The Stag's Head
What to order: a pint of Guinness; if you arrive before 17:00, something from the pub kitchen
Kitchen open every day 12:00 to 17:00 · traditional music Friday and Saturday
geocalia
Day itinerary · 53.35° N · 6.26° W
An afternoon of pubs in Dublin, from the Guinness brewery to the music of the Brazen Head.
The Guinness Storehouse in the afternoon, pints at the Stag's Head and the Palace Bar, dinner and traditional music at the Brazen Head and a bed beside Trinity College.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Dublín fromBilbao 2 h 15Santander 2 h 15Madrid 2 h 30Barcelona 2 h 45Valencia 2 h 45Alicante 3 hMurcia 3 hSevilla 3 hMálaga 3 h 15Fuerteventura 4 h 30
Part of DublinIrish pubsHistoric bookshops and libraries of Europe
Add to my trip
Total time8 h
By car0 min each way
WalkingAbout 6 km in total
MusicBrazen Head, every night from 21:00
BookingGuinness Storehouse, online
StayTrinity City Hotel, on Pearse Street
Spend€70–100 pp excluding hotel
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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1
Guinness Storehouse and a pint in the Gravity Bar
buy online with a time slot · pint in the Gravity Bar included
- 30 min on foot
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2
The Stag's Head
along Thomas Street and Dame Street · the kitchen closes at 17:00
1 Dame Court, Dublín · +353 1 679 3687
Bar €€Book - 10 min on foot
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3
The Palace Bar
on Fleet Street, next to Temple Bar · look for the snug
21 Fleet Street, D02 H950 Dublín · +353 1 671 7388
Bar €Book - 15 min on foot
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4
The Brazen Head
dinner around 19:30 · music from 21:00 · no reservation for fewer than eight
20 Lower Bridge Street, Usher's Quay, D08 WC64 Dublín
Bar €€Book - 30 min on foot
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5
Trinity City Hotel
along the Liffey, or by taxi
Pearse Street, D02 FW96 Dublín · +353 1 648 1000
HotelCheck availability
Approximate cost
About €50–90 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Guinness Storehouse and a pint in the Gravity Bar
Dublin is a city of pubs, and the best way to see them is on foot, from west to east and back again, with the Liffey as your guide. This route starts where Guinness is made, at St James's Gate, carries on to two historic pubs in the centre and heads back west for dinner at the Brazen Head, which has traditional music every night. At the end, the Trinity City Hotel, on Pearse Street, next to Trinity College.
The afternoon, pub by pub
14:30 · Guinness Storehouse. Seven floors about stout, with a pint included at the top, in the Gravity Bar, with all of Dublin at your feet. From €26 online; allow an hour and a half at least.
17:00 · The Stag's Head. Half an hour's walk along Thomas Street and Dame Street. Tucked away in Dame Court, it serves food until 17:00 and has traditional music on Fridays and Saturdays.
18:15 · The Palace Bar. Ten minutes to Fleet Street. The Aherne family has run it since 1946; order a pint and look for the snug.
19:15 · The Brazen Head. Twenty-two minutes west, along the riverbank. Arrive for dinner before 20:30, when it starts to fill up; the kitchen serves until 21:00 from Sunday to Thursday and until 21:30 on Friday and Saturday. The music starts at 21:00.
22:30 · Back to the hotel. Almost half an hour on foot along the Liffey quays, or a taxi.
Who is it for?
For anyone who wants to see Guinness at home and then hear music in a proper pub. There are three pubs and the pint at the brewery: one at each stop and you will be fine. With children the afternoon part works, because the Storehouse admits them with a soft drink, but the atmosphere in the pubs at night is for adults.
Time1 h 30
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
The Palace Bar
What to order: a pint of Guinness and, if you like whiskey, ask them to show you the pub's collection
A pub for drinking, no food on its website
The Brazen Head
What to order: the beef stew or the fish and chips with the house tartare sauce, and stay for the music.
Groups of fewer than eight, no booking: turn up and find a seat
Beshoffs The Market, on Howth's West Pier
What to order: a few oysters and a plate of crab at the seafood bar, or grilled fish at the Sea Grill.
On Sunday, kitchen 12:00 to 20:00; the market shop is open daily from 8:00 to 18:00
The Woollen Mills
What to order: the Irish Porterhouse steak or the skate with chips, and on the roof a coffee or a cocktail.
Book through OpenTable; at weekends it opens at 11:00
Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen
What to order: the lunch menu from Thursday to Saturday, the most affordable way to try the restaurant.
Closed Sunday and Monday · cannot adapt menus to be dairy-free, egg-free or vegan
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Dublin
Any day. The Brazen Head has traditional music all seven nights from 21:00; on Friday and Saturday there is also music at the Stag's Head, but the pubs are busier. On 17 March, St Patrick's Day, everywhere is packed.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Swap the order at the weekend
On Friday and Saturday, leave the Stag's Head for last and listen to the music there instead of going back to the Brazen Head.
- 2Buy the Storehouse ticket beforehand
In season the afternoon slots sell out.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Where is there traditional music tonight in Dublin?
At The Brazen Head, every night from 21:00; on Friday and Saturday, also at The Stag's Head.
How much does the route cost?
Between €70 and €100 per person with the Storehouse, dinner and a few pints, without the hotel.
Where should I stay?
At the Trinity City Hotel, on Pearse Street, five minutes from the Palace Bar and Trinity College.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/ireland/dublin/itineraries/pub-night-and-music-session
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.