History · Dublin · Ireland
8 historic sites to see in Dublin
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Photograph by Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net )., CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Trinity College and the Book of Kells, Kilmainham Gaol and National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 10–12 hours across 7 areas; 2 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 10–12 hours
- Areas
- Trinity College, Kilmainham and Kildare Street
Historic sites in Dublin
Museum · Trinity College
1.Trinity College and the Book of Kells
The library's Long Room, a 65-metre vaulted hall of oak bookcases, is partway through a multi-year conservation project, so check what is on display when you book.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Historic site · Kilmainham
2.Kilmainham Gaol
Guided tours lead through the cramped old wing and the bright Victorian east wing, familiar from many films, and a museum covers the prison and the struggle for independence.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Iconic
- Rainy day
Museum · Kildare Street
3.National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology
Entry is free, and the domed Victorian rotunda is worth seeing in itself.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Museum · Dublin Castle
4.Chester Beatty
Its roof garden is a quiet place to sit.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
- History
Palace · Dublin Castle
5.Dublin Castle
Its State Apartments, including St Patrick's Hall and the Throne Room, still host presidential inaugurations, and guided tours descend to the medieval undercroft and the remains of a Viking defence.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Religious site · The Liberties
6.St Patrick's Cathedral
Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels, was its dean and is buried inside, and the adjoining park has a wall of plaques to Irish writers.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
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Religious site · Temple Bar
7.Christ Church Cathedral
Down there, among church treasures, lie a mummified cat and rat found trapped in an organ pipe.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Kids
- Rainy day
Museum · Docklands
8.EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum
It suits teenagers and anyone tracing Irish roots.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Trinity College | Trinity College and the Book of Kells | 1–1.5 hours |
| Kilmainham | Kilmainham Gaol | 1.5 hours |
| Kildare Street | National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology | 1.5–2 hours |
| Dublin Castle | Chester Beatty and Dublin Castle | 1–1.5 hours + 1–1.5 hours |
| The Liberties | St Patrick's Cathedral | 1 hour |
| Temple Bar | Christ Church Cathedral | 1 hour |
| Docklands | EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum | 1.5–2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 2 free, 4 low cost, 2 mid-priced. Book ahead for Trinity College and the Book of Kells and Kilmainham Gaol. The longest visit is National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Trinity College and the Book of Kells: Entry is by timed ticket and summer slots sell out; book on the official Trinity College site.
- Kilmainham Gaol: Entry is by guided tour only and tours regularly sell out days ahead; book online as soon as your dates are fixed.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Trinity College, Kilmainham and Kildare Street): Trinity College and the Book of Kells → Kilmainham Gaol → National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Dublin Castle, The Liberties and Temple Bar): Chester Beatty → Dublin Castle → St Patrick's Cathedral → Christ Church Cathedral, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Docklands): EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, at least 2 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- February: highs of 9°C (48°F), about 11 rainy days, quiet crowds. Still chilly and wet; Six Nations rugby weekends bring crowds and push up hotel prices.
- November: highs of 10°C (50°F), about 12 rainy days, quiet crowds. Wet, windy and dark by late afternoon, but prices are low and it is a good month for museums and pubs.
- January: highs of 8°C (46°F), about 13 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cool, damp and short on daylight, but hotel prices are among the lowest of the year and the pubs are at their cosiest.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Temple Bar — Cobbled lanes of pubs, live music and late-night crowds by the Liffey
- Docklands — Glass offices, Grand Canal Dock and modern hotels on the Liffey
- The Liberties — Old industrial streets around the cathedrals, Guinness and new distilleries
More of Dublin
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Dublin?
Trinity College and the Book of Kells. Trinity College, founded in 1592, keeps the Book of Kells, a ninth-century illuminated Gospel manuscript, at its Old Library.
+Which of these are free in Dublin?
National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology and Chester Beatty.