The essential guide to visiting Dublin

Fast Facts

Founded: By the Vikings in 841 or 988 (although there is evidence of earlier Christian settlements)
Time zone: Irish Standard Time IST/UTC (UTC+1 Daylight Savings in summer)
Population: 1,458,154 (county); 592,000 (city)
Airport: Dublin Airport (DUB) is serviced by major airlines. U.S. Preclearance allows U.S.-bound passengers to clear U.S. customs and immigration before boarding.
Ferry port: Ferries connect Dublin Port to England, Wales, France, and Isle of Man.
Fun fact: O’Connell Bridge on the River Liffey is wider (164 feet/50 meters) than it is long (147 feet/45 meters) and you can listen to a concert under the bridge from a kayak.

Why you should visit Dublin

Nearly thousand-year-old Christ Church Cathedral. Trinity College Dublin’s Instagram-favorite Old Library, home to the Book of Kells. Bronze Age gold at the National Museum. Stories of emigration on the Jeanie Johnston ship. Snugs, pints of Guinness, and live music in old pubs.

In addition to its Instagram-worthy appeal, The Library of Trinity College Dublin features the must-see “Book of Kells” as well as 200,000 of its oldest books, located in the Long Room.

Photograph by Chris Hill, Nat Geo Image Collection

Best time to visit Dublin

Spring: Daffodils fill parks like St. Stephen’s Green and Merrion Square. The city comes alive for three days of celebrations during March’s St. Patrick’s Festival. The International Literature Festival Dublin takes place in May.

Summer: The Bloomsday Festival on June 16 sees readings around the city to celebrate James Joyce’s Ulysses. Outside the city, it’s a good time to explore the Dublin Coastal Trail—stroll beaches and piers or take a boat tour from Howth or Dun Laoghaire to see islands and wildlife.

Autumn: Catch emerging performance art at September’s Dublin Fringe Festival, which precedes October’s Dublin Theatre Festival. The Bram Stoker Festival (the Dracula author was born in Dublin in 1847) has events like outdoor circus performances at night, choirs in dark libraries, and banquets in cathedral crypts.

Winter: Grab a book from Hodges Figgis or Books Upstairs and sip a hot whiskey beside the fire in a historic pub like The Duke, or have a Guinness in Mulligan’s. See a candlelight musical performance at St Patrick’s Cathedral, which dates to 1200. The year ends with outdoor concerts and light shows at the Dublin New Year Festival.

Although a tourist hot spot at night, the Temple Bar area attracts travelers by day with storefronts that sell vintage goods and flaky croissants.

Photograph by Chris Hill, Nat Geo Image Collection

Lay of the land

The pedestrianized streets around Grafton Street are a hub for shopping and dining. Tuck into an Irish cheese toastie at Loose Canon wine bar on Drury Street, or watch the world go by from the outdoor seats at L’Gueleton before hitting George’s Street Arcade for everything from vintage to vinyl.

In the Georgian Quarter, stop for city stories at the Little Museum of Dublin before heading to MoLI, a museum of literature; the RHA for art; or the “dead zoo” at the Natural History museum (part of the National Museum of Ireland) for an 1850s zoological collection.

The Liberties is one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, dating back to the 12th century. The Guinness Storehouse draws the crowds, but you can learn how Dublin was a powerhouse of world whiskey distilling on a tour of the Dublin Liberties Distillery. Drop in to Marsh’s Library, which first opened in 1707. “The Liberties is just 10 minutes from the center but it’s steeped in character and personality,” says Keelan Higgs, chef and owner of Michelin-starred Variety Jones.

The cobbled streets of Temple Bar are a nightlife hub for tourists. Visit by day to browse for retro finds at Dublin Vintage Factory or Lucy’s Lounge. Get a smoked salmon sandwich at Joy of Cha or coffee and flaky croissant at Il Valentino. Sign up for a tasting at the Whiskey Reserve and then see an arthouse film at the Irish Film Institute.

Getting around Dublin

By bus: Dublin Bus operates most of Dublin’s routes with additional service by Go Ahead Ireland. Use the TFI Live app for journey planning. Pay with exact change or a pre-paid Leap Card on buses, Dart, and Luas (fares are €2 for any bus, Luas, or DART trip within 90 minutes).

By tram: The Luas crosses the city—the Green Line runs north-south between Broombridge and Bride’s Glen, and the Red Line runs east-west from The Point to Tallaght and Saggart.

Cycling: There are some cycle lanes but traffic can be a challenge. Get a three-day pass for Dublin Bikes—the first 30 minutes of every journey is free.

By car: Plan ahead to navigate the one-way system. There’s on-street parking (pay at a pay-and-display machine or via Parking Tag) or find a car park with Parkopedia. Taxis are fully licensed (ride shares are not legal)—order via apps like FreeNow or Lynk.

By train: The Dart light rail runs north-south between Howth and Malahide, via the city center, to Bray and Greystones in County Wicklow. Additional rail lines service western suburbs, and Irish Rail intercity trains connect Dublin to main Irish cities from Heuston, Pearse, and Connolly stations.

One of the largest enclosed parks in any capital city in Europe, Phoenix Park is home to a Zoological Gardens, Victorian Flower Gardens, a café, tea rooms, and a large herd of wild fallow deer.

Photograph by Alan Currie, Getty Images

Know before you go

Languages: English and Irish are the official languages, however English is the dominant language in Dublin.

Wildlife awareness: Don’t feed the deer in the Phoenix Park—it can cause disease and lead to competition and injury within the herd. The same goes for gulls—human food is bad for them.

LGBTQ+: Dublin has a lively LGBTQ+ scene and same-sex marriage has been legal since 2015. The Dublin Pride festival is every June and there is an International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival in May and Gaze LGBTQIA Film Festival in July/August. For nightlife, try Pantibar on 7-8 Capel Street and The George on 89 South Great George’s Street.

How to visit Dublin sustainably

The best way to get around the city is to walk. Join a walking tour to get your bearings. Take a picnic and rent a bike for the day in the Phoenix Park or stroll beaches outside the city like Portmarnock or Skerries.

Buy Irish-made gifts like ceramics, knits, art, and jewelry from shops like the Irish Design Shop or Kilkenny. St. Anne’s Park Market in Clontarf on Saturdays and Dún Laoghaire Market on Sundays sell organic produce. The city’s many vegetarian and vegan restaurants include Flipburger and Glas.

Waste is separated into recyclable material (clean paper, cardboard, plastic, glass bottles and jars, and aluminum cans), and there is a refundable deposit for plastic bottles and drinks cans.

What to read and watch

Prophet Song, by Paul Lynch, is a dark fictional tale about Dublin’s descent into dystopia that won the Booker Prize in 2023.

The Bee Sting, by Paul Murray, is partly and significantly set at Trinity College, as it weaves the hilarious and heartbreaking stories of various members of the fictional Barnes family.

A blend of comedy and thriller, Apple TV+ series Bad Sisters shows off Dublin’s coast and swimming spots. Some of Normal People, streaming on Hulu, was filmed at Trinity College.

Sing Street is a coming-of-age film about a Dublin boy and a band. Once, from the same director, John Carney, tells the story of a Dublin busker and an immigrant.

(For more tips on what to do in Dublin, see our Explorer’s Guide.)

Go with Nat Geo: National Geographic Expeditions offers several Ireland itineraries that include Dublin

Yvonne Gordon is an award-winning travel writer based in Dublin. Follow her on Instagram.

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