traffic, and Dublin Bus routes are cheaper but slower.

The centre is very walkable. For longer trips, use the Luas trams, DART coastal trains and buses; a Leap card or contactless bank card is cheaper than paying cash, and fares are capped per day. Taxis can be booked through the Free Now app.

When to go

May to September brings the longest days and mildest weather, typically high teens °C, though rain is possible at any time. St Patrick's Day on 17 March is a huge party but hotels charge accordingly. December is festive and atmospheric. Big rugby or concert weekends push hotel prices up sharply, so check the events calendar before you book.

Top attractions in Dublin

Nature

Cliffs of Moher

Sheer Atlantic cliffs rising to over 200m on Ireland's west coast, with clifftop paths, seabirds and views to the Aran…

Dublin on the map

We research every guide carefully, but prices, opening times and timetables change. Check them shortly before you travel. Links to our booking partners are affiliate links.