I've catalogued all my favourite spots, and my friends' favourite spots, to help visitors get the most out of this city. Click "expand all" and use Command+F if you're looking for something specific. Enjoy!
I used AI to catalog and refine this page, but the recommendations all come from real people. Special thanks to Ann-Marie Lynch for inspiring this guide and making many of the recommendations.
Visit
Music
The Cobblestone: A mecca of traditional Irish music, and pretty much everyone will tell you to skip Temple Bar and come here if you want to hear the real thing. They're right. The only caveat is that it's almost always packed to the gills and standing room only, so be prepared for a squeeze.
Other trad music spots: If you're looking for a less crowded but just as authentic alternative to the Cobblestone, these are worth checking out. Call ahead or check online to confirm music is on the day you're visiting.
McNeill's, Capel Street: most nights
O'Donoghues, Merrion Row: up to 7 nights a week
The Pipers Corner, Marlborough Street: most nights
Sin É: Not trad, but regularly hosts small local acts. Check online to see what's on.
Devitt's Pub: Great for late night live music that isn't trad, and full of locals. A solid spot for ending the night if clubs aren't your thing.
Tourism
Temple Bar: People think it is a single bar, but it's actually a neighbourhood. The "bar" likely referred to a physical barrier or gate marking the boundary of the old city. It's named after Sir William Temple, who owned land in the area in the 1600s. It's a major tourist trap. Walk through it, take photos, and then get out. There are better places for pints, food, and music, I promise.
The Natural History Museum and the National Gallery: Museums and galleries are free in Ireland, with a donation recommended. Both are worth your time.
Phoenix Park: One of the largest urban parks in Europe. Go to spot the deer, and if you're feeling curious, walk by the President's house.
St. Stephen's Green: A beautiful park right in the city centre. Perfect for a stroll or a sit-down on a sunny day.
The Iveagh Gardens: A lesser known hidden gem tucked away in the city centre. Far fewer tourists than Stephen's Green and genuinely lovely.
Trinity College and Marsh's Library: Trinity College is beautiful and well worth a wander. On a sunny day you'll find half of Dublin at "the pav" drinking cans of beer. For the Harry Potter library experience, skip the overpriced and underwhelming Book of Kells and head instead to the lesser known Marsh's Library. Check opening times and book in advance.
IMMA: The Irish Museum of Modern Art. The grounds and gardens are beautiful and free, even if you don't go inside.
The Botanic Gardens and Glasnevin Cemetery: A great pairing... stunning Victorian glasshouses followed by one of Ireland's most historically significant cemeteries. The nearby John Kavanagh The Gravediggers is the perfect pit stop after.
Stella Cinema: Most people don't travel to a city to sit in a dark room, but Stella is the exception. Sink into one of their giant, comfy sofas and have a bottle of wine delivered right to your seat. Book well in advance.
Excursions
The DART: My strong recommendation for experiencing Irish life outside the city centre. The DART is a railway that runs along the Dublin coast and costs just a few euro.
Head south and stop at Dalkey, a stunning village with great places to eat. You may run into Bono from U2 drinking in Finnegans.
Dalkey Island: just like Ireland's Eye off Howth, Dalkey has its own small island just offshore. You can take a short boat trip out to it. It has a Martello tower and wild goats roam freely on it.
Killiney Hill: a short walk from Dalkey village with views over Killiney Bay. Sometimes compared to the Bay of Naples, which is a stretch, but on a clear day it genuinely is stunning.
Feeling brave? Do as the Irish do and jump into the ice cold Irish Sea from the famous Vico or 40 Foot swim spots. I promise it's worth it. Top tip: go for the sunrise. It's honestly so, so beautiful and worth the frostbite.
Head north and check out Howth, a beautiful cliff walk that's fantastic in good weather, plus fish and chips in the village. Be warned, it can get very crowded. During certain times of year you can also take a short boat ride out to Ireland's Eye, a small island just off the coast.
Glendalough, Wicklow, Powerscourt: If you rent a car, you can drive to beautiful Glendalough for some excellent hiking. If you don't have wheels, a Wicklow, Powerscourt, and Glendalough day tour is a great way to see some gorgeous places outside Dublin.
Walks in and around town:
The Grand Canal: a peaceful walk along the water cutting right through the heart of the city.
The Great South Wall: a long, narrow pier stretching out into Dublin Bay, with great views back to the city and the Wicklow Mountains.
Bull Island: a unique UNESCO biosphere reserve just north of the city, with a wide sandy beach and great birdwatching.
Drink
Hip spots
Vintage Cocktail Club (VCC): One of the only exceptions to the "don't drink in Temple Bar" rule. This speakeasy is tucked away behind a nondescript door where you have to ring the bell to get in. It's a gorgeous, unique spot with top-notch artisanal cocktails and regular nibbles. Book in advance and be prepared for the price tag.
Bar 1661: Secured a spot on the shortlist of the top 10 cocktail menus in the world, which tells you everything you need to know. Specialises in cocktails made with poitín, a traditional Irish moonshine. Book in advance.
Caribou: A hip, beautifully designed bar with great 70s lighting, antique furniture, and art covering the walls. Excellent cocktails and food. Gets packed at weekends.
Kodiak: A neighbourhood bar in Rathmines, slightly outside the city centre but worth the trip. Lovely drinks, great decor, and brilliant pizza.
Fidelity: One of my favourite spots. It used to be a dive bar and was rehabilitated into a hip but welcoming space. Local artisanal beer, a solid cocktail selection, and a DJ on some nights. A good middle ground between hipster haven and neighbourhood bar. Next door is Fidelity Studio, a restaurant and DJ venue: book ahead and check for ticketed nights. The bar itself is free entry.
Big Romance: A personal favourite. Dublin's northside used to have a rough reputation, but places like this are popping up everywhere and the gentrification is well and truly under way, love it or hate it. Small, often has a DJ on, excellent cocktails and good beer on tap. Booking ahead is sometimes worth doing, especially on weekends.
Nightlife
Pawn Shop: A lively, usually packed club with a couple of bars upstairs and a sweaty dancefloor downstairs. The alley out back is where people go to smoke, get some air, or grab a slice from Doom Slice next door.
Fidelity Studio: Attached to Fidelity Bar, this is a restaurant and DJ venue with ticketed nights. Check what's on in advance.
Panti Bar: Owned and operated by Dublin's iconic drag queen Panti Bliss. A beloved gay hotspot for dancing, drinks, and drag shows.
The George: Dublin's most important gay club. Two floors, a large outdoor area, and often a queue out the front. Don't miss Drag Queen Bingo on Sundays.
Whelan's: An Irish nightlife institution. Loads of live shows, occasional silent discos, and a regular karaoke night on Fridays and Saturdays from 11pm.
Yamamori Tengu: One of Dublin's most important underground electronic music clubs, hidden at the back of a Japanese restaurant. Known for its commitment to safety and inclusivity, with a variety of different types of nights. Check their schedule in advance.
Traditional boozers
Grogan's Castle Lounge: A Dublin institution in the city centre. Great for people watching, and you can eat a delicious toastie to line your stomach.
The Long Hall: A traditional pub with an absolutely gorgeous, unchanged interior. One of the most beautiful pub rooms in Dublin.
The Lord Edward: A classic, serene pub in the centre. Make sure to sit upstairs.
Toner's: One of Dublin's oldest pubs, on Baggot Street. Dark, wood-panelled, and wonderfully no-nonsense. Holds a licence from 1734 and said to be the only pub W.B. Yeats ever visited. A proper Dublin boozer.
The Swan: A cosy, tucked-away pub just off the main drag in the south city centre. Reliably good Guinness and the kind of place that feels like a local secret even when it isn't.
J O'Connell's: A solid, unpretentious local pub on Richmond Street, close to the Grand Canal. Popular with locals and students alike, it's laid back.
John Kavanagh The Gravediggers: It doesn't get more traditional than this. No frills, no screens, just incredible Guinness. They also serve food. Combine it with a trip to the Botanic Gardens and/or Glasnevin Cemetery, both of which are nearby.
Mary's Hardware: A pub in the middle of the city that is also, genuinely, a hardware store. A calm, characterful spot in the middle of the madness. There's a Wowburger in the basement making it a great place to eat, drink, and decompress.
Afternoon tea: The Shelbourne, The Merrion, The Marker, The Westbury. Treat yourself.
Getting around
Dublin Bikes: Dublin has a great city bike scheme, but unfortunately it's not available to tourists as it requires an Irish bank card. However, Moby and Bleeper are tourist-friendly alternatives and a great way to get around. A word of warning if you're cycling in the city: be careful, keep your eyes open, and do not wear headphones. Dublin traffic can be unpredictable and helmets are not provided with hire bikes, so cycle defensively.
Public transport: Dublin is firmly in the dark ages when it comes to paying for public transport. Your options are:
Buy a Leap Card: a reusable travel card you can top up and use on buses, the Luas tram, and the DART. Pick one up at any newsagent or convenience store.
Pay with exact change on buses. Drivers do not give change, so come prepared.
Use the ticket machine at Luas and DART stops for a single journey if you don't have a Leap Card.
The Leap Card is by far the easiest option. Get one as soon as you arrive.
Outside Dublin
Skellig Michael (Irish: Sceilig Mhór): A remote UNESCO World Heritage Site off the Kerry coast, best known as a Star Wars filming location. One of the most dramatic and otherworldly places in Ireland.
Galway city: A vibrant, colourful city on the west coast with a great food and arts scene. Get brunch at Ard Bia.
Cork: Ireland's second city has a brilliant food scene. Book Ichigo Ichie, a Michelin-star Japanese restaurant that's genuinely exceptional.
Cliffs of Moher: Iconic and deservedly famous, but the tourist crowds at the top can be overwhelming. See them from the sea instead for a far more dramatic experience.
Inis Mór: Absolutely stunning, and can be combined with a trip to the Cliffs of Moher if you travel by boat from Galway.
Connemara: Wild, dramatic landscape unlike anywhere else in Ireland. Go and lose yourself in it.
Ring of Kerry: One of Ireland's most famous scenic drives, a stunning loop around the Iveragh Peninsula with dramatic coastal and mountain views. Be warned, it draws enormous crowds in summer and tour buses are everywhere. If you want the same wild Kerry scenery with fewer people, Dingle is my recommendation instead.
Dingle, Kerry: Quintessential Ireland. It can be a long trip but if you have the time, do it and see the dolphins.
Baltimore, West Cork: A personal favourite. A beautiful, charming coastal village with serious character.