Travelling to Dublin, Ireland, on a tight schedule and need to know where to eat, sleep and sightsee? Dublin is packed with many exciting attractions and fortunately, most are within close proximity to the city centre. To help visitors make the most of their time, check out the following tips to enjoy the best of Dublin in 24 hours.
Morning
Breakfast in Dublin should not be missed as it is definitely part of the whole Irish experience. Many hotels in Dublin offer a full Irish breakfast, but one of the best restaurants is Bewley’s Cafe on Grafton Street in the city centre where guests can enjoy eggs, rashers of bacon, sausages, beans, tomatoes, blood pudding, Irish soda bread and tea. Having filled up, take a little stroll down the street to St. Stephen’s Green and walk off breakfast in the lovely public park.
Sightseeing
To get the best overall experience of Dublin’s top attractions in a short period of time, visitors can take advantage of a hop-on hop-off bus tour. These bus tours have stops conveniently situated near many of the main attractions and visitors are allowed to hop on and hop off at leisure. To arrange a bus tour and obtain a map of the city centre, go to the Dublin Tourism Centre on Suffolk Street which is an easy walk from St. Stephen’s Green.
Cityofathousandwelcomes.com allows tourists to meet with Dubliners and learn about the city, the culture and the history from insiders. They will offer you a warm welcome and make you feel at home.
Learning new things never hurt; join 1916 rising and they’ll take you to the relevant sites of the Rebellion in Dublin to give you an understanding of this historic occasion which precipitated the formation of the Irish Republic.
Attractions not to be missed include Ireland’s most popular one – the Guinness Storehouse at St. James’s Gate. Enjoy a self-guided tour of interesting exhibitions on the history and processing of Guinness stout.
Midday
By now, breakfast should be worn off and lunch is in demand. For fabulous, traditional Irish fare and a good drink, take the bus into the heart of the city to Suffolk Street and stop in at O’Neill’s Pub and experience Dublin’s finest. After lunch, walk over to nearby Trinity College on College Green to take a look around and see the world-famous Book of Kells. After that, hop on the bus or take a nice walk over to St. Patrick’s Close for a visit to the magnificent 12th-century St. Patrick’s Cathedral. From there, get an overview of Ireland’s fascinating history at the National Museum of Ireland on Kildare Street.
Evening
A great way to experience both dinner and traditional Irish culture at the same time is at the Arlington Hotel O’Connell Bridge. Here, guests can enjoy a dinner-theatre show that includes Irish fare, dance and music. After the dinner and show, a short walk to the Temple Bar district is a must to experience Irish nightlife. For one of the best traditional pub scenes, check out the downstairs bar in Oliver St. John Gogarty Bar and Restaurant where there is always live Irish music and dance going on.
Time to get some rest! No one wants a day well spent in Dublin to ever end but the need for sleep is inevitable.
For an affordable, clean and comfortable room, the Best Western Plus Academy Plaza Hotel is within walking distance of Temple Bar off Upper O’Connell Street. For something more upscale, the Shelbourne Hotel Dublin on nearby St. Stephen’s Green is a five-star Renaissance hotel in a beautiful historical building.
Don’t let a restricted time schedule keep you from enjoying the fabulous city of Dublin. Not only can visitors hit the best attractions with a hop-on hop-off bus tour but a pass can also be obtained for quicker and easier entrance into these hot spots. Even if you only have one day, Dublin offers an unforgettable experience not to be missed.
For those of you who plan to spend a little bit more than 24 hours in this beautiful city why not make the most of your visit by getting closer to nature. Walkabout Wicklow will help you enjoy an amazing experience of hillwalking and hiking.
Don’t let a restricted time schedule keep you from enjoying the fabulous city of Dublin. Not only can visitors hit the best attractions with a hop-on hop-off bus tour but a pass can also be obtained for quicker and easier entrance into these hot spots. Even if you only have one day, Dublin offers an unforgettable experience not to be missed.
(Images: Irish soda bread – mellowynk; Ha’penny Bridge – Steve-h; Guinness Storehous – Monosnaps; Georgian door – Steve-h)
