Surprise! Here we are Dublin
Travel to Dublin with WanderMoore! In 2016, my husband and I took an amazing trip to Europe- a bucket list trip for us. We were supposed to fly straight to Barcelona before our cruise but instead, we landed in Ireland. I told my husband we only had a layover in Dublin when in reality we were staying for several nights! This is one surprise I will never top- he was so surprised! 😆
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On our visit to Ireland, we spent several nights staying at an Airbnb in Temple Bar. Our location was amazing- right in the heart of Dublin. Here are a few of my favorite things I experienced while visiting this beautiful city.
1. Guinness Storehouse at St. James Gate
This is an absolute must-do for anyone visiting Dublin. It’s like the Disney World of Beer and I don’t even like beer 🍺. This place was amazing! You start out on the bottom level and work your way to the top, where you enjoy a glass of Guinness at Gravity Bar. This bar has amazing views of Dublin. Each level (7 in total) has a different exhibit/experience all themed around this iconic Irish beer. A few included the History of Guinness Advertising, the making of Guinness beer, and sensory experience that really made us feel surrounded by the brewing process and history of Guinness. By the time we got to the top to enjoy our pint, we both agreed that it may have been the best beer we had ever tasted! And, again, I don’t even like beer! The experience was just that cool.
I suggest pre-booking your tickets because the storehouse is a very popular place for tourists to visit-roughly 20 million each year, making it Ireland’s most popular attraction. Tickets are 19.50 Euros for all adults, 16 Euros for kids 13-17, 5 Euros for kids 6-12, and kids under 6 are free. There are also tons of specialty tour options so make sure to check out their website for more details.
2. Trinity College
Founded in 1592, Trinity College is located in the heart of Dublin and is rich in history. There is much to explore and see here but my favorite part was the Library of Trinity College. Specifically the Long Room of the Old Library. Built in the 18th century, this space is elegant and traditionally beautiful. The most popular item housed here is the 9th century Book of Kells. There is an amazing full exhibit on this beautiful work of medieval artistry and then you can of course view the book itself. The exhibit does have a fee: 11-14 Euros for adults, 28 Euros is the family rate and 12 Euros is the group rate. Make sure to get there early in the day to avoid the lines.
Please note – that you cannot take photos of the Book of Kells but you can in the Old Library- see my photos below!
3. The Pubs of Dublin
The Brazen Head
The Brazen Head is said to be Ireland’s oldest bar. Dating back to 1198, this historic pub is a labyrinth of different dining spaces, bars (both inside and outside), and little seating areas. On our visit, the pub was very busy (per usual!) and we ended up sharing a table with some young travelers from Germany. We all visited and shared stories of our adventures – it was really cool. The Brazen Head has a community feel that makes it really easy to socialize and make new friends!
O’Neill’s
We stumbled upon O’Neills while wandering near the Temple Bar area and we were drawn in by the music. Traditional Irish music was streaming out of every window and we just had to check it out! What we found was amazing! Several floors, different bars areas, and twisting turning hallways made up O’Neills Pub, with little tables and booths tucked in every corner. The place was packed and we finally found a place on one of the upper levels. We ordered a glass of whiskey (Irish of course!) and took in the feel of the place. The next thing we knew the music got louder and traditional Irish dancers started up a lively performance! And we just so happened to have amazing seats. It was a great experience. Make sure to visit this unique pub on your next visit to Dublin!
Temple Bar area
Located in the heart of Dublin near the River Liffey, this region of the city is full of pubs, restaurants, cafes, and little places to sit and of course, tons of live music. We visited several (probably too many) pubs in Temple Bar (our AirBnB was in this area of the city). So I honestly don’t remember all the places we went but I do remember the feel of the area- it was loud, lively, friendly, charming, and frankly a damn good time. Check out some of the best of the best in Temple Bar- 5 best pubs in Temple Bar…. I may have been to some 🙂
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Looking for more to do in Dublin? Check out Pink Luggage Abroads article on Dublins Speakeasies!
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Check out more of my other adventures in Ireland HERE!
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About the Author
Hi my name is Sara and I am the creator of WanderMoore! 🙂 I started WanderMoore in early 2020 after leaving a full-time job in the Communications/Marketing field to stay home and raise my kiddos, Mila and Liam. I wanted something fun to work on in my free time and WanderMoore has become one of my biggest passions! Thank you for reading my post! I can't wait to share more of my travel adventures with you 🙂
Ireland will always be one of my favorite places. So bummed I never got to see the library at Trinity College when I was there. Guess I’ll have to go back! 😉
Ireland has been on my bucket list for so long! Seems like you had so much fun! Great surprise;)
Its been so long since I’ve been in Dublin, I’d love to go back!
Ireland is on my bucket list! We were planning on visiting next year. I hope that we will still be able to. Thanks for sharing, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this!
Ireland is very high on my bucket list! Would love to go to the Guiness tour. Sounds like such a great surprise trip!
awww what a great surprise for him! Looks like a great trip!