Short on time but desperate to tick a new city off your travel list? This one day Dublin itinerary is for you! Yes it’s a whirlwind and your feet might be burning by the end, but it’s totally worth it.
For us, this wasn’t necessarily a cultural tour, although there’s plenty to see on that vein too. With the rain coming down hard, we wanted to shop, see some of the famous sights and eat some great food. If that sounds like your ideal city break too, let’s dive in!
One day in Dublin | Transport
We’re lucky to touch down in Dublin in under an hour from Liverpool, with multiple flights daily from Ryanair. We opted for their 08:15 flight out, getting us through security at Dublin airport by 09:30.
From the airport, we hopped straight on the Dublin Express to the city centre, arriving just as Dublin started to wake up. You can book your tickets online in advance but we just turned up and there was no queue, with the coach departing just minutes after we jumped on board.
The rest of the city is super walkable so we didn’t bother with any of the hop-on/hop-off bus tours, although they are available!
A breakfast pit-stop
We may have stopped for a cheeky Greggs breakfast in Liverpool airport but after an early start, we were ready for round two.
Our first stop was Bewley’s Oriental Cafe. With high ceilings, stained glass windows and a beautiful interiors style, it wouldn’t be out of place in a 1920s movie, despite being on Dublin’s central Grafton Street.
We sat down for breakfast and while honestly, the food wasn’t anything particularly special, the pastries looked divine. If we had our time again, we might have chosen elsewhere and stopped here for a mid-morning pan au chocolat instead.
How to spend a rainy morning in Dublin
With the heavens well and truly open, we dived into the nearby shops for some respite. The mix of well-known chains and independent boutiques, was a blessing in disguise! After making a few purchases, restrained by our handbag-only cheap plane ticket, we headed for some window-shopping action at the famous Brown Thomas department store. There are also a few utterly fabulous independents, such as Padison & Yule and Avoca, for clothing, gifts and more.
Then we headed to Trinity College, famous for their library and Book of Kells Experience. The Long Room looks like something out of Beauty & The Beast and they currently have a huge replica of the Earth of display too.
A quick note on this one: The Long Room is undergoing some refurbishment currently so many of the books aren’t displayed on the shelves. With full price still charged for entry, this was subject to many scathing reviews online and if it’s something that bothers you, maybe pick an alternate attraction.
Lunch on the go
Opting for a quick and affordable lunch, we grabbed a pizza slice at Bambino. It’s a well known spot with a couple of locations – but just one open on a Sunday – so we did have to queue for our slices & drink.
One vodka & chorizo and one cheese in hand, the sun finally broke through the clouds as we sat outside and inhaled our haul.
An afternoon of iconic sights
A short stroll brought us to the Ha’penny Bridge, one of Dublin’s most photographed spots over the Liffey river. We got really lucky with the weather at this point, with slightly warming sunshine giving us hope from the previous autumnal drizzle.
Not far from the bridge is The Winding Stair Bookshop, a hidden gem with reads piled high, cosy armchairs and even an upstairs restaurant that receives great reviews. If you’re looking for a sit down treat overlooking the river, it’s one to check out but we stuck to browsing.
We were tempted to hit up the Guinness Storehouse, undoubtedly one of Ireland’s most popular attractions, but instead opted for another – perhaps even more touristy – hotspot, Temple Bar.
We couldn’t visit Dublin without checking out the cobbled streets, performers and colourful façades and dived into the most famous pub, The Temple Bar Pub, for a quick one that turned into an afternoon spotting leprechauns and badly singing to the Irish band playing.
We did have plans to visit another museum on this one day Dublin itinerary, but before we knew it, the afternoon had run away with us and needed to head for dinner before our flight.
A non-traditional supper
Taking a short detour past the Molly Malone Statue outside St Andrew’s Church, we stumbled across a tangerine-hued Spanish restaurant, Salamanca.
The promise of tapas never fails to draw us in so we headed inside for a meal of garlic chilli prawns, croquetas, patatas bravas and more good stuff. While not the best tapas we’ve ever had – the pan con tomate was made with a slightly strange spread, rather than fresh chopped tomatoes – it was tasty enough to fuel us back onto the Dublin Express.
Goodbye Dublin
And with that, our quick trip comes to an end. With just hours in a city, you naturally have to make compromises but the fact you could be in another country by the time most are waking up for Sunday brunch was a novelty we had to experience.
If you’re close enough to plan an extreme day trip to Dublin from the UK, I hope this one day Dublin itinerary gives you a sense of how much you can fit into just twelve hours. The truly determined folk could have done more, but we captured a nice balance between sightseeing and relaxation before the working week began again.
If I was to recommend some non-negotiables for your trip? Choose comfy shoes, layers, an umbrella and a bag you won’t complain about carrying around all day!
Dublin is surprisingly compact, meaning you can see the highlights even in a single day if you’re willing to get a shift on. Historic streets, bustling squares and cosy corners all fit into a single day if you plan wisely. More than anything, you’ll leave with a sense of the city that lasts far longer than the hours spent there.
Laura x
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