This Christmas, my bestie and I booked a girls’ winter trip to Dublin from London. A 3-day trip to Dublin which turned out to be the perfect getaway for Christmas.
Being in our early 30s and never having been abroad at Christmas time, we weren’t too sure how difficult it would be to navigate, whether anything would anything be open, and if we would be able to enjoy it, but we packed our woolly jumpers, gloves, scarfs and took the plunge, what’s the worst that could happen! (a million thoughts were going through my mind, but I was playing strong).
Girls winter trip to Dublin from London
We went in that strange period between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day – what the kids online have dubbed Twixmas or Dead Week. That week is usually kinda boring as the Christmas festivities come to an end and people start to prepare to head back to the office.
This trip turned out to be the perfect antidote to Christmas blues because for once it made us feel like Christmas lasted longer.
Make sure you pack for winter, jumpers, hats, scarves and gloves and proper footwear, the cold weather has a frosty bite to it in Dublin. – I wore my big boots, and big jacket and packed some good trainers to save suitcase space
Why we picked Dublin as our destination this winter
So the first thing we decided was we wanted this holiday to be downtime, a change of scenery and to be together in a nice place without blowing our budget on the travel so we could spend more on shopping. For me I also had an extra motivation a chance to explore a bit of my heritage, no I don’t mean the Guinness heritage, I mean my heritage! especially, the meaning behind my family knit pattern was quite the treat.
What is an Irish Knit pattern?
For those who don’t know Irish Knit patterns or Aran knitting patterns are a style of heavily textured Irish knitting that are often associated with clan symbols. The patterns are named after the Aran Islands, where they originated, but can be found across Ireland.
Anyway, after synchronising our schedules, we packed our bags and headed to Gatwick airport for our 10 pm flight, which was cool, because we managed to spend the day in London before we left and headed to Ireland’s capital.
What I love about Dublin
As soon as we landed, you immediately got the vibe of being in a happy city, friendly smiles and that charming Irish accent made us both smile (Btw you can check my travel itinerary). Anyway onto our next stop, the hotel; Dublin is super easy to navigate, so that was a weight off our shoulders. We booked rooms at the Academy Plaza Hotel, the perfect location in the city centre. Everything we wanted to see was within walking distance of our hotel.
The room was lovely and clean and the complimentary breakfast offered hot and cold food ranging from healthy to not-so-healthy. Oh, and there was plenty of coffee! It was a perfect way to start each morning.
Travel tip – because it was quiet the hotel staff went the extra mile and we got lots of freebies during the day, free coffee and pastries all morning.
Because we were there over Christmas week, we didn’t want to risk being stranded in the outskirts, and didn’t want to waste time catching trains and buses to the city centre every day and the staff were super helpful in giving advice.
For some travellers food is a huge part of the holiday experience but for my friend and me, not so much. It was nice to try a Full Irish Breakfast (great after a heavy night of drinking) but most of our stops were at regular chain restaurants.
Another key experience we both noted was just how friendly the Irish were. Despite being a busy city, people stopped to offer us directions without us even asking and the locals were more than happy to give us advice and were just happy to talk.
What did we do in Dublin?
Ireland is known for its charm, if I had to describe the city, I would say Charming is its perfect attribute.
The history and the stories behind the buildings are inspiring and it is one of the main reasons I would strongly suggest you choose to walk around Dublin. Additionally, there are so many hotspots where you can grab a bite to eat and a rest if needed.
Pop into Kaph for a coffee and a cake and be prepared for a bit of a queue. It is a very popular place but that popularity comes directly from how great the coffee is. The shop is on Drury Street and is one of the trendiest places in the middle of the city.
Exploring the gothic history of Dublin and homeless Jesus
On our walk to the Guinness storehouse, we walked past incredible Gothic-style churches such as the Christ Church Cathedral which has one of the most unusual statues outside of it – a thought-provoking ‘Homeless Jesus’ designed to make the passerby feel ‘uncomfortable.’
We did a little research about the Cathedral when we got back to the hotel and found out it was amongst Dublin’s oldest buildings and a place of pilgrimage for almost 1,000 years.
Something else I discovered was Dublin is a hub for creatives so you won’t be surprised to see art on the side of buildings as well as free art galleries for you to enjoy.
Exploring a new city on foot
One of my favourite things about exploring a new city on foot is discovering boutique and independent shops. We found a delightful independent bookstore – The Winding Stair – with books in the Irish language as well as colourful journals and tote bags.
Much of our trip revolved around shopping. We knew our time in Dublin was limited, so we made sure to pick out the top touristy things we wanted to do and the rest would just be us exploring the city on foot, taking the time to enjoy the history and treating ourselves to a new wardrobe.
Our three must-sees for any trip to Dublin
It may be touristy but it’s worth doing.
Guinness Storehouse
A visit to the Guinness Storehouse is a must, it’s a really unique experience and you get a free pint at the end. Regardless of whether you’re a Guinness drinker (my friend and I are) or not, the history and process of making the drink is really interesting. Seeing the process of how to make Guinness is incredible.
After we absorbed the process of how to make Guinness we were booked to see the top bar and the view from the top of the storehouse (where you have your free pint) is incredible – you can see so much of Dublin up there!
One of the best bits of advice I can give you is to make sure you book in advance, especially if you want one of the slightly more expensive experiences which include learning how to pour the perfect pint of Guinness.
Evening drinks at the rooftop bar
I’d also suggest taking the tour later in the evening. The bar at the top of the building is a really lovely place to take pictures of the city and was the only place we managed to get panoramic views of the city.
I can’t recommend the storehouse experience enough, it’s still a tourist trap but it’s exclusive to Dublin and a more unique experience than the likes of Madame Tussauds or visiting Dublin Zoo.
The rumours are true
Oh .. and by the way … the rumours are true. A pint of Guinness in Ireland tastes far better than Guinness in other countries. For that reason alone you should really consider the storehouse at the top of your places to visit whether you’re in Dublin for a day, a weekend or a week.
Rummage through the gift shop
If you’re anything like me and don’t like wasting money on gimmicky, tacky gifts from gift shops you might be sceptical about my advice. But the storehouse has lots of lovely gifts such as vintage Irish rugby shirts and Guinness tankards because the storehouse is unique to Dublin grabbing yourself a souvenir is a must.
Visiting the Temple Bar
Visiting the Temple Bar is a must for every visitor to Dublin. It’s another stop that I’m sure Dublin locals will tell you to avoid – jam-packed with tourists and expensive – but I’d suggest stopping by anyway.
It’s steeped in history and is a great photo opportunity. If you want a more authentic experience of the Temple Bar, I’d suggest going during the week and either late morning or early afternoon to avoid crowds and tourists.
We went early in the morning to grab pictures, which was lovely because all the Christmas lights were still up making it picture-perfect.
It was also very quiet at that time so we could spend as much time as we liked getting the perfect angles.
We went back in the evening to enjoy some of the live music. It was a cool experience but I can’t stress enough how much they jack up the prices. A pint of Guinness will cost you double what you’ll find at a local pub in Dublin.
We then started our mini pub crawl and headed to a sports bar nearby and grabbed a few more drinks.
It’s an iconic Dublin venue that has traditional Irish music, hosted some of the biggest musicians on the face of the planet and has welcomed the likes of David Beckham, Jamie Foxx and Dave Grohl.
Dublin Castle is a history-buffs dream
Next, we went to Dublin Castle which is in the centre of Dublin. It’s easy to get to on foot and only costs £6 per person. I’d suggest going on a guided tour of the castle, it’s only an hour long and a real treat for history buffs.
A massive fire in April 1684 destroyed much of the castle but despite the extent of the damage, parts of the medieval and Viking structures survived and can still be explored by visitors today.
Shopping in Dublin
With those three activities checked, we were able to spend the rest of our time indulging in some much-needed retail therapy and stop to have a bite to eat.
Dublin has a great mix of high-street shopping, high-end designer shops and boutiques, priced in Euros so it just seems cheaper haha. (that’s what I told myself)
We skipped the high-end brands and instead went on the hunt to find some unique jewellery to take home.
We got some journals from The Winding Stairs (which is also a restaurant) and the Creative Quarter. With so many cool independent shops and appears to be tourist-free. It’s only a stone’s throw away from Grafton Street -which makes it a worthwhile visit.
Grafton Street
Many Irish travel guides will tell you to avoid Grafton Street as it’s packed with chain stores you’ll find in any city. But for us, it was still a great area to browse and shop, ducking in and out of Urban Outfitters and Levis as well as some Irish shops.
If shopping is the main reason for your trip then definitely don’t skip over the area. I was able to pick up some new Levi’s Jeans and I found a Polaroid camera. I certainly could have bought them in England, but I was in the shopping mood and enjoyed splurging on some new things I probably wouldn’t have found the time to do back home.
If you’re looking for authentically Irish-made gifts then head to the Irish Design Shop but for those who are just looking to pick up a fridge magnet for their mother, there are plenty of those shops around.
The Aran Sweater Market is another must for anyone with Irish heritage. Though it’s debatable if the pattern clans are myths or not, you can find your family knit pattern inside here. Head to the top floor and keep an eye out as you go.
It’s worth buying something Aran ( I bought a bobble hat) the distinctive style is traditional Irish and is globally recognised.
What I wished we’d visited in Ireland
Although it probably would have been difficult to include a trip to the mountains, I wish I’d known just how close Dublin is to the mountain and the sea. So much of our trip was about shopping, but if we’d known more about the mountains we would have added a few extra days to the trip.
Amongst Dublin’s finest features is its proximity to the sea, mountains and countryside.
In fact, if you stand at the southeastern corner of Merrion Square, you can see the mountains rising in the distance.
We later found out that the city’s public transportation connects the city centre with the north, south and west by north bus and commuter train.
If you head north, you can visit the fishing village of Howth, head to the South to Glendalough for a mountain stroll or hike (something I will have to go back and do) or take a tour west to Newgrange, the ancient tomb built in 3200 BC.
I wish we had spent a day at the mountains, since rolling into my 30s, hiking and running have become a way of life and a hike up the mountain would have been perfect. But with every new discovery is another excuse to go back for another visit. So expect my next Dublin adventure to cover all the reasons you should visit Ireland if you’re an adventurer like me.
My travel itinerary
Flights LGW to DUB – book the early flight in and the late flight back.
Academy Plaza Hotel – I’d strongly suggest booking at the Academy Plaza, especially if you’re only in Dublin for a short time. Book Breakfast it’s delicious – A full Irish is a heavy breakfast and not something you’d want to eat too regularly but great if you’ve had a few drinks the night before.
Book tickets to the Guinness Store – Adult tickets during the winter season cost under £30 (that includes the pint) and were worth every penny.
Dublin Castle – Book online. Tickets are only £6. The tour is fairly short but you’ll still get to learn a lot and see some really cool stuff.
Travelling to Dublin from UK FAQs
Why should you visit Dublin
its picturesque landscapes and friendly locals. Dublin is a typical European city, it’s busy and there’s lots to do, but even for a city it still has all the charm and beauty you’d expect to see in Ireland.
What is the Homeless Jesus?
The Homeless Jesus makes you think and deliberately feel uncomfortable because it is supposed to remind you to be grateful for what you have.
Comments and Feeback
Dublin Castle is a great, quick stop – Review from a Californian
Its not a traditional castle sort of speak, it seems more like a government building/state house, but the inside was beautiful nonetheless. You can appreciate the decorations, furniture, and paintings that are scattered throughout the building. There was a room that had paintings that looked like sculptures. I needed to double check that they weren’t actually sculptures coming out of the picture frame. Shading was used immensely to give it that look. This is a great tour and its right around the corner from Christ Church and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Stop by Dublin Castle and take in some history.
TheBabesAndTheBubs (from California) – Via TripAdvisor
If you like hustle and bustle… Temple Bar – Review from a European
As usual, both Temple Bar (the street) and the Temple Bar pub were hopelessly overcrowded. The prices, as in any big city tourist area, are of course significantly higher than the rest of Ireland. Anyway, I like the atmosphere and the hustle and bustle, it was peaceful and pleasant. It’s just part of the experience to stroll through. Otherwise you haven’t been to Dublin.
Cooky21 (from Vienna) – via TripAdvisor
A super cool experience! – A review from Ohio
This self-guided tour was one of the coolest tours I’ve done. Their displays are not just boards to read. They have equipment, screens, water displays, malt fields, its really cool. It was extremely crowded but we were able to see almost everything. The rooftop bar was was too crowded so we did not go up there. We ate dinner at the restaurant and that was really good. The gift shop area has anything you could ever want. The only downside is the way down from the top floors is either stairs or waiting for 1 of 2 elevators. It can take a while to get down.