Is Dublin Worth Visiting? Here's What I Loved and What I Didn't

Is Dublin worth visiting compared to the rest of Ireland? This is probably one of the questions I hear the most about planning an Ireland trip. And honestly, I hear people recommend avoiding Dublin all the time.

On one hand, I get it. Ireland is full of jaw-dropping coastlines, charming small towns, and those magical green, rolling hills. So why carve out time for a city?

But after spending several days in Dublin, I was surprised by how much I absolutely loved it. I expected just another European city without a ton to do. But instead I found a unique city full of character and tons to do that I actually wanted to spend more time in!

So yes, Dublin is totally worth visiting. But how long should you stay? And what experiences should you prioritize? In this post I’ll break down what exactly makes Dublin so special and how to get the most out of your visit while also being honest about some of the drawbacks of the city.

Reasons Why Dublin is Worth Visiting

There is so much that makes Dublin such a special place. And here’s a look at all the reasons you’ll want to make sure Dublin has time on your itinerary and isn’t just a stopover on your way to the rest of Ireland.

Irish History Sites

View through a large wooden gate into Trinity College Dublin, featuring the iconic Campanile bell tower framed perfectly by the arched doorway, with people walking on the cobblestone path beneath it. — The doorway into Trinity College

If you want to know anything about Irish history, Dublin is THE place to go. Everything starts here, from the legend of Ireland’s founding by three goddesses to the arrival of the Vikings to the famous 1916 Easter Uprising that helped create the free Republic of Ireland.

Dublin is full of historic sites. Visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral where Johnathan Swift was Dean. Tour Trinity College, which was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I and see the Book of Kells. Get a ticket to Kilmainham Gaol, where you will tour the foreboding cells where the 1916 revolutionaries were kept and see where they were executed.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to history in Dublin.

I also took several walking tours of Dublin that gave me a insight into this history, and I was amazed at everything I learned.

One of my favorite tours, the Mythology, Folklore and Legends Walking Tour, delved into the mythology of the founding of Ireland and some of the legends that shaped Irish life. And this Historical Guided Walking Tour painted a picture of Irish history from that found up through British colonial rule and the fight for an independent Ireland.

Dublin’s Literary Heritage

Interior view of the Long Room at Trinity College Library in Dublin, Ireland. The arched wooden ceiling stretches over tall bookshelves lined with old books and marble busts. A large illuminated globe is suspended in the center above a crowd of visitors walking through the historic space. — The beautiful Long Room in the Trinity College Library. Even with out books it’s amazing!

Dublin is famous for its literary powerhouses, from James Joyce to Oscar Wilde to Sally Rooney. As a book lover, I loved immersing myself in all the Irish literature, and I maybe even feel inspired to give Ulysses a try.

Just walking the beautiful streets of Dublin, you feel immersed in the atmospheric world so many Irish authors have written about in their novels. But there are lots of other great literary things to do in Dublin as well!

Go on a Literary Pub Crawl to visit some of the pubs famous Irish authors frequented. Visit the Museum of Literature Ireland to learn about Dublin’s most famous writers. And visit some of the most beautiful libraries, including the Long Room at the Trinity College Library and Marsh’s Library.

Amazing Food

A plated dessert featuring a rectangular chocolate-covered pastry topped with nuts and a sprinkling of sea salt, served alongside a scoop of ice cream and chocolate crumbs, elegantly arranged on a white plate with chocolate drizzle. — I’m still dreaming about this chocolate peanut butter dessert at Hawksmoor!

The food in Dublin truly surprised me SO much! Of course there are plenty of pubs with standard Irish fare. But Dublin really is a city that boasts a big culinary scene.

Honestly, aside from some of the best fish and chips I’ve ever had in my life, I hardly ate any traditional Irish food!

I had maybe one of the best steak dinners I’ve ever had, plus a mind-blowingly chocolate peanut butter dessert at Hawksmoor. Then I had such fun and inventive dinner at Note, where my main course was a pasta with eggplant three different ways. And those fish and chips I mentioned? They were at Fish Shop, where you definitely need a reservation.

And next time I’m in Dublin, I have a list of more restaurants I’d love to try!

Really if you’re a foodie, Dublin is a fantastic city to visit! There is so much variety here and some chefs doing some amazing things.

Green Spaces and Parks

A wide view of St. Patrick’s Park in Dublin, Ireland, featuring a central stone fountain surrounded by well-kept green lawns and paved walkways. People are walking and sitting on benches, with tall leafy trees and red-brick buildings in the background. A pigeon and a seagull are visible in the foreground near the path. — Enjoying an afternoon in St. Patrick’s Park.

One thing I sometimes struggle with in cities is all the concrete and brick. But Dublin is full of SO much green space and I loved it so much!

There really are parks all over the place that act as true community spaces. On my first afternoon in Dublin, I was hanging out in St. Patrick’s Park waiting for my hotel to be ready and noticed there were school kids all over the place just hanging out with each other (I’m guessing it was a lunch break?).

There’s also parks like Merrion Square Park, St. Stephen’s Green, and Dubh Linn Garden.

I love being able to easily find a park when I’m in the middle of the city for some quiet, and that’s so easy to do in Dublin.

Whiskey, Beer, and Irish Drink

Listen, I’ll be honest. I can’t really drink alcohol anymore ever since my body decided any alcohol consumption at all would make me feel super nauseous. BUT if you are a fan of beer and whiskey, I’m not sure there’s a better place to go than Dublin!

Of course, Dublin is home to the Guinness Storehouse, where you can tour their facilities and have a pint. And you can also visit the Jameson Distillery for a whiskey tour and tasting.

But there are also several other Irish drink experiences to be had, including the Teeling Distillery or The Dublin Liberties Distillery, and of course having a pint in some of their well-known pubs and bars.

Easy Navigation Around the City

A cobblestone street in Dublin, Ireland, lined with colorful buildings housing shops and restaurants. The street is mostly empty, with a few pedestrians in the distance. Bright blue sky and scattered clouds are visible overhead, enhancing the vibrant and charming atmosphere. — I love these charming Dublin streets, and it’s a flat city that’s easy to walk around in.

Sometimes when I’m going to a new city, one of my biggest anxieties is just getting around. And I am happy to say that Dublin is a SUPER easy city to navigate. In fact, I just used the regular bus like a local ALL the time.

Just buy a Leap card at a local store (most convenience stores sell them and I got my mine at Spar) and load it with some money. Then hop on the bus, scan your card, and hop off without scanning again when you get to your stop.

There is a fare charged for each trip, but there is also a daily cap of €6 and a weekly cap of €24. So I could go anywhere I wanted knowing my budget for each day wasn’t going to exceed that unless I needed to take a taxi.

And if you need more money, you can easily load your Leap card with their top-up app.

You can also choose to buy a Visitors Leap Card, however I chose not to do this because it is not valid outside of Dublin, but I would be able to use a regular Leap card in other parts of Ireland if I needed to.

Google maps also made it super easy to plan my bus routes. It told me which stop to go to, which bus to take, and what time that bus was coming.

It’s also super easy to walk around the city. It’s pretty flat and even as a solo female traveler, I felt safe pretty much everywhere I went.

Friendly, Welcoming Vibe

Dublin is known for being one of the friendliest cities, and I definitely felt that when I was there! Everyone from my hotel clerks to my tour guides to the guy scooping my ice cream was super friendly and kind.

One of my tour guides joked that the Irish aren’t actually that friendly, they’re just nosy. But even if that’s the reason, they certainly know how to make you feel welcome!

One note though coming from America: When you are dining at a restaurant, they may not come to check in on you as often as you expect, which could be interpreted by some as bad service or unfriendliness. This is definitely not the case though! I noticed they just want to give you space to enjoy your meal. (And to be fair, they also aren’t dependent on tips for exceptional service.)

Live Music

Dublin is definitely a city full of art, and that includes music of course! You can find great music all over the city, from pubs in Temple Bar to trad sessions (traditional sessions) in pubs like The Cobblestone and O’Donoghue’s.

There is music ALL over Dublin, and it’s definitely an Irish experience you’ll want to make sure you have.

Natural Starting Point for Ireland Trips

One of the other reasons to visit Dublin? Simply convenience!

If you are traveling into Ireland, it’s most likely that you’ll fly into Dublin, which makes this a natural starting point (or ending point) for your trip.

If you’re traveling out to other areas of the country, starting in Dublin can give you a great overview of Irish history, which will add more context to the rest of your trip.

Great Home Base for Day Trips

If you want to just stay in Dublin, too, it can be a great jumping off point for day trips around Ireland. Spend a day in Northern Ireland, travel to Killkenny and the Wicklow Mountains, or venture to the Cliffs of Moher.

There are tons of tours around Ireland that leave from Dublin. So if you’d rather not explore the rest of the country on your own, you can easily stay in the city for convenience and still venture out.

What You Might Not Love About Dublin

Even though I adored Dublin so much, there are still a few drawbacks about the city. So here are some things to be aware of.

It’s An Expensive City

Dublin is a notoriously expensive city to visit. Most of the attractions and museums will cost money (there aren’t tons of free attractions) and food can get pricey (although I didn’t feel like it was anything close to the sticker shock of Oslo).

But most of all, hotel rooms in Dublin are known to be pretty expensive. This is one reason why I was so glad to use my points to stay at the Hyatt Centric. And you can definitely find hotel deals.

But if you’re on a budget, it might be more economical for you to limit your time in Dublin and find more reasonably priced lodging and activities in other parts of Ireland.

Tourist Traps Abound

A bustling street scene at The Temple Bar in Dublin, Ireland, showing the iconic red pub adorned with vibrant flower baskets and hanging signs. The building is decorated with Guinness branding, outdoor lights, and a bright red umbrella over an outdoor seating area. The pub sits at a corner where crowds of tourists gather, and colorful flags hang between buildings down the street. — Temple Bar is definitely overpriced to get the tourists!

Because Dublin is such a tourist hub, there are of course tourist traps. Temple Bar is notorious for this, as a pint here will cost who several euros more than other pints in Dublin pubs.

There are also attractions that are more “touristy” than authentic Irish experiences, like the National Leprechaun Museum. This was, in fact, the only even whiff of anything having to do with leprechauns I saw in Ireland (aside from some merch in some of the more touristy shops).

There’s definitely a time a place for kitschy fun like that, but just know that not everything you’ll find in Dublin is authentically Irish.

Notorious Irish Weather

A soft rainbow arcs across a cloudy sky above a red-brick building with white-trimmed windows in Dublin. The building has a prominent chimney topped with several orange chimney pots, catching the light of the setting sun. — I did luck out with a rainbow on my last evening in Dublin!

Everywhere you go in Ireland, the weather is going to be tricky. So the weather isn’t particular to just Dublin.

Ireland is definitely a pretty rainy place, and temperatures tend to be cooler.

I was there in September, and honestly we had some really lovely days. But there were also some very rainy days. And there were also days where the rain rolled in fast and rolled out fast (which I hear is pretty typical).

So be prepared with layers and waterproof jackets and shoes and umbrellas. But if rain is really not your thing, you might considering somewhere else in Europe like, I don’t know, Italy?

Who Will Love Dublin?

Still not sure if Dublin is where you want to spend time? Here’s who will really love Dublin:

Lovers of literature
History geeks
Foodies and people who love a good pint
Visitors who want a walkable city with plenty to see
Travelers who love a moody city

How Long Do You Need in Dublin?

Deciding how long to spend in Dublin is a big topic of Ireland travelers. I mean, honestly that’s what kicked off this whole blog post: my disbelief that there are people out there who tell you that you don’t need to spend any time in Dublin!

Here’s how’d I’d break it down:

1-2 Days: Enough time to see major highlights like The Book of Kells, Trinity College, and the Guinness Storehouse.
3-4 Days: Those highlights, plus time to visit some museums.
5+ Days: Enough time to see all the highlights, visit several museums, and really immerse yourself in the feel of Dublin.

Best Things To Do in Dublin

I have a whole post on the best things to do in Dublin, but let’s break down a few of the highlights here!

The Book of Kells and the Trinity Library Long Room — See the famous ancient book illustrated by monks as well as the beautiful Long Room of the Trinity College library.
Guinness Storehouse — Take a tour and grab a pint!
Kilmainham Gaol — Honestly my favorite thing I saw in Dublin! A notorious jail with a dark and fascinating history. Get your tickets in advance!
Christ Church and St. Patrick’s Cathedral — Tour Dublin’s two most famous churches.
Temple Bar — Enjoy this area of Dublin known for its pubs and nightlife.

Tips for Visiting Dublin

Have I convinced you by now that it’s worth spending more than just a stopover day in Dublin?

Is so, here are a few more tips for visiting!

Dress in layers — The weather in Dublin can change quickly within a single afternoon, so dress in layers! And don’t stress too much about looks; Dublin is a very casual city.
Be prepared for rain — It will most likely rain at some point during your trip, so be prepared with rain gear.
Consider a Dublin Pass — It may make sense for you to purchase a Dublin Pass depending on which sites you plan to visit and how long you are staying for. Do the calculations to see if it makes sense for you.
Book tickets in advance — Many Dublin attractions will sell out of tickets before your visit. If you want to visit Kilmainham Gaol especially, you will need to book a ticket in advance. You will probably also want to buy your Book of Kells tickets in advance. (Note that neither of these are included in the Dublin Pass.)
Get a Leap Card — Plan to use the bus and other public transport in Dublin! You can buy either a Leap Card (which you can use for public transportation around Ireland) or the Leap Visitor Card.
Be safety aware but not overly concerned — Generally Dublin is a very safe city, and as a solo female traveler I never felt uncomfortable. But since you are in a big city, do be just generally aware of your safety. (For context, I did hear some local people talking about safety in Dublin going downhill, but I never really saw any evidence of this and I felt perfectly safe.)
Dublin is very LGBTQ+ friendly — If you are an LGBTQ+ traveler Dublin is a great place to visit! It is super welcoming of the queer community.