First, an apology for not writing anything in ages. With the weather getting warmer and sunnier, we are using the longer days to fix up our house. I have loads of ideas to write, I just haven’t had time to sit down, get into the zone and start typing.

Second, don’t worry, this post is not named “going solo” because we are divorcing, it is just one of my work trips where I managed to squeeze in some decent sightseeing 😀

With the pandemic over and many countries dropping all travel restrictions, my company decided to fly us all to its headquarters in Dublin for a two-day company-wide event. Now, if this is not a good time to book a few extra days off and stay in Dublin, I don’t know when is! This was also my first time ever in Ireland.

After the two days packed with work/company related activities, I had 3.5 days on my own in the capital of the Emerald Isle. One of the activities during the conference that gave me a good layout of Dublin and its streets was a treasure hunt! The prize? Loads of general and Ireland specific knowledge 😀

Quick research before the trip gave me some ideas on what I’d like to see and how to loosely plan my days out and about. There was only one place I was dying to see, one place I HAD to see – the Trinity College Library. Everything else was welcome but secondary.

Planning Dublin

The first thing to know about Dublin is which part is most touristy. This would be Temple bar; right by river Leffey on the south side (the fancy side, compared to the north which is called the workers’ side of town). Full of traditional-looking pubs and restaurants cramped in narrow streets, this tourist trap is nice to roam around snapping photos for a while, but you might start feeling too crowded.

Personally, I preferred the south part of Temple Bar. Takeaways, restaurants, and pubs still dominate but there is a bit more space.

Every so often you might see an interesting statue, like the one of Phil Lyncott or Molly Malone with her cockles. The main allure of going further south is St Stephen’s green, a lush green oasis in the middle of a busy town. Dubliners and tourists alike use it as a chill-out spot. I managed to catch a 30 min nap in the sunshine (yeah, it was sunny in Ireland for those 3.5 days ❤ )

Most popular tours/places to visit

A quick Google search will show you that probably the most popular tour people book when planning Dublin is the Guinness Storehouse (yup, booked it too. will add a separate post eventually). If you are a fan of this liquid black gold or you are interested in beer brewing, this tour is definitely a good shout. If you also happen to be a Whisky lover, you can combine the Guinness Storehouse with the Jameson distillery tour.

For history buffs and people interested in Irish history, there is Kilmainham Gaol (the same part of town as Guinness Storehouse) that will give you a great insight into the Easter rising of 1916.

If you prefer mythology and stories about Faeries and Leprechauns, you shouldn’t miss the National Leprechaun Museum.

For book lovers – The Book of Kells and the Trinity College library should be on top of your “to visit” list.

If you are religious or partial to some of the best examples of architecture in certain periods, don’t miss St Patrick’s Cathedral or the Christ Church Cathedral.

I will stop listing things to do in Dublin now as it makes for a boring read. Dublin has a lot to offer, but is also not a massive city. Three days in Dublin should be more than enough to see the interesting spots and chill about.

If you get bored, you can always hop on one of the one day tours (Trip Advisor is full of them) or visit the beach (yes, Dublin has a beach). It is a perfect city for a quick weekend getaway. Even if you are not into sightseeing, you can go out drinking with the Irish. Hopefully you will survive 😀