One day in Dublin, itinerary

One day is not enough at all for exploring any major city with a rich history, Dublin is not an exception. But what if you have only one day in Dublin? Our route includes all the most «delicious» sights in the capital of Ireland for a great one day tour.

The center of Dublin is very space effective and the main attractions are located close to each other. Your walk should be on foot to feel the city in all its glory. The length of the route is 6 kilometers, but despite the short distances, you will spend the whole day on the route.

If you want to not just to see, but also to listen to interesting stories, book tours in Dublin at this link.

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Castle and churches

Let’s start the walk with the main attraction of the city, the Dublin Castle, located in the city center on Dame Street. This mighty citadel was built back in the time of the Normans in the 12th century, but obtained its current form only in the 19th century. After examining the majestic fortress and taking photos, look around. On one side of the castle you will see the Royal Chapel, and the modern city hall of Dublin on the other.

Then head west on Castle Street. You don’t need to go far, after 200 meters you will see the Cathedral of Christ on Christchurch Square. This is the main cathedral of the city, now it’s a museum, so you can go inside and see at the main relics: the tomb of the knight Strongbow of the XII century or the mummified remains of a cat and a rat that were removed from a church organ in the XIX century. As a matter of curiosity, animal remains were preserved not worse than the relics of saints. Tickets can be booked in advance using this link.

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After that you can turn to Patrick Street and head south. Passing by the Art Gallery and St. Patrick’s Park, you will reach the second most important and the first largest church in the city and the whole country — St. Patrick’s Close. You can enjoy the view of another majestic Catholic church and go inside, please note that the entrance costs € 8.00.

Guinness and Jameson

After finishing with things spiritual, you can move on to more common entertainments. For sure, the Irish are devoted Catholics, but they are no less known for their hard drinking and the production of quality alcohol. So head west to the Guinness Storehouse. You will have to go quite far, about 1.2 km along The Coombe, Meath Street, Earl Street and Bellevue streets.

This storehouse can be even called a temple of beer, it has a height of 7 floors. Pay € 22 entrance fee (you can buy a ticket in advance here) and enjoy the displays as well as tasting different varieties of Guinness. And on the top floor in the Gravity pub, give the ticket to the bartender, and he will pour you a whole pint of Guinness for free. But be careful and don’t overdo, as it’s just a half of the route!

After the storehouse you can «increase the degree». So head to another alcohol-themed museum, Jameson Distillery, located on the other side of the River Liffey. But to prepare for the next tastings, have lunch at one of the cafes along the way, for example, Waterfront or Cinnamon on Arran 38 waterfront.

Entrance fee to the Jameson Distillery Museum (Bow Street, Smithfield Village) is € 25 (book it in advance here). First, you will look into the whiskey production process, after which you will taste it and officially receive a taster certificate.

» READ MORE – Guinness Storehouse and Jameson Distillery

Walks in Dublin

Now we have to overcome another long walk on Mary’s Ln, Mary’s Street Little and Henry Street. In fact, this is one large and long street, which has different names along its length. This place is considered to be a shopping paradise, perfect to buy souvenirs.

At the end of Henry Street comes O’Connell Street, which is quite large and noisy. Check out the Dublin Needle, a 121-meter-high spire. This monument can be seen from almost anywhere in the city. If you look around, nearby you can see the monuments of the famous irishmen: right along the way you will see a statue of the writer James Joyce, and on the right there is a monument of James Larkin, a trade unionist.

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University and more beer!

It’s time to return to the southern part of the city on the other side of the River Liffey. In front of the bridge you can see the monument of the national hero of Ireland, Daniel O’Connell, the street and the bridge here are named after him.

Back in South Dublin, walk down Westmoreland Street. By the way, here you will pass by the Irish Whiskey Museum (119 Grafton Street), so you can continue the alcohol tour and try other brands of whiskey besides Jameson. A ticket to this museum will cost € 20. A museum tour with tasting starts every half hour. To be sure that you get space there, book your ticket in advance using this link.

On the other side of yet another alcohol museum in Dublin there is Trinity College. It is the alma mater of most prominent Dubliners. University graduates include Oscar Wilde, Jonathan Swift and Samuel Beckett. The mysterious Book of Kells, a handwritten collection of gospels written over 1,100 years ago, is kept in the university library. And the Trinity College building itself is an excellent example of Victorian architecture, so get a chance to take a picture of it. You will see even more interesting things with a ticket for skip-the-line access (available at this link).

In the evening you can go to the Temple Bar near the banks of the River Liffey. This is a real hot spot in Dublin, where beer flows like water, the music never stops, and the stream of tourists does not run short. Every establishment in the area is either a pub, or a bar, or a restaurant or a nightclub. The best way to end the day is in the classic Irish pub that gave the area its name, The Temple Bar or The Old Storehouse.

Enjoy your stay in Dublin!