I’d dreamed of visiting Ireland since I was a little girl. I went through a huge phase where everything I read was based on Irish folklore, and I dreamt of wandering around ancient castles and rolling hills. In October 2022, I finally had the chance to visit the Emerald Isle, and it was just as dreamy as I hoped it would be!
If you’re looking to spend a few days in Dublin, Ireland, but also want to see some of the gorgeous scenery on the island, this post is for you! Based on my long weekend trip, I’ve created a 3-day itinerary with a fun mix of history, architecture, and sightseeing, with two days in Dublin and one day exploring Northern Ireland, UK! I’ve also included links to many of the activities I mention below so you can read more about our experience with each one and decide whether it’s a good fit for your interests.
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3-Day Itinerary for Dublin & Northern Ireland
Day 1: Dublin Castles & Cathedrals
St. Stephen’s Green Area
Once you arrive in Dublin from the airport and drop your luggage at your hotel, you can officially start your adventure in the St. Stephen’s Green area.
This area is a hub for shopping, dining, and entertainment, not to mention it’s just a beautiful spot. You’ll find the St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre, the Gaity Theatre, spas and more. I recommend strolling along Grafton Street at your leisure to enjoy the street performers, colorful flower stands, and local shops. The LEGO Store also offers the option to create a custom minifig that makes a perfect souvenir!
But don’t forget to explore the actual St. Stephen’s Green, too! This gorgeous public park is very walkable and has many green spaces, water features, and sculptures. It’s an incredibly refreshing spot to walk around or enjoy a coffee.
Once you’ve shopped (and eaten) here, head to the nearest tour bus stop and hop on a Big Red Bus. We got 48-hour passes for Dublin, and they were the perfect way to get around the city and get quick access to some of the highlights during the day. Plus, it only costs 40 euros for both days and includes lots of bonuses like free tours, some complimentary drinks, and more.
Dublin Castle
Ride the bus over to Dublin Castle and hop off to explore this gorgeous historic spot! It’s a fun mix of a medieval castle and an 18th-century Georgian palace. Ireland is now a republic, so no royals live here, but the castle is often used for important national events.
Exploring the castle interior takes anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how much you like to read. There’s a lot of fascinating information inside, plus an art collection. Not to mention the rooms are just beautiful!
Once you’re done inside, don’t forget to go around the back to explore the castle gardens, too! You’ll get a much better view of the medieval portion of the castle, and the gardens are beautiful when they’re in bloom.
Self-guided tours cost 8 euros per person, and all bags must be left in a locker at the front.
Cathedrals
When you leave Dublin Castle, you’ll be very close to Christ’s Church Cathedral, an absolute masterpiece. This medieval cathedral has towers, flying buttresses, and even an arched bridge! (Fun fact: it was originally a Viking church!)
You can spend quite a bit of time just taking in the cathedral’s extensive exterior. But if you want to go inside, you can buy tickets, starting at 11 euros per adult, for a self-guided tour with audioguide.
But there’s another beautiful cathedral in Dublin: St. Patrick’s Cathedral! It is actually Ireland’s largest church, founded in 1191, and is the Church of Ireland’s national cathedral. Its equally impressive exterior also includes a large green space where locals like to gather. You can hang out here to take in the architecture or head inside to explore. The entry fee is 10 euros, but they run free guided tours throughout the day, Monday through Saturday.
Night-Night or Nightlife?
You can play your evening in two ways, depending on how jet-lagged you are.
If you want to rest, grab some dinner on your way back to your hotel and call it an early evening. But if you want a taste of nightlife, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights are prime times to see Dublin come alive. The pubs, restaurants, and clubs will overflow well into the wee hours of the morning. People of all ages gather to hang out, singing along to live music and enjoying each other’s company. It’s really contagious.
Keep in mind that depending on where you stay, that energy may find its way to you whether you like it or not (we couldn’t sleep until 4 a.m. because of the ruckus near Harcourt Street). So you may want to grab a power nap and head out to see it yourself.
Day 2: Trinity College & Temple Bar Dublin
Trinity College
On day 2, kick things off with a trip to the famous Trinity College to tour its stunning library. You’ll need to book tickets in advance, and depending on the level of tour you choose, they cost 21.5 euros to 31 euros. They recently renovated the library with some cool, modern exhibits, so you’ll get to see the Book of Kells, the gorgeous wooden architecture of the Long Room, and some 360-degree digital displays.
The tour takes approximately 90 minutes to cover just the library areas. But if you want to explore the campus a bit (which I recommend because it’s beautiful), carve out a couple of hours to enjoy it all.
Temple Bar
If you want to see every stop on the Big Red Bus route, hop on at one of the two Trinity College stops and ride it to Stop 8. There will be a bit of overlap from yesterday, but you’ll see Stops 2 through 7. If you’d rather get on with things, head to Temple Bar on foot, which takes about 5 minutes.
Temple Bar is a fun area to explore, but it definitely is the tourist hub of Dublin. I recommend stopping by the famous Molly Malone statue (because it’s iconic) and then getting lost in the colorful streets of this area. You’ll find lots of shopping and dining opportunities, and many buildings here are exceptionally elaborate.
Afternoon Tea Tour
One of my favorite experiences in Dublin was our afternoon tea with Vintage Tea Trips! This unique experience combines traditional Irish tea with a city tour on a retrofitted vintage bus! The food is terrific, and you get unlimited tea, coffee, Cadbury hot chocolate, plus a souvenir travel mug. It starts on Essex Street in the Temple Bar area, making it very convenient to access.
Tickets for this are a bit pricier at 50 euros per adult. But remember, you’re getting a meal, a guided tour, and a fun experience. They run just a couple of these per day, so be sure to book well in advance if you want to add this to your itinerary.
Big Red Bus Loop
If you want to do any more shopping while you’re in Dublin, I recommend poking around Temple Bar a bit more or heading over to the George’s Street Arcade, which is a cool shopping plaza from the 1800s.
If not, head to the nearest Big Red Bus stop (9 or 10) and settle in to enjoy the ride. The Big Red Bus has 25 stops in total. While you certainly don’t have to get off at each one, taking the entire loop around the city is worth it. Dublin has so many beautiful neighborhoods, and they all have different characteristics and vibes! This tour is also a great way to learn about the history of each area and its big landmarks.
If any of these do catch your eye, be sure to jump off to explore! The buses stop at numerous parks, museums, and distilleries, so you can pick which ones to prioritize. Whatever you do, catch the last bus to Stop 1, so you’re in a good spot for the Night Tour.
Night Bus Tour
If you opted into those 48-hour Big Red Bus tickets, you’ll automatically get a free Night Bus Tour! This 60-minute tour begins and ends at Stop 1, but it takes a different route from the standard day tour. While there is a bit of overlap, it primarily focuses on landmarks that are lit up at night, giving you a whole new perspective of the city! It’s a great way to wrap up your second evening in Dublin.
Day 3: Northern Ireland Coast
For your final day, I highly recommend booking a full-day tour with Finn McCool Tours on Viator. This fantastic tour to Northern Ireland includes all-day transportation on a nice bus, a knowledgeable local guide, and multiple tour stops around Northern Ireland. It’s both educational and beautiful! And since it’s on Viator, it includes free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance, and you earn points toward future bookings.
If you’re considering a trip to the Cliffs of Moher instead, I would encourage you to research before booking. After finding multiple resources that stated day trips from Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher were disappointing, we turned our attention to the Giant’s Causeway instead. Apparently, the timing of most tours to the cliffs does not coincide with ideal weather or sun, and the views of the cliffs are often blocked by fog or sun. Additionally, there’s not much to do at the Cliffs of Moher. Meanwhile, the Giants Causeway is much clearer, and there’s a lot more to do.
Remember that Northern Ireland is a different country, so you’ll need your passport (just in case), and you won’t be able to pay in euros. But a credit card will work just fine pretty much anywhere.
Drive to Northern Ireland
For this particular tour, you’ll meet up with the rest of your group at Parnell Square in Dublin at 6:30 a.m. It’s an early start, but the tour is 13 hours, and you can sleep on the bus.
For the next several hours, you’ll drive through the gorgeous Irish countryside, passing green pastures filled with sheep, quaint towns, and even a few low mountains.
Dunluce Castle
The first official stop on the itinerary is the famous Dunluce Castle. Located high on the cliffs above the sea, this castle is best known for its appearance in the Game of Thrones series, but it’s also the supposed inspiration for C.S. Lewis’s Cair Paravel. The tour includes a short stop at a scenic viewpoint of the castle. But if you’re on your own, you can buy tickets to explore the grounds.
The Giant’s Causeway
The main highlight of this day tour is the Giant’s Causeway, an otherworldly beach covered in basalt columns. The cliffs here are also gorgeous, covered in neon orange and green foliage contrasting sharply against the black and gray rock. This tour includes two and a half hours to explore, and I recommend hiking along the cliff tops and exploring the beach. If you have time, there is a visitor’s center, too. But if you’re on a time crunch, stay outside and soak it all in.
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
The Viator tour includes another quick scenic stop by the famous Carrick-o-Rede Rope Bridge. However, if you’re on your own, this is another spot you can buy a ticket to and cross the rope bridge to the small island off the mainland.
The Dark Hedges
There’s a good chance you’ve seen these twisted beech trees on social media because they’re a trendy photo spot and a featured location on Game of Thrones. The Viator tour allows approximately 30 minutes to wander the hedges and the surrounding park area.
Belfast
Wrap up your day in Northern Ireland with a few hours in the gorgeous city of Belfast. Depending on what day you visit, you may be able to pop into some local shops and museums. Otherwise, you can wander around the city, enjoying the gorgeous architecture and local food. I recommend a trek along the waterfront, a trip up to the Victoria Square observation tower, a stop by the Dirty Onion (Belfast’s oldest building) to hear their live music, and dessert at Dilly and Dally’s.
Return to Dublin, Ireland
This all-day trip concludes around 7:30 p.m., back in Dublin. Based on the drop-off point, I highly recommend grabbing your final meal at the Old Mill Restaurant. It’s often packed, but the food is delicious, quick, and affordable. Their bangers and mash was probably my favorite meal of the trip.
Wrap up your final evening however you see fit: wandering the streets, seeking out nightlife, or grabbing some extra zzz’s before your trip home.
*For more information on this all-day tour, check out this dedicated post.
More Dublin, Ireland Adventures on YouTube!
Closing Thoughts on This 3-Day Itinerary
I hope you enjoyed this 3-day itinerary for Dublin and Northern Ireland! It’s definitely packed, but obviously, you’re free to edit it as you see fit. However, if you’re dead set on doing as much as possible, this is a good way to fit a lot into a little time.
I particularly like the way the bus tours fit into this trip because it’s a good chance to “rest” while still exploring the city. You’ll still do quite a bit of walking, but you can have some downtime between attractions.
This itinerary also includes a decent amount of free time in the evenings. We tried to use that time to grab dinner and rest, but you can go out and do more if you want. Just keep in mind that many attractions (including the Big Red Bus) close between 5 and 7 p.m. However, many shops and restaurants are open later.
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