Dublin in 2 Days: everything you need to know

Dublin is a very interesting city that does not have an excessive number of monuments and sights. They are all concentrated in one place so seeing the city in almost its entirety in 48 hours is far from a pipe dream.

In one day you can visit the entire historic centre of the city and have a second day to visit some interesting places that are further away from the centre of Dublin. To optimise your time and visit everything in an efficient way I share with you this itinerary devised to get to know the best things to see and do in Dublin in two days.

On the first day of our trip to Dublin we will visit the city centre where most of the interesting monuments are concentrated. As they are located very close to each other, it is very convenient to go from one place to another on foot without having to take public transport and not waste too much time on the journey. The places we will see in our first 24 hours are:

Trinity College

It is curious that one of the most visited places in Dublin is its university. Trinity College is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world.

Located right in the centre of Dublin, Trinity College can be visited and you can stroll around its historic buildings and green spaces brimming with culture and history.

Within the complex is its library, known as the Old Library. It is one of the most beautiful public libraries in the world, if not the most beautiful.

Other highlights include the bell tower, the dining hall and the Douglas Hyde Gallery. Trinity is the ideal place to start this itinerary also because of its central location.

Molly Malone Statue

Near Trinity College itself is the statue of Molly Malone, Dublin's icon. The bronze statue depicts the figure of a woman who supposedly lived in the 17th century and was a fisherwoman and a prostitute.

It is not known for certain whether Molly Malone actually existed, but a 19th century song called Molly Malone or Cockles and Mussels made her famous to such an extent that she is a popular city anthem. Tradition dictates that visitors who approach the statue and touch the statue's breasts will return to Dublin.

Grafton Street

This pedestrianised street is home to the Molly Malone statue and is Dublin's main street. All the major shops and brands are located on Grafton Street, making it one of the most expensive streets in Europe.

Apart from that, it is the busiest area of the city and is full of shops of all kinds, good atmosphere and street performers.

Merrion Square Park

Away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre, we can visit Merrion Square Park. It is located in the heart of the city centre, so you don't have to travel far to enjoy a charming green area.

In its beginnings it was a park exclusively for the people of the neighbourhood of the same name. Among these people were figures such as Oscar Wilde, Daniel O'Connell and George Russell, who have their own monuments in the park.

In the same park you can also visit an air raid shelter from the Second World War, its lake and the flora and fauna that coexist in this beautiful space.

Dublin Castle and City Hall

This building in the city centre is not the typical castle with battlements that one might think of. It is a complex that has served various functions throughout history, such as a Viking settlement, military fortress, court of justice and so on. Today it serves as a town hall and a venue for official receptions.

Dublin Castle can be visited in less than an hour with a guided tour where you will see the rooms once occupied by royalty, the throne room and the gunpowder tower. Although it may not look like a castle from the outside, partly because of the great fire it suffered in 1683, inside it retains all the charms of a castle fit for great kings.

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Dublin has two cathedrals, but the most interesting one to visit is the one named after the famous saint and patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick. This cathedral was built next to the well where, according to legend, St. Patrick baptised those who wanted to convert to Christianity.

This is the largest cathedral in Ireland and its attraction, apart from the legend linked to the saint, lies in its historic musical tradition. Since 1742 it has had a choir which has sung the most important religious works and which today still celebrates sung masses, being the only one of its kind in the whole of Ireland and Great Britain.

Temple Bar

After a long day of exploring Dublin's history, it's time to unwind and what better way to do it than in one of the legendary Irish pubs.

The ideal place for this is the Temple Bar district. This central neighbourhood concentrates a large number of pubs that attract locals and tourists and turn the nightlife into a multi-cultural party that you can't miss if you're in Dublin.

If you want to know which are the best pubs in Dublin, you can discover the 10 most recommended ones in this link.

After getting to know Dublin's city centre, it's time to get away from it all to visit two of the city's most visited sites: Kilmainham Gaol Prison and the Guinness Storehouse experience.

Both sites are two of the capital's main attractions and, although they are far from the centre, they are very close to each other. To complete the trip, what better way to enjoy the typical Irish greenery than in Dublin's largest park. A natural space where people and deer live side by side.

Kilmainham Gaol Prison

It sounds strange to say that one of the most historically significant places in Dublin is a prison, but it is. Kilmainham Gaol Prison was home to some of Ireland's most important revolutionary figures in its struggle for independence.

Visiting this prison makes an impression, as it was the scene of some painful executions and episodes.

The visit puts you in the shoes of some of the most important revolutionaries, such as Charles Parnell, Henry Joy McCracken and Robert Emmet, whose cells still have plaques with their names on them. It is a visit that can be a bit of a shock, but it is certainly worth it to learn about the history of the city of Dublin and Ireland.

Guinness Storehouse

Ireland and Dublin are synonymous with beer. A good example of this is the Guinness brand, one of the most prestigious breweries in the world, whose origins can be traced back to the city itself. In 1759 its founder, Arthur Guinness, opened a brewery in Dublin, which over time evolved into one of the most important breweries in the world.

The Guinness brewery can be visited today for a first-hand look at the Guinness brewing process, the history of the brand and, of course, a beer tasting. The brewery is virtually adjacent to Kilmainham Gaol Prison so both can be visited in a single morning.

Phoenix Park

Ireland is undoubtedly best represented by the colour green. In large part also because of the green of its meadows and nature. This is also true of Dublin's parks and, in particular, the largest park in Europe. To the west of the city, near the Guinness Storehouse, is the Phoenix Park.

This park covers more than 700 hectares and has the peculiarity that it is also a nature reserve where a herd of deer lives. In fact, it was created in 1662 with the aim of protecting the deer that live in the area and today you can take a leisurely stroll through this park while you see several of these animals in the wild.

It is not unusual for some deer to approach you asking for food and you can even pet them in exchange for some breadcrumbs. A beautiful place to breathe in nature and an idyllic setting to say goodbye to Dublin after a well spent 48-hour trip to the Irish capital.

To get the most out of a two-day trip to Dublin, you should bear in mind a series of points to make the most of your time and ensure that nothing spoils your trip. Here are some tips that may be useful for you in the capital of Ireland

• The city centre is small and contains most of the monuments that we will visit. You can see them all on foot, but it is highly recommended that you wear comfortable shoes.
• To get to places like the Guinness Storehouse or Kilmainham Gaol Prison closer to the outskirts, it is best to take the bus. Buses 13 and 40 from O'Connell St. or 69 and 79 from Aston Quayel are the best buses to get you close to the prison area and the Guinness Storehouse.
• It is highly recommended that you consider taking the Dublin Pass, as it saves you money on your entrance fees and gives you access to almost all of the city's tourist attractions.