Attractions in Dublin

Dublin is a surprisingly walkable city for a long weekend: most of the big attractions sit south of the River Liffey, within a few minutes of each other on foot, and everything else is a short bus or DART ride away. This page rounds up all 52 sights in the city – from the brewery to the cathedral, the city park to the high-security jail – with a steer on which are most worth your time and which won't cost you a cent.

The must-see highlights

The city's flagship attraction is the Guinness Storehouse, Ireland's most-visited attraction for fifteen years running, capped off with the panoramic views from the Gravity Bar (from €22). Almost as iconic is Trinity College, home to the Long Room Library and the medieval Book of Kells (exhibition from €26; the campus itself is free). Anyone keen to understand Irish history shouldn't skip Kilmainham Gaol, the prison at the centre of the 1916 Easter Rising (from €8).

For medieval Dublin, seek out the two cathedrals, St Patrick's (from €11.50) and Christ Church (from €12), plus the Viking-themed museum Dublinia (from €18). Whiskey fans head for the Jameson Distillery (from €26), while families make for Dublin Zoo inside Phoenix Park (from €17). A little further out, Malahide Castle and its gardens are well worth the trip (from €17).

Free or paid admission

Roughly half of Dublin's attractions cost nothing to visit. The big green spaces Phoenix Park and St Stephen's Green are free, as is the pub district of Temple Bar and landmarks such as The Spire and O'Connell Bridge. The state museums are free too: the permanent collection at the National Gallery of Ireland, the Chester Beatty Library inside Dublin Castle, the Natural History Museum and the National Library. Among the churches, St Audoen's and St Mary's Pro-Cathedral charge no admission.

Paid attractions mostly range between €8 and €26. If you're planning to fit in several attractions over just a few days, it's worth running the numbers on the Go City Dublin Pass – it covers more than 40 attractions, though not the Book of Kells. We've broken down the details in our Dublin Pass guide.

Tips for your visit

Most paid attractions open mid-morning and close in the late afternoon; last admission is often 45 to 60 minutes before closing, so it's worth booking timed online tickets in advance. Parks and neighbourhoods, by contrast, can be slotted in at any time – ideal for early morning or late afternoon between two bookings. For 2026, note two closures: Dublin Castle is closed to the public from 5 May to 31 December, and the Hugh Lane Gallery is undergoing renovation, expected to run until 2028.