In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Kilmainham Gaol is €8, guided only and booked online only, with tickets released 28 days ahead at midnight Irish time and extras released online between 9:15 and 9:30 each day. The Book of Kells Experience is a timed ticket at €25, or €19 for the Old Library alone, and the Long Room’s books are out. The Guinness Storehouse is from €24 online, in 15-minute slots, with €2 more at the door and no door sales once the slot sells out. Dublin Castle is closed until January 2027 and the Chester Beatty until the end of December 2026. 14 Henrietta Street is shut on Monday and Tuesday, the GPO Museum on Sunday. The National Museum, the National Gallery and Phoenix Park are free. Prices are in euros. Or book a tour: the Highlights and Hidden Gems walking tourad is from €24, and the Cliffs of Moher day tourad is from €78 (GetYourGuide).
What to book before you go
Prices are the adult rate in euros, from the operators. Buy from the operator: search results for Dublin Castle, the cathedrals and the Dublin Zoo include sites with the sights’ names in their web addresses that say on their own pages they are independent, and sites that share a name with the sight but are not its own.
| Sight | Book how far ahead | Adult price | Book at | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kilmainham Gaol | Tickets open 28 days ahead at midnight Irish time. Extras go online from 9:15 to 9:30 each day | €8 | kilmainhamgaolmuseum.ie | Guided tour only. Tickets from other sites are not valid |
| Book of Kells Experience | A timed ticket; Trinity strongly recommends booking online | €25. €19 for the Old Library alone | visittrinity.ie | Non-refundable. The Long Room’s books are removed |
| Guinness Storehouse | A 15-minute slot; the operator strongly recommends booking | From €24 online | guinness-storehouse.com | €2 more at the door, card only, and none once the slot has sold out |
| Dublin Castle and the Chester Beatty | Nothing to book | Closed | dublincastle.ie | Castle closed until January 2027; Chester Beatty until the end of December 2026 |
| St Patrick’s and Christ Church cathedrals | No booking | €11.50 each | stpatrickscathedral.ie, christchurchcathedral.ie | Neither is free. St Patrick’s runs free guided tours at 10:30 and 14:30, Monday to Saturday |
| EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum | General admission is sold online at €22; the 17:00 Super Saver is €18 and must be booked online in advance | €22; €18 at 17:00 | epicchq.com | Last admission 17:00 |
| GPO Museum | Recommended; online bookers have priority if it is full | €15 online, €17 walk-in | gpomuseum.ie | Closed Sundays and public holidays |
| Glasnevin Cemetery | Book the Irish History Tour; the operator recommends it | €15 | dctrust.ie | The tour is outdoors. Arrive 30 minutes early |
| Croke Park | Booking in advance is advisable; Skyline is online only | Stadium Tour €18; Skyline €24 | crokepark.ie | Match days change the schedule |
| Dublin Zoo | Online saves up to 15% | €22.50 online; €26.50 at the gate | dublinzoo.ie | Tickets are non-refundable |
| Whiskey distilleries | Book ahead; Pearse Lyons says its tours fill fast | Jameson from €26; Teeling from €22; Irish Whiskey Museum €23 | jamesonwhiskey.com, teelingdistillery.com | Jameson Bow St. is a visitor experience, not a working distillery |
| 14 Henrietta Street | Pre-booking is advised; capacity is limited | €12 | 14henriettastreet.ie | Guided only. Closed Monday and Tuesday |
| Little Museum of Dublin | Its tours book up quickly | €18 | littlemuseum.ie | Entry is by guided tour only, about 29 minutes |
| Áras an Uachtaráin | No booking: free tickets at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre on the day, first come first served | Free | president.ie | Saturdays, almost every week. Tours can be cancelled for State business |
- The Liberties. The Guinness Storehouse, Pearse Lyons, Teeling, St Patrick’s, Christ Church and Dublinia lie within a short walk of each other. The whiskey page says which distilleries make whiskey on site.
- Trinity and the south centre. The Book of Kells page says what the €25 ticket adds over the €19 one, and Dublin Castle and the Chester Beatty says what is shut.
- North and west. Kilmainham Gaol, the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the GPO Museum, Glasnevin, Croke Park, Phoenix Park and Dublin Zoo are outside the old centre. The 1916 page puts the Rising’s sites in order.
- Museums. Museums in Dublin separates the free state museums from the paid ones and lists what is closed, and free things to do in Dublin lists what costs nothing.
Does a pass pay back?
The Go City Dublin Pass comes in three kinds, and GetYourGuide sells the same passes at the same prices. Dublin Pass: is it worth it? has the sums.
- Essentials is €59: one of the Guinness Storehouse, the Big Bus hop-on hop-off or Jameson Bow St., plus two more.
- Explorer is €69 for three attractions, €84 for four, €99 for five and €114 for seven.
- All-Inclusive is €79 for one day, €109 for two and €134 for three, with unlimited visits.
- The pass leaves out the sights that sell out. Its attraction list does not include Kilmainham Gaol, the Book of Kells Experience, Croke Park or Glasnevin.
- The one-day pass needs about four paid sights. Guinness, Jameson, EPIC and St Patrick’s cost €83.50 at the operators’ prices against €79 for the one-day pass.
Hours and closed days
Hours are the operators’ own, for autumn and winter where they print both.
| Sight | Hours | Closed or late |
|---|---|---|
| Book of Kells Experience | Monday to Thursday 8:30 to 18:30; Friday and Saturday 8:30 to 19:00; Sunday 9:00 to 18:30 | |
| Guinness Storehouse | Monday to Friday 10:00 to 17:00; Saturday 9:30 to 18:00; Sunday 9:30 to 17:00 | Hours are subject to change |
| Kilmainham Gaol | Visitor Centre 9:30 to 17:15; museum 10:30 to 17:15 | 24 to 27 December; 23 December closes 16:15 |
| St Patrick’s Cathedral | Monday to Friday 9:30 to 17:00; Saturday 9:00 to 18:00 | Sunday opening is limited |
| Christ Church Cathedral | Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 9:30 to 18:00; Tuesday, Thursday 9:30 to 17:30; Sunday 12:30 to 15:00 and 16:30 to 18:00 | Last admission for tours 45 minutes before closing |
| Dublinia | October to March 10:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:00); April to September 10:00 to 18:00 | 24 to 26 December |
| Marsh’s Library | Tuesday to Friday 9:30 to 17:00; Saturday 10:00 to 17:00 | Open Tuesday to Saturday only; closed bank holidays; shut from 13:00 on 23 December 2026 to 10:30 on 5 January 2027 |
| EPIC | 10:00 to 18:45 (last admission 17:00) | |
| Little Museum of Dublin | 9:30 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30) | |
| 14 Henrietta Street | Tours on the hour from 10:00 to 16:00, Wednesday to Sunday | Monday and Tuesday |
| GPO Museum | Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 17:00 (last admission 16:00) | Sunday, public holidays, 24 December |
| Museum of Literature Ireland | Daily 10:00 to 17:00 (last admission 16:00) | 17 March, 24 to 26 December, 1 January |
| National Museum: Archaeology and Collins Barracks | Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 to 17:00; Sunday and Monday 13:00 to 17:00 | Christmas Day, St Stephen’s Day, Good Friday |
| National Gallery of Ireland | Monday 11:00 to 17:30; Tuesday and Wednesday 9:15 to 17:30; Thursday 9:15 to 20:30; Friday and Saturday 9:15 to 17:30; Sunday 11:00 to 17:30 | 24 to 26 December, Good Friday |
| Irish Museum of Modern Art | Tuesday 10:00 to 17:30; Wednesday 11:30 to 17:30; Thursday to Saturday 10:00 to 17:30; Sunday 12:00 to 17:30 | Monday, except bank holidays |
| Glasnevin Cemetery | Grounds 9:00 to 17:00; Visitor Centre 10:00 to 17:00 | |
| Croke Park | Stadium tours at 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00 from September to December | 24 to 27 December and 30 December to 1 January; reopens 2 January 2027 |
| Dublin Zoo | October 9:30 to 17:30; November to January 9:30 to 16:00 | Last admission one hour before closing |
| Jameson Bow St. | Monday to Saturday from 10:00, Sunday from 11:45; last tour 18:00 (18:30 Friday and Saturday) | |
| Teeling Whiskey Distillery | Monday to Friday 11:00 to 18:00; Saturday 11:00 to 19:00; Sunday and bank holidays 11:00 to 18:00 | |
| Pearse Lyons Distillery | Tours hourly from 11:00 (Sunday 12:00); last tour 17:00 | 24 to 26 December and 1 January |
| Áras an Uachtaráin | Saturdays at 10:00, 11:15, 12:30, 13:45 and 15:00 | No tours on 21 November 2026; 24 to 26 December |
Closed or changed
- Dublin Castle: the campus is closed to the public until January 2027 for Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Dublin Castle and the Chester Beatty says what is open nearby.
- The Chester Beatty: closed from 15 June to the end of December 2026.
- Farmleigh House: closed for the rest of 2026. The grounds are open daily from 10:00 to 18:00.
- The Hugh Lane Gallery: closed since 28 September 2025 for refurbishment, for “at least 3 years” in the gallery’s words. Francis Bacon’s studio stays in the building, which is shut.
- The Natural History Museum on Merrion Street, the Dead Zoo: closed for refurbishment. Part of its collection is shown at Collins Barracks.
- The Dublin Writers Museum on Parnell Square: closed for good by Fáilte Ireland.
- The Old Library at Trinity: the Long Room has lost its books except in the first four bays. Trinity says the Old Library stays open to visitors until the end of 2027, then the Book of Kells moves to the Printing House.
- Mondays: 14 Henrietta Street and the Irish Museum of Modern Art are shut, Marsh’s Library opens only Tuesday to Saturday, and the National Museum opens at 13:00. The Book of Kells, the Guinness Storehouse, Kilmainham Gaol and the cathedrals are open.
- Sundays: the GPO Museum and Marsh’s Library are shut. The National Museum opens at 13:00, and the cathedrals keep short hours.
- Saturdays: the day of the Áras an Uachtaráin tours, which run almost every week.
- 24 to 26 December: nearly every sight is closed, and Kilmainham Gaol stays shut until 27 December.
Free things worth a line
- The National Museum of Ireland in Kildare Street (Archaeology) and at Collins Barracks, the National Gallery and the Irish Museum of Modern Art are free, though special exhibitions can charge. See Museums in Dublin.
- Phoenix Park is open 24 hours a day, and a herd of fallow deer lives there. The Áras an Uachtaráin tour on Saturdays is free.
- The cathedrals are not free. St Patrick’s and Christ Church are €11.50 each, though St Patrick’s runs free guided tours.
- Dublin Free Walking Tour is tips-based. Free things to do in Dublin lists the rest, with the trap on each.
The Custom House on the north bank of the Liffey, seen from the south quay. Photo: Mathieu Chollet, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Getting in from the airport
Dublin Airport to the city compares the options. There is no train to the airport.
- Dublin Express: coaches to Trinity College, Aston Quay, Connolly Station, Heuston Station and Merchant’s Quay, from €9 online, with a fastest journey of 14 minutes. Drivers take cards only.
- Aircoach 700 and 700X: to O’Connell Street, O’Connell Bridge and Kildare Street, 24 hours a day, up to every 15 minutes, for under €10 each way online.
- Dublin Bus 16, 19, 24 and 41: a cash fare of €2.60, in coins only, with no notes, cards or change. Route 41 runs around the clock.
- Taxi: from the ranks outside each terminal, charged at the national maximum tariff.
Getting around
The centre is walkable, and the Luas, DART and Dublin Bus fill the gaps. Dublin public transport has the rest.
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Leap card 90 Minute Fare, Zone 1 | €2.00 |
| Leap card, daily cap | €6.00 |
| Leap card, weekly cap (Monday to Sunday) | €24.00 |
| Leap Visitor Card, 24 hours | €8.00 |
| Leap Visitor Card, 72 hours | €18.00 |
| Leap Visitor Card, 7 days | €24.00 |
| Dublin Bus cash fare, long journey | €2.60 |
A Leap card costs a €5 deposit and a €5 minimum top-up. Tap on for every bus, and tap on and off for the Luas, DART and rail. Dublin Bus drivers take coins only, with no notes, bank cards, phones or change. The Visitor Card arrives by post if ordered online, or can be bought at agents including the shops at the airport terminals, and it is not valid on hop-on hop-off tours or Bus Éireann.
The Ha’penny Bridge, a footbridge over the Liffey, looking upriver. Photo: P. Hughes, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
Entry rules for Ireland
Ireland is in the EU but not in the Schengen area, so the EU’s Entry/Exit System and the ETIAS travel authorisation do not apply to arrivals here. Ireland shares the Common Travel Area with the UK, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.
| Citizen of | Visa | Passport | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | None | Carry one: airlines and ferries ask for it | Under the Common Travel Area you can stay indefinitely |
| United States | None | A passport | Up to 3 months, as the immigration officer decides |
| Canada | None | Valid for your expected stay | Up to 90 days |
| Australia | None to apply for before you go | At least one blank page | Up to 90 days, decided on arrival |
| EU, EEA and Switzerland | None | A passport or a national ID card | Adults with a biometric passport can use the eGates at Dublin Airport |
- A Schengen visa is not valid in Ireland. Where a nationality needs a visa, it is a separate Irish visa.
- Ferries need a passport from 28 September 2026. Irish Ferries and Stena Line ask every passenger between Ireland and Britain for a valid passport, Irish and UK citizens included, and Irish Ferries also accepts an Irish passport card. Driving licences and national ID cards no longer work. Aer Lingus has asked for a passport or Irish passport card on Ireland-UK flights since 25 February 2026.
- Belfast and the Giant’s Causeway enter the UK. US, Canadian, Australian and EU visitors need a UK electronic travel authorisation (ETA) for a day trip there, £20, valid for 2 years, one for each person including babies. Staying in a Dublin hotel does not count as living in Ireland for the exemption. Irish and British citizens need none. Apply only at gov.uk/eta: other websites charge more. A decision usually arrives within a day and can take up to 3 working days. The sister site London Travel Geek has a UK ETA guide.
- The Northern Ireland trips are priced in pounds. Belfast and the Giant’s Causeway have the fares.
The rules come from the Irish government’s immigration pages for non-EU visitors, the UK Foreign Office, Canadian and Australian government travel pages and gov.uk’s page on who needs an ETA. For official safety advice, see the UK Foreign Office and US State Department pages for Ireland.
Day trips
Day trips from Dublin compares every trip by train, bus and tour. The ones with something to know:
- The Cliffs of Moher: a 12 to 13 hour day by tour, with about 4 hours on the road each way.
- Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains: St Kevin’s Bus leaves St Stephen’s Green at 11:00 and returns from the visitor centre at 16:30.
- Howth and Malahide: the DART takes about 25 minutes.
- Newgrange: tickets are sold on the Office of Public Works’ own site only.
- Belfast and the Giant’s Causeway: Belfast is a two-hour train, the Causeway is a 12 to 14 hour tour, and both need the UK ETA for most visitors.
Food, drink and when to go
Where to eat in Dublin lists the restaurants, traditional music pubs gives the sessions by night, and the oldest pubs in Dublin sets out what each pub claims. Temple Bar says whether to go. Best time to visit Dublin gives the weather by month, with Dublin at Christmas 2026, Dublin New Year’s Eve 2026 and St Patrick’s Festival 2027 for the dates that change a visit.
Other cities nearby
Edinburgh has its own guide to what to book. Scotland is in the UK, so the ETA rule above applies there too. The ferries from Dublin Port go to Holyhead in Wales, and the passport rule above applies on them. The sister site London Travel Geek covers London.
What changed in 2025 and 2026
- 28 September 2025: the Hugh Lane Gallery closed for refurbishment.
- 25 February 2026: the UK began enforcing the ETA, and Aer Lingus began asking for a passport or passport card on Ireland-UK flights.
- 15 June 2026: the Chester Beatty closed, and Dublin Castle’s campus closed to the public for the EU Presidency.
- 28 September 2026: Irish Ferries and Stena Line began requiring a passport from every passenger between Ireland and Britain.
- End of December 2026: the Chester Beatty reopens.
- January 2027: Dublin Castle reopens.
- End of 2027: the Old Library at Trinity closes to visitors, and the Book of Kells moves to the Printing House.
Plan the trip
- Where to sleep: where to stay in Dublin compares the areas, and hotels near Temple Bar lists the hotels beside it.
- Getting there and about: Dublin Airport to the city and Dublin public transport.
- When to go: best time to visit Dublin, Dublin at Christmas 2026, Dublin New Year’s Eve 2026 and St Patrick’s Festival 2027.
- The sights: the Book of Kells, the Guinness Storehouse, Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin Castle and the Chester Beatty, the cathedrals, EPIC, Croke Park and Dublin Zoo each have a ticket guide. Museums in Dublin covers the rest, free things to do in Dublin gathers what costs nothing, and Dublin Pass: is it worth it? runs the pass sums.
- History: the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin puts the GPO, Kilmainham Gaol and Glasnevin in order.
- Whiskey and pubs: Dublin whiskey distillery tours, traditional music pubs and the oldest pubs in Dublin.
- Tours: Dublin walking tours and hop-on hop-off buses.
- How many days: 3 days in Dublin builds the plan round the bookings and the closed days.
- Food and drink: where to eat in Dublin and Temple Bar.
- Day trips: day trips from Dublin, with the Cliffs of Moher, Glendalough and Wicklow, Howth and Malahide, Newgrange, Belfast and the Giant’s Causeway.
Itineraries
Day-by-day plans for a first visit.
Which ticket to buy
The official ticket, the tours that include entry, and which sells out first.
Tickets
Book of Kells Tickets: Prices, Long Room, Hours
The Book of Kells Experience is €25 for the Old Library and the digital exhibitions, €19 for the Old Library alone and €65 guided. Entry is timed and non-refundable, the Long Room's books have been removed, and Trinity says the Old Library stays open to the end of 2027.
Tickets
Guinness Storehouse Tickets: Which One to Book
The Guinness Storehouse Experience is from €24 online in 15-minute slots, €2 more at the door and not sold at the door once the slot is full. The Academy is €36, the guided tour €48, and the Roe & Co and Open Gate Brewery combinations are €49 and €41. Ticket types, hours and what to see.
Tickets
Kilmainham Gaol Tickets: 28 Days, 9:15 Release
Kilmainham Gaol is €8 and seen only on a one-hour guided tour. Tickets go on sale online 28 days ahead at midnight Irish time, extra and cancelled tickets are released from 9:15 each day, and the Office of Public Works says tickets from any other site are not valid.
Tickets
Dublin Castle Tickets: Closed Until January 2027
Dublin Castle's campus is closed to the public until January 2027 for Ireland's EU Presidency, and the Chester Beatty inside it is closed from 15 June to the end of December 2026. What is open nearby, the ticket prices on the castle's site, and what the castle shows when it reopens.
Tickets
St Patrick's and Christ Church Cathedral Tickets
St Patrick's Cathedral and Christ Church Cathedral each charge €11.50, and neither is free. St Patrick's runs free guided tours at 10:30 and 14:30, Monday to Saturday. A joint ticket with Marsh's Library is €17, Dublinia is €16 online, and Dublinia with EPIC is €34.
Tickets
EPIC Museum Dublin Tickets: Five Ways to Pay
EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum is €22 online, €18 for the 17:00 Super Saver, €17.60 booked 30 days ahead and €25 with the 13:00 guided tour. Bundles with Dublinia, the Jeanie Johnston and a hop-on hop-off bus, the hours, and what the 20 galleries cover.
Tickets
Dublin Whiskey Distillery Tours Compared
Jameson Bow St. is from €26 but no longer makes whiskey. Teeling is from €22 and Pearse Lyons distils on site in a former church. The Irish Whiskey Museum tour is €23. Prices, times and tastings compared, and which makes whiskey where you stand.
Tickets
Free Things to Do in Dublin (and What Is Shut)
The National Museum, the National Gallery, the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Phoenix Park and the National Library's exhibitions are free. The cathedrals are €11.50, the Hugh Lane Gallery and the Natural History Museum are closed, and Dublin Castle is shut until January 2027.
Tickets
1916 Easter Rising Dublin: GPO, Kilmainham, Tours
The GPO Museum is €15 online, Kilmainham Gaol €8 on a guided tour booked up to 28 days ahead, Glasnevin's Irish History Tour €15 and Dublin's Original 1916 Tour €23. Prices, hours, closed days and the order to see the 1916 sites in.
Tickets
Croke Park Stadium Tour and Skyline: Prices
The Croke Park Stadium Tour is €18 and the Kellogg's Skyline Tour €24, and both include the GAA Museum, which alone is €10. Prices, tour times, the Skyline's rules, Christmas closures and what the museum shows.
Tickets
Dublin Zoo Tickets: Online Saves €4 a Head
Dublin Zoo is €22.50 for an adult booked online and €26.50 at the gate, with a Flexi ticket at €25.50 valid for two months. Family, child and senior prices, opening hours for each month, and what else is in Phoenix Park, from the deer to the Saturday Áras tour.
Tickets
Dublin Pass Worth It? Go City Sums for Dublin
The Go City Dublin Pass is €59 for Essentials, from €69 for Explorer and from €79 for All-Inclusive, and it leaves out Kilmainham Gaol, the Book of Kells, Croke Park and Glasnevin. The one-day pass needs about four paid sights to pay. The sums at the operators' online prices.
Tickets
Museums in Dublin: What Is Free, What Is Closed
The National Museum, the National Gallery and the Irish Museum of Modern Art are free. 14 Henrietta Street is €12, the Little Museum €18 and the Museum of Literature Ireland from €16.50. The Hugh Lane Gallery, the Natural History Museum and the Chester Beatty are closed.
Tickets
Dublin Hop-On Hop-Off Bus: Three Operators Compared
Three companies run a hop-on hop-off bus in Dublin: City Sightseeing from €34, DoDublin from €28.90 and Big Bus from €31.50 on GetYourGuide. What each ticket includes, the stops, and the Viking Splash amphibious tour at €37.
Tickets
Dublin Walking Tours: Free, Pub Crawl and 1916
Dublin walking tours compared: the tips-based Southside tour at 10am, 11am and 2pm from the Spire, the €23 1916 Rising walk, city walks from €19, the literary pub crawl at €20 to €22, the €26 musical pub crawl, ghost tours from €22 and Trinity Trails from €17.
Day trips from Dublin
Out and back in a day, with the tours compared against going on your own.
Day trip
Day Trips from Dublin: Train, Bus or Tour
Glendalough is 1 hour 20 by bus, Howth and Malahide 25 minutes by DART, Kilkenny 1 hour 27 by train. The Cliffs of Moher and the Giant's Causeway are 12 to 14 hour tours. Newgrange tickets come from the OPW. The trips compared on time, cost and what a tour adds.
Day trip
Cliffs of Moher Day Trip from Dublin: Tour or Train
The Cliffs of Moher are a 12 to 13 hour day from Dublin by tour, from €68.25, or about 4.5 to 5 hours each way by train to Galway and Bus Éireann 350. The operator's ticket is from €8 online and €15 at the gate. The tours, the paths, and the coastal walks that are closed.
Day trip
Giant's Causeway Day Trip from Dublin: Tour or DIY
The Giant's Causeway is in Northern Ireland, 12 to 14 hours from Dublin by tour (from €60) or about 4 hours each way by train and bus. The stones are free to walk to, the National Trust Visitor Experience is £16, and US, Canadian, Australian and EU visitors need a £20 UK ETA.
Day trip
Belfast Day Trip from Dublin: Train, Titanic, ETA
Belfast is 2 hours 8 minutes from Dublin Connolly on the Enterprise train, hourly, or about 2 hours 20 by Dublin Express and Aircoach coach from €12. Titanic Belfast is £24.95 online, and US, Canadian, Australian and EU visitors need a £20 UK ETA.
Day trip
Glendalough Day Trip from Dublin: Bus or Tour
St Kevin's Bus leaves St Stephen's Green at 11:00, reaches Glendalough at 12:20 and leaves at 16:30: €23 return, about 4 hours 10 minutes on site. The OPW admission is €5. Tours from €33 add Wicklow, Kilkenny or Powerscourt.
Day trip
Howth and Malahide Day Trip from Dublin by DART
Howth and Malahide are the two northern ends of the DART, each about 25 minutes from Dublin Connolly. Four waymarked cliff loops start at Howth station, the Ireland's Eye ferry is €30 return, and Malahide Castle runs 45-minute tours daily.
Day trip
Newgrange Tour from Dublin: How to Get Tickets
Newgrange and Knowth tickets are sold only by the OPW, online, 30 days ahead from April to 1 November and 7 days ahead in winter. The main tour is €18. The train to Drogheda takes 30 to 43 minutes, then TFI Local Link route 163 to Brú na Bóinne.
Where to stay
Areas and hotels, chosen for a visitor rather than a resident.
Where to stay
Where to Stay in Dublin: Areas and Hotels
For a first visit, stay in the old city around Temple Bar or on the south side by St Stephen's Green, within about 1.4 km of Temple Bar Square. Eight Dublin areas compared with hotels, addresses, rooms and Michelin Keys, the €174 average rate and the dates that fill the city.
Where to stay
Hotels Near Temple Bar, Dublin, by Distance
Hotels near Temple Bar by straight-line distance from Temple Bar Square: Zanzibar Locke at 140 m and The Morgan at 150 m, The Hoxton, The College Green and Harding Hotel, out to Leonardo Christchurch at 590 m, with rooms, addresses and the pubs' music hours.
Airport transfers
From the airport to the centre, every option priced and timed.
Getting around
Tickets, passes and the transport a visitor actually uses.
What's on, month by month
Festivals, holidays and closures that change a visit.
Events
Best Time to Visit Dublin: Month by Month
Dublin month by month from Met Éireann's 1991 to 2020 averages: highs of 8.0°C in January and 19.5°C in July, rain on 137 days a year, 6.4 hours of sun a day in May, 7 h 29 of daylight on 21 December. St Patrick's Festival, Bloomsday on 16 June, Pride and the Horse Show.
Events
Dublin Christmas Markets 2026: Dates and What Is On
Dublin has no Christmas market at the Castle in 2026. TwinkleTown opens at Smithfield Square on 20 November and is free; Everwinter at the RDS opens on 25 November, closed Mondays. Dates, hours, the ice rinks, Wonderlights at Malahide Castle and the city's lights.
Events
Dublin New Year's Eve 2026: NYF Tickets and Plans
Dublin on 31 December 2026: NYF Dublin runs from 30 December to 1 January. The Countdown Concert at Dublin Castle (over-18s, Ticketmaster) with Aaron Rowe, the free harbour fireworks at Howth and Dún Laoghaire, the Music Trail and the New Year's Day procession.
Events
St Patrick's Festival 2027: Dates, Parade, Closures
St Patrick's Festival 2027 runs from Saturday 13 to Wednesday 17 March. The parade starts at 12:00 on 17 March from Parnell Square and is free; covered grandstand seats are €143.50 to €253.50. Route, events, road closures, what shuts and where to stay.
Food and drink
Where to eat, what to order and when to book.
Food and drink
Where to Eat in Dublin: What Sources Agree On
Where to eat in Dublin: Chapter One and Patrick Guilbaud with two Michelin stars, then the places nine publishers name most: Pickle, Fish Shop, Uno Mas and Note, with hours, booking rules, what to order, the food tours and the markets.
Food and drink
Traditional Irish Music Pubs in Dublin, by Night
Where to hear traditional Irish music in Dublin: the Cobblestone's sessions from 14:00 to 18:30, the Brazen Head every night from 21:00, O'Donoghue's, Darkey Kelly's weekly schedule and the ticketed Hooley Show at Johnnie Fox's from €70.
Food and drink
Oldest Pubs in Dublin: What Each One Claims
Which pub is the oldest in Dublin? Each date is the pub's own claim: the Brazen Head says 1198, Toners 1734, Kehoe's 1803, Johnnie Fox's 1798, Doheny & Nesbitt 1828 and Neary's 1887. Where each stands, and the Guinness pubs the lists name.
More guides
Plan your trip
The rules and costs that apply to every city on the site.
Common questions
What do I need to book before going to Dublin?
A Kilmainham Gaol tour, which is €8, guided only and booked online only, with tickets released 28 days ahead at midnight Irish time. Also a timed slot for the Book of Kells Experience (€25, or €19 for the Old Library alone) and one for the Guinness Storehouse (from €24 online). 14 Henrietta Street and the Little Museum of Dublin are seen only on a guided tour: the first advises pre-booking and the second says its tours book up quickly. The National Museum, the National Gallery and Phoenix Park need nothing.
How do I get tickets for Kilmainham Gaol?
Only on the Office of Public Works' own site. Tickets go on sale 28 days ahead at midnight Irish time, and extra and cancelled tickets are released online between 9:15 and 9:30 each day. The OPW says tickets bought from other sites are not valid. The visit is a one-hour guided tour, and the price is €8.
Is Dublin Castle open?
Not to visitors. The campus is closed to the public until January 2027 for Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and the Chester Beatty inside it is closed from 15 June to the end of December 2026. Christ Church Cathedral, Dublinia and St Patrick's Cathedral, which sit within a short walk, are open.
Is the Long Room at Trinity College still worth visiting?
It is open, but its books have been taken out except for the first four bays, and an art installation fills the room. Trinity says the Old Library and Long Room stay open to visitors until the end of 2027, after which the Book of Kells moves to the Printing House. The Book of Kells Experience is €25, and the Old Library alone is €19.
Which Dublin sights are closed on which days?
14 Henrietta Street is closed on Monday and Tuesday, the GPO Museum on Sunday and public holidays, Marsh's Library on Sunday, and the Irish Museum of Modern Art on Monday. The National Museum opens at 13:00 on Sunday and Monday. The Áras an Uachtaráin tours run on Saturdays only. The Museum of Literature Ireland closes on 17 March, and most sights close from 24 to 26 December.
Is the Dublin Pass worth it?
The one-day pass pays only with about four paid sights on the Guinness, distillery and cathedral circuit, and Explorer's three-attraction pass saves €3 to €12.50. The Go City Dublin Pass leaves out Kilmainham Gaol, the Book of Kells Experience, Croke Park and Glasnevin. The Explorer pass with three attractions is €69, and the all-inclusive one-day pass is €79.
Do I need a visa or permit to enter Ireland?
Not as a UK, US, Canadian, Australian or EU citizen. Ireland is not in the Schengen area, so the EU's Entry/Exit System and ETIAS do not apply. A day trip to Belfast or the Giant's Causeway enters the UK, and US, Canadian, Australian and EU visitors need a UK electronic travel authorisation (£20) for it.
How do I get from Dublin Airport to the centre?
Dublin Express coaches start at €9 online and the fastest journey is 14 minutes. Aircoach 700 and 700X run 24 hours a day, up to every 15 minutes, for under €10 each way online. Dublin Bus routes 16, 19, 24 and 41 take coins only, with no change, or a Leap card. There is no train to the airport.
Is a Leap card worth buying in Dublin?
For several days, yes. A Leap card pays €2.00 for 90 minutes of travel across Dublin Bus, Luas, DART and rail in Zone 1, capped at €6 a day and €24 a week, with a €5 deposit. The Leap Visitor Card is €8 for 24 hours, €18 for 72 hours and €24 for 7 days, and it arrives by post unless you buy it at an agent.