Ten things to do in Dublin, counted down from ten to one, with one mistake to avoid at each. Two places are missing for now: Dublin Castle is closed to the public until January 2027, and the Chester Beatty museum in its grounds is closed to the end of December 2026, while Ireland holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union. For a longer list covering landmarks, parks and pubs together, see our complete guide to things to do in Dublin.
Watch: Top 10 Things to Do in Dublin · Published 4 November 2026 · 7 min 14 s (7:14).
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The order is our own countdown, not an official ranking. Hours and ticket rules change, so check each place’s own website before you go.
10. Howth Cliff Path
The Howth Cliff Path is a 7.8 km clifftop loop (about five miles) from the DART station in Howth village, with views of Lambay Island and Ireland’s Eye. About two hours, and free. Howth Harbour is also the source for our Dublin Bay prawns recipe.
The mistake to avoid: Town shoes. The path is rough in parts, with 130 metres of climbing, and Discover Ireland recommends walking boots.
9. The Phoenix Park
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The Phoenix Park began as a royal hunting park in the 1660s and has been open to the public since 1747, and is one of the largest enclosed public parks in any capital city in Europe. Open 24 hours, with a large herd of wild fallow deer.
The mistake to avoid: Feeding the deer, or walking up to them for a photograph. The Office of Public Works asks visitors not to feed or approach them.
8. The Little Museum of Dublin
The Little Museum of Dublin is on St Stephen’s Green. Its collection was given by the public, and its guided tour runs 29 minutes, from Queen Victoria’s visit to the rise of U2.
The mistake to avoid: Walking in off the street. Entry is by guided tour only and places are strictly limited, so book first.
7. Saint Patrick’s Cathedral
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is Ireland’s largest cathedral, at the heart of the city for over 800 years, and still a working church with services every day.
The mistake to avoid: Arriving on a Sunday late morning. On Sundays visitors are let in only between the services, so check the times before you go.
6. The National Gallery of Ireland
The National Gallery of Ireland is on Merrion Square; the permanent collection is free. Its most famous story is Caravaggio’s The Taking of Christ (1602), found in 1990 in the dining room of a Jesuit house in Dublin, believed to be by someone else, and lent to the Gallery indefinitely.
The mistake to avoid: Arriving late in the afternoon. The rooms begin to close at 4.50 pm, starting with the upper floors. Thursday is the late night.
5. The Guinness Storehouse
The Guinness Storehouse is at St James’s Gate. Seven floors tell the story, and the ticket ends in the Gravity Bar with a view all round the city and a drink included, which can be non-alcoholic.
The mistake to avoid: Turning up without a ticket. If a time sells out online, the door cannot sell it either, and tickets on the door cost two euros more.
4. The National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street
The National Museum of Ireland on Kildare Street is the archaeology museum, and entry is free: gold, Viking finds, the Ardagh Chalice, the Tara Brooch, and the bodies of people from the Iron Age found preserved in Irish bogs.
The mistake to avoid: A Sunday or Monday morning: on those days it opens at 1 pm. And check its website on the day: it closed on 14 October 2026 because of industrial action and says more closures may come at short notice.
3. EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum
EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, in the Docklands, has twenty interactive galleries about the people who left Ireland and what they did in the world, with family-history consultations booked separately. For more on the county beyond this list, see our guide to County Dublin.
The mistake to avoid: Arriving with an hour to spare. The museum recommends at least 90 minutes, and a standard ticket lets you come back once within ten days.
2. Kilmainham Gaol
Kilmainham Gaol opened in 1796 and closed in 1924. It held Robert Emmet, Charles Stewart Parnell, Countess Markievicz and the leaders of the Easter Rising, fourteen of whom were executed in the Stonebreakers’ Yard. A guided tour of one hour; allow 90 minutes, and dress warmly in winter.
The mistake to avoid: Arriving without a ticket, or buying one from a reseller. Tickets go on sale 28 days ahead on the gaol’s own website, and tickets from other sites are refused at the door.
1. Trinity College: the Book of Kells and the Long Room
The Book of Kells at Trinity College is a ninth-century gospel book whose pages are turned several times a year. Upstairs, the Long Room holds 200,000 of the library’s oldest books.
The mistake to avoid: Putting it off. The Old Library and the Long Room stay open to visitors only until the end of 2027, when restoration work begins; after that the Book of Kells will be shown in the Printing House.
The ten at a glance
| # | Place | The mistake to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Howth Cliff Path | Town shoes |
| 9 | The Phoenix Park | Feeding the deer, or walking up to them for a photograph |
| 8 | The Little Museum of Dublin | Walking in off the street |
| 7 | Saint Patrick’s Cathedral | Arriving on a Sunday late morning |
| 6 | The National Gallery of Ireland | Arriving late in the afternoon |
| 5 | The Guinness Storehouse | Turning up without a ticket |
| 4 | The National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street | A Sunday or Monday morning: on those days it opens at 1 pm |
| 3 | EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum | Arriving with an hour to spare |
| 2 | Kilmainham Gaol | Arriving without a ticket, or buying one from a reseller |
| 1 | Trinity College: the Book of Kells and the Long Room | Putting it off |
Checked against each place’s official page on 15 October 2026.
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