Ireland’s vibrant capital is an age-old city with a youthful soul, its home to one of the youngest populations in Europe and it's fun-loving locals love having a good time. The city is a diverse mix of traditional Irish pubs and newly opened establishments, both offering late nights and live music. Despite its large and lively personality, Dublin is a compact city located on the banks of the River Liffey - perfect for exploring on foot, even better for pub crawls.
Dublin is an all year round destination, although it's especially popular during the summer months when temperatures reach around 20 degrees. But, Dublin’s changeable weather means you should never be surprised to see rain, even in the summer it rains here a lot. The city also remains popular in the colder winter months, as you can easily warm up in one of the city’s infamous Irish pubs. So, head to Dublin for a really good ‘craic’!
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Explore Dublin
The Birthplace of Guinness
The Irish capital is home to the infamous Guinness Storehouse, recently named as Europe's top tourist attraction, it’s definitely worth a visit on any dublin stag. The seven-story storehouse is modelled like a giant pint glass and filled with various visitor attractions. Including The Guinness Academy, where you can learn to pour the perfect Guinness pint (pour it slowly, it will be well worth the wait).
The Best View of The City
The highlight of the Guinness Storehouse visitor experience is the Gravity bar located at the “head” of the pint shaped building - it's an experience in itself. Enjoy incredible 360-degree views of Dublin’s skyline with a free glass of the world-famous stout in hand.
Watch Gaelic Sports at Croke Park
Enjoy a uniquely Irish experience and watch Gaelic sports at Ireland's home venue, Croke Park. You can enjoy Gaelic football, Ireland’s national sport or hurling, the fastest team sport in the world!
Rolling Bar Pub Tour
When travelling as a group, it can be hard to see everything a city has to offer, so get your mates on to a Rolling Bar Pub Tour and enjoy the city sights as you pedal around Dublin. You'll get to visit four pubs during the boozy guided tour and enjoy the onboard sound system along the way.
Rafting On The Liffey
You and your mates will get to take in some great views of Dublin as you paddle your way along the famous River Liffey. As you make your way downriver, your group will negotiate four fast-flowing weirs, get very wet and most likely capsize!
When to Visit Dublin
Dubliners are used to wellington boots and umbrellas, but a little rain does little to dampen this popular stag location's spirits.
Spring (March to May) means St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, where for five days Dublin is awash in green and the streets overflow with Guinness, good cheer and parties that put the US celebrations to shame. Expect balmier weather, meaning pleasant strolls past the buskers on Grafton Street or hangover-busting hikes on the Howth Cliff Walk.
Dublin vibrates with positive energy in summer (June to August), as locals head for St Stephen’s Green and bask in the rare warmer temperatures. Months of rain paint the Emerald Isle in glorious shades of green, making this a perfect time for day trips to Dublin Castle or the epic cliffs of Greystones. Enjoy beer garden season, but don’t forget your umbrella just in case.
Autumn (September to November) is a pretty sight, with brisk winds howling against the cosy glow of traditional pubs. It’s also the rainiest season, but that only means heading inside Dublin’s grand historic buildings like Trinity College Dublin. Catch a show at the Dublin Fringe Festival, or get a taste for the macabre at the Bram Stoker Festival (an Irish, vampire-filled alternative to Halloween).
Winter (December to February) is a fantastic time to visit Dublin, with plenty of festive cheer in the air. The Christmas build-up is heartwarming, with streetlights, ringing churches and friends clinking glasses of the black stuff. Post-holidays a quiet atmosphere takes hold, meaning less queues and a more personal experience listening to traditional Irish music at Whelan’s.
Getting Around Dublin
Dublin packs in a lot into its relatively small size, with most major sights and nightlife within easy reach of the city centre. A day of exploring or a pub crawl on foot is easily feasible (even with some Guinness thrown in), but that doesn’t mean you can’t let the city’s public transport system take the strain.
Bus
Dublin Bus, the primary network for travel in the city, operates a massive network of 110 routes, making it one of the most convenient ways to travel across the Irish capital. Regular services run from 5 am until midnight, with a special NiteLink bus operating between midnight and 4 am on Fridays and Saturdays - saving you the trouble of stumbling home or splashing on a taxi.
Tram
The tram, or ‘luas’ as locals call it (the Irish word for speed), is Dublin’s hugely popular light rail system, with 54 stations spread across the city. The Green Line covers the entire southside, while the Red Line runs East to West through the northside of Dublin, crossing the River Liffey. Simply tap your debit card and pay as you ride. One of Dublin’s best-kept transportation secrets is the Leap Visitor Card, which comes in one, three and seven-day increments. It’ll give you unlimited access to Dublin’s public transport options and is ready to use right from the airport.
Taxis
Taxi ranks are stationed all over Dublin, so you’ll have no trouble getting home after a night on the lash. Note that there is no Uber in the Irish capital, but there are great local apps like Lynk that do the same job.
How to Stay Safe in Dublin
In the grand scheme of things, Dublin is a safe place to travel to. You’ll find the usual vigilance surrounding pickpockets and wandering down dark alleys applies (like most major cities), but you can rest easy knowing that the Troubles of the last century are, for now, a thing of the past. The emergency number in the Republic of Ireland is 112.
Dublin Stag Drinking
When it comes to stag drinking, Dublin proudly maintains its reputation. Expect long, boozy sessions and plenty of ‘craic’, with witty characters ready to drink you under the table and artfully throw a jibe while at it. Traditional pubs like McDaids and Lotts tend to be small, meaning a tight squeeze on weekends - but that’s all part of the fun. Guinness is actually one of the more economical drink options in Dublin, starting at €4 per pint. Head to busy areas like Temple Bar and you’ll see these prices skyrocket. The sprawling city is perfect for a Dublin stag bar crawl, check out our bars guide for more
Nights in Dublin begin and end early, with crowds forming around pubs at 6 pm, shutting doors at the stroke of 1.30 am. Clubs tend to close around the 2 am mark, but if you’re looking to dance a jig until the sun comes up, you’ll find the basements of Leeson S
Best Pubs and Bars for Guinness in Dublin
Nothing tastes quite like a pint of the black stuff than when it's from the source, you can honestly taste the difference! It's not just an urban myth! Here are some excellent drinking holes to grab yourself some of the real thing.
Gravity Bar - Step behind the big, black gates on Market Street and head to the top of the Guinness Storehouse. The Gravity Bar serves the world famous stout like nowhere else and also gives you an unrivalled 360° view of the city.
Stag’s Head, Dame Court - Traditional Irish pub loved by locals for longer than anyone can remember – it was the first Dublin pub to get electricity. A must on a pub crawl or a stout-based night out. stagheads.ie
Doyles - Live music, great stout, an off-licence and live music seven nights a week, Doyles is a family run Dublin institution and as Irish as a drop of the black stuff itself. doylesintown.com
Jack Nealons Pub - A real Irish pub with log fires and a lovely, traditional interior. Perfect for a quiet afternoon drink and some ‘craic’. jacknealonspub.com
McDaids, Harry Street - This is Ireland’s literary legend and one of the best loved Dublin pubs.
Experience Temple Bar
Located In the heart of the city, the Temple Bar area is filled with rooftop bars, traditional Irish pubs and cobblestone streets. It's the best-known area for going out in Dublin, with the highest number of pubs. But, It's also a major tourist hotspot so the prices aren't cheap and it can get a bit hectic on weekends.
St Patrick's Festival
St Patrick's day is Ireland's biggest event; it attracts hundreds of thousands of people every year for a country-wide party. Dublin city goes a bit nuts, with parades, merrymaking and a buzzing Irish atmosphere. So, paint your face, get your green stuff on and have a drink with the famously friendly locals.
Club M
If you and your mates want a top club experience, head to Club M, Dublin’s well-loved and longest running club. Situated in Temple Bar, at the centre of Dublin's nightlife, it's a great dancing destination after a day of drinking in the pubs. It’s been running for over 20 years now, so they must be doing things right.
Eat Like a Local
The Irish capital is famous for its traditional Irish pub grub. On nearly every Irish pub menu in Dublin, you’ll find a hearty lamb-and-Guinness pie or a warming Irish stew. But, Dublin’s dining goes far beyond the traditional Irish fare, offering excellent international eateries across the city.
Fresh Seafood From Dublin Bay
Dublin Bay is famous for producing delicious, fresh seafood, particularly prawns, mussels and Irish fish and chips. Locals also love to eat Dublin Bay oysters, famously combined with a proper pint of Guinness - it’s a Dublin delicacy.
Temple Bar Food Market
To try some Irish food head to the food market held every Saturday on the cobbled streets of Temple Bar. Talk to the friendly locals and try some locally made Irish soda bread or Irish beef.
Places to Stay
As Dublin is an all year round destination, accommodation is always busy. Hotels near to Temple Bar or O’Connell Street (the main thoroughfare of Dublin city) are the most expensive and usually book first. Hotel prices can double during peak times and festivals like St Patrick's day. So, it’s always worth checking for busy dates and booking accommodation well in advance. Your best bet is to stay a little bit out of the city centre; you’ll most likely still be able to walk to the main attractions but without paying such a high price.
We can build every part of your Dublin stag package from activities, group payments, Dublin stag accommodation and activities.
Dublin Local Knowledge
Dublin at a Glance:
- Birthplace of Guinness and home to over 1,000 pubs
- On the border of beautiful County Wicklow with its stunning beaches and mountains and edged by romantic - Kildare, Ireland’s natural beauty is never far away
- Home to so many literary, musical and artistic legends past and present – it can almost be forgiven for producing Riverdance and Jedward
- The city’s ‘beach’ at Dun Laoghaire is famous for the traditional Christmas morning leap off the rocks into the freezing Irish Sea
Hot Tips
Pre-drink at the Source: Start your night right with a few rounds of Guinness in The Gravity Bar. This venue is located atop the famous Guinness Storehouse, offering 360-degree views of the city (best enjoyed, of course, with a pint of the black stuff). Head around the corner of the complex to find the Open Gate Brewery: a delightful establishment where brewers are free to experiment and produce some game-changing concoctions.
Gaelic Football: With injuries comparable to traffic collisions, Gaelic Football is Ireland’s violent pride and joy. It originated in 1885, combining elements of football, rugby and basketball, with players running to hurl a ball into the opposing team’s net by any means necessary. It is the country’s most popular sport, even beating attendance levels at football and rugby matches. Time your trip right and book tickets for Gaelic Football at Dublin’s famous Croke Park. Gaelic Football is the fastest field game in the world and the Irish are mad for it.
How to Stay Safe in Dublin
In the grand scheme of things, Dublin is a safe place to travel to. You’ll find the usual vigilance surrounding pickpockets and wandering down dark alleys applies (like most major cities), but you can rest easy knowing that the Troubles of the last century are, for now, a thing of the past. The emergency number in the Republic of Ireland is 112.
The Creative Quarter – Cool And a Great Hang Out
Cross Dame Street from Temple Bar and you’re in The Creative Quarter. And when Dublin says ‘creative’ nobody argues. This is where you’ll find some of Europe’s best new designers, piled to the rafters vintage shops, specialist shops selling everything from stationery to ribbons, gorgeous galleries, rising-star restaurants and fantastic bars. The Creative Quarter is where locals look effortless and amazing and it’s all achingly cool. But don’t worry, this is Dublin and even ‘attitude’ is friendly
Grafton Street – Dublin Does Shopping
Dublin gave the world Primark, so it’s fair to say the city likes a bit of shopping. But not just any shopping, as a Saturday afternoon on Grafton Street proves. Dublin’s most famous street has more than its share of brand names stretched along its length between Trinity and St Stephen’s Green. But it’s also completely pedestrianised so street theatre is almost as big as spending here – carry change in your pocket.
