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One Day in Dublin: How to Explore Dublin in 24 hours

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Short on time? Get the most out of 24 hours in Dublin by reading this post of the best way to explore Dublin city in one day!

How to get the most out of 24 hours in Dublin

Short on time? Get the most out of 24 hours in Dublin by reading this post of the best way to explore Dublin city in one day! I get it, most people arrive in Dublin and then head out to the country to spend most of their holiday – and I still think that the best parts of Ireland are best found out in the country, away from the big city. But Dublin should not be skipped over entirely. There is loads to see and do in Dublin – in fact I have written several posts about all the things you should see and do if you are ever in Dublin, because there is ALOT to see and do (scroll to the bottom of this post for links to some of my other top Dublin posts!). To be able to see absolutely everything, you would need more than one day, but if you are only here for a short time, here are some of my top things you should do if you have a day or 24 hours in Dublin:

1. Keep it Central and Walk

Traffic in the city center can be a bit of nightmare and may actually slow you down, especially if you are short on time. If you can make your way to the center of town, then a short walk along the Liffey River between the Ha’Penny Bridge and the Samuel Beckett Bridge gives you a good sense of what Dublin is about. You could also choose to walk from the Spire to Trinity College. Once at Trinity, then Grafton street is not too far away. Grafton Street is a big pedestrianised street with some high end shops (like Brown Thomas etc), it also has a lot of buskers playing music. At the top of Grafton Street is St Stephens Green Shopping Center which is a bit of a small mall, but it is beautiful on the inside and highly insta-worthy architecture 🙂

2. Walk through Temple Bar – but do not to have a pint there!

Temple Bar is not just a bar, it is an area in Dublin with loads of pubs and tourist spots – it really has become a mecca for tourists, which means if you stop and have a pint in this area – guaranteed you will pay more than an arm and a leg for it! Still it is nice to walk the cobble streets and the vibe is always festive because Temple Bar as an area is always filled with happy tourists, take a few insta-worthy snaps and move onto a proper Irish pub to have a pint!

3. Have a pint in a proper Irish pub

There is definitely a post on the best pubs to visit in Dublin in the making – if only we could limit the selection – because there are loads! In city center area, our faves would be Mary’s Hardware (Just off Grafton Street and has a wow burger restaurant in the basement!); McDaid’s (just off Grafton Street; make sure to look out for the Phil Lynott Statue just outside!); O’Donoghue’s (close to Merrion Square and serves a great pint of Guinness and trad music!)

4. Picnic in a Park

At the top of Grafton street is St Stephens Park – which is the perfect spot for a picnic lunch! Another fave park of ours is Merrion Square (which has an Oscar Wilde statue and is also close to a few free museums!)

5. Be selective on the Tourist Attractions

Realistically, if you want to really get the most out of the 24 hours in Dublin, you would need to choose one or two tourist attractions to do (and depending on where they are, you might only be able to have time to do one). Most people would say Guinness Storehouse is not to be missed, but i honestly find it a bit overrated and for 20 bucks, you could have more than one pint in an actual pub. My top tourist attraction to do in Dublin has to be Kilmainham Gaol – but you have to book a time slot in advance. You can catch a local bus to Kilmainham (Busses 13 / 40 / 123 from College Green get you pretty close); alternatively you could get a hop-on-off bus which most definitely stops there. Kilmainham Gaol goes through Irish History and shares some great stories about the people who fought for Irish Independence. It has a similar vibe to how you would feel going to Robben Island in South Africa – I have done the tour twice since living in Ireland and I have cried both times.

Got more time in Dublin? Read these posts:

IF YOU ONLY HAD 24 HOURS IN DUBLIN, WHAT WOULD YOU EXPLORE FIRST?

Live Simply & Travel Slow,

~Meg~

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Short on time? Get the most out of 24 hours in Dublin by reading this post of the best way to explore Dublin city in one day!

A Guide On What To Expect At The 9 FREE Museums In Dublin

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Did you know that there are NINE museums in Dublin that you can visit all year round? They all offer unique insights into irish history, arts and culture. Here is the list of the nine free museums in Dublin - what they offer, and what you need to look out for at each spot.Most people think of drinking in pubs in the Temple Bar area when you visit Dublin, but there is a great deal of arts and culture you can see while you are touring in Dublin. Not to mention all the free things you can do here too. Did you know that there are nine FREE museums in Dublin that you can visit all year round? They all offer unique insights into irish history, arts and culture. Here is the list of free museums in Dublin – what they offer, and what you need to look out for at each spot.

  • Natural history museum

This is one of the most under-rated museums here in Dublin. It is also known as ‘the dead zoo’, this is because all the displays are replica’s or taxidermied. The best part of this museum is you really get to see upclose, the sheer size of some of these animals. Another fun fact is that if you are a fan of the TV-series ‘Penny Dreadful’ – a part of season three is shot at this museum. We really enjoyed walking around and looking at all the displays, the space is huge and if you get there early in the morning over a weekend, it can be a quiet place to explore.

National History Museum, Dublin, Ireland. Also known as the dead zoo. Penny Dreadful was filmed here.

  • National print museum

This is a small museum, but definitely not to be missed. You can view all the old print methods, and how printing has evolved through the years. You can also view the 1916 proclamation on a similar print machine that was used to print this proclamation. Another great part of this museum is the coffee shop next store. It is in a glass atrium to the one side of the museum and is the perfect spot for a meal or just a coffee and a slice of home-made cake.

National Print Museum, Dublin, Ireland

  • National museum of decorative arts

Decorative Arts & History is home to a wide range of objects, which include weaponry, furniture, silver, ceramics and glassware; as well as examples of folk life and costume. To be honest, this is not a museum we have visited yet. I know we will eventually get there, but it just doesn’t really interest me at present to go, but hey, it is free to enter so why not just check it out for yourself?

  • National museum of archaeology

Warning: this museum is HUGE. You need a full day to really explore it from top to bottom. There is so much to see here. The main reason I wanted to visit this particular museum is to visit the bog bodies exhibition. In 2003, Iron Age bog bodies were discovered at Oldcroghan, Co. Offaly and Clonycavan, Co. Meath. A bog body is a human cadaver that has been naturally mummified in a peat bog. An excerpt taken from the museum’s website says: “The exhibition is based around the theory that human sacrifice and the deposition of the victims in bogs along tribal boundaries is related to sovereignty and kingship rituals during the Iron Age.” I found the exhibition was packed with information, and found it very interesting to learn more about the reasons why these bog bodies came to be.

National Museum of Archaeology, Dublin, Ireland

  • Irish museum of modern art

Another large museum that deserves a bit more time to explore is the Irish Museum of Modern Art. We visited it after we went to see Kilmainham Gaol – since the two are right across the street from one another. In hindsight, we needed more time to explore this museum. There are several exhibition areas allowing you to experience contemporary art, and these change every few months or so. Give yourself at least a few hours to walk around, plus the onsite cafe downstairs serves up pretty good food if you get a bit hungry.

Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, Ireland

  • Pearse Museum 

We learnt about Patrick Pearse when we did the cemetery tour at Glasnevin Cemetery. Patrick Pearse had quite an interesting life. He was first an educationalist, who believed there was more to education than just focusing on exams and tests. But he is more commonly remembered as a nationalist who was executed for his part in the 1916 Rising. The museum is a story about his life, as well as his brother William, and I found it a very interesting place to visit. It is also where Robert Emmet’s execution block is on display.

Pearse Museum, Dublin, Ireland

  • James Joyce Tower & Museum

This was one of the first museums we visited, and it is in Dun Laoghaire. The museum is free to visit, and as museum’s go – it is small. I mostly enjoyed getting to see what the inside of a Martello tower looks like. The British built 50 Martello towers along the Irish coastline as part of their defense against Napoleon. It is about as tall as two floors and has a tiny staircase inside that winds it’s way to the top. The view at the top of the tower is a real treat. On a clear day you can see Howth.

  • Science Gallery

Where science and art collide – this museum has a new exhibition every 4 months. It is a small space, that offers visitors an interactive and thought provoking journey combining science and facts with art and creativity. We went a few months ago to the ‘Humans need not apply’ display which talked about the current progress artificial intelligence has made, along with what the future could look like as AI evolves and grows. I enjoyed the exhibition space, and it was small enough to navigate and explore within a few hours, and still leave time to explore other parts of Dublin on the same day.

Science Gallery, Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland

  • Chester Beatty Library

Don’t let the name confuse you, this is no ordinary library. It is described by Lonely Planet to not just be the best museum in Dublin but one of the best in Europe.  The library is free to visit, and holds things like manuscripts, miniature paintings, prints, drawings, rare books and decorative arts. It is behind Dublin Castle, next to the Dublin memorial garden -which is perfect for a coffee and chat while taking in the garden view.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE MUSEUM TO VISIT?

Unlock the simple life,

~Meg~

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Did you know that there are NINE museums in Dublin that you can visit all year round? They all offer unique insights into irish history, arts and culture. Here is the list of the nine free museums in Dublin - what they offer, and what you need to look out for at each spot.

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