Your Ultimate Guide to Dublin — Destination Dreamer Diaries

I’ve traveled my fair share of Europe… but Dublin is one of the cutest, cities I have ever seen there.

Dublin really is one of those cities where it’s going to be everything you expect it to be.

The locals are almost always toasting to pints on every corner. The colorful, cobblestone streets of the Temple Bar district will leave you charmed. The big streets are reminiscent of London with their architecture and chaos – but then you can escape to some of the most beautiful parks (like St. Stephen’s Green or St. Patrick’s Cathedral) that I have ever seen in Europe for when you need to escape the city’s liveliness.

Can you tell that I was pleasantly and simultaneously impressed with Ireland’s biggest city?

Here some things I recommend you do so you leave feeling the same way:

1. Walk through the Temple Bar District

I stayed at Abigail’s hostel (which I highly recommend, by the way: for the price [I paid under $30 U.S. dollars a night, and I was there on a weekend in June!], and the central location, you cannot beat this place, and plus – they give breakfast!), and this iconic bar was right behind it.

The whole area is adorable, and I would advise you do what I did: explore until you’re ready to check other things off of your sightseeing list.

2. Eat. Eat all that you can.

If you’re new to the blog, I’m vegan – and one of my favorite parts of traveling is finding (and more importantly, tasting) all of the plant-based food around the world. If you’re looking for vegetarian/vegan pub food in Dublin, I definitely recommend going to Beast Eatery.

Monster Burger at Beast Eatery in Dublin, Ireland

This burger was literally twice the size of my face… and it was good. But hey, if you want to eat a real burger – no one is stopping you! There is a pub, kind of literally, on every corner.

You can find a pub anywhere in Dublin within seconds. If you’re not into beer; try their soup (they’re really into soup there - and it’s really comforting in the unpredictable [often cold in an instant] weather Ireland is known for). They’ll often h… — You can find a pub anywhere in Dublin within seconds. If you’re not into beer; try their soup (they’re really into soup there - and it’s really comforting in the unpredictable [often cold in an instant] weather Ireland is known for). They’ll often have a vegetarian/vegan option, too!

Dublin (and all over Ireland, really) is really into donuts, for some reason. When I made conversation with a nineteen-year-old native to the city in a local Ireland chain coffee place, she told me it started about two years ago… and that she has no idea why.

Nevertheless, I recommend you try them… cause they’re good! Especially from The Rolling Donut.

Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Donut from The Rolling Donut (Chain in Dublin; there is one near the Ha'penny bridge and one near St. Stephen’s Green).

It was right across the street from my hostel… so I had to take advantage, right?!

3. Check out all of Dublin’s Parks.

The one you’ve probably heard of, Phoenix Park, is a good thirty-minute walk from the city center to the park’s entrance; but I think it’s worth the trip. If there aren’t any events going on (I went on a Sunday morning), it’s purely locals: mostly families with their toddler’s bike riding or feeding the birds. It’s really perfect if you want a quiet place to write and people watch.

Phoenix Park in Dublin; Taken June of 2019

Another one is at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which is more crowded – but it’s still extremely beautiful, especially when you get to hear the church bells toll.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral & Park; Taken June of 2019

My favorite park though, in all of Dublin, and one of my favorites in all of Europe – is St. Stephen’s Green. The reflective ponds, birds, red flowers, and greenery are fairy-tale-like, to say the least.

St. Stephen’s Green in Dublin; Taken June of 2019

4. See all the major sights; but don’t let them be the highlight.

If you’re new to the blog, you’ll learn that I’m not all that into museums when I visit a city. I’m much more into walking around, exploring, talking to locals, and getting a native feel for where I am. Thus, when I travel, unless there’s something inside that I really want to see – I don’t usually pay to go in. However, if you want to go inside to see the things, you should.

For instance, Trinity college is a pretty campus to walk around, and you could go inside to see the library, but beware… that was one of the longest lines I have ever seen.

I chose to sit on some steps, snack on a granola bar, and people watch. You’ll get the gist pretty quickly; it’s an aesthetically pleasing campus – but there’s not much to do there for that long unless you pay to go inside the library and peruse the bookstore.

Same thing with Dublin’s Castle. It’s colorful on the outside, and you could go inside if you want some history on it – but I can’t speak if it’s worth going inside or not. I would say it depends on how much of a history-nerd you are, and how bored you get inside museums in general.

Dublin Castle from the outside; taken June of 2019

There’s another park right outside of it, called Dubh Linn park, which is really quaint and you should take a peek inside. One of my favorite parts of traveling is to find other travelers to talk to – and I conversed with two girls from Germany here for a good hour, exchanging stories and cultural ideals… it may seem scary to put yourself out there, but it’s fun – I promise! There’s no better way to discover the world than to hear what other people see through their eyes.

I’m not a fan of beer, but if you are: you should absolutely go to the Guinness Warehouse – but buy your tickets ahead of your trip if you want to ensure entry.

The Ha’penny bridge is cute…

…but not the most picturesque Instagram shot you could take. I’d really recommend just wandering until you come across one of the many quintessential, Irish, color blocked houses on the corners, with their iron gate fences overflowing with plants, and singular bikes parked (which I feel like is) solely there for decoration. Which brings me to…

5. Go wandering

Ah, my mom always would freak out about this one: the times when I would stray from the city center, ignore the directions on my phone, and go exploring in the residential areas. Just be on the lookout, but where I went walking – there were plenty of other tourists and hotels, so I wasn’t really alone.

These are the places where you’ll find pictures to take like these.

6. Do the local thing

Like I’ve previously mentioned, I have a thing for making conversations with the locals (and low-key [actually, high key] keeping them from doing their actual jobs). They never fail to tell me where I should go to feel like I’m someone living in their city. In an Irish chain café, Insomnia, a girl around my age told me to go to Accent’s Café.

Her advice was good.

Accents Coffee & Tea Lounge; recommended to me by a local.

The atmosphere feels very much like being in a café in San Francisco: comfortable chairs, free Wi-Fi, hipster atmosphere, pastel colored and casual… plus, they served me the biggest soy late I’ve ever seen in my life.

Sitting there, I watched college kids walk in and exchange their Sunday night plans and school assignments. I made conversation with a twenty-three-year-old local and watched his friend come meet him before they went to a gig, where they offered me to join them for a pint.

Being brave enough to ask people about their city, will give you the chance to really feel like you live in their city; even if it’s just for the day. Sit in their parks, stroll through their side streets, have a pint in the middle of the day like they do… putting yourself in their shoes, is the best way to see Dublin.

If you’re looking for other things to do in Ireland, click here.

Want to see Dublin in action? Watch the vlogs below!