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7 Halloween inspired places to visit in Dublin

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If you are visiting Dublin in the month of October or over Halloween, here are some Halloween inspired places you can visit. The places are available to visit all year round, but just given that Halloween is coming up, I thought I would mention some places that may or may not be haunted. A few places that are spooky, but are also very interesting too - perfect for a Halloween night out.If you are visiting Dublin in the month of October or over Halloween, here are some Halloween inspired places you can visit. There is a Bram Stoker Festival that kicks off tomorrow and runs for 4 days and nights. Check out the website for a list of the activities that are on. In particular, I know we are keen to check out the Macnas Parade, happening on the 30th November from 6pm. It is free to watch the parade, it starts on Moore Street and weaves through Dublin shopping district.

Did you know that Bram Stoker, an irish author who wrote the gothic novel Dracula, was born in Dublin! Click To Tweet

Then there are halloween inspired places in Dublin that are available to visit all year round,. I thought I would put together a list of the bizarre, haunted and spooky places that make for a perfect Halloween day or night out.

    • Glasnevin Cemetery & the body snatchers watch tower tour. Fun fact about Glasnevin Cemetery: there are over 1.5million are buried in the cemetery, which is a greater number than people alive living in Dublin! If you believe a zombie apocalypse is coming, perhaps avoid living in Dublin! The tour cost EUR13, and it is rated one of the best tourist attractions in Dublin (according to Trip Advisor). I strongly agree with this rating, next to Kilmainham Gaol, this was one of my favourite tours to go on. You are taken around the cemetery with a tour guide, who runs through interesting parts of Irish History, along with the very many interesting people who are buried on the grounds. You also get to visit Daniel O’Connell’s crypt, it is said to be lucky to knock on his coffin – hopefully he doesn’t know back!Fun fact about Glasnevin Cemetery: there are over 1.5million are buried in the cemetery, which is a greater number than people alive living in Dublin! If you believe a zombie apocalypse is coming, perhaps avoid living in Dublin! The tour cost EUR13, and it is rated one of the best tourist attractions in Dublin (according to Trip Advisor).
    • The National Museum of Archaeology (Bonus: it is free to visit; no entry admission fees!) Not only will you be able to see artifacts dating back to 7000BC, there is a current exhibition on showing the recent discovering of bog bodies found in 2003 in county Meath. A bog body is a human cadaver that has been naturally mummified in a peat bog.
    • Fans of the TV series “Penny Dreadful” should visit the Natural History Museum in Dublin. This is the scene where Dr. Alexander Sweet (or Dracula as most of us know him to be) poses as a zoologist to seduce Vanessa Ives. This museum is also free to visit, no entry admission fees. Fans of the TV series "Penny Dreadful" should visit the Natural History Museum in Dublin. This is the scene where Dr. Alexander Sweet (or Dracula as most of us know him to be) poses as a zoologist to seduce Vanessa Ives.  
    • Malahide Castle Tour. If you are looking for a tour of a haunted castle while visiting Dublin, then I suggest going to Malahide. Not only is this Castle haunted, but the tour is very interesting, so worth a visit. The gardens are well maintained and beautiful to wonder through too. You can pack a picnic or grab some lunch at the AVOCA that is on the grounds too. Entrance fee is EUR12.50 for adults, book a time slot online to avoid disappointment. Also, if you are keen on running, there is a parkrun on the grounds, every Saturday morning (which is free to run).

  • St. Michan’s Church. This church was founded in 1095, and was the only church north of the river Liffey for over 450 years. You can go on a tour of the crypts below the church for EUR6 (tours are only available on a Saturday morning between 10am – 12:45pm; and may be cancelled at short notice as it is a working church). The mummies in the vaults of St. Michan’s Church are the remains of nuns, monks and rebels who have naturally been preserved  in the crypts due to the dry atmosphere, and limestone in the building foundations. It is quite a macabre tour to go on, but I found it hugely interesting. It is illegal to open up coffins, however these coffins have naturally decayed or collapsed open, thus you are able to view some of the mummies that are inside. The mummies in the vaults of St. Michan's Church in Dublin are the remains of nuns, monks and rebels who have naturally been preserved  in the crypts due to the dry atmosphere, and limestone in the building foundations. The perfect tour for Halloween in Dublin, Ireland
  • Visit Dracula Castle for the Bram Stoker Dracula experience. I am very excited to do this, we have tickets to go this Saturday, so I will update the post thereafter. Dracula’s castle is located a stone’s throw from Bram’s old house at 15 Marino Crescent in Clontarf, Dublin. Tickets are EUR25 for a show and a tour of the castle. I am told it is also a top rated Trip Advisor spot in Dublin. I just hope I don’t jump out of my skin screaming, as much as I love vampire movies – I hate been surprised!
  • Gravediggers bus tour (plus free haunted history walking tour of Dublin). We have not done this, but have had friends who said it is well worth the EUR25. It is a tour done by a “plague infested” tour guide, although I am told it is not too spooky – but very funny, and a tad informative. The walking tour is included for free (usually EUR13 if you book it on its own) and I am told this has a lot more history and information.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR HALLOWEEN THIS YEAR?

Unlock the simple life,

~Meg~

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If you are visiting Dublin in the month of October or over Halloween, here are some Halloween inspired places you can visit. The places are available to visit all year round, but just given that Halloween is coming up, I thought I would mention some places that may or may not be haunted. A few places that are spooky, but are also very interesting too - perfect for a Halloween night out.

Getting out of Dublin: Hiking in Glendalough & Exploring the Wicklow Mountains

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Getting out of Dublin: Hiking in Glendalough & Exploring the Wicklow Mountains.Read this post for tips on how to make the most out of this day out!We recently celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary by taking a bus trip through the Wicklow Mountains to Glendalough. And of course I had to share with you the review of the tour! Some quick facts/tips about the tour and area:

  • Glendalough is pronounced Glendalock
  • The tour costs EUR27 per person, there are lots of tours going out to Glendalough, we went with Wicklow Mountain Tours. Our tour guide/bus driver really made the trip!
  • There are two pick up and drop off spots (City Center and Ballsbridge) – I recommend getting on and and off at city center, this is because we got on at Ballsbridge and by then spaces were limited to two individual seats only so we weren’t able to sit together. If you want to sit together, then get on the bus early. We were lucky that we asked the bus driver and he was able to make a plan for us to sit together. Since you are travelling on the bus for a large part of the trip, it makes sense that you would want to sit next to each other.
  • The Tour starts at 9am and you arrive back in town around 5pm. It is a long day, so bring snacks!
  • You stop for photos at various spots along the way but the bulk of your time is spent at Glendalough exploring the upper and lower lakes, and the monastic cemetery yard.
  • I recommend you pack a lunch (saves you cash too!), even though the tour does stop at a restaurant in Avoca Village. It arrives at the pub quite late in the day, and you get an hour there – enough for a pint (or two) but a bit rushed for a full meal.

This particular tour stopped at various scenes from the popular rom-com PS I love you. So it was full-on romantic cheese for our wedding anniversary (I am still not sure how I managed to rope Rob into doing it). I also managed to get Rob to watch the movie the night before so we would know where we were going. Naturally, I balled my eyes out when we watched the movie – it’s such a sweet film! Rob and Jack eye rolled so hard I wasn’t sure they were going to see properly ever again!

Scene from PS I Love you with Gerard Butler, Wicklow Mountains, Ireland

Even if you are not a fan of the movie (who doesn’t love Gerald Butler, swoon). The trip is definitely a must-do and if you are without a car, taking an organised bus tour is a great way to get out there and explore it just for one day. The Wicklow mountain tour group offers a bunch of tours, we chose the Glendalough and Avoca village tour. In hindsight, I am sure there may be better tours to go for. The reason I say this is that we mainly just wanted to see Guinness Lake and take a walk around the Wicklow mountains. There were one or two stops that in my opinion could have been shortened or removed completely from the agenda as they just weren’t that amazing or necessary for me.

Before you take a bus tour to Glendalough in the Wicklow mountains, read this post! Click To Tweet

Guinness Lake, Lough Tay, Wicklow, Ireland

The best part of this tour and the main reason we did it, was to see Guinness Lake and to take a hiking trail through Glendalough in the Wicklow mountains. The trail is fairly straight forward, barring a steep section for about 10 minutes at the start. But it is well worth the effort, the views and the wilderness were beautiful to look at and you can walk at a slow pace (there is enough time to stop and take lots of pics!). If you are not up for the hike, then you can stay at the visitors center, but I loved that our bus driver offered us the option to take a walk with him. It was a great way to see it and experience in real life instead of being inside the visitors center.

Glendalough, County Wicklow, Ireland

The walk ends by cutting through the monastic cemetery, in the last little while we have found ourselves in quite a few cemeteries (look out for my next post about all the places to visit in Dublin for Halloween!). It was interesting to walk around, but heavily populated by other tourists, which in my opinion, kinda ruins it. I realize I was part of a tour group, but kids running and screaming through a cemetery is hugely disrespectful (not part of our tour group thankfully!)!

Glenfalough Monastic Church and Cemetery, Wicklow, Ireland

The restaurant at the end of the tour in Avoca village is quaint, but definitely not the best Irish pub we have visited. Although the food look good and is well priced, I think the ambiance and atmosphere is lacking. We had a pint and people watched the locals and other tourists in our group.

Avoca Village, Wicklow, Ireland

As I said in the beginning, it is a great tour to take if you don’t have a car, but I think once we do own a car – driving there yourself is probably heaps better because you can skip the random spots and head to the mountains early, take a longer hiking trail (there are several routes) and stay for a slow picnic.

DO OTHER TOURISTS ON TOUR BUSES ANNOY YOU, OR IS IT JUST ME?

Unlock the simple life,

~Meg~

p.s. If social media is your thing (snap! It’s my fave too!), you should totally follow me on Instagram.

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Getting out of Dublin: Hiking in Glendalough & Exploring the Wicklow Mountains.Read this post for tips on how to make the most out of this day out!

Getting out of Dublin: Hiking in Glendalough & Exploring the Wicklow Mountains.Read this post for tips on how to make the most out of this day out!

How to see Dublin in 3 days (and avoid drinking in Temple Bar)

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How to see Dublin in 3 days. Ideas that get you out of the city, and exploring more of what Dublin has to offer - and avoiding drinking in Temple Bar.If you think of Dublin, most would first think of Guinness pints (or whiskey) and pub crawls through Temple Bar. For most tourists they think this just refers to the pub called Temple Bar, when actually the name of the whole suburb/district is Temple Bar. I like to avoid Temple Bar at all costs, it is just a huge tourist trap, and there really is a lot more to do in Dublin than just to do an epic long pub crawl. Firstly, I would argue that attempting to pub crawl throughout Dublin will probably kill you. Secondly, Temple Bar as a district, is not a true representation of Ireland and the Irish culture. It is highly commercialised, and largely a giant trap for tourists to spend all their cash on overpriced drinks in over crowded pubs.

I am not saying you should totally avoid Temple Bar, poke your head in there if you want, but definitely avoid drinking there – unless you are young, flush on cash and drunken crowds are totally your vibe. I think most tourists are looking for an authentic experience, and Dublin has a lot more to offer than just drinking in Temple Bar.

Transport in Dublin:

You should know that if you are flying into Dublin, you don’t necessarily need to rent a car if you plan on just sticking around Dublin. Public transport is pretty good in the city, and it can get you to most of the places up and down the coast. If you are planning on exploring more of Ireland, then yes, you should totally rent a car.

If you are not renting a car, there are basically two ways you can get from the airport to the city center: taxi or bus. Taxi could work out expensive, depending on the time you arrive and where you are heading (around EUR30 and upwards). The Airlink bus offers a EUR10 return ticket, however if you get a visitor leap card, this is included as a mode of transport you can use.

The public transport system is pretty decent in Dublin, definitely far better organised than back home in South Africa. But it is not as organised as other major cities (like London or New York). The time tables are fairly accurate, but sometimes buses have been known to not arrive on time, or arrive and leave before you get there.

For those of you looking to conserve your cash, the best way to make use of public transport is by purchasing a visitor leap card. It means you can use all modes of transport (bus, train, and tram, as well as the Airlink which takes you from the airport into the city and back). For a 3 day/72 hour pass, it will cost you under EUR20. You can buy this card at the airport, or in the city. More info on the visitors leap card can be found here.

Just a final note on public transport, things often take longer than expected when you use it. Public transport is less frequent over weekends, and it often takes longer than you think to walk around and orientate yourself. I often find that we can easily get distracted and lose track of  time when we are exploring the city. We have learnt to be fairly flexible in our travelling itineraries and always leave a bit earlier if we have a specific time slot booked.

The Weather in Dublin:

It will rain – but that is Ireland, so don’t let that stop you from fully exploring the city or you will be waiting all year for the perfect day. Dubliners really have the best attitude, they never let the weather hold them back from getting out and doing things.

You will find that although Dublin has a pretty mild summer (only a few days of really hot weather), it also has a fairly mild winter compared to other European countries, we rarely get lots of snow. The weather can honestly change within the hour, so dress in layers, and account for all seasons – regardless of what time of year you plan your visit.

How to explore Dublin in 3 days, and avoid drinking in Temple Bar. Click To Tweet

Here is my 3 day itinerary to exploring all that Dublin has to offer:

Day 1 – Explore the city

    • The Ha’penny Bridge versus the Samuel Beckett Bridge – Rob and I have different favourites. I love the history behind the Ha’penny, whereas Rob loves the structural/modern appeal of the Samuel Beckett. Regardless of our opinion, you should totally walk along the Liffey River between the two bridges, it gives you a nice overall feeling of Dublin as a city, and it is a pleasant walk. Most people when giving directions in Ireland, will give you the name of the closest pub as a reference point. Two pubs worth checking out close to both bridges would be The Ferryman (close to Samuel Beckett Bridge), and The Church (which is an old church turned into a pub, pretty close to the Ha’penny Bridge).Samuel Beckett Bridge, Dublin, Ireland
    • Grafton Street is also a great tourist spot. Most would say it is good for shopping, but I find it quite expensive. The reason I suggest you should walk along Grafton Street is actually more for the buskers. The street performers you will find on this street are just phenomenal. Stephen’s Green is at the top Grafton Street, and it is a great spot for a picnic lunch.
    • If you are keen for more bargain shopping, then on the other side of the Liffey are plenty of shops along Henry and Mary Street. At the top of Henry Street, on O’Connell Street, you need to check out The Spire, alternatively titled the Monument of Light. This is kinda hard to miss, but if you are not looking for it, you might not be aware of it. It is a large, stainless steel, pin-like monument 120 metres tall. It is quite a good landmark to help you orientate yourself too.

  • If tech is your thing, then I really suggest a walk around Grand Canal Docks – this is where Facebook, Airbnb, and Google Head Offices are. The Bord Gais Energy Theatre is also here, and often has ballet, opera, or musical events taking place here.
  • The Aviva Lansdowne Stadium is a must-see for the sports fanatics. You can walk along the dodder river from Grand Canal to the stadium. It is a short work and a great view of the stadium from a far. There are other walks you can do in Dublin, all free to do, read my top 7 walks to do in Dublin.Lansdowne Aviva Stadium, Dubli, Ireland
  • A night in Dublin is not complete if you don’t check out a pub (or three).
    • In the city, our fave pub is Doyle’s. This was recommended to us by a friend, and honestly, it gets really festive as the evening progresses. It is also central and close to bus stops if you are staying out of the city.
    • Another lively pub is The Bath which is pretty festive on match days (close to Aviva stadium), and if you are looking for a more quiet spot, just up the road is the Old Spot.
    • In summer, the Barge is the pub you can mingle outside along the canal (and if you are sneaky, you can bring your own).

Day 2 – History & Culture

Day 3 – The great outdoors; heading North or South along the DART line

If you are travelling through Ireland for the first time, then you totally have to get a walk along the cliffs in as part of your travel plans. You can head out of Dublin for a day out, either heading up North, or going further South. Both are conveniently on the DART train line (included in your visitor leap card pass), so you can definitely do this as a day trip out of the city. I would suggest either heading north or south, as I am not sure you can do both in one day.

  • If you head North, then you should visit Malahide castle and gardens, with a stop at Avoca for tea. The tour of the castle is interesting, costs EUR12.50 which includes a guided tour of the rooms as well as access to walk around the gardens which are also really beautiful. Malahide Castle and GardensFrom Malahide, you can walk to Portmarnock beach, which is probably the first beach we have been on that reminds me of home. After this short trip to the seaside, you should head to Howth for some fish and chips and a walk along the small harbour front. Follow the path along the cliffs towards the lighthouse, with a stop at the pub at the top of the hill, the Summit Inn Pub.
  • If you head South then you should start in Dun Laoghaire, which has a food market ever Sunday at the People’s Park. It is a great place to grab a quick brunch, but make sure you have space for a Teddy’s 99 ice cream cone and a walk along the pier or promenade.


    Here is a post I wrote about a day trip to Dun Laoghaire. Then from there you can catch the train to Bray and do the Bray to Greystones cliff walk, followed by taking the train from Greystones back into the city. If you want to spend more time in Bray, here is a post with more things to do in Bray.

As you can see there is TONS of things to do in Dublin. I have purposefully left out the Guinness Storehouse, and the Jameson Whiskey Museum – For more ideas on what to do in Dublin, check out this post on the 5 things every tourist needs to see in Dublin. I also wrote a post recently on the 20 FREE things to do in Dublin.

Come to think of it, I didn’t include things like visiting Phoenix Park (the largest walled park in Europe), or the Oscar Wilde statue in Merrion Square Park, or even where to find cool street art murals in Dublin, not to mention the donut shops to visit, or the walking trails you can do in the Dublin Mountains.

There really is so much to see in Dublin, you might need more than just 3 days to really see it all! But I hope that this small itinerary gives you ideas that get you out of the city, and exploring more of what Dublin has to offer – and not just sitting in a dark pub in Temple Bar drinking away your travel budget!

IF YOU COULD RECOMMEND JUST ONE THING TO SEE IN DUBLIN, WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST?

Unlock the simple life,

~Meg~

p.s. If social media is your thing (snap! It’s my fave too!), you should totally follow me on Instagram.

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How to see Dublin in 3 days. Ideas that get you out of the city, and exploring more of what Dublin has to offer - and avoiding drinking in Temple Bar.

Slow travel and how to explore your own city first

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Slow Travel. Making life an adventure every day, by slowing down and savoring what we have right in front of us is truly what I think makes your life infinitely happier, relaxed, and much more fulfilled. Here is how to explore your own city first. And no, you don't need a huge budget, and you don't need to jet off to distant lands to become a traveler.“Where is the first place you will visit now that you have a job?”

“When are you going overseas?”

“Now that you are working, when will you book your next holiday?”

These are the main points of conversation since I started my new job. Seriously, why are people always in a rush? Why does it feel like it is all a big comparison and competition? Life is so crazy as it is, everyone seems to be in a rush to tick off that bucket list, to rush through and get to the next bigger and better thing. They rush to travel to new places, but can they honestly say that they have truly savored the experience? Most people I find are waiting for Friday, waiting for their next holiday, waiting for a new year – why? Why are we not focusing on life as it is right now in the moment?

Why do people assume that to travel means to leave?

You can still explore and travel by staying at home. So often we think that to be living our best life we should be filling up our passports with visas and stamps in foreign countries – how many people can say that they have truly explored their home town? Have they have been a tourist in their own city? Making life an adventure every day, by slowing down and savoring what we have right in front of us is truly what I think makes your life infinitely happier, relaxed, and much more fulfilled.

Here is how to explore your own city first. And no, you don’t need a huge budget, and you don’t need to jet off to distant lands to become an explorer.

  1. Create a staycation. Some weekends I like to plan a mini itinerary on what we can see and do in Dublin, where we can eat and how our whole day will go. Just like as if we were visiting Dublin for the first time.
  2. Keep a bucket list for your city. We have an ever-growing list of things we want to do in Dublin, and we had a similar list in Johannesburg. On weekends when we are not sure what to do, we can go through the list and find ideas that we wrote down. It is a great way to remember and get to see everything.
  3. Try visit a new place every time. One of our rules is that we try not go to the same restaurant or pub more than twice. This is because there is such a wide variety, and we want to explore everything. Also routine can be so boring and monotonous. If you feel like you want to spice up your routine, change it first by trying a new place instead of sticking to your local go-to spots.
  4. Get creative and find the things to do that don’t cost a thing. Not everything in life has to be expensive and over the top. Sometimes exploring a new park, or museum, or finding a free event makes life exciting!
  5. Do one new thing. Key to exploring is to fully explore something, you can’t say you have truly experienced a new place if you run in, snap a picture and leave. Slow down. You don’t need to rush through your whole weekend, doing everything. I like to pick one or two things we can do each weekend, but leave it really casual, and play everything as it goes – some weekends you just want a pj and series day and that is OK too.

So many people use Dublin as a chance to jet overseas without fully exploring what it has to offer. And while I will admit that was definitely a reason we chose to move to Ireland (it is so central to all sorts of wonderful countries) because we have been short on cash recently, it has forced us to get creative on how we get out and enjoy our free time. Through living on one salary and still wanting to explore, it has made us realise that it doesn’t have to cost a lot to explore your home town, and for us, it’s still an adventure exploring Dublin from the inside out.

The biggest benefit to exploring your own city first is to really fall in love and appreciate where you live. You start realising just how much your home has to offer, and it turns you into a travel expert and brand ambassador for your own city – you can become that go-to person on where to go and what to see in your home town. And because things are always changing, new restaurants are always opening up, life never really gets boring because there is always something new to explore.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR CITY? HAVE BEEN A TOURIST IN YOUR HOMETOWN?

Unlock the simple life,

~Meg~

p.s. If social media is your thing (snap! It’s my fave too!), you should totally follow me on Instagram.

p.p.s. I try post varied content once or twice a month, to be sure you don’t miss out on the new post you should sign up and get all the news straight in your inbox – Sign up now!

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Slow Travel. Making life an adventure every day, by slowing down and savoring what we have right in front of us is truly what I think makes your life infinitely happier, relaxed, and much more fulfilled. Here is how to explore your own city first. And no, you don't need a huge budget, and you don't need to jet off to distant lands to become a traveler.