Dublin Surprised Me (And I Think It'll Surprise You Too)
I am going to be completely honest with you: Dublin was not on my bucket list.
We booked it because American Airlines had an inexpensive flight from Philadelphia, and Dublin made a logical jumping-off point before three weeks in Italy and the Greek Isles. That was it. No Pinterest board, no years of dreaming about Irish pubs. Just a practical decision that turned into one of my favorite parts of the entire trip.
We spent two nights, which is not enough. Here is what I learned.
Getting There: Flying Premium Economy
We flew American Airlines out of Philadelphia at 6:30 PM and landed at 6:00 AM Dublin time, thirty minutes ahead of schedule. I will take it.
We had originally booked economy and upgraded to premium economy, and for an overnight transatlantic flight, the upgrade is worth considering. You get two seats per row instead of three, wider seats, bigger screens, and a slightly elevated meal service. My chicken parm was cold, which I did not love. The gin and tonics, however, were extremely generously poured. The flight attendants were not shy about the liquor, and I respected that.
I am terrible at sleeping on planes, so not much of that happened. Instead, I got through half of the second Wicked movie and then we were landing.
Dublin still issues physical passport stamps and is not yet fully on the EES system that has been causing delays at other European entry points. We walked straight through passport control without any wait, but did still have to scan our fingerprints and passport into the EES system. If that changes before your trip, build in extra time — but as of now, our Dublin arrival was refreshingly smooth.
Getting Into the City
Dublin does not have a train from the airport, which baffled me for a major European city. There is the Dublin Express bus, but after an overnight flight with zero sleep, waiting 30 to 45 minutes for the next one was not happening. We took an Uber instead.
In Dublin, Uber operates essentially as a flat-rate taxi service booked through the app. Easy, affordable, and we were at our hotel before 7:00 AM.
Where We Stayed: Aloft Dublin City
I will be straight with you — I would not stay there again. Aloft and Moxy are Marriott brands with a specific minimalist vibe: small rooms, limited amenities. I knew that going in. But Dublin hotels are expensive, and for what we paid, the experience did not quite deliver.
The bigger issue was a front desk situation that is a good reminder for any trip. The person working when we arrived was helpful — he told us we could not check in until 8:00 AM without being charged for the night before, noted our room preference for a higher floor, and told us to come back at 8:00. We came back at 8:00 to a completely different staff member who had no record of any of that conversation. We ended up on the second floor looking directly at a dumpster.
Not a catastrophe. But it is a good illustration of why I document every client's room preferences and special requests in writing before they ever arrive at a property. Verbal promises at hotel front desks disappear when shifts change.
Day One: The Guinness Deep Dive
After a nap that involved ignoring an alarm at noon and actually getting up at 1:30 with zero regrets, we headed out and accidentally ended up on a very thorough tour of the Guinness universe.
Fumbally
First stop was Fumbally, which I will probably mispronounce forever but will never forget. It is more of a bakery than a coffee shop, with a small market selling fresh eggs, bread, and cheese built right into the space. We sat at a corner table facing the window with our flat whites and focaccia and watched people walk by in the drizzle. It was exactly the kind of casual, neighborhood spot that makes a city feel approachable. I would go back immediately.
A bakery, coffee shop, and little market all in one. Flat whites, focaccia, a window seat, and rain on the glass. The perfect Dublin morning.
Guinness Storehouse
If you have been to Sazerac House in New Orleans, it feels similar — a museum-style experience dedicated to all things Guinness, working your way up through the building via escalators until you reach the top floor. The top floor is the payoff: floor-to-ceiling windows with a panoramic view of Dublin, and your included pint.
Honest take: it is crowded and overwhelming, and there were several moments where I had to actively practice patience with my fellow tourists. But the top floor view is genuinely stunning, and if you can snag a window seat, do it. I do not even like Guinness, and I had a great time. Those beers hit harder than expected on an empty stomach after no sleep, which I say as both a warning and an endorsement.
Guinness Experimental Brewery
This is the hidden gem that most people skip, and they should not. It sits essentially behind the Storehouse, and the beers here are only available at this location. We each did a tasting flight plus a food sampler and tried things I have genuinely never encountered anywhere else.
Coconut Rum Porter — dark, rich, Myers's Rum energy. My mother would have loved it.
Cola Radler — like if beer and a Coke had a baby. Strange and genuinely delicious.
Pink Wheat Sour with hibiscus, blood orange, and pomegranate — a sour wheat person's dream. I am a sour wheat person.
Oyster Stout — yes, it literally contains oysters. I was skeptical. It was not bad. Would I order a full pint? No. But it is worth trying.
The Experimental Brewery deserves its own slot on your itinerary, not just a quick add-on after the Storehouse. Budget time for both.
Roe & Co Distillery
Right across the street from the Experimental Brewery. We had to go — one of my best friends has the last name Roe, and I could not walk past it. I had a frozen Irish coffee that I am still thinking about. Brian had a whiskey flight. Both were excellent, and the service across the board was warm and genuinely friendly.
The people of Dublin, everywhere we went, were lovely. That is worth saying plainly.
End of Day One
We came back to the hotel that evening to find a bottle of Prosecco and macarons waiting for us — a gift from the hotel for our anniversary. Brian has a tree nut allergy, which meant the macarons were mine. We finished the Prosecco, watched Criminal Minds, and were asleep before 11:00 PM. Jet lag management: completely successful.
Day Two: Wandering, Shopping, and The Church
We slept until 11:30 because we needed it and had no shame about it.
Day two was slower and gave me a better feel for the city. We wandered toward Temple Bar, did some shopping, and I found a beautiful wool sweater and sheep key chains made of wool at a store I had been eyeing online. I had them shipped home rather than carry them through three more weeks in Europe
Practical Note on Shipping Home from Europe
The shop offered free shipping on orders over €100, which was great. They also let me know I would be paying 30 to 40 percent in US tariffs on arrival. I said fine and meant it — but this is worth knowing before you shop. With current tariff structures, shipping goods home from abroad comes with import duties that can add up quickly. Sometimes carrying an item home in your luggage is the smarter financial move. Know before you buy.
Temple Bar
I will be honest: Temple Bar is not for me. Think Bourbon Street in New Orleans — bar after bar, people spilling into the streets, expensive and very touristy. I understand the appeal if that is your thing. We walked through, popped into a few shops, and kept moving.
The Church
This is the recommendation I will stand behind most strongly.
The Church is exactly what it sounds like: a 300-year-old converted church with stained glass windows, an original organ, live Irish dancers, live music, and a bar where the pews used to be. It is huge, beautiful, and a genuinely memorable place to have dinner.
I desperately wanted the Sunday roast. They were sold out by 6:30 PM. I was devastated on a scale I can only describe as a nine out of ten. Brian had Irish stew. I had mussels. Both were genuinely good. But I still think about that Sunday roast.
300 years old, converted into a restaurant and bar with stained glass, live Irish dancers, live music, and a bar where the pews used to be. Book early and arrive early if you want the Sunday roast. Do not be me.
Final Thoughts on Dublin
I went in with low expectations and came out genuinely charmed.
Dublin is walkable, the people are warm, the food and drink scene is deeper than I expected, and there is more to explore than two nights allows. I left wanting to come back and actually do it justice — more of the city, more of Ireland itself.
A few things worth knowing before you go:
It is warmer than you expect, but humid. I was cold and sweating simultaneously for two full days. Pack layers and actually bring your umbrella out with you, unlike me.
Hotels are expensive. Budget accordingly or book well in advance.
Things close early on Sundays. Including, apparently, the Sunday roast.
The Guinness Experimental Brewery is the move. Most people skip it in favor of just the Storehouse. Do not skip it.
Spend more than two nights. We did not. Learn from us.
Why Work with a Travel Advisor for Dublin
Dublin is one of those cities that seems straightforward until you start planning it, and then the decisions multiply quickly. Where to stay in a city with surprisingly expensive hotels. What to pre-book and what you can leave open. How to build an itinerary around the things that actually matter to you rather than just hitting the obvious tourist stops.
Hotel selection: Dublin has a wide range of accommodation and the difference between a well-located, well-reviewed property and an overpriced disappointment is not always obvious from a booking site alone.
Pre-booking the right things: The Guinness Storehouse sells out, popular restaurants fill up fast on weekends, and knowing what to reserve in advance versus what you can leave open takes the guesswork out of planning.
Extending into Ireland: If Dublin is part of a larger Ireland trip — the Wild Atlantic Way, Galway, the Cliffs of Moher — coordinating the full itinerary is exactly the kind of planning that benefits from having someone in your corner.
My job is not to hand you a generic itinerary. It is to understand how you travel and build something that actually works for you.
Whether Dublin is your first stop on a European adventure or the whole trip itself, I would love to help you put something together. Let's talk.
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