What to do with 24 Hours in Dublin

24 hours in dublin

One of the downsides of attending bloggers’ conferences is that you don’t get much time to explore the actual city in which the conference takes place. In October, I went back to Dublin for the TBEX conference but was so busy attending sessions and networking that I only had one day to explore the city. So, while I’ve now been to Dublin two times, I haven’t gotten to see a quarter of what I’d like to there. But, I can tell you what I’d do with only 24 hours in Dublin.

dublin ireland

Morning/Early Afternoon

I’ve mentioned it before, but I really love taking hop-on-hop-off tours when I have a limited period of time in a city. It gives you a great idea of what the city has to offer, helps you get your bearings in a city, and it’s great transportation to the city’s sights. I’d be sure to start the tour first thing in the morning in order to maximize my time and see as much as possible. It also allows for a bit of time to hop off at a few different places for further exploration.

the exchequer gastropub dublin ireland

Late Afternoon

After the tour, which typically runs a couple of hours, I’d make my way to the Temple Bar area and stroll the cobblestone streets for a bit. There are a lot of bars and restaurants in the area, as well as many studios and museums. It’s easy to spend quite a bit of time in the area, but after my stroll and perhaps a little stop to hear some of the buskers that are typically lining the streets, I’d head to The Exchequer Gastropub for one of their specialty drinks and their cheese plate. I absolutely loved the atmosphere of this gastropub and loved their tasty cocktails. If I lived in Dublin, this would be a place I’d visit all the time.

temple bar dublin ireland

Early Evening

When sufficiently full of cheeses and divine cocktails, maybe it’s time to take in a show. There are plenty of options from which to choose, but while I was there, I saw a performance of Riverdance. When in Ireland, right? I was imagining it to be totally cheesy and perhaps not that entertaining (even though I seriously love dance-related everything), but it ended up being really awesome. The one I saw featured all sorts of dancing from around the world, which I enjoyed as I especially love Latin and African dance styles.

goat cheese cleaver east dublin ireland

Late Evening

To round out the evening, head to Cleaver East (in the Clarence Hotel) for a late dinner and some drinks. (Note: I recommend making reservations as the restaurant can get pretty booked up.) The restaurant is co-owned by two Michelin-starred chefs and offers a funky spin on traditional fare–think fish and chips, but the chips are actually fried asparagus. It’s sort of tapas-style dining, and while everything I tasted was absolutely delicious, the dish that stands out the most was the goat’s cheese served with heirloom beets and walnut praline.

Night

Lastly, head back to your hotel for a good night’s sleep before leaving Dublin the next day. It’s imperative to pick a hotel in a good location when you are spending such a short time in a city. I stayed at Cassidy’s, which was central enough for what I needed and was comfortable for a short stay.

My stay in Dublin was courtesy of HRS. As always, all opinions are my own. 

Author: Megan

Megan is an ordinary girl who outgrew her small town and decided to try the world on for size. She's on a mission to travel, photograph, and write about the world.

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  • I loved the drink menu at The Exchequer Gastropub. Oddly it was both the best and the worst food we had while in Dublin. The appies drinks and my main course were delicious but my sister ordered the lamb 3 ways and 1 way was the liver. I am glad we saved it until the end to try it because it put us right off for eating so no dessert for us.

    Great post Megan!
    Murissa recently posted..Top 5 Art Exhibits to See in 2014: From Vancouver to VeniceMy Profile

    • Oh wow! That’s disappointing, Murissa! I didn’t eat much while there, just appetizers, and I found it to be pretty good. But really, we went for the drinks. ;) And those didn’t disappoint!

  • I did the hop-on-hop-bus too when I was in Dublin and found it a great way to get around the city. It took me to all the key attractions that I wanted to see in such a short period of time. I only had 48 hours in Dublin and it was not long enough. I need to spend more time in the Temple Bar area next time…
    Bridget @ A Traveling B recently posted..2014 Travel GoalsMy Profile

    • I agree, Bridget! 48 hours just isn’t enough time to spend in Dublin. The bus allows you to see a lot of the city, but not really experience a lot of it. I guess we’ll both be planning longer trips back there! :)

  • The hop-on, hop-off bus is a brilliant way to see Dublin, my favourite sight was the collection of Celtic gold in the National Museum. It is easily the biggest volume of gold you will ever see in one room.
    I stayed in the Clarence Hotel in Temple Bar. Cleaver East is part of this hotel. I can only describe the meal served there as awful; it took them 45 minutes to place cold food (that we didn’t order) on our table. We were subsequently overcharged and reported Cleaver East to the authorities (swift action taken). They have major staff issues; fellow travellers be warned!!!!

    • I agree–I am such a sucker for the hop-on-hop-off buses. I love getting a feel for the city and cramming in all the touristy things before getting down to the nitty gritty.