Dublin 2 Day Itinerary for the Perfect First Time Visit
I imagined Dublin in a certain way before I visited. I don’t know what it was exactly that I wanted it to be but certainly not what it ended up being. After a rough couple of days in Cork, I took a bus excited to see this famous Irish gem. It was charming for sure and there is certainly a reason why the whole world wants to have an Irish pub in their own city. However, I would be lying if I told you that I loved it as much as I expected to.
Based on my expierence, I created a Dublin 2 day itinerary which is just enough time to see the city. Looking back I wish I did more exploration outside of Cork or Dublin. I think the true beauty of the country lies outside the boundaries of a city. But I bring you back some practical advice on what it is that you should do in Dublin.
After a couple of days, I ended up having an amazing time because of the people that I met at my hostel. We spend the entire nights bonding over cold beers, live music bars hopping, and even singing along at an amazing drag show. If not for them, I don’t think my time there would have been as fun. I hope that my recommendations below paint a realistic picture of your visit to this city.
Let’s get to the logistics of visiting Dublin
Suggested length of stay
There are two ways to visit Dublin. One, a weekend getaway, or two, a base for other sites you’d like to explore within the country. I chose option one but if I had more time in Ireland, I would’ve stayed there as a base for a couple more days. If you’re just popping in for the weekend, two days is enough. Otherwise, make sure to adjust your time there to the number of trips you want to take from there.
Size & Transport
Dublin is the capital of Ireland located on the eastern side of the island. It is fairly accessible from all other major cities in the country as well as the majority of the airports in Europe.
The main airport in Dublin is conveniently connected to the city center via Airlink 747 express bus and it’s only 6 euro one-way or 10 euro roundtrip for about a 40-minute trip. Aircoach is a private company operating 24 hours costing a euro more. Taxis are expensive so unless you have a full one of people, I would save those euros for the pints ahead.
The sights you’ll be seeing around the city center are mostly within walking distance so you will not need to worry about driving. The city has a nice bus system however if you need to get outside those boundaries. As in any major city, a taxi is always available.
Connecting to other cities in Ireland is very convenient from this location. Find a bus where you want to go and carry on!
People & Safety
The city is filled with tourists so you will most likely encounter them first. I got to talk to a couple of locals over a beer with them. I was able to have very interesting conversations and enjoyed learning about what it’s like to live there.
Aside from a few angry drunks and bar fights, Dublin felt safe. Be careful walking at night though. There were a couple of after-hour characters in the street that if I wasn’t with a group, I would be nervous to pass.
Food
I had a slight obsession with fish and chips. I ate them more than I should have but hey, I walked all those greasy meals off. Food, in general, was good, pretty standard for what you’d expect from a touristy place. I brunched alone one afternoon with a Guinness instead of mimosa and it was glorious.
Drinking is pricey but so is Dublin. At night, everyone is drunk so get ready.
Hotels/Hostels
There are numerous options for your stay. Hotels will run around $100-$200 a night in the main part for an average stay. Airbnb’s might be a better choice here for you but they’re also not that cheap.
Hostels in the city are popular too. If you’re a solo traveler, I couldn’t recommend this option enough for you. I personally stayed at Sky Backpackers and their atmosphere and activities were perfect to make friends. I ended up spending a good chunk of my time with the people I met in the common room.
Sightseeing
My love-hate relationship with this city comes from the fact that the sightseeing spots are limited and just swamped with tourists. There aren’t many things to do after you see what is to be seen.
Or maybe the city wasn’t just my vibe for what I like to explore.
The only thing that made this better was doing a free walking tour and then being able to hang with the tour guide after. However, check out the highlights of what I saw below.
Things to do on your Dublin 2 day itinerary
What is a trip to Ireland without visiting Dublin? What is a trip to Dublin without a cold beer, live music, and drunken tourists in the streets? Although some spots are very cheesy and touristy, after returning from there, you’ll always remember how great the city was when you visit your local Irish Bar. Below I list some of the places I visited and what you should honestly expect from each.
Temple Bar
Do I dare start this list with this overhyped yet somehow charming area? Yea, you bet.
Ok so what exactly is Temple Bar? Because I was confused too. Temple Bar is an area of a city but it is also a bar. This whole area is filled with restaurants, bars, shops, and all things tourist. There is live music in most bars which gives the area a nice charm. You see Temple Bar in every guide and no, you can’t really skip it. Although it is obnoxious, I enjoyed the surroundings, had a couple of beers, and continued my exploration beyond this area. The flowers alone are super impressive and those would be the reason for my return there 😉
Trinity College
The famous Book of Kells is a collection located in the Old Library of Trinity College. They’re Christian texts that are really old, with a suggested written date going back to the year 800. I’m a sucker for libraries so I enjoyed exploring the site. However, unless you read up on it or understand its significance, it could be quite expensive to just pop in. I would recommend either getting a tour or at least reading something prior.
To be honest, I only read about the importance of this spot after I returned home. I wish I understood what I was looking at when I was there. I feel like this is a common mistake among travelers. We end up at places we were told to see and pretend like we know what’s going on …
Guinness Storehouse
When I tour breweries, I usually end up in some cool factory-like building sipping on cold brews and listening to some dude with a beard and beanie explain how many hops each beer has. I guess I missed the note that the Guinness Storehouse is like a large store with some cheesy displays. Should have taken its official name seriously Kasia…
People go crazy for this place. I’m not sure why. It’s cool, don’t get me wrong, but it’s too commercial and too crowded for my liking of beer drinking.
The tour simply consists of walking through cool displays with an expectation to read each of the signs. The only semi-cool thing is having a pint included with your ticket at one chosen bar within the warehouse. Save your beer ticket for the top floor as the views there are pretty impressive. It was packed when I got up there so forget about sitting anywhere. I don’t think I learned that much but I did enjoy the view from the top!
St. Patrick’s Cathedral & Christ Church Cathedral
These two churches are the two religious icons of the city. If you enjoy exploring medieval structures or simply want a place to stop and say a prayer in this world, you won’t be wasting your time. They both have quite the history based on the number of times they almost didn’t make it, as well as changes to their operations. If you’d like to learn more, Amateur Traveler Blog has an in-depth explanation of the complexity of the history there.
St. Stephen’s Green
If you need a break from all the drinking or exploring you have been busy with, this garden is your perfect escape for a stroll (or a nap). It’s about a mile walk from Temple Bar area.
Another place I liked in that area is the glass shopping center. I found a lot of nice jewelry and gifts for my friends at half the cost of Temple Bar.
Walk along the Liffey and cross Ha’penny
There are bridges along the Liffey River, Ha’penny being one of the most known pedestrian ones. I would recommend taking at least one long stroll along both sides of the river and taking a small pause to people-watch at a cafe. The charm of Dublin partly lies in this part so I wouldn’t skip it.
Live music
What would a trip to Ireland be if you don’t find a local bar with some good Irish music? Seriously, even if you’re not a drinker, there is a reason why most of the world has its own version of an Irish bar. When in Ireland, this is as authentic as it will get and you won’t want to leave until the morning. Fun fact, the bars don’t stay open super late, till midnight or so. This was surprising for me at first but for the amount of day drinking I did there, midnight was enough 🙂
Walking tour
There are a couple of free walking tours offered in Dublin. Find one that fits with your schedule and get some history into your head. I took one with Sandemans group and I was very happy with the knowledge and enthusiasm of the guide. I’m sure the other group is comparable as most of these tours are pretty comparable.
Day Trips from Dublin
Day trips are easy outside of Dublin if you choose to make it your base for a couple of days instead of touring the country.
Cliff’s of Moher are the most popular thing you should probably see and the trip there will take about 3.5 hours. Prices will range based on your group size and expectation preference but prices will start at around $55 for a basic tour.
Rock of Cashel or Blarney Castle & Gardens is the two other spots a lot of people visit for a day trip if you’re into old castles.
Kilkenny, Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough Valley are often included in another tour if you’d like to admire the beautiful landscapes of Ireland.
If you’d like to explore, even more, The Crazy Tourist has a good list of day trips on their blog as well.
Dublin 2 Day Itinerary: FREE Downloadable Guide for your stay
Dublin is one of those places that you should visit at least once in your life. Although the city isn’t necessarily super full of things to do, I enjoyed its whole vibe. A weekend is enough to catch the major parts of the city but the city also offers proximity to a lot of day-trip destinations.
Two Perfect Days in Dublin
Two days is always a good time to spend in a city if you don’t have much time in a place. For Dublin, that is enough to see the majority of the main tourist areas.
Your first day is full of the must-dos and I included the morning Free Walking Tour. On the second day, you will enter the sights you’ve only been seeing from the outside of your tour including the churches and Trinity College. If you’re staying for 3 or 4 days, I recommend using my two-day itinerary and then booking day trips out to the other amazing places within the county.
So could you have a perfect day in Dublin?
Yes, you can but don’t visit the city without seeing Ireland outside of it. I made the mistake of thinking that a day spent walking around the city or having a Guinness at the Guinness factory would be more exciting than a trip to Cliff of Moher.
Or maybe you’re like me and a vacation to Spain or Lisbon in the summer is more up your alley 🙂
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