Things to Do in Dublin
Discover 20 activities and experiences in Dublin, Ireland — from outdoor adventures to cultural events. Curated from real traveler recommendations.
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Traditional games at Croke Park Stadium
Catch a '''hurling''' or [http://www.gaa.ie/ '''Gaelic football'''] game at this 82,500 seat, state-of-the-art stadium. These sports are uniquely Irish. Hurling is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest field sport, with the ball (called a ''sliotar'') reaching speeds above 130 kph. Gaelic football can best be described as a combination of soccer and rugby. To keep the sports "pure," it maintains an amateur status, with each parish in Ireland having a team — the inter-county games are generally extremely well-supported, so you may have difficulty getting tickets for the bigger matches. Tours of the '''[http://museum.gaa.ie/ GAA museum]''' and the stadium are also available, including a chance to try your hand at the sports themselves. You can also walk across the roof of one of the biggest stadiums in Europe, which provides ''great views of the city's skyline''.
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- Jones Rd, Dublin 3
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The Thirsty Travellers
Pick up a copy of The Thirsty Travellers pub map guide/discount card and follow all the suggested experiences. The map guide lists 24 top pubs in Dublin and makes it really easy to find them. The pubs include the oldest pub in Ireland, the smallest pub in Dublin, where to find the best traditional music, Guinness, Irish coffee, whiskeys and pub food. They're spread out across the city and get's you out of the tourist trap that is Temple Bar and gives you a taste of '''real Dublin pub culture''', literally and figuratively. Special offers have been arranged in each pub and they are all different with the aim of giving you varied and interesting experiences. The discount card is €5 and if it's not in your hotel or hostel you can pick one up in the Tourist Information Office on College Green.
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Walking Tours
Dublin city is famous for its characters. A great way to experience and live the city is by learning about it from people who are characters themselves - Dublin Tour Guides. Tours can vary from 1-hour to 4-hour in length and include, as well as the standard sightseeing tour, tours on topics like the paranormal and ghosts, music and song, literature, historical, 1916 Rising, and even Irish mythology. There are various walking tour companies and freelance tour guides available in Dublin. Anyone interested in geeky history should try the '''[http://ingeniousireland.ie/ Ingenious Dublin tours]''', that cover history of medicine, Irish inventions (yes, there are lots!), great Irish scientists (lots of those too). They have walking tours and self-guided MP3 tours.
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Dublin Literary Pub Crawl
This is the most ingenious crash course in Irish literature, history, architecture and pub bonhomie yet devised... It combines street theatre with the 'craic' that makes Dublin pubs the liveliest in Europe. It is a highly enjoyable evening that gives you the pleasant notion of replacing brain cells as you drown them. The tour is a kind of rough guide to the cultural, religious and political life of the city. Performances by professional actors are central to the experience, not forgetting a fun-filled quiz with prizes for the winners. Can be a bit formal at times but this one's been going a long time and is well worth the experience for such an unusual tour. There's just enough time to stop in each pub for a pint as well.
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- 'The Duke Pub', 9 Duke St, Dublin 2
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- 2
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- €10-12
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International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival
The International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival is an annual event held in May, celebrating the contribution of gay people to theatre, past and present. The Festival was founded in 2004 to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Oscar Wilde, in his native city. With an emphasis on new or recent International and Irish works with a broadly gay theme or relevance, the Festival has grown to become the largest event of its type in the world. 2013 marks the 10th Anniversary of the Festival, which runs from May 6th-19th (2013).
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RDS Arena
Occasional home games are played at '''Aviva Stadium''', the replacement for Lansdowne Road that opened in May 2010. Unlike Gaelic games, rugby union is professional. Leinster (known commonly as the Lady boys), one of Europe's sides, won the Europe-wide Heineken Cup in 2009, 2011 and 2012, and supplied many players for the Ireland national team. Domestically, they play in the Guinness Pro12 (originally the Celtic League), which since 2010–11 includes teams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Italy.
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- Anglesea Rd, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
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Guinness Storehouse
Retells the story of Dublin's most famous drink. The exhibition is interesting and is self-guided. Price of entry includes a pint at the seventh floor Gravity Bar, which has great views over Dublin and forms the head of the giant pint of Guinness formed by the atrium. Outside, tourists will encounter horse drawn carriages for hire. Beware as they charge €30 for the short walkable 2km (1 mi) ride back to the city centre.
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- St James's Gate, Dublin 8
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- Daily 09:30-17:00 (open until 19:00 in Jul & Aug). Closed Good Friday and Dec 24-26
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- Adults €15 (10% discount for booking online), students and seniors €11, children 6-12 €5
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The Lazy Bike Tour Company
The Lazy Bike Tour Company offers tours of Dublin by electric bike. They use state of the art, retro, funky orange bikes to get you around the city. The tour takes in some the major sights in the city as well as taking you off the beaten track to show you a very real side of Dublin. Tours last around 2 hours and are guided by local guides full of information.
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- 4 Scarlet Row, Essex Street West, Temple Bar, Dublin 8
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- 9:30-17:50
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- €25
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Leinster House
Leinster House is home of the Houses of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Ireland, and can be visited by free tours. Tours include visits to the Dáil and Seanad Chambers. You need to be there at least 15 min before with an ID/passport/drivers license and sign up at the entrance in Kildare Street Gate. Max. 30 people per tour. Tours last approx. 30 min.
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- Kildare Street, Dublin 2
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- Mon and Fri 10:30 and 14:30
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- Free
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Tallaght Stadium
Watch a Shamrock Rovers F.C. soccer match during the FAI '''League of Ireland Football''' (association football) season from March to November. Home matches take place on Friday nights at 19:45. Tickets cost: €15 (Adult), €7 (U-16′s/OAPs).
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- Whitestown Way, Tallaght
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Dublin Falconry
Located outside of Dublin City but within Dublin County, it is home to 26 raptors including hawks, owls, falcons and buzzards and offers private tours/bookings. It's easiest to reach via car, but is possible to get to using Bus Eireann.
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- Courtlough Shooting Grounds, Balbriggan, County Dublin
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Leopardstown Racecourse
Located in the southern suburb of Leopardstown/Foxrock, there are regular meetings throughout the year. There is a "Pay as you Play" golf course within the racecourse grounds, as well as bars, restaurants and a nightclub (Club 92).
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- Leopardstown, Dublin 18
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- €12.55, with reductions for students and OAPs
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Old Jameson Distillery
This ex-distillery hasn't produced whiskey in a while, and if you are expecting to see whiskey making, you will not find it here. However, there is a tour and recreation of the process, and whiskey tasting afterwards.
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- Bow Street Distillery, Smithfield, Dublin 7
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- Daily 09:30-18:00. Last tour at 17:30. Closed Good Friday and Christmas holidays
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- Adult €12.50, students and seniors €10, families €25
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Bord Gáis Energy Theatre
The theatre offers a wide range of shows featuring ballets, musicals, family shows, drama, concerts, comedy and opera. The modern building was designed by Daniel Libeskind and completed in 2010.
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- Grand Canal Square
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Abbey Theatre
Ireland's national theatre. This is a particularly good venue for presentations of Irish plays. The Abbey also shows classic and contemporary theatre from around the world.
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- 26/27 Lower Abbey St
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Gate Theatre
Has a focus on European and American theatre ranging from classics to modern plays. It was established as a theatre company in 1928.
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- Cavendish Row, Parnell Square, Dublin 1
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Conradh na Gaeilge
An Irish language centre where you can hear Irish being spoken as a first language and also enjoy a beverage with friends.
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- 6 Harcourt St, Dublin 2
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National Concert Hall
Offers classical concerts. Frequent performances by the resident orchestra, the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra.
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- Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2
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Gaiety Theatre
The oldest continually operating theatre in Dublin hosts popular musical shows, opera, ballet, dance and drama.
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- South King St, Dublin 2
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- Admission prices vary
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Irish Film Institute
Watch independent Irish and international movies.
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- 6 Eustace Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
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Exploring Dublin: A Traveler's Guide to Activities
Dublin rewards curious travelers with an exceptional range of experiences. Whether you have a weekend or several weeks, the city's 20 documented activities cover the full spectrum — architectural landmarks and world-class museums at one end, local neighborhood festivals and underground cultural scenes at the other. The activities listed on this page come from Wikivoyage contributors who have personally explored Dublin and written detailed, practical descriptions to help you plan your visit.
The most rewarding way to experience Dublin's activities is with company. Solo travelers who arrive without plans often find that meeting a fellow traveler at a hostel, cafe, or through the Nomax app opens up entirely new itineraries — a museum visit becomes a half-day exploration, a street food crawl turns into an evening of discovery, a day trip to a nearby site becomes an adventure. Dublin has an active traveler community, and the city is designed to reward those who explore it with open curiosity.
When planning what to do in Dublin, consider mixing well-known attractions with neighborhood-level experiences. The city's most photographed sights are popular for good reason, but Dublin's character lives in its quieter corners too — the local markets, the parks where residents spend their weekends, the small performance venues where the next generation of artists and musicians are finding their voice. The 20 activities on this page include both categories, ordered by the richness of their traveler-written descriptions.
How to Get the Most from Dublin's Activities
Timing matters in Dublin. Many of the city's best attractions have shorter queues and better atmospheres on weekday mornings. Major cultural sites — museums, galleries, historic monuments — often run free admission windows on certain days or evenings; check before booking. Outdoor activities and walking tours are best enjoyed in the morning before the city heats up or fills with tour groups.
Budget-conscious travelers will find that Dublin has a strong free-to-access layer. Public parks, open-air markets, architectural walking routes, and many community events cost nothing. The price information included with activities on this page (where available) helps you plan a realistic daily budget. A mix of free and paid activities across a week in Dublin is entirely feasible for most traveler budgets.
For travelers who want to do more than just sightseeing, Dublin offers organized activities through local guides, tour companies, and traveler apps like Nomax. Group activities — cooking classes, cycling tours, kayaking excursions, photography walks — are a natural way to meet people while experiencing the city. Many travelers who use Nomax in Dublin coordinate these types of group experiences together, splitting costs and building memories that last beyond the trip itself.
Activities for Different Travel Styles
Not every traveler wants the same experience. History enthusiasts will gravitate toward Dublin's museums, heritage sites, and guided historical walks that reveal the layers of the city's past. Outdoor and adventure travelers will focus on the parks, cycling routes, climbing areas, and day trips to surrounding natural areas. Food travelers will treat Dublin's markets, restaurants, and food tours as the primary activities of each day. Culture seekers will fill evenings with concerts, theater, gallery openings, and street performances.
The 20 activities documented on this page span all these categories. Use the numbered list above to browse in order of description quality — longer descriptions generally mean more detailed, firsthand traveler knowledge. For each activity, the address and opening hours (where available) give you everything you need to plan your visit without needing to search elsewhere.
Connecting with Travelers in Dublin
One of the best things about traveling to Dublin is the community of international travelers already there. Backpackers, digital nomads, long-term expats, and short-trip tourists all share the same city at any given moment. Nomax makes it easy to find who is in Dublin right now, see what activities they are joining, and coordinate plans. Whether you want a hiking companion, someone to split museum entry with, or a group for an evening out — the app connects you to people with the same itinerary in minutes.
Download Nomax before your trip to Dublin to set your travel dates and start discovering who else will be there at the same time. The app is free, requires no subscription, and works across all the major traveler destinations worldwide — meaning the community you build in Dublin often extends to your next destination too.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best things to do in Dublin?
Dublin offers 20+ activities and experiences for travelers. Top highlights include Traditional games at Croke Park Stadium, The Thirsty Travellers, Walking Tours, and much more. This page lists every documented activity in order of description quality, so you can find both the major attractions and the hidden gems.
Are there free things to do in Dublin?
Yes — Dublin has a strong selection of free activities. Public parks, open-air markets, walking routes through historic neighborhoods, and many cultural institutions offer free admission on specific days. Scroll through the list above and look for activities marked with free or no price information — these are often the city's most authentic experiences.
How do I meet other travelers while exploring Dublin?
Download Nomax — a free travel companion app that shows you other solo travelers currently in Dublin. You can join group activities, chat with travelers at the same spots, and plan outings together. Many travelers in Dublin use Nomax to find companions for day trips, museum visits, and evening activities.
What activities can I do with travel companions I meet in Dublin?
Dublin has activities for every interest — guided tours, food experiences, outdoor adventures, cultural events, and nightlife. Use Nomax to coordinate with other travelers: join a group for a walking tour, split a day-trip cost, or simply explore the city together. The app makes spontaneous plans easy.
Explore Dublin with fellow travelers
Download Nomax — find travel companions, join group activities, and chat with solo travelers in Dublin right now. Free forever.
Travel tips by Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA 3.0). Content may have been updated since publication.
