One Day In Dublin Itinerary
One day isn't near enough to even scratch the surface of what to see in Dublin, but if that's all you have, this itinerary will show you the main sights in the city in the morning, then a coastal walk in the afternoon to see the local side of Dublin before coming back to city in the evening for some pints in our legendary pubs.
It's going to be a busy day with lots of steps, but at the end of it, you'll have seen enough of Dublin to make wish you were staying longer.
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The Main Sights
9am: I'm going to give you some options for the morning. 1 will bring you through more of the traditional tourist sites. 2 will show you more where locals go. They're very close to each other. No wrong answer, just depends on what you prefer.
They Both start at Trinity College. Trinity College and its Book of Kells is the centre of all of Dublin. Use it as your landmark.
Option 1: In front of Trinity is Dame Street and this is the spine of the tourist attractions in Dublin. It's one street that goes from Trinity to Guinness.
Follow this route and you'll pass Temple Bar, Dublin Castle, Christchurch Cathedral and Guinness Storehouse. But more than that, you'll get a look at regular Dublin street life along the walk. The Liberties area near Guinness is more eclectic and local rather than tourist Dublin.
You'll have time to visit one of the attractions here if you want. Guinness is the obvious one. It takes about 90 minutes.
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Option 2: If you prefer to see the more local side of Dublin City, then follow this route instead. It starts at Trinity as well, but goes north through the streets where you'll find more Dubliners than tourists. It's my favorite part of the city.
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Option 3. Do The Jet Lag City Walking Tour
Instead of exploring on your own and getting lost, I'll show you around on my Jet Lag City Walk.
Ireland by Locals
Option 4: If you prefer a bus than walking, take the Hop-on, hop-off bus. They're actually good and you can cover all the sites in 90 minutes.
Lunch
12pm: Take a quick taxi back to Fallon & Byrne Foodhall. This is a gourmet food emporium with a lunch counter that serves restaurant quality meals but quickly. Time is of the essence today, so sit at the communal table and eavesdrop on the office politics from the Dublin workers who eat here daily
Sea Walk To The Forty Foot Swimming Baths
1pm: Much as I love Dublin City, I want you see how beautiful Dublin's coast is.
You'll see three local Dublin villages on this 60 minute walk along the seafront and you'll be amazed how different this side of Dublin is from the city. Even better, tourists rarely come here. You're seeing hidden & off the beaten track Dublin.
It's just 20 minutes by train from the centre. After lunch, walk to Tara Street DART Station. Take the train southbound to Dún Laoghaire.
Walk
2pm: Dún Laoghaire is an old Victorian beach town. Walk along Dublin Bay's seafront. Look over at Howth and its cliffs. Have a coffee at the gorgeous Happy Out. Get fish & chips in the People's Park. Follow the promenade to the Forty Foot Swimming spot and watch the locals swim in the cold water.
Walk back through the lovely village of Glasthule to the train station.
I do a private guided walking tour of this route if you want a local to show you around.
Ireland by Locals
The Goat Boat
You could take the Goat Boat tour instead of doing the walk. I call it the most fun thing to do in Dublin! It's an absolute blast. Book early because there's only 10 seats on it. I can't recommend any higher!
Distillery In A Church
4pm: Arrive back in the city and take a short taxi to the The Pearse Lyons Distillery. I love it because it's the only Irish & family owned of all the distilleries & it's in a church!
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Your Dublin Hotel
5pm. Go back to your hotel for a short rest and to get ready for the evening. For a one night stay, you want somewhere extremely central, like NYX, The Grafton or The Green. For 5 star, go with the The Shelbourne or The Westbury
Ireland by Locals
Dublin At Night
7pm: Using Trinity College as our base again, this time you'll use Grafton Street as your path. Grafton Street itself is full of chain stores but its buskers are talented. It's more on the side streets where you'll find Dubliners enjoying their evenings. Wicklow Street & Exchequer Streets are my favorites.
Dinner
There are so many restaurants here that you can stroll and find your own favorite. Here is where I eat and I'm factoring in that it's been a busy day and you want food now!
- Cornucopia is vegetarian food but so tasty and quick.
- Bunsen do an excellent burger.
- Pichet is a little more refined. A highly rated French/Irish bistro
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Classic Dublin Pubs
8pm: After dinner, it's time for some real Irish pubs. You'll have heard of Temple Bar but we're not going there. Temple Bar is a pure tourist trap. Instead, stay in this same area and there's fabulous bars everywhere. Places full of Dubliners not tourists. You can also do a Dublin pub walking tour.
- The Long Hall
- The Old Stand
- The Thomas Moore
Tired But Happy
Wow, what a day! You're going to sleep well tonight! If you do this itinerary you'll have seen more than people who spend a weekend here. You'll cover an excellent mix of the tourists sites, but also seen life as a Dubliner too. Here's more things to do in Dublin that might have you changing your flight to stay longer.
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If you don't have long in Dublin, get a private airport transfer. Less waiting in line and more seeing Dublin.
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Coming Back to Dublin Before Flying Home ?
If you're coming back to Dublin the night before flying home, stay at Grand Hotel in Malahide instead of the city. It's a lovely village by the sea and 15 minutes from the airport. It'll be a more relaxing day before your long travel day home and no city parking issues. You can even drop your rental car off the night before.
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