Top of the morning to ya! One of the perks of living in London is that there are super reasonable flights to other European cities available. We found two round-trip flights to Dublin for under 100 pounds, so we had to buy them! We went to Dublin in the end of October, so the weather was gorgeous and the rain sparse.
HOTEL
We stayed at the Butler’s Townhouse. This place is ranked #10 on TripAdvisor for lodgings in Dublin. I definitely understand why! It was a nice walk or a short bus ride from the city center. The rooms were all labeled with unique names, the living room had plenty of brochures for places you could check out, and the hot buffet breakfast was delicious. The staff who ran this boutique hotel were very friendly and even brought us hot tea to our rooms multiple times, on the house. I would highly recommend this hotel if you want a great Dublin experience. You can book your room with this link.
SIGHTS
On our first day, we walked through Dublin, checking out the buildings and St. Stephens Green. This park is large enough so that it doesn’t feel crowded, and it’s central enough that you can plan it into your day without going off course. We stopped here and there for coffees and small bites until we ended up at the Guinness Storehouse. I’m not a huge beer drinker—in fact I’d had my very first beer at Oktoberfest in Munich that September—but it was well worth the experience. Seeing how they made Guinness and the history of the brand was very interesting. What was so funny to me about the factory was the number of bachelor and bachelorette parties we saw! The best part was definitely getting to the top of the building and checking out the 360-degree view of Dublin with a free beer in hand.
INDIAN FOOD
After the Guinness Storehouse, we continued walking around Dublin until it was time for dinner. If you’ve read my posts, you know that we love finding a good spot for Indian food in every city we visit. We decided on Ruposhi Indian. The food was delicious, and the mango lassi was spot on. Our table was full of warm, spiced food. After a full day of adventuring, it was perfect.
We ended our first day at the Temple Bar area. This is such a cool area because it’s filled with old stores, historic pubs, and even a bit of shopping if you fancy. We both grabbed a pint and sat in one of the bars just discussing our favorite parts of the day.
RENT A CAR AND DRIVE
On our second day in Dublin, we rented a car and drove south and then east along the coastline until we ended back up in Dublin. The car gave us the mobility to go check out some incredible natural sights. We also drove through so many quaint towns, so we saw how people away from the city center lived. Our first stop was Wicklow Mountain National Park. The loch (lake) was breathtaking, and the Wicklow Mountains were really as green as the photos/movies make it out to be. Braveheart was filmed out there, in fact!
After the Wicklow Mountains, we headed to the Powerscourt Waterfall, Ireland’s highest waterfall. We were charged five euros at the gate and then made our way to the car park. They’ve a small café with toilets and a playground as well. It’s a short walk to the waterfall and not too crowded. I was surprised with how much space there was all around the waterfall. This would be a great place for crowds, picnics, and family retreats!
After driving through and stopping throughout the beautiful views, we finally took our car back to the airport and flew back to London. Although Dublin is known to be a party town, the rich history and stunning landscapes were more appealing to me. I feel like I could spend a month longer just driving through Ireland—it is so beautiful.
Next time I go back, I’m definitely going to check out the Cliffs of Moher and Belfast. Have you ever been to Dublin? What are your recommendations? I hope this Dublin, Ireland weekend guide is helpful for you!
Cheers,
