Rainy day · Dublin · Ireland
8 things to do in Dublin when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: William Murphy, CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick answer
Start with Trinity College and the Book of Kells, Guinness Storehouse and Kilmainham Gaol. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 11–14 hours across 6 areas; 3 are free. January is usually the wettest month, with about 13 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 3
- Time to see them all
- 11–14 hours
- Areas
- Trinity College, The Liberties and Kilmainham
Dublin on a rainy day
Museum · Trinity College
1.Trinity College and the Book of Kells
The cobbled campus itself is free to walk through; come early or late in the day, when Front Square is quiet.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · The Liberties
2.Guinness Storehouse
Take the first slot of the morning to reach the Gravity Bar before it fills, and try pouring your own pint at the Guinness Academy.
- Time needed
- 2–2.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Views
- Rainy day
- Food
Historic site · Kilmainham
3.Kilmainham Gaol
Combine it with the Irish Museum of Modern Art in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, about a 10-minute walk away.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Iconic
- Rainy day
Museum · Kildare Street
4.National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology
Combine it with the National Gallery and Merrion Square, all within a five-minute walk.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Gallery · Georgian Quarter
5.National Gallery of Ireland
Use the Clare Street entrance into the glass-roofed Millennium Wing, where the café makes a good rainy-day break.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · Dublin Castle
6.Chester Beatty
Pair it with the Dublin Castle State Apartments, a few steps away across the castle gardens.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
- History
Palace · Dublin Castle
7.Dublin Castle
Take the guided tour if you want to see the underground medieval and Viking remains; self-guided entry covers the State Apartments only.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Religious site · The Liberties
8.St Patrick's Cathedral
Visit Marsh's Library next door, an 18th-century public library with its original dark-oak bookcases and wire-caged reading alcoves.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Trinity College | Trinity College and the Book of Kells | 1–1.5 hours |
| The Liberties | Guinness Storehouse and St Patrick's Cathedral | 2–2.5 hours + 1 hour |
| Kilmainham | Kilmainham Gaol | 1.5 hours |
| Kildare Street | National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology | 1.5–2 hours |
| Georgian Quarter | National Gallery of Ireland | 1.5–2 hours |
| Dublin Castle | Chester Beatty and Dublin Castle | 1–1.5 hours + 1–1.5 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 3 free, 3 low cost, 2 mid-priced. Book ahead for Trinity College and the Book of Kells, Guinness Storehouse and Kilmainham Gaol. The longest visit is Guinness Storehouse; 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.
- Guinness Storehouse: Timed tickets are cheaper online and sell out at weekends and in summer.
- 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 and The Liberties): Trinity College and the Book of Kells → Guinness Storehouse → St Patrick's Cathedral, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Kilmainham and Kildare Street): Kilmainham Gaol → National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Georgian Quarter and Dublin Castle): National Gallery of Ireland → Chester Beatty → Dublin Castle, at least 4 hours.
The wettest months
- 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.
- December: highs of 8°C (46°F), about 13 rainy days, moderate crowds. Festive lights, Christmas markets and busy pubs; many restaurants and attractions close for a few days around 25–26 December.
- October: highs of 14°C (57°F), about 12 rainy days, moderate crowds. Autumn colour in Phoenix Park and Halloween events, a festival with roots in the Celtic Samhain.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Temple Bar — Cobbled lanes of pubs, live music and late-night crowds by the Liffey
- Grafton Street and St Stephen's Green — Pedestrian shopping, buskers and the city's central park
- Georgian Quarter — Merrion Square, Fitzwilliam Square and rows of coloured Georgian doors
- 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, National Gallery of Ireland and Chester Beatty.