Only in Dublin for a day or two? We've got you covered. Here's (the second) of our top tips for the best way to spend a day in Dublin! So many of you really liked our recent blog last month with suggestions for
what to do in Dublin in a day, so much so that we decided it wasn't enough! So, we've put together another perfect day in Dublin for you. You're welcome.
We again tasked Alan, one of our lovely, lovable local
Dublin free tour guides, to put together yet another itinerary for a perfect day in Dublin, or a perfect second day if you follow his suggestions for day one, and he did not disappoint! From food to day trips, mythology to Arcade gaming, and kayaks to trad music, Alan has got your perfect (second) day in Dublin well and truly covered. Here goes.
See more: ONE DAY IN DUBLIN: THE MUST-DOS, FROM A LOCAL!
So, it’s your second day in Dublin. And if you followed my advice on the perfect first day in Dublin, you’re hungover. I’m going to go easy on you this morning, but try and get out and about by about 9 or 10 A.M. First you’ll need a good feed and then some fresh air to clear your head from all the terrible things you may have done last night.
Morning - Breakfast
Why not treat yourself today and start the day right with good coffee and a decent breakfast?
Brother Hubbard – Capel Street & South Richmond Street
Price: Between €6-€15
Since opening in 2012, Brother Hubbard has consistently been included in the top 100 places to eat in Dublin, indeed they are currently shortlisted for the Georgina Campbell Awards for Best Brunch in Ireland 2020. They are well known for their Breakfast and Brunch as well as a wide range of Vegetarian and Vegan options. So. Much. Yum!
For a light breakfast there is a very good Smoothie and Oat Bowl but, if you’re looking for something a little bit weightier, the Mezze Tray, which consists of falafel, hummus, roast aubergine and pickle on flatbread, is delicious and vegan too.
Another food recommendation in Brother Hubbard is their Turkish Eggs Meneman; scrambled eggs piled on with Olives, Feta and a chili salsa. Delicious.
For the Smoothie Bowl you're looking at €8.50 and for the other Brunch Options something in the region of €12.50 and there is a Brother Hubbard on both the north and south side of the city.
After breakfast; bikes and coastal villages!
So you might want to get out of the bustling city center and get into a bit of nature. The good news is, there are countless options to escape the city. The closest and most obvious is the Phoenix Park. Located to the west of the city, the Phoenix Park is Europe's largest enclosed park.
The Phoenix park is home to Dublin Zoo, but also has a huge range of wild Animals too, most notably the Parks wild deer. Bring some Oats from your breakfast with you, or even a carrot, and you could easily become besties with the deer.
Also, within the park is Áras an Uachtaráin (pronounced: Awr-as on ook-ther-awn), the home of the Irish President, who can often be seen walking the grounds of the presidential house with his dogs - you might even manage a selfie with the President of Ireland.
Finally, in the park you have Farmleigh House. Once owned by Edward Cecil Guinness in the 19
th century, the Guinness family house and grounds are today a museum and café overlooking a small pond; a nice place to grab a coffee and a cake. Go on, treat yourself.
If you do want to go here I would recommend renting a bicycle for a few hours to get around it. If you went to Brother Hubbard on Capel Street for breakfast, then just pop across the street to Bike Hire Dublin - a day rate for a top of the range bicycle is just €15.
Alternatively you can rent bikes at the main entrance Phoenix park, either at an hourly rate for the duration of your time there or a day rate. Rates for renting a standard bike in the park is €6-€15, with tandem bikes from €12-€30. If renting bikes from the Phoenix Park, I recommend
booking online in advance as they are often left without bikes during busy periods.
Visit Howth
Price: Train Fare €6.25 return (at the time of writing) or Bus €3 each way.
If you’re feeling a little more ambitious, you should head out to Howth which is the Peninsula to the North of Dublin Bay, it takes about 40 minutes by train from the city, or about an hour by bus, and it is a lovely place to visit outside of Dublin City. Howth is a fishing village with a cliff walk that brings you all the way around the Peninsula in about 2 ½ hours. However, there are plenty more shorter trails to do too.
Getting to Howth is easy, you can take the DART (local train) from Connolly Station or Tara St Station, both in the city centre. Train fare is €6.25 for a day return, or get the 31/A Bus from Talbot Street to Howth Summit. This will bring you to the very top of the Howth Peninsula if you'd rather not take the walk.
With the light house, Howth Castle and its famous seafood, Howth village is a great spot to have a wander. My favorite spot for Fish and Chips in Howth is Beshoff’s. There’s a great argument in Dublin as to where the best fish and chips are to be found, and it always comes down to two fish n chip joints - Leo Burdock's or Beshoff’s. Me personally... I’m with Beshoffs. Fish and Chips will cost around the €12 mark but there are plenty of options here.
If you’re looking for a great sit down Lunch in Howth, head to the Bloody Stream pub just underneath Howth Train Station. Here you’ll find an incredible menu of seafood straight from Dublin Bay. Their Chowder, Crab Claws, or a Seafood Platter for 2 (realistically this will feed 3-4 for lunch) are highly recommended by yours truly.
You could, in fact, easily spend the whole day in Howth, but we’re cramming Dublin in a day here, so let's see what else you could do for the afternoon.
Afternoon
If you manage your time well enough, there are plenty more things to do in Dublin for the day, including some very unique tours! While I've already previously recommended joining our free tour of Dublin on your first full day in the city, we also offer a second free tour which is focused on our ancient mythology, our fascinating stories, our real life legendary characters and our traditions, as well as how all of these things have helped shape the Dublin and Ireland you see today in no small way.
Fables and Folklore Free Walking Tour of Dublin
Price: You decide!
If you would like to see another side of Ireland and want to hear a little more about Irish culture, I cannot recommend enough the
free Fables and Folklore Tour of Dublin. If you liked the free walking tour on your first day, you’ll love the free Folklore tour. If you’re looking for good stories and the strange Irish origins of things like Halloween, the Irish Faerie World and even aspects of Game of Thrones and Lord of The Rings, then this is a great tour to do.
The tour also starts outside the Old Storehouse Pub, 3 Crown Alley in the Temple Bar district and you decide how much to pay your lovely tour guide at the end of the tour. The tour is 2 hours long and will generally cover different sights than the general history free tour, so you will also get to see a bit more of Dublin in the process.
City Kayaking Tour
Price: €33-€39
Certainly a great addition to the city over the past few years, Kayaking tours through the city's main river, the Liffey, will take you underneath the bridges and through the heart of the city from a perspective that not many people ever see. This company offers a general tour down the river, but also offers a Music Under the Bridges Tour on which local musicians will sing to you using the acoustics of the city itself. Here's one such singer who you may well recognize as our very own charming Dublin free tour guide, Ian.
Again, the tour takes about 2 hours but be sure to book in advance and check the times available as the river itself is tidal, sometimes there’s not enough river to paddle down. The Kayaks are flat topped, so you don’t need any previous experience to get in and see they city from this little vessel.
Evening
Eats & Old-School Arcade Gaming at Token
After the Folklore tour, you might be feeling peckish again. If you want to try something a bit different why not go to
Token on Queen Street in Smithfield. Token is a 1970’/80’s arcade emporium/restaurant/bar and has all the classics such as Pac Man and Space Invaders but also favorites like Mortal Kombat and Dance Dance Revolution as well as a full room dedicated exclusively to Pin Ball.
The menu is mostly burgers/chicken & fries heavy, but also has some of the best Vegan fast food in the city - including the Vegan Big Mac and a Chino-Irish fusion recipe, yes that is a thing, and it’s called a spice bag. The prices here are pretty reasonable too, the cheapest thing on the menu is fries at €4 and the most expensive things come to €12.50. Most games take one token per game which is .50c.
Listen to traditional Irish folk Music
Finally you’re ready for a few drinks again, and just a stones throw away from Token is the Cobblestone Pub at the end of Smithfield Sqaure. The Cobblestone is an institution in terms of Traditional Irish music. The pub has music seven nights a week and is the perfect spot to mix with locals and hear some of the best traditional musicians in the city. The beauty of the Cobblestone is that, generally, they give a warm welcome to new musicians turning up to jam, so you often find a wide range of musicians and instruments throughout the night.
Pub Crawl. Again. For free!
If you had such a good night the first time around on our
Dublin pub crawl, you are always welcome back again and again for free. More free Guinness, more free shots, more drink discounts, and more free VIP entry to all venues, including the club. Yes, really! You can repeat the Pub Crawl as many nights as you want for free, just make sure to keep your wristband from the first night on and rock up to the Norseman Pub, 28 Essex Street east in the temple Bar district. Every night is different in Dublin, so you’ll be sure to have a different experience every time you pub crawl with us.
So there you have it, the second one day in Dublin itinerary to help you make the most of your time and get the best out of your Dublin adventure. Let us know if you've taken any of my suggestions on, and what you think. We've also got great recommendations for different things to do in Dublin on our Instagram too, so do be sure to follow us @generationtours. See you soon in Dublin.
