I originally thought I was planning a family trip to Barcelona or Amsterdam but - change in plans- we’re going to Dublin in March. Would love any tips, suggestions, etc., especially regarding lodging- I’m thinking an Airbnb or apartment make the most sense with 5 of us for a week- and day trips, other places easy to get to, etc. Thanks for any info.!
I can’t help with lodging as we stayed at a hotel but even though it’s super touristy, I would highly recommend touring Guinness. I also thought the National Museum and Trinity College were both very worth visiting.
We rented a car when we were there and drove the whole coast but if you are looking for easy day trips with public transportation - we spend a lovely day in Kilkenny. Only 90 minutes from Dublin.
Wicklow Mountains National Park is 45 minutes away. You can take a train or bus but then you’d need to uber/taxi.
If you are looking for an amazing, special dinner, I highly recommend Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud.
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Not sure if 3 bedrooms is enough (or your budget) but highly recommend this airbnb -
Good location and hosts are great. We stay in Dublin often and it is hard to find something large enough for a group your size. When we are a smaller group we stay in the center of the city but Portobello is close enough if you need the space. Stayed there recently when we went as a family.
I strongly recommend the jail (gaol). You need to book 28 days before and book right at midnight Dublin time. If you miss, you can book last minute and tix are generally available.
I’m not a huge fan of the Guiness tour but it seems to be a must for most people visiting Dublin. Our kids wanted to go so we have now done it several times. We prefer the Jameson tour/experience.
If you want to see everything there is - I would recommend the Go City card. You can do an all inclusive (based on number of days) or a pick a number of things you want to see. If you are going to do several of the museums/activities on the card it makes sense vs rack rates. If you do - start with the Big Red Bus and take the whole loop - gives you a feel for what’s where and some of the tour guides are quite good.
If you’re into music (or the kids are) the rock and roll museum is pretty good.
Depending on the ages of the kids stop into the Temple Bar for a drink (even just a soft drink). It is a really touristy area but experiencing an Irish pub is a must. There is often live music and it is always hopping.
I found the Jeannie Johnson tour really interesting - if you like history.
I can give you views on the museums and other attractions if you want and provide other recs depending on the ages of the kids and what you guys enjoy. Was there last month with my 2 twenty something kids and - despite really awful weather - we had a great time. Feel free to reach out if you’re looking for specific recs.
This is incredibly helpful! I looked at the airbnb and would literally book it now, but it doesn’t look available in March, unfortunately…How did you find it? We definitely would like something similar, we don’t need any bigger; 3 bedrooms is fine. If you have any other airbnb recs, I’m all ears! Smaller is fine too- we could make 2 bedrooms work. Thanks so much!
My family (husband, college D and me) went to Dublin for four nights last spring after two nights in Cork. We do not do Airbnb but we stayed at the InterContinental and loved it because it was a great place to relax after being out and about all day. We enjoyed the popular tourist attractions like Trinity College, Guiness and the Temple Bar but our favorite activities were the tour of Windmill Lane Recording Studios (www.windmilllanerecording.com) and drinks and dinner at the Brazen Head, Ireland’s oldest pub.
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My daughter spent a week in Dublin this past March with some of her college buddies. Here are some of her recommendations:
(1) The Guinness factory tour (lots of tourists, but she and her friends enjoyed it).
(2) The National Gallery of Ireland
(3) The Irish Whiskey Museum (across from Trinity College)
It’s been many years since I visited Dublin myself, but I did go to a performance (The Merchant of Venice, I think) at the Abbey Theater: https://www.abbeytheatre.ie/
That’s too bad. Yes, I do have other airbnb recs - I will direct message to give you links.
Edited - will send privately - lots of info
I’ve been a frequent visitor to Dublin over the last few years. My #1 piece of advice is to pack waterproof jackets with hoods and comfortable waterproof shoes. You never know when it might start raining, even on the sunniest days. Layers are always a good idea.
The Dublin buses and the Luas (trams) are the best way to get around. You have to buy a Leap Card and put money on it since public transportation doesn’t accept cash and has yet to let riders tap and pay with their phones.
Most museums in Dublin are free. Here are some of my favorites:
The National Museum of Archaeology is terrific. The bog bodies are not to be missed. There are free tours which are excellent. https://www.museum.ie/en-IE/Museums/Archaeology
The National Gallery is worth popping in to see their Vermeer, Caravaggio, and Irish artists. It’s open late on Thursdays.
The Chester Beatty museum in Dublin Castle is a gem, filled with treasures from around the world. Their Silk Road cafe is lovely.
MoLI, the Museum of Literature of Ireland, is a must in this country that still treasures the written word. (This museum does charge admission.)
If you’re interested in whiskey, the Teelings tour is terrific.
Dublin is home to many fantastic bookstores. These are a few of my favorites:
Books Upstairs (don’t miss their lovely cafe on the top floor)
Hodges & Figgis(close to Trinity and owned by the same company that owns Foyles bookstores in the UK)
Chapters is north of the Liffey, close to Parnell Square.
If you’re theater people, get tickets to a production at the Abbey or Gate theaters.
Have a wonderful time. 
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Just looked at their calendar. It seems like they haven’t opened up dates beyond mid-January. It might be worth sending a message to Conor/Nuala to see if it’s really not available or if they just haven’t updated the calendar. They respond pretty quickly so it can’t hurt if that’s what would work well for you. Also, check your messages, I sent you a list of several other properties that could work and I see some of them are open in March. Just be a bit careful with Airbnb’s in Dublin - there are definitely some hosts that seem a bit sketchy so I would try to stick with super hosts and those with lots of reviews.
I’ll be the dissenting voice on Temple Bar: I would avoid it at all costs. I find it loud and touristy and kind of depressing.
One of the things I love to do when staying in Dublin is take the DART to Sandycove (to the south, for the beach and Forty Foot) or to Howth (to the north, to hike the Cliff Walk)—both so gorgeous and accessible from the city.
Culturally, we’ve enjoyed the Royal Hibernian Academy, which is an art museum that is small enough to cover in a few hours. And there’s a fantastic walking tour of Dublin led by Trinity College history graduate students: Dublin Historical Walking Tour – Lost in the Right Direction .
Agree with the Books Upstairs rec. Charming store.
For accommodations, I’ve had good luck with https://fivestar.ie and https://uniqueirishhomes.ie.
Have fun!
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Went two years ago with a 16 and 19 year-old. Irish Rock N Roll museum was a highlight.
Newgrange was also a win, although outside the city.
Lots of good suggestions here. I will add THE PLACE for incredible music and general atmosphere:
The Celt Bar The Celt Bar
We did an Ebike tour in Howth that was awesome! Beautiful views. Easy to use the DART train to get there.
We also enjoyed Newgrange and Knowth in the Boyne Valley. Fascinating!
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It’s been a minute since I’ve been to Dublin but…
We always like the Hop on - Hop off buses.
Interesting restaurant/venue in a converted church
Offbeat Leprechaun Museum
Trinity College Library was amazing, the Book of Kells also nice.
There are multiple bus tours where you can do a day trip into the countryside without having to worry about driving on the wrong side of the road.
We were in Dublin in June. Didn’t spend too much time here - we were in Northern Ireland for the week (absolutely gorgeous if you are looking to get out of Dublin).
In Dublin, we went on a bike tour of the city - was good to get an overview. Booked online for tickets to Trinity College Book of Kells - seeing this and the Long Room was one of the highlights! The Long Room -just stunning! A lot of the books were being moved at the time we were there, but still a stunning room !!
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My daughter also recommended the cliff path walking at Howth, which she said was at the end of one of the train lines.
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