Dublin is brimming with history, literature, and nearly 800 pubs. Here’s my budget guide to two days in Ireland’s capital IN WINTER. Spoiler: it doesn’t include the Guinness Storehouse, but you’ll still find plenty of pints, Christmas decor, gardens, ruins and relics.
Arrival & Getting Around
Winter is Ireland’s “low season” for tourists, making it an excellent time to snag a flight deal — my round trip was <$400 (and we had a fun layover in Copenhagen). Assuming you’re also flying into Dublin, airport signs will naturally lead you to the shuttle and taxis, but your cheapest option is public transportation. Taking the bus isn’t straightforward and it took me a minute, so let me save you some time: To buy a Leap Visitor Card, exit the terminal doors and head to the car park. There you’ll see a Wrights on your left (haa!) where you can purchase a three-day pass (€16) at the counter. Follow the signs from there to the city centre busses and hop on Bus 16 or Bus 41. Get off at O’Connell Street.
Ta-da! At the O’Connell Street stop you’ll be greeted by James Joyce and the Portal (a live feed to another Portal in Philadelphia). If your sightseeing plans keep you within Dublin’s main drag, it’s very walkable and you may not need a Leap Card. But for my itinerary, you definitely do.
Day 1: Sunday in Bray
Day Trip Down the Coast
Even though our trip was short, we wanted to squeeze in some time on the Irish coast. Luckily, seaside towns like Bray are just a quick train ride from Dublin. From O’Connell Street, we hopped on the DART (another win for the Leap Card) and enjoyed a scenic 40-minute journey to Bray Harbour.
Our first stop was Daata, an insanely delicious Pakistani restaurant. The tandoori monkfish and shashlik were flavorful, complemented by a medley of condiments that took both dishes to the next level. The portions are VERY filling. We didn’t eat for the rest of the day!
Daata: 7 Strand Rd, Bray, Co. Wicklow, A98 C5D0, Ireland
A short stroll down Strand Road brought us to Montebello, the former townhouse of the late, great Sinéad O’Connor. We noticed on the walk back that there was a light on upstairs. I’m sure there’s a boring explanation but I’m choosing to believe it was a ghost.
From there, we walked along the seafront promenade to Bray Head, hiking as far up the trail as possible. Although the Cliff Walk was closed due to landslides, the trail we took offered gorgeous views of the town and the Irish Sea below. Bonus points for the busker playing “Dueling Banjos” along the way.
Bray Head Hiking Trail: Ballynamuddagh, Co. Wicklow, Ireland. Just follow the promenade with Bray Beach on your left.
Back at the harbour, we stopped at the Swan Sanctuary where we saw dozens of elegant Mute Swans lounging on the beach. The swans are still wild and I wouldn’t mess with them, but they seem comfortable around people. It’s so cool to stand in the midst of these big, majestic beauties.
Swan Sanctuary: Harbour Road, Ravenswell, Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland
The Lonely Planet once named The Harbour Bar the Best Bar in the World, and I wouldn’t argue with that. The rooms are spacious but cozy, with fireplaces, well-worn furniture, friendly staff, and an excellent soundtrack that included INXS, Bob Seger and Depeche Mode — all played at a just-right volume. The perfect spot to cap our day in Bray.
The Harbour Bar: 1 Strand Rd, Bray, Co. Wicklow, A98 D308, Ireland
Back to Dublin for Football
We returned to Dublin just in time to catch the second half of the Liverpool vs. Man City match at Mulligan’s, our first historic Dublin pub. It was a fun place to watch and fully decked out for Christmas. Holy cow. I had no idea Irish pubs go so hard for the holidays! Every pub we visited had a very merry atmosphere.
Mulligan’s: 8 Poolbeg St, Dublin 2, DO2TK71, Ireland
Our first day ended with a walk along the River Liffey past the Famine Memorial, which was especially haunting on a chilly December night, and by the illuminated Samuel Beckett Bridge, also known as the Harp Bridge. Finally, we passed Temple Bar, glowing like a Christmas dream, on our way back to the hotel.
Famine Memorial: Custom House Quay, North Wall, Dublin, Ireland
Temple Bar: 47-48 Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 N725, Ireland
Day 2: Cemeteries, Gardens, and Bog Bodies
Breakfast of Champions
On our second day, we hit the ground running with a full Irish breakfast at the Stage Door Cafe. The proprietor poured on the charm, calling me gorgeous and telling my boyfriend “good job,” before saying he looked like Luke Kelly from the Dubliners. Hahaa! We’ll take it!
The Stage Door Cafe: 11 Essex St E, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, Ireland
Exploring Dublin’s Unique Highlights
Medieval Lidl: There are many things to praise about the Lidl on Aungier Street — cheap snacks, paracetamol, and most importantly, its built-in medieval ruins. Check out the floors of this grocery store for plexiglass panels that showcase an 18th-century staircase, and the remains of an 11th-century house. Archaeologists say the Hiberno-Norse, descendants of Scandinavian Vikings, built the house around 1070 A.D.
Medieval Lidl: 71 Aungier St, Dublin 8, D02 YD68, Ireland
The Relics of St. Valentine: Paris may be known for romance, but Dublin boasts Saint Valentine’s actual remains. Disinterred in the 19th century, they were gifted to an Irish preacher by the Pope. Today, they rest at Whitefriar Street Church in an ornate gold box with the following inscription: “This shrine contains the sacred body of Saint Valentinus the Martyr, together with a small vessel tinged with his blood.”
Whitefriar Street Church: 56 Aungier St, Dublin 2, D02 YF57, Ireland
Statue Stroll: We paid homage to Irish icons, including Luke Kelly of the Dubliners and Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy. (I’d have loved to visit Phil’s grave in Howth if we’d had more time.) We also spotted the Molly Malone statue. I’m unclear on her legend, but I heard touching her bronze breasts brings good luck, and I’ll never pass up that chance. Judging by the shine, many others feel the same way!
Luke Kelly: 31 King St S, Dublin, D02 FW25, Ireland
Phil Lynott: Harry St, Dublin, Ireland
Molly Malone: Suffolk St, Dublin 2, D02 KX03, Ireland
Cemeteries, Gardens, & Gravediggers
We hopped on a bus up to Glasnevin Cemetery, Ireland’s largest burial ground, where over 1.5 million people rest. Since 1832, it has become the final home for figures like Daniel O’Connell (sans heart) and Michael Collins. The cemetery’s sheer size is visually incredible, with rows of Celtic crosses, Victorian tombs, and modern graves stretching endlessly. There’s a museum and gift shop on site that offers tours and access to the top of the O’Connell Tower.
Glasnevin Cemetery: Finglas Rd, Glasnevin, Dublin, D11 XA32, Ireland
Next door, the National Botanic Gardens absolutely blew me away. I had no expectations of lush plant life, especially in December, so to walk into this green, gorgeous and free space was a wonderful surprise. Established in 1795, the 48-acre gardens are home to thousands of plants from around the world. The Victorian greenhouses provide such a sweet and tranquil escape from the cold.
National Botanic Gardens: Glasnevin, Dublin 9, D09 VY63, Ireland
Also sharing a wall with the cemetery is John Kavanagh’s Gravediggers pub. There was some heavy construction going on during our visit and my biggest regret of the trip was NOT snapping a picture of a worker blasting my boyfriend’s hair back with a leaf blower. Hahaaa! Gravediggers has been slinging pints since 1833 and is still family-run, with a warm, no-frills vibe (no TVs) that makes it feel like stepping back in time. Rumor has it, the pub is haunted by a friendly spirit or two.
Gravediggers: 1 Prospect Square, Glasnevin, Dublin, D09 CF72, Ireland
On the way back, we jumped off the bus a stop early to see the Hungry Tree, a bench being devoured by a tree at King’s Inns. This curiosity has been in progress for over 80 years!
The Hungry Tree: 9P2G+VQ Dublin, Ireland
Bog Bodies and Good Eats
Next we went to the National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology. We’d wanted to see the bog bodies which are fascinating and thoughtfully presented, and we ended up spending hours after that. The artifacts in the Viking and Medieval Ireland collections are so cool! They have an almost fully intact skeleton of a warrior and beautiful gilded books and jewelry. The Ancient Egypt room is a stunner as well with mummies on display dating back to 300 BC.
The National Museum of Ireland on Kildare: 35A Kildare St, Dublin 2, D02 YK38, Ireland
Not to say that death on display creates an appetite, but after spending the entire afternoon at the museum, we were ready for a late lunch. We went to Doheny & Nesbitt for a couple pints and a perfect order of fish ‘n’ chips with mushy peas. This was another lovely Victorian pub with original snugs and fittings from the 19th century.
Doheny & Nesbitt: 5 Baggot Street Lower, Dublin 2, D02 F866, Ireland
Afterwards, we took a walk to Merrion Square park to see the Oscar Wilde Monument. That smirk!
Oscar Wilde: 1 Merrion Square E, Dublin, Ireland
We peeked in at the over-the-top holiday decorations at The Ginger Man Pub but it was a little too crowded for us. So we opted for a spice bag from Xian Street Food instead and took in more of the city on foot. The Irish Spice bag is truly an innovation — fried chicken, onions and peppers, tossed in a mix that’s both spicy and sweet. Sooo good.
Xian Street Food: 28 Anne St S, Dublin, D02 DX39, Ireland
We ended the trip with one last pint at The Boar’s Head on Capel Street. I don’t know much about Gaelic football, but I know from the walls, this pub is a big supporter.
The Boar’s Head: 149 Capel St, North City, Dublin, D01 T927, Ireland
Dublin’s compact size and friendliness make it the perfect city to explore in two days. For this trip, we stayed at the Staycity Aparthotel on Mary Street (affiliate link) which I would definitely recommend for location, price and general niceness.
I love you!