We hope you’ve planned some time to take in all the iconic sites Dublin has to offer. Below is a curated guide divided into three easy-to-navigate categories, including an incredible list of local bookshops handpicked by our local host. Whether you are looking to visit all the major attractions, follow in the footsteps of literary icons, or simply take in Dublin’s cultural vibe, there is something here for everyone.
Our local host, Clare Clarke, has also provided a fabulous interactive Google map with all of the below landmarks and shops marked. Check it out!
Museums & Major
Attractions
National Gallery of Ireland
Ireland’s premier art museum, home to paintings by Caravaggio, Dutch masters, impressionists, Picasso, and much more. Currently hosting a ticketed exhibition on William Blake: The Age of Romantic Fantasy.
Image courtesy of Visit Dublin
Kilmainham Gaol
“A visit to Kilmainham Gaol will take you on a journey through Irish history”
Image by Peter Moloney Photography, courtesy of Kilmainham Gaol
Irish Famine & Emigration Exhibition Dublin
A museum dedicated to a history of the Irish Potato Famine or the “Great Hunger”
Guinness Storehouse Tour
Seven floors on the “history, heart and soul of Ireland’s most iconic beer.” Tickets include a pint at the seventh-floor Gravity Bar with skyline views
Image by SusanV (2021), courtesy of Journeys Through Ireland
Irish Whiskey Museum
A brand-agnostic history of Irish whiskey, complete with a tasting
Dublin Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour
For those who want to see everything
Dublin Castle and the Chester Beatty Museum
Please note that these two popular attractions are entirely closed to the public until January 2027 to facilitate state events for Ireland’s hosting of the E.U. Presidency.
Literary Dublin
The Book of Kells Experience
Arguably TCD’s most famous tourist attraction, and includes admission to the iconic “Long Room” of the Old Library. Pair it with a campus tour if you like!
Image by David Iliff (2015), courtesy of Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museum of Literature Ireland (MOLI)
“Where Irish writing comes alive”
Houses Copy No. 1 of James Joyce’s Ulysses and an exhibit dedicated to the author: Dear, Dirty Dublin (among other literary treasures). Special exhibit on Oscar Wilde’s De Profundis is also on view.
Oscar Wilde House & Statue
Visit Oscar Wilde’s childhood home at Number One Merrion Square, and a statue commemorating the playwright in the square immediately opposite the house
Image by Stéphane Moussie (2010) from Lyon, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons under CC BY 2.0
National Library of Ireland
Non-lending library known for housing the personal notes of James Joyce, Seamus Heaney, Roddy Doyle, and other Irish authors/writers, with free admission to exhibition spaces
Marsh’s Library
A beautiful 18th-century library nearby St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Image courtesy of Marsh’s Library
Local Bookshops
Our local host has curated a list of bookshops ripe for browsing:
- The Gutter Bookshop
- The Winding Stair
- Books Upstairs
- Chapters Bookstore
- Hodges Figgis
- Ulysses Rare Books
- Temple Bar Bookshop
Local Landmarks & Culture
St. Stephen’s Green
Public historic park and garden right in the city centre, “an oasis of green calm in the middle of a bustling city”
Image by Dronepicr (2015), courtesy of Wikimedia Commons under CC BY 3.0
Phoenix Park
Another lovely public park on the North side of the River Liffey, originally a 16th-century royal hunting park that still sports a local herd of deer
National Botanical Gardens
Home to over 15,000 plant species and famous for its historic, restored glasshouses; free admission
Temple Bar
Famous pedestrianised area with many bars and restaurants
Image by David Kernan, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons under CC BY 4.0
Molly Malone Statue
Bronze statue of a fictional fishmonger named Molly Malone, the star of the well-known Irish song of the same name
Image by Marek Śliwecki (2022), courtesy of Wikimedia Commons under CC BY 4.0