When David and I arrived in Dublin, we got off the train ready to chase leprechauns, find four-leaf clovers and drink more Guinness than we had ever drunk in the rest of our life. We were so prepared for a magical time, actually, that we hadn’t booked anything to do in Dublin beforehand. We got to our room, got ready to head out, looked at a map and said to each other, “Now what?”

The problem was most of the sites we had read and the guidebook we had in hand only recommended “historical” things to do in Dublin. Such as visiting the Kilmainham Gaol, visiting museums, and exploring cathedrals and castles. And that’s just not us.

Now don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with history – I think there is much to learn from it and I appreciate the work that has been done to preserve it. But those exhibits just didn’t excite us, and we knew we wouldn’t enjoy it as much as other parts of Dublin. We wanted to explore pubs and meet Irish people, eat plenty of food and, ultimately, feel immersed in the culture.

The problem with that though?

That would only take a few hours and most of it (namely the pub part) wouldn’t start until later that night. So here we were, sitting in our hotel room, not sure what we should do next. So, we said, “Fine. Let’s see what there is to do in Dublin that doesn’t include museums.” And it turns out, there ended up being plenty to fill our time in the city.

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Before You Go: Dublin Planning Tips

While we explored Dublin, I made a few notes of different things that are important when you travel here. Make sure to take note of these as you plan your trip:

Where to Stay

I would highly recommend staying near the Temple Bar area, especially if you plan on going out at night. This is because: 1. This is the “main” tourist area of town, and probably where you will already be spending a lot of time. 2. The neighborhood isn’t all that safe outside the few blocks surrounding Temple Bar. One night we were heading back to our hotel from the Temple Bar area and had gone a few blocks extra to grab some food. We watched someone try to pickpocket at tourist there. Luckily, the guy noticed and swatted him away. While this isn’t the most egregious crime (and could certainly happen in the Temple Bar area too), it is something to note. We also noticed that all windows and doors outside of the Temple Bar area had bars over them, which is never a good sign.

We stayed at the Morrison Dublin, and I enjoyed it because it was close enough to the Temple Bar that we only had to walk two blocks over, but we never felt unsafe as long as we stayed within the neighborhood. It was also far enough away that we didn’t have to listen to the loud crowds while trying to fall asleep at night.

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Where to Eat

We ate at a bunch of places while in Dublin, and two impressed me enough that I wanted to recommend them so you can add them to your list of things to do in Dublin:

1. Boxty in the Temple Bar area – Oh my goodness. I saw that this was the top-rated restaurant on Yelp, and I was a bit dubious. Sometimes when restaurants are top on Yelp, they have either been sponsoring a lot of posts or are so new that they haven’t received any low ratings yet. And Boxty proved me so wrong! We went for lunch and had a corned beef boxty (an Irish pancake wrapped around corned beef) and Irish stew – both were to die for. And the best part? Since we went during lunch, we purchased both of these meals for cheaper than we were usually able to eat at other restaurants in Dublin (we averaged around €50 per meal everywhere else).

2. The Brazen Head, Dublin’s oldest pub – When we went to the Brazen Head, it was the last night of our trip and I was a little burned out on ‘vacation food’ and the last thing I wanted was another stew or fish and chips. I turned to David and said, “ugh. I don’t think I want to eat pub food anymore.” And this place proved me completely wrong. It was absolutely, hands down, the best “pub grub” we ate through our whole trip. The food had a lot more flavor than we had found in other pubs, and the atmosphere was so fun (you could sit in the outdoor beer garden and people watch). And the best part? The pub holds the Guinness World Record for oldest in Dublin (it has been on that spot since the 12^th century!) You can see their World Record certificate inside.

P.S. Brazen Head also does an evening storytelling dinner most nights called “Food, Folklore and Fairytales,” which we heard a fellow diner raving about.  

What Will the Weather Be Like?

Rainy. No matter what time of the year you travel, it will rain at some point during your time in Dublin, I can promise you that. We had clear skies every day we were in Dublin, but that didn’t mean we weren’t caught in a few sun showers and sudden downpours. Make sure to bring an umbrella or a poncho with you and have it handy at all times, as even the most beautiful weather can be unpredictable.

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10 Things to do in Dublin (That Aren’t Museums)

1. Go to a Pub

Probably the most obvious thing to do in Dublin (and also my favorite part of Dublin). There are so many pubs in Dublin that you could probably throw a rock and hit three. But almost every one of them can guarantee you a great time!

Different pubs have different vibes, so make sure to hop around and see which one is up to your liking. Some pubs are low key, others are packed. Some play trad, while others have musicians playing top hits. Some have Irish dancing, while others serve beer and nothing else.

If you’re looking for a great pub, the best way to find one is to befriend someone who lives in the city. They are all too happy to let you know their favorite pub (or at least the best one nearby). Two of the pubs recommended to us (though I will admit we didn’t have a chance to try them) included Arthur’s, which was down the street from the Guinness factory, and O’Neill’s, which has Irish dancing starting at 10 p.m.

2. Explore the Guinness Storehouse

Find out why Guinness really DOES taste better in Ireland! With the Guinness Storehouse being one of the biggest tourist attractions in Ireland, you may be rolling your eyes as to whether this is actually worth your money and time. And I would have to say it is. While I found the tour part to be a bit boring, it is very well done and worth a quick walkthrough. However, once you get through the tour, you are rewarded with a pint of Guinness.

Your tour ticket gets you your pint and you are given two options: you can learn to pour a pint in the Guinness Academy, or you can go up to the top of the brewery and have your pint at the highest brewery in Dublin. Here is what I recommend: Learn how to pour a pint in the academy and then take it up to the Gravity Bar at the top. That way you get both experiences, all at one price. Click here to read more about my tips & tricks for the Guinness Storehouse tour.

PRO TIP: Buy your tickets online beforehand. Not only will you be able to skip the line (and there will probably be a line) but you will save money. Win-win!

3. Use a Hop-On/Hop-Off Bus

When we first got into town and we weren’t sure what we wanted to do, we bought Hop-On/Hop-Off tickets in hopes that they would bring us somewhere interesting. And they ended up being a perfect choice for our time in Dublin! Not only did they take us to a few places on this list, but we also got to learn about other stops that wouldn’t have interested us otherwise (like St. Patrick’s Cathedral and St. Stephen’s Green). The bus also served as a great in-town taxi, saving us a lot of money in Ubers. After riding it completely around the city once, we found ourselves planning our days around the schedule, so that we could successively move down the bus’s route, allowing for movement to be even easier throughout the city.

We used (and really liked!) Do Dublin, though I will note that there are other Hop-On/Hop-Off buses throughout the city. Pricewise, we spent €52 for a 48-hour pass for two people (it would have been €48 for a 24-hour pass, so for four dollars we decided to spring for the extra time. We didn’t regret it, because, as I said, we ended up using the bus as a large taxi on that second day). Prices were cheaper online, but in return, you had to have a printed copy of your boarding pass. This wasn’t something we had time to do, as we decided last minute to buy a pass. But we had no problem buying onboard – the driver made it quick, so we didn’t hold anyone up, and all we had to do was show our receipt every time we got on.

Something that may also be of note to parents: We noticed that Do Dublin also allowed kids under 12 to ride free with a paid adult.

4. Pretend You’re in a Harry Potter Movie

Alright, this may be my closest museum pick of this list. But look at the picture above. It’s so worth it. You can pretend you’re in a Harry Potter movie while visiting the Long Room at Trinity College. Out of all of the things to do in Dublin, this one was definitely worth it for the pictures alone, especially if you are a Harry Potter fan. The feeling is so dreamy! The library is full of over 200,000 books – and the smell in the room will give any book lover pleasure (hint: it has that great old book smell).

While no Harry Potter movies were actually filmed here, it’s a great opportunity for fans who want to pretend like they are in the movie itself. To get here, you will have to pay entrance to the Book of Kells exhibit. This isn’t necessarily a museum, and it’s worth it to take a few minutes exploring the exhibit and learning about why the book is so important to our modern-day printing process.

Something that may be worth it is paying for the Trinity College Tour as it only costs one euro more than the entrance fee for the Book of Kells. So, if this sort of tour does interest you, make sure to book beforehand (or at least look up the times before you go there, as there are a limited amount of tours offered through the day).

5. Listen to Trad

Trad, also known as “traditional music,” is one of Ireland’s specialties, but especially Dublin’s. When you walk down the street at night, you’ll notice that music flows out of virtually every pub. Some restaurants even have trad playing during the day or during dinner, so keep an eye (or ear) out. Even if you’re not one to grab a pint, make sure to stop and listen to a few songs, especially late at night. A pub atmosphere full of Trad can bring craic to any reveler!

6. Go to a Distillery

There are seemingly so many choices of distilleries throughout Dublin, that it would be easy to do a distillery hop (and you should do one, especially if you have the Hop-On/Hop-Off bus pass, which will bring you between so many!)

Some of the top choices include Jameson, Teelings, Liberties, Roe & Co., and Pearse Lyons. We did a Roe & Co. distillery tasting as part of our Guinness tour and they did not disappoint (some of the best cocktails we have ever had) There are also many companies that will book you a package deal of a Guinness tour and Jameson tasting at the price of one. If you’re interested in doing any of these tastings, look around before your trip for a package deal.

7. Explore the Temple Bar area (especially at night)

Temple Bar is going to be crowded. Almost every night of the week. That’s unavoidable. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not fun! Even if you don’t go into a bar and have a beer, it’s worth it to explore the neighborhood. There are plenty of street vendors, entertainment and just plain people watching to be had in the Temple Bar area. As you explore, you can walk around, take in the sights, grab some food, and maybe grab a beer. Make a night of it! However, there are many pickpockets in the area, so make sure to keep your stuff close while you explore.

8. Take a Cab Ride

When the Hop-On/Hop-Off bus wasn’t available, we took a cab ride between our destinations. And these ended up being one of our favorite parts of the city! Most cab drivers are born and bred in Dublin, so they are great to talk to and learn more about what is happening in the city, what pubs may fit your fancy, or any other tips you may be looking for. Our favorite cab driver was just a ton of fun – he liked joking with us (and the other cabbies that we drove by) and gave us so many tips to do throughout the city. Honestly, speaking with him was worth the price alone. I highly recommend you grab a cab, at least once or twice, to meet and chat with a driver.

9. Take a Day Trip

If you Google “Day Trip from Dublin” you’ll find that there are SO many tours and trips you can take. From Cliffs of Moher to Game of Thrones sightseeing, to small-town day trips and trips exploring the coast, there are dozens and dozens of trips and places you can take and go to once you are in Dublin.

Personally, we decided to visit Galway for one day and two nights and we had a great time. Galway had this great “Small Town Ireland” feel, allowing us to really understand what Irish culture was like. And it only took two and a half hours to get from Dublin to Galway, making it an easy day trip or a quick overnight.  

If you’re looking to book just a tour, I always recommend Viator. We have booked a variety of tours through them and they have never disappointed us.

10. Walk around Dublin

The best thing you can do during your time in Dublin? Just wander. Take time to explore the city and stop to enjoy all that it has to offer. If you want some guided walking, there are plenty of options from free walking tours to food tours to ghost tours.

My favorite part of Dublin was meeting the people. Honestly, I don’t think I have ever met individuals nicer than those who live in Dublin. From cabbies who went out of their way to give suggestions to improve our trip, to locals who just wanted to have a chat over a pint, people were extremely willing to talk about their lives and help you understand what Dublin is about. Walking around the city is a great way to not only explore but also meet the people of the city. And you never know – a fun adventure may be waiting for you around the corner as you explore!

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Another Note: Leaving Dublin

While this post is mainly about the ten things I enjoyed doing in Dublin, I also wanted to make sure I noted the issues we had when we were leaving Dublin. If you are flying out of Dublin to the United States, the process can be a bit hectic. Note that you will not only have to go through airport security, you will then also have to go through U.S. Precheck and then also U.S. customs before you can get to your gate. Unfortunately, TSA Precheck doesn’t work here, and the process of making it through U.S. security can add another one or so to your pre-flight time.

Furthermore, MANY people who are flying to the U.S get picked to be a part of “secondary security screening selection” (SSSS). I found out I was selected for SSSS when the boarding pass that was emailed to me after check-in said, “This is not your boarding pass. Please see a gate agent.” I saw a gate agent and was handed a ticket with SSSS marked all over it. If you have this happen to you, then I would add another hour and a half to your timeline. We didn’t realize how long SSSS would take and I literally had to run to my gate. Luckily, I made it, but don’t let that be you. If you think you are selected for SSSS, learn from my mistakes.

The moral to the story is: The process to go from Dublin to the United States is a long one, and I highly suggest that you budget three or four hours if you are going through the DUB airport. And if you get through early? Don’t worry, while small, there are still one or two restaurants past all of the security if you want to grab a beer.

While I wouldn’t call Dublin a jam-packed city, I think there is plenty to do no matter what you are looking for. Hopefully, this guide helped you find some ideas of things to do in Dublin outside of the typical museum- and history-based itinerary.

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If you’re looking for other places to visit while in Ireland, I highly recommend you visit Galway! When we were looking for places to visit while in Ireland, everything we read said to go to Galway – and it did not disappoint. Check out my guide for the city below:

• Why Galway Should Be on Your Bucket List

And if you head to the Guinness Storehouse, make sure to use my guide so that you can be sure that you see and do everything:

• A Guide to the Guinness Storehouse

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Any Questions?

I hope these tips helped you with your time in Dublin. If you have any questions about your planning process, or what else you might want to do in or around Dublin, let me know in the comments and I will get back to you ASAP!

Want to see more of our time in Dublin? Take a look at my Instagram stories (under the name “Ireland”) and you can see more minute-by-minute information from our trip.

Have you been to Dublin? What did you enjoy? Is there something you would add to this list? Do you want to go to Dublin? What’s on the top of your wish list? Comment below – I want to hear from you!

And don’t forget to save this post for later via the images below.