Dublin is a surprisingly enchanting European city that claims the hearts and charms many who go there to visit. Its one of the best places to backpack since its safe, has a good traveler trail, and is a lively city. Dublin is one of the most expensive cities in Europe however you can enjoy Dublin and the rest of Ireland by car along some of its wonderful beaches and rolling green hills. There is plenty to do in and around Dublin whether youre chasing all of the popular tourist destinations or simply looking to relax and enjoy some time off work across the hundreds of pubs across the city.
The most popular destination for tourists in Ireland is the Guinness Storehouse at the original site where the famous dark beer was born. You wont see the actual beer being brewed since theyve moved all of the manufacturing to other factories on the site but its still an interesting time that concludes with a free pint of Guinness and a look over Dublin at the 360 bar. Youll save on the price of admission and get to cut ahead of the lines at the Guinness Storehouse if you purchase your tickets in advance online. Remember when youre on the tour to keep your ticket stub you cant get your free beer without it.
A lesser know attraction within Dublin is the Dublinia Viking World, a museum thats dedicated to the history of Dublins original founders, the Scandinavian Vikings. The cost of entry is one of the cheaper ones when rating Dublins popular tourist attractions, and aside from containing interest exhibits its great for kids. The displays are entertaining and informative and the upper level is very hands-on, something that will keep your little ones entertained and occupied while you learn a bit more about Dublins viking heritage.
guinness storehouse christ church cathedral
You can also swing by the Christ Church Cathedral, which is near both the Guinness Storehouse and right across the street from Dublinia. The tickets can be purchased at a discount from Dublinia and if youre a student you can take some more off the final price at that. The Church is the oldest in Dublin but not quite impressive enough to warrant the cost of admission. The Christ Church Cathedral is a great photo opportunity though from the outside and its absolutely free to take pictures from the exterior or wander around the garden outside. The church is closed for religious functions most every day so allow for an hour or two in your plans in case you need to wait around for it to open up again to the public.
Two other free things to do in Dublin are visit the campus of Trinity College, which is free to stroll around. You can even enjoy some of the free exhibits inside put on by students. The other art shows and student projects that do have an admission fee arent very expensive at all and you can really spend a lot of time without hurting your travel budget too much. From there you could do check out Kilmainham Gaol, an old prison where prisoners were set to die or have a pint or three at the famous Temple Bar on Temple Lane, a very popular and lively downtown district.