One day isn’t long in Dublin, but the centre is small enough to walk, and the best things are close together. This route covers the Book of Kells, Georgian Dublin, the best free museum in the city, Viking Dublin and a pint at the top of the Guinness Storehouse, without a single bus.
It’s about 4km of walking in total, all of it on flat or gently sloping streets.
The plan at a glance
| Time | Stop | Cost (adult) |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Trinity College and the Book of Kells | From €19 |
| Late morning | Grafton Street and St Stephen’s Green | Free |
| Midday | National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology | Free |
| Afternoon | Christ Church Cathedral and Dublinia | Dublinia €16 online |
| Late afternoon | Guinness Storehouse | From €22 |
| Evening | A proper Dublin pub | The price of a pint |
Paid tickets for the day come to about €57 per adult if you book online.
Morning: Trinity College and the Book of Kells
Start at Trinity’s front gate on College Green. The campus is free to walk around, and it’s at its best early, before the tour groups arrive.
The Book of Kells and the Long Room are in the Old Library, and entry is by timed ticket. If you only have a day, the Book of Kells & Old Library ticket (from €19, about 45 minutes) gets you the two things that matter. Book it online the day before at the latest, because it sells out first.
Full details, including the other ticket options: Trinity College and the Book of Kells.
Late morning: Grafton Street and St Stephen’s Green
Walk up Grafton Street, Dublin’s main shopping street, to St Stephen’s Green at the top. Twenty minutes in the Green is enough: the duck pond, the bandstand and the Georgian houses around it. If it’s raining, duck into Powerscourt Townhouse on South William Street on the way.
More on the city’s green spaces in Dublin parks and gardens.
Midday: the National Museum of Archaeology
Five minutes from the Green on Kildare Street. Gold, Viking swords, the Ardagh Chalice and the Iron Age bog bodies, all free. Give it an hour.
Visiting on a Sunday or Monday? The museum doesn’t open until 1pm on those days, so swap this stop with lunch.
Lunch
The streets between Grafton Street and South Great George’s Street are full of cafés and pubs that do food. George’s Street Arcade is good for a quick, cheap bite. See shopping in Dublin for the arcade.
Afternoon: Christ Church and Dublinia
Walk west along Dame Street. You’ll pass Dublin Castle, which is closed to visitors until January 2027, so keep going up the hill to Christ Church Cathedral, founded nearly a thousand years ago.
Dublinia, joined to the cathedral by a covered bridge, tells the story of Viking and medieval Dublin and takes about an hour and a half. Adult tickets are €16 online or €18 at the door.
Late afternoon: the Guinness Storehouse
From Christ Church it’s about a 10-minute walk west along Thomas Street to the Guinness Storehouse at St James’s Gate. Adult tickets start from €22 on the official site, depending on the time slot, so book a late-afternoon slot in advance. Your pint in the Gravity Bar, with its 360-degree view over the city, is the best way to end the sightseeing part of the day.
Full guide: Guinness Storehouse tickets and tips.
Evening: a proper pub
Skip the Temple Bar pubs if you’re watching your money. Our guides to where to drink if you hate tourist pubs and where to find the best pint of Guinness will point you somewhere better.
Swap this for that
- Love history more than beer? Swap the Guinness Storehouse for Kilmainham Gaol (€8 adult). It’s the most powerful tour in Dublin, but it sells out weeks ahead and tickets are only sold on its own website, so book before you travel.
- Prefer whiskey? Swap Guinness for Jameson Distillery Bow St (from €26), a short walk north across the river.
- Raining all day? See things to do in Dublin when it rains.
- Travelling with children? See Dublin with kids.
What to book before you go
- Trinity College and the Book of Kells: book on the official Visit Trinity website
- Guinness Storehouse: book a time slot on the official site
- Dublinia: book online to save €2
Got more time? Carry on with two days in Dublin or three days in Dublin.
Prices checked on each attraction’s official website, November 2026.