How to Spend 48 Hours In Ireland
Full of lush green fields, vibrant cities, and friendly faces, Ireland is a diverse country worth adding to your travel bucket list! Many United States-based flights over layovers in Ireland in order to reach the main European continent. So why not extend your trip a bit and experience this beautiful country? In this post, I will tell you how to make the most of your time traveling in Ireland if you only have 48 hours. Enjoy!
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Day 1-Dublin
Start off your short Irish trip with its largest most vibrant city, Dublin. With a history that dates back nearly 1,000 years, the city can’t be missed on your Irish travels. This is the first place to stop on your trip and is the perfect place to make your home base.
Hop on Hop Off Bus
A Hop on Hop off Bus is the best way to see the city of Dublin quickly and easily. Many of the services stop by all of the main Dublin sites allowing you to get out and explore or continue to ride the bus. There will always be another bus to “hop on” later if you choose to explore a specific location. Some of the top sites include Trinity College, Temple Bar, Dublin Castle, Christ Church, St. Patrick Cathedral, Irish Museum of Modern Art, The Guinness Storehouse, Dublin Zoo and so much more! I have highlighted a few of my must Irish travel “hop offs” below.
Book your trip with City Sightseeing Hop on Hop Off Dublin- here!
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.
This classic Irish 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.
Temple Bar
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.
Guinness Storehouse
This is an absolute must-do for anyone visiting trip traveling in Ireland. 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.
Day 2- The Wild Atlantic Way
On your second day on your Ireland trip, I suggest booking yourself a day trip someplace out of the city. There are many to choose from but one of the absolute best is the day trip to the Wild Atlantic Way. This tour includes the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren and the lovely city of Galway.
Book your day trip here!
Cliffs of Moher
These amazing natural cliffs are located on the Wile Atlantic Way of Ireland. The scenic drive took about three and a half hours and was beautiful the entire way! Think quaint little villages and rolling hills, plus we got to hear all kinds of fun stories from our tour guide along the way. The tour company we booked through was Paddy Wagon Tours. Another great option that I have used in the past is Viator! They have tons of unique tours of every budget and are great options to complement your Irish travel.
The view was absolutely, take-your-breath-away, amazing! My words and photos will never do it justice – this is a must-see it to believe it kind of thing. The Cliffs of Moher seem to go on forever (5 miles to be exact) in every direction, and there are little walking paths all along the edge, with O’Brien’s Tower (which you can climb!) on one end. We walked all along the edge, as far as we were able, and stopped at each viewing platform along the way. The cliffs are 702-feet( at their highest point) so we were treated to views of the Atlantic Ocean the entire time. Every minute spent there was surreal and amazingly beautiful.
We visited a museum after wandering around the cliffs and had a nice lunch there as well. The museum highlighted the history, geology, natural environment of the cliffs and provided tons of interesting facts. Worth checking out on your way out.
The Burren
After the Cliffs of Moher, our Irish travel tour bus took us to the Burren. Located just northeast of the cliffs in County Clare, the Burren is a massive natural formation made of limestone. Check out more info on the geology HERE. This very interesting ecological area (also a national park) was formed millions of years ago and is about 1500 hectares (roughly 3700 acres) in size. The Burren National Park is open year-round and free to access and visit. The park is very popular for those who love hiking (amazing walking trails!) and rock climbing!
We were only able to explore a little bit of the area but we really enjoyed our time here. This area is not “traditionally” beautiful like the cliffs but the setting had a lovely feel all the same. Nice and quiet and peaceful. A must experience on any trip traveling in Ireland.
Long stretches of multi-colored limestone with little colorful flowers peeking their way between the stones. We walked all around the beautiful area and even followed one of the park’s many walking trails. The national park also offers guided walking tours on a number of their trails, you just have to call in advance.
Galway
We only had a few hours to explore this amazing Irish city but we simply fell in love. The vibe of the city and setting meshed perfectly with our personalities and travel style. Everything was lively, upbeat, happy, and diverse. Our favorite things about Galway were its seafood and pubs!
We started by wandering around downtown Galway where we encountered many restaurants, pubs, shops, and street performers! We stopped at The Kings Head to try some fish and chips (photo below ). Many visitors seem to forget that Ireland is one big island… surrounded by tons of water… with lots of seafood to be caught! And the Irish do a nice job with preparing amazing seafood.
Then, we continued on toward the water to take in the lovely view of the bay. This was worth the walk – be sure to make time for this! The view is really nice. There are tons of restaurants down by the water that are worth visiting and checking out.
On our walk back we made a stop at the award-winning whiskey bar, Sonny Molloys, for a few drinks. Most of the pubs had street seating and even though it was a bit chilly the setting was too perfect not to enjoy the outdoors plus the people watching was top notch. But getting a seat outside was difficult due to the popularity of the street so make sure to keep an eye out for a good spot and grab it ASAP! There are tons of pubs to choose from downtown so you really can’t go wrong with any of them when traveling in Ireland.
And just like that, 48 hours will be over and most likely, leave you wanting more of this beautiful country! Click below to book your Ireland trip!
If you want some of Ireland travel right now, check out some of the international recipes I love including one of a traditional Irish Stew!
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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 is one of my favorites, and this guide is perfect! We loved visiting Trinity College and doing the tour of the grounds. And Cliffs of Moher…Ahhhhh! So gorgeous!
Ireland is such a beautiful country and this is a great guide to refer to when one only has 48 hours to spend in it. Your pictures certainly inspire me to plan a trip as soon as the Corona madness is behind us.
Ireland has been on my list for sooooooo long. Such a great guide and makes me want to go even more. Pinning so I have these tips when I visit.
Ireland is at the top of my bucket list, so I’m so glad I came across your post! I love your Cliffs of Moher photos!
I’d love to explore more of Ireland! I visited Dublin a few years ago and fell in love with the city but there is so much more of the country to see! the Wild Atlantic Way looks incredible! I’d definitely love to explore some of the natural highlights of Ireland. I hope I get an opportunity to visit soon! Thanks for the great guide!
Ireland is second on my list so this 48-hour itinerary will be perfect when I can visit. So many beautiful places!
Saving this for when we can visit after all this! Ireland has always looked so fascinating — so many gorgeous places to see!!
Visiting Ireland is super high on places I’d love to visit. I’d especially enjoy seeing the library at Trinity College, hanging out in some pubs and seeing the coastline!
I feel like I’d need more than 2 days here but you definitely managed to pack in a good amount! Your photos are beautiful! <3
Ireland is one of my favorite places to visit too and there is SO much to see! I’ve visited many of the places in your post and you did a wonderful job hitting the highlights! Thanks for the beautiful photos too, they are so inspiring.
I wish we had gone to the coast when we visited Dublin last year. It looks so pretty and your photos are making me very jealous that you got to see it in person!
I would need a whole week to visit Ireland . This is a great guide for everyone though . Ireland is a must visit .
48 hours in Ireland is great but would always leave me wanting more! It’s such a beautiful place from the cities to the countryside. Definitely on my list to go back to!
Love this! I spent a month in Ireland last summer (2 weeks in quarantine though) and it’s interesting to see the quick version of a trip to Ireland and I must say, I agree with your itinerary, The Cliffs of Moher are a must see while here. I also love Galway, favorite city in Ireland for sure!
I would love to spend a month there! I’m sure it was amazing even with the quarantine. Thanks for the love on my short itinerary. Its really meant for people who have a layover in Ireland and wish to extend it. We did this exact trip in 2016 on a long layover- it was totally worth it!
Great advice for a quick trip! We went and stayed 8 days. Galway was one of my favorite stops, we didn’t plan enough time there at all. We got a pot pie there and it was the best thing I have ever eaten lol
What a great way to spend 48 hours in Ireland! Seeing the UK and Ireland are definitely on my bucket list. I have heard so many great things from friends who have been there.
I’d never thought about having a layover in Ireland. What a great idea! I’d love to see Dublin and Galway one day. Your pictures are lovely!
A damn good time?! Sign me up! I enjoyed all the stops you made in 48hrs.
I need 48 hours in Ireland. I hope we get to add it on our next Europe Trip!
I would love to visit Ireland. Its top five on my bucket list. Although I would have spend more than 48 hours to explore this beautiful country.
I love Ireland! We spent all of our time…three days…in Dublin. I’d love to go back and see more of the country!