Dublin in 4 Days: everything you need to know

Visiting Dublin is an experience that every traveller should experience at least once in a lifetime. I share with you my detailed travel plan so that you know everything there is to see and do in Dublin in 4 days. Please note that this itinerary leaves out the day of arrival and the day of departure.

On the first day take in the sights and explore the city with a guided tour.

Take a tour to see the best Dublin has to offer

Start the morning of your first day with a sightseeing tour to get a quick overview of Dublin's monuments and highlights. In Ireland's capital you'll find many alternatives, here are my favourites.

• Bike Tour: the central part of Dublin is practically flat terrain ideal for exploring by bike. Together with a group and an expert guide you will visit the most charming corners of Dublin for 3 hours and from 37 euros.
• Sightseeing bus: you are offered a bus ticket valid for 24 to 48 hours, with which you can hop on and off as many times as you like, as well as hop on and off at any of the more than 30 stops along the route. The price starts at 32 euros.

Visit the National Museum of Archaeology

Once you have finished your tour of Dublin, you may find yourself full of curiosity, so I recommend you take advantage of your first day to visit the most important museum in the city: the National Museum of Archaeology.

Located in the heart of Dublin, it houses an impressive collection that traces the evolution of Irish civilisation from its earliest inhabitants with objects dating back to 7,000 BC. You can see tools and weapons, objects from the Bronze Age and even artefacts from ancient Egypt.

• Opening hours: Monday and Sunday from 1pm to 5pm; Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm.
• Price: free of charge
• Duration of the visit: approximately 2.5 hours.

Explore Trinity College

You can't leave Dublin without visiting the oldest university in the country and the site where leading figures such as Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker received their academic training. It's only an 8-minute walk from the museum.

One of the main rooms is the Trinity College Library, the oldest on campus. It houses the largest collection of manuscripts and books in the country. I recommend booking a visit to the Book of Kells to see one of the most important.

• Opening times: it is best to check the official website.
• Price: from €16 for an adult ticket to see the library and the collection.
• Duration of visit: The tour of the library will take 30-40 minutes; you can take as much time as you like to wander around the campus and the surrounding area.

End the day on Grafton Street

Grafton Street is one of Dublin's most important streets and a must-see. It is a busy pedestrian street with numerous musicians, street performers, shops and pretty cafes.

The Molly Malone statue is one of the main attractions on Grafton Street. The protagonist of Irish songs and legends, this fictional character used to sell fish around the city during the day and at night in other less respected trades.

On this famous street you will find some of the most famous Irish pubs and bars in the whole city, ideal for tasting the famous Irish beer. And if you're up for it, you can book a Dublin pub crawl to see the best pubs and top brands.

Spend the second day of your itinerary continuing your exploration of Dublin's historic city centre and the city's most prominent landmarks.

Wake up early to make the most of your time and see the architectural and historical gems around Dame Street.

See Dublin Castle

Dublin is a city full of impressive castles, but if you have time to see just one I would recommend booking a tour of Dublin Castle, located in the historic city centre.

The castle has served multiple functions over the years and is a place full of secrets. Although the exterior was rebuilt in 1684, most of the interior and the Royal Family rooms remain intact.

• Opening hours: from 9.45am to 5.45pm.
• Price: around €8 per person.
• Duration of the visit: 45 minutes maximum.

Stop off at Dublin City Hall

Leaving the castle, the City Hall building is only a 5 minute walk away. If you like architecture, take this time to see the beautiful structure of the Town Hall. Built in 1769, it is one of the most important gems of Gregorian architecture in Ireland.

Apart from the beautiful façade, the most impressive feature of the building is the entrance hall. Moreover, the roof is crowned with an imposing dome where natural light floods in through the skylights.

• Opening hours: from 10am to 5.15pm.
• Price: Free, but if you want to see some of the exhibitions the price may vary depending on the season.
• Duration of the visit: 30 minutes is enough.

Continue to Christ Church Cathedral

Leaving the City Hall building behind you, walking down Fishamble St, you will come across Dublin's oldest Protestant church, Christ Church or Holy Trinity Cathedral.

The structure today stands in what was originally a small wooden temple erected in 1038. During the Middle Ages much of the structure as we know it today was built, but a series of restorations carried out a century later accentuated the distinctive neo-Gothic style.

• Opening hours: from April to September from 9.30am to 7pm; from November to February from 9.30am to 5pm and from May to October from 9.30am to 6pm. Every Sunday there are reduced opening hours from 12.30h.
• Price: around €7.50 for an adult ticket.
• Duration of the visit: approximately 1.5 hours.

Take a break for lunch in the surroundings

In the vicinity of the Castle and Christ Church Cathedral you will find some excellent alternatives. Here are some suggestions.

• The Bull & Castle: the best place if you're in the mood for a good steak.
• Copper Alley Bistro: specialises in traditional Irish cuisine.
• Zampas Bar & Restaurant: combines Peruvian food and drink with an Irish twist.
• Toscana City Centre: Top quality Italian cuisine served in an elegant setting.

Experience the Guinness' experience

From around Christ Church, the Guinness Storehouse is about a 15-minute walk west of the city. You can also get there by public transport by taking the 13 or 40 from the James Street and Lord Edward stops.

The Guinness Experience is a unique attraction and one of the most interesting things to do in Dublin. When you book your visit to the Guinness Storehouse you can see the behind the scenes process of the creation of this historic beer and have a tasting of the product.

• Opening times: 9.30am to 7pm; in summer July and August 9am to 8pm.
• Price: 30 euros admission with audio guide.
• Duration of the visit: about 3 hours.

See the dark side of Dublin

Booking the Dublin Ghost Tour is one of the best things to do in Dublin at night.

An expert guide takes the tour group around the city by bus as he narrates the darker aspects of the city and its people, ranging from serial killers to terrifying cannibals.

• Price: from €36 per person.
• Duration: 2 hours.

On this day you will visit the bourgeois housing estates of Dublin city centre, including the Oscar Wilde House.

Spend the morning exploring Kilmainham

The former prison, now a museum, was built in 1796. It was here that many of the leaders involved in the independence struggles of 1916 were imprisoned, tortured and executed on the orders of the UK government.

Although there have been no prisoners in the cells since 1924, Dubliners continue to maintain a solemn character about Kilmainham Prison, which is considered a key part of the nation's history.

• Opening hours: April to September from 9am to 6pm; October to March from 9.30am to 5.30pm.
• Admission fee: approximately €8 for an adult ticket.
• Duration of the visit: approximately 1.5 hours.

Take the opportunity to have an early lunch

There are many good restaurants and cafés in the area just outside the museum. Whether you fancy a light snack or a more sumptuous lunch, consider the following alternatives.

• La Dolce Vita: Italian restaurant with beautiful wooden tables and chairs.
• Broyage Bar & Bistro: with a beautiful terrace, this is a great place to sit in the sun if you visit Dublin in the summer.
• URBAN8: a restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere where you can enjoy yourself surrounded by locals.
• Four Star Pizza Kilmainham: possibly one of the best pizzerias in the area.

Start the afternoon at St. Patrick's Cathedral

From Kilmainham you can get to the Liberties Historic District by taking the 13 or 40 bus from the Inchicore Library stop. Get off at High Street, a 7-minute walk from St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Built in 1191 in honour of the patron saint of the Irish, St. Patrick's Cathedral is one of the most important and beloved churches in the city. It is one of the most important works of the English Gothic style. It is also home to Ireland's most famous choir.

• Opening hours: from March to October from 9am to 5.30pm; from November to February from 9.30am to 5pm. On Sundays the church operates on a reduced schedule.
• Admission fee: from €8 per adult ticket.
• Duration of the visit: 30 minutes.

St. Stephen's Park

Leaving St. Patrick's Cathedral, St. Stephen's Park is about 900 metres away. A 10-minute walk will bring you to the gates of one of the most important and beautiful green lungs of the city.

The park was built in 1664 and renovated in the beautiful Victorian garden style in the 19th century. It is considered one of the oldest parks in the country as well as one of the most diverse in terms of variety of trees and flowers.

• Opening hours: from 07.30 am to sunset; Sundays from 09.30 am.
• Admission fee: free of charge.
• Duration of visit: 1 to 2 hours is usually sufficient.

Visit house no. 29

After leaving the park, a 14-minute walk will take you to Fitzwilliam Street in the vicinity of Merrion Square Park. Here is your next stop: the Number Twenty Nine Museum.

It's a fabulous Georgian house in the heart of Dublin, perfectly preserved and converted into a museum for visitors to get a glimpse into the lifestyle of the wealthy families of the time.

• Hours: Closed Mondays, all other days from 10am-5pm; Sundays from 12pm-5pm.
• Admission fee: from €6 for an adult ticket.
• Duration of the visit: approximately 1 hour.

Oscar Wilde's House

In Merrion Square itself, just 5 minutes away, is the house where the famous Irish writer and his family lived until 1878.

In 1994 an intensive renovation work began on Oscar Wilde's home and unfortunately (for the time being) visits are difficult and it is only open to the public temporarily and at certain times of the year, but you can stop by and admire the beautiful façade.

If you talk to a seasoned traveller who has visited Ireland's capital on more than one occasion, they may give you the following advice for seeing Dublin: if you can see other destinations beyond the capital, don't hesitate for a second!

I invite you to take advantage of your last day in the capital to book a trip to Moher and Galway.

The cliffs, located in County Clare in the west of the country, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's a popular attraction and for many travellers it's the main reason for a trip to Ireland.

What these tours include

Rated as one of the best tours from Dublin, you'll find a number of local tour operators offering this experience. Although in general terms certain details of the experience may change depending on the company you book with.

In general terms, when booking a private tour you could expect:

• Private transfer to and from your location in Dublin and around all the attractions included in the tour.
• The accompaniment of an expert guide, including English-speaking guides for this type of experience.
• Entrance fees to the main attractions.
• Guides and tips are usually not included.

Useful information

• Price: from €80 per traveller.
• Duration of tour: about 12 hours on average, leaving early in the morning from Dublin and returning late in the evening.