Maybe you want to find your Irish ancestors. Maybe you want to submerge yourself in medieval history. Maybe you just want a pint of foamy Guinness. Whatever you’re seeking, you’ll find it in the fair city of Dublin.

The Irish capital is famous for its castles and churches, scenic streetscapes and historic pubs. Best of all, it’s an easy jaunt from the United States, with nonstop flights from New York City, Boston, Chicago and other cities. Here’s our quick guide to the best restaurants, hotels and things to do in Dublin.

Five Fun Things to Do in Dublin

1. Make friends with a local. Before you leave home, sign up for the free City of a Thousand Welcomes program offered by The Little Museum of Dublin. A friendly local will meet you at the museum, take you out for a cup of tea, coffee or a pint, and tell you all about the fun things to do in Dublin.
2. Visit Kilmainham Gaol. This forbidding stone jail, dating to 1796, is central to Irish history. Here, thousands of people, including women and children, were imprisoned in the mid-1800s for stealing or begging for food during the Irish Famine. And here, several leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising were imprisoned and executed for attempting to establish an Irish Republic.
3. Stroll St. Stephen’s Green Park. This green jewel in the heart of the city was bestowed to the public in 1880 by Sir Arthur Guinness — who also gave Dublin its most famous brew. Today, St. Stephen’s Green Park is the perfect place to stretch your legs and see statues of some of Ireland’s most famous figures.
4. Order a pint. On the list of fun things to do in Dublin, many visitors put "drinking" right at the top. While Temple Bar spots are popular with tourists, the best pubs in Dublin can be found elsewhere. The Long Hall is one of the city's oldest and coziest, while the Cobblestone Pub offers traditional music every night.
5. Breathe in that old-book smell. No book lover should leave Dublin without stopping at Trinity College to look at the Old Library's Long Room. Shelves holding more than 200,000 books soar to the vaulted ceiling, while marble busts of famous philosophers and writers are arrayed below. The library's also home to the famous Book of Kells, a lavishly illustrated manuscript created by monks in the ninth century.

Four of the Best Hotels in Dublin

For five-star luxury, The Merrion Hotel is easily the best of all Dublin hotels. Occupying four historic houses in downtown Dublin, the hotel's known for its two-star Michelin restaurant, its cozy, firelit drawing rooms and the Cellar Bar in the original 18th-century wine vaults. The Merrion pampers children, too, offering them mocktails, mini-bathrobes and their own room-service menu, served on special plates.

The Shelbourne Dublin is a grand hotel in the heart of Dublin. In addition to the usual amenities — a pool, a spa and excellent dining — the Shelbourne offers the services of a “genealogy butler.” Book an hour-long session with this expert genealogist and she’ll create a personalized plan for tracing your Irish ancestors in Dublin.ⁱ

If you're traveling with your family or a small group, consider staying at No. 25 Eustace Street, a beautifully furnished Georgian townhouse that's now owned by the Irish Landmark Trust. There's no TV, but there's plenty to do once you step out the door into the lively Temple Bar neighborhood. The house sleeps seven for a minimum three-night stay.

One of the best affordable hotels in Dublin is The Dean Dublin, a hip and modern boutique hotel with a rooftop bar. The Dean’s rooms are outfitted with cushy beds, record turntables, Nespresso coffeemakers and snacks. Just know that the Dean is designed for night owls: “We don’t have quiet rooms, just quieter rooms sometimes, depending on what’s happening around us on the night of your stay,” the hotel warns.

Three of the Top Restaurants in Dublin

Begin the day with a hearty Irish breakfast at Queen of Tarts, a beloved cafe and patisserie with two Dublin locations. Here, "hearty" means bacon, pork & leek sausage, an egg, a potato chive cake, a roasted tomato, relish, toast and tea or coffee. That should be enough to fuel a morning's explorations.

For lunch, it won't be hard to find chip shop Leo Burdock — look for the line winding out the door at lunchtime. Open since 1913, Leo Burdock is justly famous for its lard-fried fish and chips, also called "the Dubliner's caviar."

For fine dining, Chapter One is consistently named as one of the top restaurants in Dublin. “Good old-fashioned Irish hospitality meets with modern Irish cooking in this stylish basement restaurant beneath the Writers Museum,” says the Michelin Guide.ⁱ Locally sourced ingredients might include Irish country butter, Ballyhoura mushrooms, fresh seaweed or Tipperary pork.

Ready to set off on a lively Dublin adventure? Don't forget to protect your vacation with trusted travel insurance products from Allianz Travel. Get a personalized quote for your trip.

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