City break in Dublin – through the hearts of locals

Feel the friendliness and warmth of Dublin on this city break guide, complete with recommended restaurants, attractions, museums and markets.

Weekend fun in the friendly Dublin

First time in Dublin? You already have friends waiting – you just haven’t met them yet. Feel the warmth and friendliness of Dublin on this city break guide. Get the scoop on where to dine, from casual diners to vegan fine-dining. You’ll also find out about the classic must-visit stores and attractions, plus the hidden gems you might not have heard of.

It’s a hop, skip and a jump to get to Dublin from the UK. Flights from London are direct and take just a little over an hour – flights from Manchester are even shorter. There are numerous locations in the city from which to hire a car too, if you’d like to follow up your Dublin experience with a road trip through the countryside.

The classics

Tick the Guinness Storehouse off your list with a visit to this iconic celebration of “the black stuff”. Make your way through what was the fermentation plant of the brewery, learning how Guinness came to be, its special ingredients and how it became a worldwide success. Entry here naturally includes a complimentary pint of Guinness. Take a guided tour at Dublin Castle and learn the fascinating history of this estate built in 1230 at the site of a Danish Viking fortress. Today the castle is the site of many grand presidential and state events. Stroll the grounds of Trinity College, whose alumni include Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde and Jonathan Swift. While there, visit the jaw-dropping Long Room Library with its collection of more than 200,000 of the college’s oldest books.

The hidden gems

Opened in 1881, George’s Street Arcade has been selling a bit of everything for generations. Get lost in the aisles and purchase just the unique gift item to make someone at home happy. Right around the corner from George’s in the Castle Market area, you’ll find sustainable clothing store FRESH.CUTS. This store sells only sustainable labels, including their own, so you can be fashionable and have a clean conscience. Set in a charming townhouse, The Little Museum of Dublin is not to be missed if you want a locals’ perspective. This treasure features a collection of private donations from Dubliners that give an insider’s view of the city’s history. Discover facts about Irish rock band U2, get closer to beloved poet James Joyce and more here.

The culture

Dublin is a treasure trove of world-class museums that just happen to have free entrance. The National Gallery of Ireland features works of art from international greats such as Picasso, Monet, Degas and Titian, and features an excellent collection of works by Irish painter Yeats. The National Museum of Ireland is actually a series of four museums that are also free: the Museum of Decorative Arts & History, the Museum of Country Life, the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Archaeology. If you’re interested in these areas, they’re definitely worth a visit. And Oscar Wilde fans won’t want to miss a chance to walk in his footsteps on a self-guided walking tour to see his childhood home, his favourite haunts and the life-sized statue of him.You can even trace your ancestry at EPIC: The Irish Immigration Museum and learn about what it truly means to be from the island of Ireland.

The dining

Start your exploration of the city at Tang, a charming local café chain with a strong focus on sustainability, using locally-grown ingredients, and serving delicious coffees and breakfasts. In between sightseeing visits, fuel up at Glas: a cosy vegetarian and vegan restaurant that makes Irish vegetables the star of its dishes. While you’re at the Guinness Storehouse, try a few of the dishes at its 1837 Bar & Brasserie, many of them made using Guinness as an ingredient. For dinner, head to Mister S for sizzling meals featuring fish, vegetables and locally-sourced meats cooked over an open flame. Alternatively, why not indulge your senses at the well-loved Port House for some delicious tapas? End your evenings at Brazen Head pub, reputed to be one of the oldest pubs in Ireland as well as one of Dublin’s best Irish music venues.