Dublin

One Day In Dublin Itinerary

Darragh

13 Jul 2025 — 7 min read

Dublin Castle

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.

Morning

Start early! Trinity College and its Book of Kells is the centre of all of Dublin. Use it as your landmark. In front of it 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. The Pearse Lyons Distillery is a less obvious but more authentic experience. It's a distillery in a church!

The Jetlag Tour

I do a guided city walk for folks who have just landed on a red eye from the US.

Lunch

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

Afternoon

Walk off your lunch with a 10 minute stroll to Tara Street DART Station.

Along the way, you'll see the Dublin Spire on O'Connell Street high in the sky. Walk out on the bridge in front of Tara Street and look down the River Liffey for the bridge that is shaped like a Harp.

Dublin's Coastal Villages

Much as I love Dublin City, I want you see how beautiful Dublin's coastal villages are. And they're just 20 minutes by train from the city.

Take the Dart Train Southbound to Dún Laoghaire from any Dart Station in the city.

Walk

Dún Laoghaire is an old Victorian beach town. You can stroll the pier. Get an ice cream at Teddy's Ice Cream. Walk along Dublin Bay's seafront. Look over at Howth and its cliffs. Have a coffee at the gorgeous Happy Out. Relax in the People's Park. Follow the sea path to the Forty Foot where the locals swim every day of the year.

Walk back through the lovely village of Glasthule where you can take the quick train back to the city.

Boat Cruise

If you want some real fun, you should 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 & you'll see a lot more than by foot. Book early because there's only 10 seats on it. I can't recommend any higher!

Dublin At Night

Using Trinity College as our base again, this time you'll use Grafton Street as your path. Now Grafton Street itself is full of chain stores but the buskers are talented and fun. It's on the side streets where you'll find Dubliners enjoying their evenings. Wicklow Street & Exchequer Streets are my favorites. Local shops, restaurants and cafes fill up these streets.

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

Dublin Pubs

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

Comedy Clubs

Another option is to go to a comedy club. Irish people are natural storytellers and our humor can't be beat. You're likely tired so the energy of the room will be good.

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Tired But Happy

Wow, what a day! You're going to sleep well tonight! Here are my recommended hotels in Dublin.

Coming Back to Dublin Before Flying Home ?

If you're coming back to Dublin the night before flying home, stay in Malahide or Portmarnock instead of the city. They're lovely towns 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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If you don't have long in Dublin, pay the bit extra for a private airport transfer to the city. No lost time waiting in the airport taxi line.
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Wrapping Up

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.