Oh, how I accidentally mastered the perfect way to experience Dublin in such short time.
Although it took some research and time to figure out what exactly I wanted to see on my quick getaway to Dublin, I’ll save you the trouble – if you don’t have any niche interests or needs, this guide is all you need to take on your 36-hour trip to Dublin.
Only 45-minute flight away from Newcastle, the capital of Ireland, has a perfect weekend getaway to offer with activities and museums that will cater everyone’s taste.
I’ve done quite a few weekend getaways in England; however, these can get pretty expensive or take up loads of time if you choose the cheaper options like taking a coach.
So, here’s why Dublin is my number one recommendation from now on: the flights start at £30 return, although I personally managed to snatch some tickets on Ryanair sale for £24. Although the difference isn’t enormous, it could mean one more pint of Guinness out there.
We landed at 3pm and took the shuttle bus to the city centre – although there is a much cheaper option by taking public transport, this was the fastest way to get to the city from airport, so this decision really depends on your priorities.
Stays in Dublin are quite expensive, especially if you’re trying to stick to the Temple Bar area. We went for the easiest, most reliable and one of the cheapest options – Premier Inn. Can’t say one bad thing – area was ideal and good for the price. For one night – it is the perfect option.
After dropping off our bags and getting a pizza bagel from Lidl (their bakery – am I right) we headed to the number one attraction in Dublin – the Guinness Storehouse. We had prebooked the tickets which weren’t the cheapest but definitely worth it (and includes a pint as well). Even if you’re not a fan of Guinness or beer in general, this is something that will amuse everyone. I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did, thought it would be just a thing to tick off on the list of touristy things.
We decided to leave most of the touristy attractions for the next day and headed back to the city centre for a bit tipsy and quick walk-around, a picture next to Temple bar and all the ‘St Patrick’s’ we saw on the way before heading to dine. If possible, try to go as far as possible from the city centre since prices drop significantly when you step out of it. While we didn’t follow this advice, we tried to walk a bit further from the riverside and accidentally found this bar Devitt’s. And it happened to be a live, traditional music evening. Now I am not exactly sure how to put in to words the whole experience, but it is something that I have never seen before and would put in everyone’s bucket list. With all the love to England, Irish pubs cannot even be compared in the liveliness and spirit they encompass. People were dancing to the traditional music, chatting to strangers and Guinness was poured into stomachs and on the floor (another surprise to me, somehow assumed that it’s more a tourist attraction and thing but they are just as big fans themselves). Somehow all of that looked so chaotic yet fun. Instagrammers would even say I had my dolce far niente moment – sitting there, absorbing my surroundings, and enjoying the moment I am experiencing without a thought about what’s next.
The following morning we went on a walk around the city before grabbing breakfast at a café KC Peaches. Cute second-floor indoor seating and not too pricey delicious brunch.
We saw the infamous Trinity College (where are my normal people at?) which by the way could win the award of worst looking library in the world. Yes, even Robbo looks like a Vienna Opera House compared to that one. Although just on the other side of campus you can walk into one of the most beautiful libraries in the world that will definitely stimuli your inner dark academia. Best of both worlds, I guess.
We visited the statue of Oscar Wilde, Dublin castle, Grafton Street, and after lunch we went for a walk along the river. While I have seen more picturesque walks along riverside, it was still a really nice time.
One thing that is crucial to mention and I really enjoyed in my time in Dublin was the obscene number of parks. We visited couple of them, but nothing could have prepared me for the size of Phoenix Park. The thing is of the size of Newcastle. There we took some city bikes (yes, registration and all that jazz but it was only 3,5euros for the whole day!) and had a nice time cycling along the park.
Since our breakfast was rather brunch, we just stopped at a café to grab a coffee and a snack before heading to the airport for our flight. This time we took the public bus – we had time, we’d seen everything we wanted to and most importantly – we were quite tired. Keep in mind – this one doesn’t take cards, so you’ll have to have the exact fare on you in cash (not very 2023 of Dublin if you ask me). And that’s it – that was our 36 hours in Dublin. It didn’t empty my wallet but was surely one of the most memorable weekend getaways I have done.