The Best Things To Do With 2 Days In Dublin (My Exact Weekend Itinerary!)

Cathedrals, cobblestone streets, and lots of spirits can be found in Ireland’s capital city of Dublin.

A weekend visit is a perfect way to get a taste of this kind and welcoming Emerald Isle city.

My friends and I did a 7 day road trip around Ireland, starting off in Dublin. Below I cover the exact itinerary we followed for our 2 days in Dublin, plus a few extra ideas for those with the time.

2 Days In Dublin Itinerary

Day 1: Dublin Weekend Itinerary

Trinity Library 

The Library of Trinity College is one of the best places to visit in Ireland, let alone Dublin, so it’s where we kicked off our first day.

It’s a historic library, founded in 1592, famed for the Long Room and the Book of Kells exhibit.

To see both you must buy tickets, which can be purchased through Trinity College Dublin. You’ll select the “Book of Kells” ticket which includes access to the Long Room.

Long Room

The Long Room is a stunning space, located in the Old Library, holding over 200,000 of the colleges’ oldest books.

The aisles are lined with marble busts of famous philosophers, and bookshelves reach up two stories to the room’s grand, arched ceiling. 

Be aware, the room is almost always crowded with visitors and you’re not able to get up close to the books. This isn’t your typical library, and therefore not your typical library experience. But nonetheless, the room is beautiful and absolutely worth a visit.

Book of Kells

While most visitors are familiarized with the Long Room, many are unaware of how special the library’s most famous book is, the Book of Kells. 

Book of Kells is an original manuscript Gospel book containing four Gospels of the New Testament.

The scripts are illuminated manuscripts, meaning the text is supplemented with drawings and elaborate borders. It’s believed the documents date back to 800 AD and were given to the library in 1661 for safekeeping.

The library holds hundreds of pages from the Book of Kells, with only select pieces on display at a time. 

For this portion of the visit, you’ll definitely want the audio tour, it provides a ton of information regarding the manuscripts. Without, it can be difficult to grasp the significance of what you’re looking at.

The audio is free with your ticket purchase. You need to download the Visit Trinity app ahead of time.

Trinity College Campus

When purchasing tickets for the Long Room and Book of Kells, you’ll notice an option to add on a campus tour as well.

If you enjoy historic campuses and wish to learn more about the rich cultural heritage of Trinity College Dublin, this is a great option.

We didn’t join the tour this time, but we did arrive early to walk around the campus before entering the Old Library.

The campus is really beautiful with cobblestone squares and gorgeous 18th-century buildings. 

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Up next, we visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It’s located about 1.3 km (just under a mile) from Trinity College. We took a leisurely walk, admiring the bustle of the city and it’s pretty architecture before arriving at the cathedral.

This Roman Catholic cathedral dates back to 1191 and is the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland.

The cathedral stands at the site of a well which St. Patrick is believed to have used for the baptism of Christian converts.

The 800 year old cathedral’s architectural style is Gothic and features grand, domed ceilings, a 4,000 pipe organ, and intricate stained-glass windows — it’s absolutely beautiful.

There’s a small fee to visit the church for a self-guided tour. 

Guinness Storehouse

Up next is the Guinness Storehouse, which again is only 1.3 km from St. Patrick’s Cathedral, so we walked.

This is the number one attraction in Dublin and is a must-see during your weekend in Ireland’s capital.

The seven-story brewery experience covers the beer-makers long history, and of course, serves up pints of its famous stout. 

The storehouse is open for self-guided tours, but I highly recommend joining a guided tour. The brewery’s history is quite interesting and the guides do a great job telling the story. 

We did the Guinness Storehouse Experience + Guinness Academy. In addition to the standard guided tour, we learned how to properly pour a Guinness — which is still ingrained in my brain all these years later. We also got to sample and learn about their lesser-known brews, which was surprisingly fun, then ends with a free pint in the Gravity Bar.

No matter which tour you choose, self-guided or guided, The Gravity Bar is a must-see at the conclusion of your visit. It offers sweeping 360-degree views of downtown Dublin and it’s a really fun vibe.   

Temple Bar District 

For the conclusion of day 1 in Dublin, we headed to the Temple Bar District.

Centrally located on the the south bank of River Liffey is the Temple Bar District, one of the city’s main nightlife hubs and a huge tourist attraction.

There are countless pubs in the area, with live music spilling out onto the cobblestone streets.

The Temple Bar is not-surprisingly the most famous watering hole in the area. It’s a huge multi-room bar, but despite the space, don’t expect to easily find a seat here, or even standing room for that matter.

Having said that, it’s definitely worth stopping by, just arrive early if you want to avoid large crowds.

We stopped here for a drink, then carried on to one of the many other pubs rocking with live music and happy tourists, but offering a little more elbow room.

Even if you’d rather not drink, the area is worth a visit during the day. There’s a number of shops, art galleries, and often street fairs popular for browsing in the Temple Bar District.

Ha’penny Bridge 

Also located in the Temple Bar District is the Ha’penny Bridge, which is worth a quick look. It’s a pedestrian-only, cast iron bridge built in 1816.

Officially the Liffey Bridge, its adopted name comes from the ha’penny, or half pence, toll which was originally charged to cross it.

Yes, you can still cross the bridge today, and no it doesn’t cost anything.

Crossing offers lovely views of the River Liffey and surrounding area.

Day 2: Dublin Weekend Itinerary

While our first day in Dublin was jam-packed with sightseeing, day 2 was not.

For the most part we just walked around Dublin, taking in the architecture while wandering through random neighborhood and parks, before eventually heading to the Bow St. Jameson Distillery in the late afternoon.

If you’re up for it though, there are tons of museums and additional things to do with your second morning in Dublin. I’ve included some extra options in the section following the distilleries below.

Jameson Distillery Bow St.

Jameson Distillery Bow St. is the original site where Jameson Irish Whiskey was distilled for over 200 years, until 1971 when the operation was moved to Midleton.

Today the Bow St. location is still a highly popular attraction offering tours, tastings, and cocktail making classes.

We did a 1 hour tasting tour, then bottled our own whiskey. Both were great, if you’re a big fan of whiskey it’s pretty cool to fill and personalize your own bottle straight from a barrel.

They offer quite a few tour options, so there’s something for everyone. Even if you’d rather skip the tours, they have a beautiful, spacious bar which is open to anyone of age.

Popular Distilleries In Dublin

Irish whiskey has long been famous in the world market, so it’s no surprise there’s a handful of great distilleries in Dublin.

If you’re interested in trying out additional whiskey makers, consider:

• Teeling Whiskey Distillery 
• Pearse Lyons Whiskey Distillery
• Roe & Co Distillery
• The Dublin Liberties Distillery

Additional Things To Do With A Weekend In Dublin

Grafton Street

Just outside Trinity College is Grafton Street, which is a popular shopping center leading to St. Stephen’s Green.

You’ll find a number of cafes and restaurants, in addition to tons of brand name and boutique shops along this stretch.

Whether or not you plan to shop, this is a picturesque area to walk through on the way to your next destination. 

Tip: If you happen to visit over the holidays, you must see Grafton Street when it’s adorned in Christmas lights. 

St. Stephen’s Green & Stephen’s Green Shopping Center

St. Stephen’s Green is a garden square and public park located in the city center of Dublin.

It’s a beautiful green space surrounded by 18th and 19th century townhouses, and a great spot to rest or have a picnic in between sightseeing. 

Located at the northwest corner of the park is the Stephen’s Green Shopping Center.

This shopping center is worth a quick stop regardless of whether or not you plan to shop. The interior is adorned with beautiful glass ceilings and ornate white iron work laced into the building’s skeleton. It’s far from your average indoor mall.

Tip: Also located just next to St. Stephen’s Green is Iveagh Gardens, which is another lovely green space with fountains, gardens, and an outdoor live music venue.

Go For A Walking Tour

Walking tours are a great way to acquaint yourself with a new city, especially if you’re only visiting for a short time.

There are numerous guided tours around Dublin with Dublin Free Walking Tour being a great option, they offer numerous tour options for no charge.

If you’re a fan of food tours, consider this one with Secret Food Tours. You’ll get to try Irish classics like soda bread, Irish stew, and Irish potato cakes.

Dublin Castle 

Dublin Castle is a former 13th century castle and current Irish government complex, conference center, and popular tourist attraction.

A self-guided tour allows you to explore the castle, learn of its history, and Irish history in general. Plus, see special temporary exhibits and explore the Dublin Gardens… Just to name a few things!

There’s so much to do here which makes this one of the best things to do with 2 days in Dublin, especially for those who love history.

There’s a small fee to visit the castle.

Molly Malone Statue 

The famous Molly Malone sculpture is a bronze statue of a fictional fishmonger named Molly Malone, the star of a well-known Irish song.

There’s all sorts of folklore about Molly, whether or not she was real, the origins of her song, etc. Depending on what you read or who you ask, you’re almost guaranteed a different story. 

Regardless, the statue is very popular thanks to its easily accessible location in Dublin city center, near Trinity College.

Catch A Sporting Event

Ireland loves its sporting events and Dublin is no different. Some of the most popular sports in Ireland are Gaelic football, rugby, golf, football, and hurling.

Aviva Stadium and Croke Park are large, open air stadiums where some of the biggest games are held.

If you’re into sports, catching a game at one of these spots is a must during your 2 days in Dublin.

If you can’t snag a ticket but still want to be part of the action, join a pub during a game instead.

Christ Church Cathedral

The second cathedral in Dublin, also belonging to the Church of Ireland, is Christ Church Cathedral, or the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity.  

Even older than the previously mentioned St. Patrick’s Cathedral, this is one of the oldest buildings in Dublin, built in 1030.

Tours are self-guided, and the architecture is absolutely stunning. Some highlights of the cathedral include a giant 12th century crypt and tower with 19 bells, that’s the most of any church in the world.

National Botanic Gardens  

The National Botanic Gardens are a popular free attraction just outside the city center.

The park, situated on the River Tolka, is huge and can easily take hours to explore.

While they display a wide variety of florals and greenery, they’re famous for massive — and beautifully restored — historic glasshouses.

They do host garden walks and various events which you can check out on their calendar: National Botanic Gardens Calendar.

Be sure to save time for a cuppa at the The Garden Tearoom following your visit.

Phoenix Park

Another massive park just outside the city center is Phoenix Park.

When I say the park is massive, I mean it’s one of the largest of any European capital city.

The park, of course, is great for games and recreation, biking and walking paths, picnics, etc. However, it’s also home to the Dublin Zoo, Victorian Flower Gardens, even a biodiversity center.

This is a great area to explore while visiting Dublin, just be prepared for a lot of walking.

General Post Office 

I will admit, a post office isn’t what I imagine visiting when traveling.

Especially being from the United States where we specialize in lackluster post offices, but the General Post Office in Dublin is a beautiful historic building worth a visit.

The current building was constructed in the early 1800’s and was one of the last major Georgian-style public buildings completed in Dublin.

It’s also historically significant in that it served as the headquarters for leaders of the Easter Rising against British rule in Ireland.

This was a critical step in the country’s journey to independence.

Today the building is the headquarters of An Post — the Irish Post Office — meaning it’s free and open to the public.

Day Trip From Dublin

While 2 days in Dublin is hardly enough to scratch the surface, you may still be itching to get out and see more of Ireland.

If that’s the case, consider a day trip from the capital city.

Some popular day trips from Dublin include:

• Kilkenny – 2 hours (129 km, 80mi) from Dublin
• Wicklow Mountains National Park – 1 hour, 40 minutes (39 km, 24 mi) from Dublin
• Malahide Castle – 45 minutes (14 km, 9 mi) from Dublin
• Howth – 50 minutes (17 km, 10 mi) from Dublin

There are tons of tour options from Dublin.

If you’re interested in this route, I’d check out options available through companies like Viator and Get Your Guide.

If you plan to rent a car, and are not familiar doing so in Ireland, check out: 5 Things You Must Know Before Renting A Car In Ireland.

Getting To Dublin

By Plane

Dublin Airport – 35 minutes (15km, 9mi) from city center.

Looking for cheap flights? Be sure to sign up for Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) to get low-cost flight alerts delivered right to your inbox. It’s a free service I’ve used for years and couldn’t recommend more. 

By Train or Ferry

Dublin is connected to Northern Ireland and Scotland by train.

If traveling from England, the ferry is most convenient as opposed to train.

Getting Around Dublin

Once in Dublin, it’s best to get around by foot, bike, public transportation, or utilizing taxis.

I don’t recommend driving in Dublin especially for a weekend visit.

Where To Stay In Dublin

Dublin is pretty small and compact, making it easy to find conveniently located lodging.

My friends and I stayed in a rental just north of the city center, very similar to this one: VRBO Apartment.

It was easy to get around by foot or occasional taxi from here.

Some highly rated hotels in the city center include:

• The Grafton Hotel
• The Merrion Hotel Dublin
• Moxy Dublin City
• Gardiner Lodge

Is 2 Days In Dublin Enough?

There is so much to see in Dublin, 2 days definitely isn’t enough to see it all.

However, a weekend here will allow you to see a few of the highlights and get a feel for the city.

As you can see, there’s tons of great things to do with 2 days in Dublin! I hope you’ve found this post helpful in planning your trip and have the best time.

If you wish to follow along with my travels in real time, check out @seen.by.amy on Instagram or @seenbyamy on TikTok!

Looking for more ideas? Below are additional Ireland and Europe guides.