4 Hours in Dublin: Where, What & When?
Updated: Aug 23, 2023
So your flight is delayed and you've 4 hours to kill before your connection?
No problem!
Here's my guide to a whistle stop tour of Dublin and the surrounding areas which will shake you from your jet-lag, whet your whistle and emerge you in the famous Irish hospitality and craic - no not that kind of craic!
Luggage Storage
First and foremost; luggage!
I strongly suggest you avoid dragging your bags around the cobbled streets of dublin, it won't be fun.
Luckily Dublin Airport has you covered. It costs €7 for 4 hours of storage at one of Dublin Airports luggage drop offs. Or for a longer stay, it'll cost you €12.50 for up to 24 hours of storage. You can find all the info here.
Alternatively, Nannybag costs €6 for up to 24 hours of storage. With Nannybag, businesses and hotels can sign up to store luggage, so you can find countless convenient places to drop off your luggage for a few hours in the city. Each place has reviews and ratings, and the payment covers insurance, so you know that your luggage will be safe. All the info is here.
Getting to the City
Dublin Airport is located approximately 30 minutes north of the city and will cost you €35 in a taxi cab which are in plentiful supply directly outside the arrivals terminal.
Alternatively you can hop on a bus and you'll be in the city within 40 minutes.
Routes 782 and 784 operate between the city centre and Dublin Airport.
782 includes stops between Georges Quay and Custom House Quay via Heuston Train Station while 784 has stops between Harcourt Luas Stop (the Dublin Tram Line) and the 3Arena.
I recommend you pre-book your tickets in advance although you can also buy at the terminal bus stops too. Tickets can also be bought onboard from the driver using a bank card, Apple or Goggle pay. Cash is not accepted.
For something a little less stressful however, I can arrange a private transfer for you and your luggage between the airport and your hotel. You can find details of this here.
Guinness Storehouse
What better way to immerse yourself in Irish culture than with a creamy pint of the black stuff!
The Guinness Storehouse is both a brewery and a museum so technically it's educational. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!
You can purchase your tickets online from here and I strongly recommend you book in advance.
Here you'll be taught to pour your own pint, in the style of the world famous two-part-pour. You'll also get a glimpse of how Guinness is made, while taking in a panoramic view of Dublin from the rooftop Gravity Bar.
You can even have your face printed an a pint of Guinness. Magical!
"My favorite food from my homeland is Guinness. My second choice in Guinness. My third choice - would have to be Guinness. - Peter O'Toole
Trinity College & Long Room
Build between 1712 and 1732 and measuring nearly 65 meters in length, the Long Room at Trinity College is filled with over 200,000 of the oldest books in the world.
Trinity College is a must see for any history lovers.
Movies like Star Wars & Harry Potter modelled their film sets on the Long Room - although they are loathed to admit it!
While you're her, you should also check out the Book of Kells — an illuminated manuscript and Celtic Gospel book written in Latin dating back to the 9th Century. It's a beautiful thing and needs to be seen to be appreciated.
I'm a graduate of Trinity College and so hold a lot of Grá (Irish word for 'love') for this place.
The Viking Splash
Sometimes you just want to feel silly and have a laugh - this is a perfect solution for that.
Voted as one of Dublin's best tours, the Viking Splash brings guests on a land & water based journey through Dublin in a WW2 amphibious vehicle. Yes you read that right - amphibious!
With a viking hat on your head, you'll experience the architecture of Dublin cathedral's as well as Georgian Dublin before splashing your way into the Grand Canal basin for a short cruise which takes in the iconic U2 recording studios.
This one of fun for all the family.
Dublin Castle
The history of Dublin Castle stretches back to the Viking Age and the castle itself was built in the thirteenth century. The building served as a military fortress, a prison, a treasury and courts of law. For 700 years, from 1204 until independence, it was the seat of English (and then British) rule in Ireland.
Tickets cost between €8-12, with discounts for seniors and can be booked here.
The castle is open to visitors daily from 9:45am-5:45pm and the tours take an hour. If you're tight for time, you can skip the tour, and just immerse yourself in the beautiful Dubh Linn Garden, and still have a great time.
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