Best time to visit · Dublin · Ireland
The best time to visit Dublin
Weather, crowds, prices and events for every month, so you can pick the trip that suits you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Photograph by Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net )., CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The best months for Dublin are May to September, when days are long, temperatures are mild and festivals fill the calendar, though July and August are the busiest and most expensive. April and October are good shoulder months; March is busy around St Patrick's Day, and winter is damp and dark but cosy and lower-priced.
Key facts
- Best months
- May–September
- Shoulder season
- March–April and October
- Warmest month
- July (avg high 20°C (68°F))
- Coldest month
- January (avg high 8°C (46°F))
- Rainiest month
- January (~13 rainy days)
- Lowest hotel prices
- January–February and November
Seasons
Dublin has a mild, damp maritime climate with no real extremes: cool summers that rarely pass 22°C, mild winters with little frost or snow, and light rain spread across the year. Weather changes quickly, so layers and a rain jacket are useful in any month.
March–May
Spring
Daffodils, St Patrick's Festival and lengthening days; showers are frequent, but May is often sunny.
June–August
Summer
Long evenings, Bloomsday, Gaelic games at Croke Park and the warmest sea, with the highest hotel prices of the year.
September–November
Autumn
Theatre and Fringe festivals, the Dublin Marathon and Halloween; increasingly wet and windy by November.
December–February
Winter
Short, damp days, Christmas lights and markets, Six Nations rugby and cosy pubs at lower prices outside the holidays.
Month by month
Long-term averages (rounded). Crowds and prices are relative, 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest). Daylight is sunrise to sunset on the 15th.
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Sea | Daylight | Crowds | Prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8°C | 3°C | 13 | 9°C | 8 h | 2/5 | 2/5 |
| February | 9°C | 3°C | 11 | 8°C | 9.7 h | 2/5 | 2/5 |
| March | 10°C | 3°C | 11 | 8°C | 11.7 h | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| April | 13°C | 5°C | 10 | 9°C | 13.9 h | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| May | 15°C | 7°C | 10 | 11°C | 15.8 h | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| June | 18°C | 10°C | 9 | 13°C | 17 h | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| July | 20°C | 12°C | 10 | 15°C | 16.5 h | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| August | 19°C | 12°C | 11 | 16°C | 14.8 h | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| September | 17°C | 10°C | 10 | 15°C | 12.6 h | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| October | 14°C | 7°C | 12 | 13°C | 10.4 h | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| November | 10°C | 5°C | 12 | 11°C | 8.5 h | 2/5 | 2/5 |
| December | 8°C | 3°C | 13 | 10°C | 7.5 h | 3/5 | 4/5 |
Yearly events
Recurring dates shift from year to year; confirm with the organiser before you book.
| Month | Events |
|---|---|
| January | Temple Bar TradFest — traditional music festival (usually late January) |
| February | Six Nations rugby at the Aviva Stadium (February–March); St Brigid's Day public holiday (early February) |
| March | St Patrick's Festival and parade (around 17 March) |
| April | Easter Rising commemoration at the GPO (Easter Sunday) |
| May | Dublin Dance Festival (usually May) |
| June | Bloomsday — readings and Edwardian dress for James Joyce's Ulysses (16 June); Dublin Pride (usually late June) |
| July | All-Ireland hurling and football finals at Croke Park (usually July) |
| August | Dublin Horse Show at the RDS (usually August) |
| September | Dublin Fringe Festival (usually September); Culture Night — free late openings (usually September); Dublin Theatre Festival (usually late September–October) |
| October | Dublin Marathon (usually last Sunday of October); Bram Stoker Festival around Halloween (late October) |
| November | Christmas lights switched on along Grafton Street (usually November) |
| December | Christmas markets in the city centre (usually December); New Year's Festival Dublin (late December to 1 January) |
Cheapest and quietest times
Hotel prices are usually lowest in January–February and November, and the sights are quietest in January–February and November.
What to pack
| Season | Pack |
|---|---|
| Spring | Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings; A packable rain jacket for showers; Comfortable walking shoes |
| Summer | Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening; A packable rain jacket for showers; Comfortable walking shoes |
| Autumn | Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings; A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent; Comfortable walking shoes |
| Winter | A warm coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers; A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent; Comfortable walking shoes |
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best month to visit Dublin?
The best months for Dublin are May to September, when days are long, temperatures are mild and festivals fill the calendar, though July and August are the busiest and most expensive. April and October are good shoulder months; March is busy around St Patrick's Day, and winter is damp and dark but cosy and lower-priced.
+When are hotel prices lowest in Dublin?
Usually in January–February and November. Cool, damp and short on daylight, but hotel prices are among the lowest of the year and the pubs are at their cosiest.
+What is the rainiest month in Dublin?
January, with about 13 days of rain on average.
+How hot does Dublin get?
The warmest month, July, averages highs of 20°C (68°F) and lows of 12°C (54°F).