Fun-loving yet refined at the same time, Dublin is one of those European cities that is perfect for a weekend break. We’re sharing our suggestions for how to make the most of your time with just 48 hours in Dublin, although if you have the chance to stay longer, you won’t be bored.
48 Hours in Dublin – Best Things to Do
The capital of the Republic of Ireland is brimming with fascinating museums, cosy Irish pubs and cool street art. Yet its relatively compact size makes it easy to explore in a weekend. Here’s our 2 day Dublin itinerary featuring some of the highlights of this great city.
1. Little Museum of Dublin
Once you’ve made the 20 minute transfer into the city centre and checked into your hotel, head for St Stephen’s Green. The beating heart of Dublin is an oasis of calm and bordered by some stunning Georgian buildings.
Take a walk around the park, then explore the Little Museum of Dublin for a short but sweet introduction to the history of Dublin and most importantly, of Dubliners.
Stop off for a tasty Irish snack or lunch at Hatch and Sons directly below. You’ll need plenty of fuel for this weekend in Dublin.
2. Dublin Georgian Quarter
One of the best things to do in Dublin is to admire the Georgian architecture. There are some beautiful examples in this part of the city.
Known as Dublin’s Georgian Quarter, it stretches from Trinity College and St Stephen’s Green to the Grand Canal. There are two particularly impressive Georgian squares, Fitzwilliam Square and Merrion Square.
3. Grafton Street
Afterwards, head to pedestrianized Grafton Street to get your shopping fix or to take a coffee break at historic Bewley’s Grafton Street Café.
Just off Grafton Street on Harry Street, you’ll find a tribute to rock star Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy. He grew up in Dublin but passed away aged just 37.
Next to the statue, you can enjoy a refreshing pint of Guinness at McDaids, a traditional pub that’s long been popular with Dublin’s literary set.
Talking of statues, if you’re lucky, you might encounter this one back on Grafton Street. Look a little closer and it may seem slightly odd…the dog for example, has a bizarre expression!
That’s because this is actually a living statue and all the characters are alive except for the fake dog.
4. Molly Malone Statue
The statue of Molly Malone on Suffolk Street is also well worth a look. Molly is actually a fictional character from a song about a fisherwoman, which is the unofficial anthem of Dublin.
5. Irish Whiskey Museum
One of the best things to do in Dublin is to visit the Irish Whiskey Museum on Grafton Street. Take a guided tour through the 5 themed rooms representing different periods in Irish history. Afterwards, you’ll get to taste 3 or 4 very Irish whiskies.
6. Shopping in Dublin
In Dublin city centre on Wicklow Street, you’ll find Butler’s Chocolate Café. There are actually eighteen of these in Ireland, with many more around the world but this is the very first one.
Brown Thomas, back on Grafton Street, is Dublin”s most famous department store and well worth a browse.
Don’t miss a visit to Avoca, a mini-department store that specializes in beautiful handmade Irish products including their famous wool throws. There’s a food hall on the first floor, a cafe on the second floor and gifts galore throughout.
7. Trinity College
Head to College Green and the statue of the Four Angels, a tribute to the writer Thomas Davis.
A few minutes away, you’ll find Trinity College. Ireland’s historic university is a tourist attraction in its own right, thanks to the famous Book of Kells. This richly decorated manuscript dates from around 800 AD and contains the four gospels of the New Testament.
Trinity College is a fine example of Gothic architecture. This famous Dublin landmark dates from 1592.
8. Temple Bar
From here, it’s a short walk to Temple Bar, Dublin’s cultural quarter. It’s also one of the liveliest, with lots of live music venues. There’s plenty of colourful street art to admire in this Dublin hipster area.
Stop for a bite to eat at traditional Irish restaurant, Gallagher’s Boxty House. It’s one of the best places to eat in Dublin. The house specialty is the boxty, a traditional potato pancake – very tasty.
9. Ha’penny Bridge
After lunch, take a stroll to Ha’penny Bridge, one of the top things to do in Dublin. It looks as impressive by day as it does by night. This pedestrianized bridge over the River Liffey was at risk of structural damage from the weight of the love locks being attached to it, so it’s best not to add any more.
10. The Guinness Storehouse
Finally, head to The Guinness Storehouse at St James’s Gate for a fascinating insight into Ireland’s iconic beer and of course, a tasting. Whether you’re a beer lover or not, this interactive museum is really interesting.
The most popular visitor attraction in Ireland, it showcases the art of brewing over 7 floors. Beer has been produced at the Guinness Brewery since 1759. The Gravity Bar has great views over the city and is the perfect place in which to enjoy a pint of Guinness.
How to Get to Dublin
Weekend breaks to Dublin are easy as there are extensive regular flights from Europe, the Middle East and North America to Dublin by several airlines including Aer Lingus. In fact we recently to Dublin for a day, it’s so quick and easy. Dublin can also be a good layover if you’re on your way to the States as you can obtain customs preclearance here first.
You can easily combine a trip to Dublin with a Northern Ireland road trip, whether you fly into Dublin or Belfast.
Where to Stay in Dublin
The Merrion Hotel is a luxurious yet cosy five star Dublin hotel, a few minutes walk from St Stephen’s Green. Set across 4 Georgian townhouses, it’s famous for its art collection and afternoon tea.
Final Thoughts on 48 Hours in Dublin
Thanks for following along on our 48 hour tour of Dublin! We hope you enjoyed all the sights and sounds and are ready to start planning your own Irish adventure.
If you have 3 days in Dublin or more, we recommend heading to Phoenix Park, the largest enclosed public park of any European city. You should also not miss the Jameson Distillery if you’re a fan of Irish whiskey.
If you’re looking for more ideas or inspiration, be sure to check out our other Ireland travel guides. And as always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out. Sláinte!
Have you visited the capital of Ireland? What must-see attractions would you recommend to visitors for a weekend in Dublin?
Read all our Ireland travel articles.
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Probably about 8 years since I last went to Dublin. I’d love to go back, it’s such a fun place to explore!
I hope you get the chance, Angie, it’s changed a lot!
I was planning a weekend trip to Dublin in August, however it got cancelled. One of the main reasons of this trip is to be able to taste the original Guinness, I heard that original recipe and the products don’t leave the country.
Ela BellaWorld
That’s really interesting, I didn’t get to the Storehouse on my latest trip but the time before that and the taste of it is certainly distinctive
Love the pics! I remember shopping at Brown Thomas, the only time I visited Dublin many years ago.
I didn’t get a chance to pop in this time, oh well – next trip!
Nice post! I live in Dublin and that’s a great itinerary to spend 48h in here.
Next time I’d recommend you to visit Chester Beatty Library and Kilmainham Gaol if you have the time, my favourite attractions in Dublin!
Hope you enjoyed my city 🙂
Ooh thanks for the recommendations, Alberto! I’ve never been to either so they’re on my to visit list now
Oh that’s fantastic, you’ll love it there – the people are so friendly. Look me up if you’re coming to London, would love to meet you
Dublin is the most amazing city and your photos have definitely captured its beauty and quirkiness perfectly! Xx
http://www.mimazine.co.uk/
I’m so pleased that you liked them, Miriam – I’d have loved to spend longer there to capture the place in all its glory but I’m going to Galway in October for some more Irish charm
Loved Dublin when I visited! Although our itinerary was a little different to yours, my absolute favourite was actually getting the train our of Dublin to Howth to walk along the cliff tops!
http://racheltrieslife.com/rachel-on-the-road-final-day-in-dublin/
Ooh I did that too on my last visit before this one – so convenient, hopping onto the DART train! Thanks for stopping by, Rachel – liked your Riding House Cafe review, one of my fave London spots
I’m ashamed to say I’ve still not visited Dublin – this is something I must put right very soon. Loving your photos – so full of life and colour
You’ve summed it up well, Suzanne, Dublin is full of life and colour! A small place with a big heart
This is the second 48 hours stop post that I read from you and I swear you write beautifully and I’m bookmarking this post just like I did with the other for Hamburg. And that live statues are sooooo cool! I don’t know how they do it, I wouldn’t be able to sit that still for that long.
Shireen | Reflection of Sanity
Oh that’s so sweet, Shireen! The live statue gave me a real surprise, I wish they had them in London – well they do but not with a group of people like this
Amazing, I would love to go to Dublin
xo
www.laurajaneatelier.com
I hope that you get the chance, Laura!
I love Dublin, getting over there whenever I can (sadly, at the moment that’s only about once a year). But I do a little website with my favourite places, called “The Wee Fat Englishman’s Guide to Dublin”. On Twitter I’m the @WeeFatMan.
When there, I stay outside of central Dublin at a fantastic guest house in Lansdowne Road, called Ariel House, friendly staff, comfortable rooms, great breakfast, what more could you want? And it’s just a short DART ride from the city centre.
My top places to visit include the Little Museum of Dublin and the Irish Whiskey Museum, listed above, but also the National Gallery, and if you’re there on a Saturday, the Taoiseach’s office and government buildings. My favourite pub is The Duke, in Duke Street, just off Grafton Street.
Ashley, thanks so much for your tips, I also went on the DART on one of my Dublin visits and loved how convenient it was. I’m now following you on Twitter, have a great weekend
Thanks for the follow and I hope you didn’t think my rather long comment was trying to “take over” your article.
We had been to Dublin several times before discovering the DART even though we had stayed in or near Lansdowne Road, and we used to walk everywhere, which killed our feet.
Now, the first thing we do when we arrive, is buy a DART Saver Ticket between Lansdowne Road and Tara Street, as those, or Pearse, are going to be the stations we’ll be using the most. It lasts us the whole break and saves us so much money.
Dublin is such a fun city I lived there for a year a while back and absolutely loved it! Great tips!
How lucky you were, Becky! It’s definitely somewhere that I’d consider living
What a lovely guide! I didn’t know there are so many interesting places to explore in Dublin just in 2 days. My friends went there the other week and they really enjoyed the city! I must go there as well soon!
You could easily spend a week in Dublin, the time before I went out on the DART train along the coast, it’s where some of the famous rockstars live
Really enjoyed your virtual tour of Dublin – stunning photos of a lovely city! And it is so easy and quick to get there from London ….
Great tips! I love visiting Dublin. I think my favorite place in the world is the Trinity College Library!
Such a gorgeous place, I agree! I need to go back and see another page of the Book of Kells!
Dublin looks like such a cool city with so much history!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
It’s a lovely city, there’s a really unique atmosphere there
I LOVE that pink door!!! This is so bad but Ian’s actually half-Irish (his family are from Dublin) and in the 8 years that we’ve been together, I’ve never been over to Ireland to meet his Irish family. Dublin looks like a great city to spend a weekend in though – I need to make this trip happen this year!
Ooh sounds like a visit is long overdue for you, Maggie! I hope you get to meet Ian’s Irish family
It’s brilliant isn’t it, Hayley, and such lovely locals
I’m glad you found it interesting, Elle – and I’d love to return to Belfast to see the Titanic Museum after my hard hat tour a few years ago!
Love Dublin! It’s been a few years nice I was there so this was an amazing reminder! Did you also get to Powers Court for its shopping and tea? Loved the Temple Bar area. Fantastic post!
Http://Leftbankgirl.blogspot.com
I wanted to go to Powers Court but it closed quite early! I visited it a few years ago though
I’ve never been to Dublin but its on my list. Hmm, Molly is buxom isn’t she?
Frank (bbqboy)
Ha ha, she certainly is – and some people rub her for luck
Your Dublin itinerary looks action packed. I really enjoyed Dublin when I visited.
We crammed a lot in, that’s for sure! Having said that, you could just as easily while away more time in a pub.
Wow!! I didn’t know Dublin looks this amazing, the building are just incredible but what does one expect if Ireland is the city of architecture!! Am glad you had an amazing time there Suze, I wonder where you are off to next!!
www.fashionstylemogul.com
Ha ha, I have a few trips up my sleeve! I’m also giving away a 2 night New York stay on the blog next week and it’s open worldwide
I’ve only been to the airport here, but would LOVE to follow every step of this guide! Will bookmark it for when I finally get there!:-)
It’s a great stopover destination, Jess and very child-friendly too
Dublin has been on my list for a while now! Great list of recommendations I’ll save for my future trip!
I’m sure that you will love it when you do get there, Eppie and make sure to try the Guiness!
Dublin is very beautiful ! I would love to explore more about it, as well as, some other countries of Europe too!
www.thequinoxfashion.com
I hope that you get the chance, Gail! It’s well worth it
What a beautiful place to visit! I must admit Dublin was not even on my radar of places to visit, but it is now after reading your post and seeing your photos 🙂 It’s amazing what you can do in a short amount of time when travelling. I am bookmarking this page so I don’t lose it.
www.thesundaymode.com
I’m so pleased that I’ve given you a new travel destination idea and you won’t be disappointed if you do visit Dublin
It’s quite easy to understand the accent and I chatted to a few Dubliners during my last visit, they’re so friendly!
Knowing your love of photography, I’m sure you’d find lots to capture in Dublin – the architecture really is impressive!
For me the Ireland is a Country with Many Opportunities : Industry , Tourism , Nature , Culture…In the Future I See an United Ireland : a Destiny for This People ; Ireland + Ulster are a Force of the Nature !!! ByeBye , Lots of Luck !!!
The chocolates and the Guinness look good! Dublin looks like a pretty, historic city to enjoy for a getaway — one could probably spend more than a weekend there, right?
Okay it’s definitive, I want to visit Dublin now!
Would you like to follow each other? Just let me know, and I’ll follow you right back 🙂
www.moderngirl.dk
I’m heading to Dublin for the first time next week and I can’t wait to explore some of these suggestions! I’ve been to Ireland before but never the capital city so I’m excited!
Cx
charliedistracted.com