History, culture, and hospitality sum up Ireland’s capital city, Dublin. The city’s cobblestone streets are lined with beautiful architecture, bustling pubs, and colorful street art.
While Dublin is certainly deserving of a multi-day visit, if one day is all you have, you can still see a few of the city’s most iconic attractions.
My friends and I did a 7 day road trip around Ireland, starting in Dublin. We spent a weekend in Dublin and managed to do a lot in that time. Below is a modified version of our itinerary which is doable in just one day.
Read on for some of the best things to do with one day in Dublin, Ireland.
Contents
- 1 One Day In Dublin Itinerary
- 2 Additional Things To Do With One Day In Dublin
- 3 More Information For Your Trip To Ireland:
One Day In Dublin Itinerary
Trinity Library
The Library of Trinity College is one of the best places to visit in Ireland, let alone Dublin, so it’s a great spot to kick off your day.
It’s a historic library, founded in 1592, famed for the Long Room and the Book of Kells exhibit.
To see both you must buy tickets, which can be purchased through Trinity College Dublin. You’ll select the “Book of Kells” ticket which includes access to the Long Room.
There are also options to add a campus tour, I don’t recommend this with only one day in the city. However, do plan to arrive a bit early to walk around the campus before entering the Old Library, this is what we did. The campus is really beautiful with cobblestone squares and gorgeous 18th-century buildings.
Long Room
The Long Room is a stunning space, located in the Old Library, holding over 200,000 of the college’s oldest books.
The aisles are lined with marble busts of famous philosophers, and bookshelves reach up two stories to the room’s grand, arched ceiling.
Be aware, the room is almost always crowded with visitors and you’re not able to get up close to the books. This isn’t your typical library, and therefore not your typical library experience. Nonetheless, the room is beautiful and absolutely worth a visit.
Book of Kells
While most visitors are familiar with the Long Room, many are unaware of how special the library’s most famous book is, the Book of Kells.
Book of Kells is an original manuscript Gospel book containing four Gospels of the New Testament.
The scripts are illuminated manuscripts, meaning the text is supplemented with drawings and elaborate borders. It’s believed the documents date back to 800 AD and were given to the library in 1661 for safekeeping.
The library holds hundreds of pages from the Book of Kells, with only select pieces on display at a time.
For this portion of the visit, you’ll definitely want the audio tour, it provides a ton of information regarding the manuscripts. Without the audio, it can be difficult to grasp the significance of what you’re looking at.
The audio is free with your ticket purchase. You need to download the Visit Trinity app ahead of time.
Molly Malone Statue
After visiting Trinity College, it’s time to explore Dublin city center.
Before heading down Grafton Street, which I’ll cover below, make a quick stop at the famous Molly Malone sculpture.
The bronze statue is of a fictional fishmonger named Molly Malone, the star of a well-known Irish song.
There’s all sorts of folklore about Molly, whether or not she was real, the origins of her song, etc. Depending on what you read or who you ask, you’re almost guaranteed a different story.
Regardless, the statue is very popular thanks to its easily accessible location in Dublin city center, near Trinity College.
Grafton Street
Between the Molly Malone statue and Trinity College is Grafton Street, which is a popular shopping center leading to St. Stephen’s Green.
You’ll find numerous cafes and restaurants, in addition to tons of brand-name and boutique shops along this stretch.
Whether or not you plan to shop, this is a picturesque area to walk through on the way to your next destination.
St. Stephen’s Green Park & Stephen’s Green Shopping Center
St. Stephen’s Green is a garden square and public park located in the city center of Dublin.
It’s a beautiful green space surrounded by 18th and 19th century townhouses and a great spot to rest or have a picnic in between sightseeing.
Located at the northwest corner of the park is the Stephen’s Green Shopping Center.
This shopping center is worth a quick stop regardless of whether or not you plan to shop. The interior is adorned with beautiful glass ceilings and ornate white iron work laced into the building’s skeleton. It’s far from your average indoor mall.
Tip: Also located just next to St. Stephen’s Green is Iveagh Gardens, which is another lovely green space with fountains, gardens, and an outdoor live music venue.
We really enjoyed walking aimlessly around this area.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Up next, we visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral, located less than a kilometer from St. Stephen’s Green. We took a leisurely walk, admiring the bustle of the city and its pretty architecture before arriving at the cathedral.
This Roman Catholic cathedral dates back to 1191 and is the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland.
The cathedral stands at the site of a well that St. Patrick is believed to have used for the baptism of Christian converts.
The 800 year old cathedral’s architectural style is Gothic and features grand, domed ceilings, a 4,000 pipe organ, and intricate stained-glass windows — it’s absolutely beautiful.
There’s a small fee to visit the church for a self-guided tour.
Guinness Storehouse
Up next is the Guinness Storehouse, which is only 1.3 km from St. Patrick’s Cathedral, so we walked.
This is the number one attraction in Dublin and is a must-see during your weekend in Ireland’s capital.
The seven-story brewery experience covers the beer-makers long history, and of course, serves up pints of its famous stout.
The storehouse is open for self-guided tours, but I highly recommend joining a guided tour. The brewery’s history is quite interesting and the guides do a great job telling the story.
We did the Guinness Storehouse Experience + Guinness Academy.
No matter which tour you choose, self-guided or guided, The Gravity Bar is a must-see to conclude your visit. It offers sweeping 360-degree views of downtown Dublin and it’s a really fun vibe.
Jameson Distillery Bow St. (Alternative Option)
Dublin is home to two very famous liquor-makers, previously mentioned Guinness and Jameson Irish Whiskey.
With only one day, it may be hard to visit both. During the weekend spent here, I toured both facilities and preferred Guinness. However, if you’re a big whiskey fan, the Jameson Distillery may be a better option.
Jameson Distillery Bow St. is the original site where Jameson Irish Whiskey was distilled for over 200 years, until 1971 when the operation was moved to Midleton.
Today the Bow St. location is still a highly popular attraction offering tours, tastings, and cocktail-making classes.
We did a 1 hour tasting tour, then bottled our own whiskey. They offer quite a few tour options, so there’s something for everyone.
Even if you’d rather skip the tours, they have a beautiful, spacious bar which is open to anyone of age.
Temple Bar District
To conclude your day in Dublin, head over to the Temple Bar District.
Centrally located on the the south bank of River Liffey, this one of the city’s main nightlife hubs and a huge tourist attraction.
There are countless pubs in the area, with live music spilling out onto the cobblestone streets.
The Temple Bar is unsurprisingly the most famous watering hole in the area. It’s a huge multi-room bar, but despite the space, don’t expect to easily find a seat here, or even standing room for that matter.
Having said that, it’s definitely worth stopping by, just arrive early if you want to avoid large crowds.
We stopped here for a drink, then carried on to one of the many other pubs rocking with live music and happy tourists, but offering a little more elbow room.
Ha’penny Bridge
If you arrive in the Temple Bar District early enough, there are a few things to do here that are cool and require only a little time.
First is the Ha’penny Bridge, a pedestrian-only, cast iron bridge built in 1816.
Officially the Liffey Bridge, its adopted name comes from the ha’penny, or half pence, toll which was originally charged to cross it.
Yes, you can still cross the bridge today, and no it doesn’t cost anything.
Crossing offers lovely views of the River Liffey and the surrounding area.
General Post Office
Just a few blocks off the Ha’penny Bridge is The General Post Office, it’s also worth a quick stop if you have the time.
The current building was constructed in the early 1800’s and was one of the last major Georgian-style public buildings completed in Dublin.
It’s also historically significant in that it served as the headquarters for leaders of the Easter Rising against British rule in Ireland. This was a critical step in the country’s journey to independence.
Today the building is the headquarters of An Post, the Irish Post Office, meaning it’s free and open to the public.
Additional Things To Do With One Day In Dublin
Looking for a few more ideas? There’s tons to do in this city, below are a few more popular options:
- Dublin Castle
- Go for a walking tour
- Christ Church Cathedral
- Kilmainham Gaol Prison
- Food tour
While one day definitely isn’t enough in Dublin, you can see quite a bit during this time. I hope you’ve found this helpful and have the best time in Dublin!
If you wish to follow along with my travels in real time, check out @seen.by.amy on Instagram or @seenbyamy on TikTok!
Looking for more ideas? Below are additional Ireland and Europe guides.
More Information For Your Trip To Ireland:
- Dublin: 2 Day Weekend Itinerary
- Ireland: 7 Day Road Trip Itinerary
- Ireland: Tips For Renting A Car
More Information For Your Trip To Europe:
- London: What To Do During A 24 Hour Layover
- London: Best Harry Potter Things To See
- Reykjavik, Iceland: 3 Day Weekend Itinerary
- Iceland: 8 Day Road Trip Itinerary
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