Ultimate 24-Hour Dublin Itinerary: Top Attractions & Expert Tips

How to visit Dublin city in just 24 hours? If you have a little time and want to visit the most important tourist attractions and historical sites, see this travel guide. You probably won't feel like you know the place, but you can spend this time to see as many best Dublin places as you can.

I know that visiting a thousand-year-old city in just 24 hours may seem impossible and probably it is to see it all, but if you are organized, you can visit the most important parts of Dublin.

Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle can be found on Dame Street and it's more like a palace than a castle. It was built in 1204 on the orders of King John of England. Until 1922 it was the seat of the United Kingdom government's administration in Ireland. Nowadays it's a major Irish government seat. There's also a beautiful castle's courtyard behind the palace.

Remember, that most of the attractions in Dublin won't open before 10 am. The last admission is at 17:15 and the tickets cost about 7 euro or 10 euro with guide per adult.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

St. Patrick’s Cathedral is the largest and tallest (43-metre / 141 ft spire) church in Ireland. It was founded in 1191 by John Comyn, first Anglo-Norman Archbishop of Dublin.

It was named after the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick. The famous Marsh’s Library, which is located inside, is the oldest library in Ireland. St. Patrick’s Cathedral is one of the few things that it's opened before 10 am. An adult ticket costs 6.5 euro.

Guinness Storehouse

Well, if you haven't heard about the Guinness, you probably haven't heard about the Ireland. Welcome to the Guinness Storehouse, the home of Guinness, Ireland's most famous beer.

Guinness Storehouse is located in the heart of the St. James's Gate Brewery. The current buildings were built in 1904 in the Chicago School of Architecture style, and the Guinness beer was produced here from 1759.

Nowadays it's a tourist attraction dedicated to the history of making this beer, but also still a brewery that produces three million pints of Guinness a day. At the end of your tour, you will be able to pour yourself a pint of Guinness and drink it at the top of the building in Gravity Bar. There is also a great panorama of the city from there.

The Guinness Storehouse is opened from 09:30 to 17:00 and the ticket price is 14 euro for adults.

Kilmainham Gaol Museum

Kilmainham Gaol is now a museum, but it was a prison up until 1910 (it was temporary used after Easter uprising in 1916 and during the War of Independence). It was built in 1796.

The Kilmainham Gaol prison was restored in 1960 opened as the museum during the 1990s. There are many different exhibitions in the museum. An adult ticket costs 8 euros and it's opened from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm with the last tour at 4:15 pm.

Trinity College

Trinity College is a part of the Dublin University and it was founded in 1592. It is one of the seven ancient universities of Britain and Ireland and it's the oldest college in the whole Ireland.

Trinity College was established outside the city walls in the buildings dissolved Augustinian Priory of All Hallows. Tudor monarchy built this university to consolidate their rule in Ireland. From the beginning, it was a protestant school.

Remember also to visit the library, where you can find ninth-century Book of Kells, an embroidered Latin version of the Bible. Tickets to the Book of Kells costs 13 euro for adults and it's open to 17:00.

Temple Bar

Called also in Irish "Barra an Teampaill". It's the area of the Dublin placed on the south bank of the River Liffey in the city center. It is promoted as Dublin's cultural quarter and has a lively nightlife with many restaurants and pubs.

There is a lot of tourists here, but there is also a lot of live music in pubs and you can really feel here Dublin's atmosphere. If you want to try a pint of Guinness, it's the best place to do this.

There is a pub called The Temple Bar, but it's the main name of the whole area. If you want to spend a good time, watch for the pubs with the live music (there are few) or go to the local brewery called Porterhouse. Temple bar is the best place to spend the evening.

Conclusion

I know that visiting Dublin in just one day may seem not enough, but we are still able to see a lot. Next time I'm sure I will try to travel to the capital of Ireland for a few more days to see more interesting places and tourist attractions. 

Dublin, as a city, has a lot to offer. Especially when it comes to historical sites and a nightlife with pubs, beer, and the live music.