# Dublin

The Book of Kells, Kilmainham Gaol, Guinness and pubs with live music, in a small capital with a direct flight from Spain and the sea half an hour away.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/ireland/dublin · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## How many days do you need?

Three days for the city and one or two more to get out. Central Dublin is small: from Trinity College to St Patrick's Cathedral is a twenty-minute walk, and almost everything important lies between the River Liffey, Grafton Street and St Stephen's Green. A good way to divide it is this:

Day 1: Trinity College and the Book of Kells first thing, the National Museum of Archaeology, free, and in the afternoon Temple Bar and the Ha'penny Bridge.

Day 2: St Patrick's Cathedral, the Guinness Storehouse and Kilmainham Gaol, all three in the west of the city. Dinner with music at The Brazen Head.

Day 3: the sea. By DART to Howth for the cliff path and the boat to Ireland's Eye, or to Malahide for its castle.

With more days, get out of the city: Newgrange and the Boyne Valley to the north, Glendalough to the south, Kilkenny by train and, with one or two nights, Galway and the Cliffs of Moher.

## What should you book?

Three visits are sold with a set time and are best bought before you travel:

Kilmainham is the hardest. Only tickets from its official website, kilmainhamgaolmuseum.ie, are valid: the Office of Public Works rejects resold tickets and those from websites that imitate the name. Some are released 28 days ahead, at midnight Irish time, and on the day itself, from 9:15, extra tickets and cancellations are released. They are not sold at the door.

The Book of Kells runs in time slots. Book a few days ahead; in summer the mid-morning ones disappear.

The Guinness Storehouse sells at the ticket desk, but €2 more expensive and with no guarantee of a place.

## How do you get around?

On foot in the centre and with the Leap Visitor card for everything else: €8 for one day, €18 for three days, with unlimited bus, Luas tram and DART. From the airport, the Dublin Express or Aircoach coach drops you in the centre in about half an hour. Do not hire a car for the city: parking is expensive and difficult, and for day trips there are trains, buses and organised coaches.

## Where should you stay?

Between Trinity College and the Liffey you have everything on foot and the airport coach at your door. North of the river, Smithfield is cheaper and has the Luas to Heuston station, a good idea if you are catching trains to Kilkenny or Galway. Temple Bar is lively but noisy at night.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Irish pubs, Historic bookshops and libraries of Europe
- Cerca: Malahide (a 13.3 km), Powerscourt and Enniskerry (a 18.4 km), Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains (a 38.0 km), Newgrange and the Boyne Valley (a 40.6 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Trinity College, the Book of Kells and the Long Room** (1 h 30 · From age 8; with small children, the shorter 45-minute version · Book of Kells Experience from €25 · Book of Kells and Old Library from €19 · reduced price for students and over-60s): The Book of Kells is a gospel book illuminated by monks around the year 800, and it is kept in the Old Library at Trinity College, right in the centre. Your ticket includes the manuscript, the Long Room, the great wooden hall of the Old Library, and a digital exhibition in the Red Pavilion, a minute away. Allow an hour and a half.
The Long Room is undergoing conservation work: almost all its books have been removed and only the first four sections still have full shelves. You can still visit the hall, but do not expect the image from the photos. If you are short of time, the shorter ticket (manuscript and Old Library, 45 minutes) costs from €19.
Tickets are timed. Buy them on the official website a few days ahead; in summer and at weekends the mid-morning slots sell out. It is open daily from 8:30 (on Sundays, from 9:00).
- **Guinness Storehouse and a pint in the Gravity Bar** (1 h 30 · All ages; under-18s must be with an adult and get a soft drink instead of beer · Adult from €26 · ages 5 to 17 €10 · under-4s free · family (2+2) from €62 · at the ticket desk, €2 more): The old fermentation plant of the St James's Gate brewery is now a seven-floor tour about how Guinness is made, its history and its advertising. You go round on your own, at your own pace, in an hour and a half at the very least. At the top, in the glass-walled Gravity Bar, you get your pint included, with the city at your feet; if you don't drink, there is Guinness 0.0 or a soft drink.
Buy online: it is cheaper than at the ticket desk and in season the time slots sell out. Children can go in with an adult (ages 5 to 17 pay €10; under-4s pay nothing) and get a soft drink; the building is accessible with a pushchair. It is in The Liberties district, about 25 minutes' walk from Trinity College; the Dublin Express coach stops nearby, at Usher's Quay.
- **Kilmainham Gaol, the story of Irish independence** (1 h 30 · From age 10; the history is harsh and part of the visit is outdoors · Adult €8 · over-60s €6 · ages 12 to 17 and students €4 · under-12s free with a ticket · family €20): Kilmainham opened in 1796 as the county gaol, and it held ordinary prisoners and almost every rebel in Irish history, from Robert Emmet to Charles Stewart Parnell. In its Stonebreakers' Yard, fourteen leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising were executed by firing squad. The visit is guided only: an hour through the cells, the chapel and the Victorian wing, and then the museum at your own pace.
How to get a ticket. Only tickets bought on kilmainhamgaolmuseum.ie are valid: the Office of Public Works (OPW) warns that it does not accept resold tickets or tickets from other websites, even from pages that imitate the name. Some of the tickets are released 28 days ahead, at midnight Irish time; if you cannot find a slot, go on the website on the day itself from 9:15, when extra tickets and cancellations are released. Tickets are not sold at the door.
It is about 3.5 km from the centre, on Inchicore Road; go by bus or walk from the Guinness Storehouse in about 20 minutes. Wrap up warm in winter: it is very cold inside.
- **Howth Cliff Path walk from the DART station** (2 h · 7.8 km · From age 8 with hiking footwear · Free): Howth is the peninsula that closes Dublin Bay to the north, about 30 minutes from the centre on the DART. From the station itself a 7.8 km circular walk sets off, waymarked with a green arrow on a white background, climbing up past the harbour and following the cliff path, with the open sea and the Baily lighthouse in view, before returning through the interior. It takes about two hours, with 130 m of ascent.
The path is narrow and runs very close to the edge in places: wear walking boots or trail shoes and do not stray from the path, especially with children or in the wind. When you get back, the harbour has fish stalls, seals beside the boats and, if there is time, the boat to Ireland's Eye.
- **National Museum of Ireland, Archaeology, on Kildare Street** (1 h 30 · All ages · Free): The archaeology museum on Kildare Street, five minutes from Trinity College, is free and is the best plan in Dublin for a rainy day. It holds Ireland's Bronze Age gold, bodies preserved in bogs more than two thousand years ago, Christian Ireland of the monasteries and Viking Dublin. In an hour and a half you will see the main things.
Mind the opening hours: on Sunday and Monday it does not open until 13:00. Some galleries sometimes close without warning, so if you are coming for one particular piece, check the website that day.
- **St Patrick's Cathedral** (45 min · All ages · Adult €11.50 · students and over-60s €10 · ages 6 to 12 €5.50 · under-5s free · family €31): The national cathedral of the Church of Ireland stands where, according to tradition, St Patrick baptised people more than 1,500 years ago. Inside there are stained-glass windows, flags of former regiments and the tomb of Jonathan Swift, the author of Gulliver's Travels, who was its dean. The garden next door is public and free.
Guided tours are free with your ticket, Monday to Saturday at 10:30 and 14:30. On Sundays it opens in slots between services: check the times beforehand. It is ten minutes' walk from the Guinness Storehouse and Christ Church, and the joint ticket with Marsh's Library, the oldest public library in the country, costs €17.
- **Malahide Castle and Gardens, 25 minutes away by train** (3 h · All ages; the fairy trail is for under-8s): Malahide is a seaside village north of Dublin, about 25 minutes away on the DART, the suburban train. Ten minutes' walk from the station, in an enormous park, stands the castle where the Talbot family lived for more than eight centuries. You enter on a guided tour, through rooms with portraits and period furniture; outside there are the botanic garden, the butterfly house and a fairy trail through the woods designed for small children.
Allow at least two hours for the castle and gardens, plus a stroll around the village and the marina. It is open daily from 9:30 to 17:30. In high season, book the castle tour on its website. It is 14 minutes from the airport: if your flight leaves in the afternoon, it makes a good plan for the morning of your last day.
- **Dublin Zoo, in Phoenix Park** (3 h 30 · All ages · Online, adult €22.50 and ages 3 to 15 €17 · at the ticket desk, €26.50 and €20 · under-3s free): The zoo covers 28 hectares inside Phoenix Park, the great park west of the centre, and has more than 400 animals of seventy species, with an African savannah you can see from a raised path. For children it makes a perfect half day; afterwards, the park is huge for running about and there are often deer roaming loose on the grassland.
Buy online: it works out considerably cheaper than at the ticket desk. In November, December and January it closes at 16:00 (last entry at 15:00). From the centre, take a bus or the Luas tram to Heuston and then walk for twenty minutes.
- **Boat trip around Ireland's Eye from Howth harbour** (50 min · All ages · Desde 25 € person): Ireland's Eye is the small island you can see right in front of Howth harbour. Ireland's Eye Ferries leaves from the end of the West Pier in small boats and goes round it in 50 minutes, passing beneath the Howth cliffs: you will see the seal colony and seabirds such as gannets and, in the breeding season, puffins. From €25 per person. There is no landing: the company avoids it so as not to disturb the birds.
Get to the jetty a quarter of an hour early. Departures depend on the sea; if it is blowing hard, check the website before you head out to Howth.

## Dónde comer
- **The Brazen Head** (Bar, Dublin, €€). Qué pedir: the beef stew or the fish and chips with the house tartare sauce, and stay for the music.
- **The Woollen Mills** (Restaurant, Dublin, €€€). Qué pedir: the Irish Porterhouse steak or the skate with chips, and on the roof a coffee or a cocktail.
- **Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen** (Restaurant, Dublin, €€€€). Qué pedir: the lunch menu from Thursday to Saturday, the most affordable way to try the restaurant.
- **Beshoffs The Market, on Howth's West Pier** (Restaurant, Howth, €€). Qué pedir: a few oysters and a plate of crab at the seafood bar, or grilled fish at the Sea Grill.
- **The Stag's Head** (Bar, Dublin · Dame Court, €€). Qué pedir: a pint of Guinness; if you arrive before 17:00, something from the pub kitchen
- **The Palace Bar** (Bar, Dublin · Fleet Street, €). Qué pedir: a pint of Guinness and, if you like whiskey, ask them to show you the pub's collection

## By plane: Direct flight to Dublin and a coach into the centre
Dublin has direct flights from many Spanish cities: Aer Lingus lists departures from Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, Bilbao, Alicante, Seville, Santiago, Asturias, Palma and the Canary Islands, and Ryanair, Iberia and Vueling cover several of those routes. From Madrid or Barcelona it takes about two and a half hours. The airport has no train, but the coaches drop you in the centre in about half an hour, and for day trips (Howth, Malahide, Kilkenny, Glendalough, Newgrange) you do not need a car.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Generator Dublin** (Hostel): A big hostel in Smithfield
Generator occupies a building on Smithfield Square, the cobbled square in the market district, on the north bank of the Liffey, ten minutes' walk from Temple Bar and close to the Jameson distillery. It has dorm beds with en-suite bathrooms, sleeping four to ten (one is women-only), and private rooms, including a family room for four.
Atmosphere
Downstairs are the café, where breakfast is served, and the Shuffleboard Bar, open from 11:00 to 23:30, with games and activities. It is a place for young, lively people; if you want quiet, ask for a private room on an upper floor. There is luggage storage for leaving your bag on the last day.
How to get there
The Luas tram (red line) stops at Smithfield, in the square itself, and takes you to Heuston station, where the trains to Kilkenny and Galway leave from, and to the centre. The Dublin Express airport coach stops at Arran Quay, five minutes away.
- **Trinity City Hotel** (Hotel): Next to Trinity, without the noise of Temple Bar
A four-star hotel on Pearse Street, the street that runs behind Trinity College. Part of the building is Georgian and part modern, with high-ceilinged suites in the old part. The Book of Kells is five minutes away, Grafton Street ten, and Temple Bar close enough to go out for dinner and far enough to sleep.
Eating and drinking
It has a restaurant with a landscaped courtyard, the Courtyard, and a bar, the Brunswick, for a last drink without leaving the hotel.
Getting there and getting around
The airport coach stops on Pearse Street, in front of Trinity. Pearse DART station is next door: from there you can take a direct train to Howth and Malahide, or south along the coast to Bray, where the bus to Glendalough leaves from. If you arrive by car, the hotel offers a valet service.
- **The Shelbourne** (Hotel): Dublin's great classic hotel
The Shelbourne has been welcoming guests since 1824 behind a Victorian façade opposite St Stephen's Green, the park in the centre. Grafton Street, Trinity College and the National Museum of Archaeology are all five minutes' walk away.
What you should know now
The hotel is undergoing works: it is renovating the rooms until May 2027, and the spa and pool are closed. If you book, ask which wing you will be in. Check-in is from 15:00; late check-out is requested at reception that same morning.
Eating and drinking without staying here
Even if you are not staying, the afternoon tea in the Lord Mayor's Lounge (from €79, with booking) is a Dublin custom, and the No. 27 bar serves nibbles and cocktails and has a children's menu. The Saddle Room, the meat and seafood restaurant, offers an early-evening menu from €49.
How to get there
The airport coach stops a few minutes away, and the St Stephen's Green stop has the Luas tram and the bus to Glendalough, which leaves from the north side of the park at 11:00.
### Servicios
- **From Dublin Airport to the city centre**: Dublin Express and Aircoach, about 30 minutes to the centre; TFI city buses (16, 41 and others), slower and cheaper. They leave from the T1 and T2 bus zones.
- **Leap Visitor Card for Dublin transport**: Unlimited travel on city buses, Luas, DART and commuter trains for 24 hours (€8), 72 hours (€18) or 7 days (€24), from first use.
- **Heuston, Connolly and the DART**: Heuston for trains to Kilkenny and Galway; Connolly, Tara Street and Pearse for the coastal DART, to Howth, Malahide and Bray.

## Car-free: Dublin on foot, with the DART and day trains
Dublin is a city for walking: the centre fits within half an hour's walk from end to end, and what lies further out (Kilmainham, the zoo, the coast) can be reached by bus, Luas or DART with the Leap Visitor. Day trips leave from here without a car: train to Kilkenny, bus to Glendalough and organised coaches to Newgrange and the Cliffs of Moher.
Presupuesto orientativo: 110–200 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Generator Dublin** (Hostel): A big hostel in Smithfield
Generator occupies a building on Smithfield Square, the cobbled square in the market district, on the north bank of the Liffey, ten minutes' walk from Temple Bar and close to the Jameson distillery. It has dorm beds with en-suite bathrooms, sleeping four to ten (one is women-only), and private rooms, including a family room for four.
Atmosphere
Downstairs are the café, where breakfast is served, and the Shuffleboard Bar, open from 11:00 to 23:30, with games and activities. It is a place for young, lively people; if you want quiet, ask for a private room on an upper floor. There is luggage storage for leaving your bag on the last day.
How to get there
The Luas tram (red line) stops at Smithfield, in the square itself, and takes you to Heuston station, where the trains to Kilkenny and Galway leave from, and to the centre. The Dublin Express airport coach stops at Arran Quay, five minutes away.
- **Trinity City Hotel** (Hotel): Next to Trinity, without the noise of Temple Bar
A four-star hotel on Pearse Street, the street that runs behind Trinity College. Part of the building is Georgian and part modern, with high-ceilinged suites in the old part. The Book of Kells is five minutes away, Grafton Street ten, and Temple Bar close enough to go out for dinner and far enough to sleep.
Eating and drinking
It has a restaurant with a landscaped courtyard, the Courtyard, and a bar, the Brunswick, for a last drink without leaving the hotel.
Getting there and getting around
The airport coach stops on Pearse Street, in front of Trinity. Pearse DART station is next door: from there you can take a direct train to Howth and Malahide, or south along the coast to Bray, where the bus to Glendalough leaves from. If you arrive by car, the hotel offers a valet service.
- **The Shelbourne** (Hotel): Dublin's great classic hotel
The Shelbourne has been welcoming guests since 1824 behind a Victorian façade opposite St Stephen's Green, the park in the centre. Grafton Street, Trinity College and the National Museum of Archaeology are all five minutes' walk away.
What you should know now
The hotel is undergoing works: it is renovating the rooms until May 2027, and the spa and pool are closed. If you book, ask which wing you will be in. Check-in is from 15:00; late check-out is requested at reception that same morning.
Eating and drinking without staying here
Even if you are not staying, the afternoon tea in the Lord Mayor's Lounge (from €79, with booking) is a Dublin custom, and the No. 27 bar serves nibbles and cocktails and has a children's menu. The Saddle Room, the meat and seafood restaurant, offers an early-evening menu from €49.
How to get there
The airport coach stops a few minutes away, and the St Stephen's Green stop has the Luas tram and the bus to Glendalough, which leaves from the north side of the park at 11:00.
### Servicios
- **From Dublin Airport to the city centre**: Dublin Express and Aircoach, about 30 minutes to the centre; TFI city buses (16, 41 and others), slower and cheaper. They leave from the T1 and T2 bus zones.
- **Leap Visitor Card for Dublin transport**: Unlimited travel on city buses, Luas, DART and commuter trains for 24 hours (€8), 72 hours (€18) or 7 days (€24), from first use.
- **Heuston, Connolly and the DART**: Heuston for trains to Kilkenny and Galway; Connolly, Tara Street and Pearse for the coastal DART, to Howth, Malahide and Bray.

## As a family: Zoo, a castle with fairies and a boat to see seals

Dublin works well for families because it is small and flat, the national museums are free and the countryside and the sea are half an hour away by train. Alternate an indoor visit with an outing in the fresh air each day: hardly any child can cope with more than two hours in a museum.

### What works best
Dublin Zoo, half a day in Phoenix Park

Malahide Castle, with a butterfly house and a fairy trail

Boat to Ireland's Eye from Howth, to see seals and birds

National Museum of Archaeology, free, with the bog bodies

Guinness Storehouse: children go in with a soft drink and go up to the viewing bar

### Where to sleep
Trinity City Hotel, right in the centre

Generator Dublin, with a family room for four

### Where to eat
Beshoffs in Howth, seafood and fish in front of the boats

The Woollen Mills, at lunchtime or for weekend brunch

### Worth knowing
At Kilmainham the story is harsh: better from age 10

On the Howth cliff path, hold children's hands on the stretches beside the edge

It rains on and off: bring a waterproof even in summer

### Qué hacer as a family
- Trinity College, the Book of Kells and the Long Room
- Guinness Storehouse and a pint in the Gravity Bar
- Howth Cliff Path walk from the DART station
- National Museum of Ireland, Archaeology, on Kildare Street
- St Patrick's Cathedral
- Malahide Castle and Gardens, 25 minutes away by train
- Dublin Zoo, in Phoenix Park
- Boat trip around Ireland's Eye from Howth harbour

## With teenagers: Prisons, cliffs and a city to get around on their own

From 12 to 17, Dublin gives them room: it is safe, you can get around on foot and it has stories that grip, from prisoners and rebels to Vikings. What they like most is whatever has a story or fresh air; what they like least is queues and picture galleries.

### What works best
Kilmainham Gaol, with the story of the 1916 Rising told in the cells

Howth cliff path, two hours above the sea

Trinity College and the Book of Kells, better with the guided tour of the campus

National Museum of Archaeology, the bog bodies and the Viking gold

Guinness Storehouse, for the building and the views from the Gravity Bar

### Where to sleep
Generator Dublin, with a young atmosphere and private rooms

Trinity City Hotel, to have everything within walking distance

### Where to eat
The Brazen Head at lunchtime, pub food

Fish and chips or seafood in Howth

### Worth knowing
In pubs, in the evening, under-18s must be with an adult

Kilmainham tickets are released 28 days ahead and go fast

At the Guinness Storehouse, under-18s get a soft drink

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- Trinity College, the Book of Kells and the Long Room
- Guinness Storehouse and a pint in the Gravity Bar
- Kilmainham Gaol, the story of Irish independence
- Howth Cliff Path walk from the DART station
- National Museum of Ireland, Archaeology, on Kildare Street
- Boat trip around Ireland's Eye from Howth harbour

## With friends: Dublin with friends: pints, music and cliffs by train

Dublin is a city of pubs with live music, and that decides the evening; the day is taken care of by stout, a ninth-century manuscript and a cliff walk you reach on the DART. The good thing for a group is that everything is close to Temple Bar and the best day trip leaves from the city itself.

### What works best
Guinness Storehouse: a 90-minute self-guided visit, from €26, that ends with a pint and views over Dublin. It costs €2 more at the ticket office.

Howth Cliff Path: 7.8 km and about 2 hours, free, along the edge of the peninsula with the Baily lighthouse below.

Boat around Ireland's Eye: 50 minutes from Howth, from €25, with seals and birds; it sails depending on sea conditions.

Trinity College and the Book of Kells: fixed time slot, from €25, plus the Long Room; best by day, before the pints.

Kilmainham Gaol: €8 and only with a ticket bought on its official website; it is the visit people talk about most afterwards.

### Where to stay
Generator Dublin: a hostel on Smithfield Square with en-suite dorms, rooms for four and a bar with shuffleboard.

Trinity City Hotel: four stars next to Trinity and Pearse DART station, with a bar and courtyard.

### Where to eat
The Brazen Head: food from lunchtime to night and traditional music all seven nights from 21:00; order the stew and stay to listen.

The Palace Bar: a Victorian pub on Fleet Street with its snug and a collection of whiskey.

The Stag's Head: pub food from 12:00 to 17:00 and traditional music on Fridays and Saturdays.

Beshoffs: oysters and seafood on Howth pier, for after the walk.

### Good to know
Wind and rain rule in Howth: check the forecast before you set out and wear closed shoes.

For live music, arrive early if you want a table: at The Brazen Head it starts at 21:00.

The DART to Howth leaves from the central stations; check the last train back.

### Qué hacer with friends
- Trinity College, the Book of Kells and the Long Room
- Guinness Storehouse and a pint in the Gravity Bar
- Kilmainham Gaol, the story of Irish independence
- Howth Cliff Path walk from the DART station
- Boat trip around Ireland's Eye from Howth harbour

## Consejos

### Start the day with the Book of Kells
First thing there are fewer groups in the Long Room.

### Save a free museum for the rain
The National Museum of Archaeology costs nothing and is five minutes from Trinity.

### Go to Howth on a weekday
At weekends the DART and the cliff path are full.

### Check the Sunday opening hours
The National Museum opens at 13:00 and St Patrick's Cathedral closes between services.

### Bring a waterproof
The rain comes and goes; it rarely lasts all day.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How do I get from the airport to Dublin city centre?
On the Dublin Express or Aircoach coaches, which leave from the bus areas of both terminals and take about 30 minutes. TFI city buses, such as the 16 or the 41, are cheaper and slower.

### How do I get tickets for Kilmainham Gaol?
Only at kilmainhamgaolmuseum.ie. Some tickets go on sale 28 days ahead, at midnight Irish time; if there are none, try on the day from 9:15, when additional tickets and cancellations are released.

### How much does it cost to see the Book of Kells?
From €19 for the short visit with the Old Library and from €25 for the full one with the digital exhibition, at a fixed time.

### Is the pint included at the Guinness Storehouse?
Yes: the ticket includes a drink in the Gravity Bar, which can be a pint, Guinness 0.0 or a soft drink. Under-18s have a soft drink.

### Is Howth worth it?
Yes, if you have half a day: in 30 minutes by DART you are in a fishing port with a two-hour cliff path and seafood on the quay.

### Which museums are free?
The National Museum of Ireland, at all four of its sites, including the Archaeology one on Kildare Street.