Chynna SymoneIf St. Patrick’s Day 2024 wasn’t enough for you, why not consider this perfect itinerary for a 3-day trip to Ireland?! Recently, I planned a trip to visit friends in Spain, but I found a super cheap direct route in and out of Dublin International Airport (from EWR). I capitalized on that opportunity and planned a quick Irish excursion for myself. Use my Ireland itinerary to make the most of a quick trip:Â
Ireland Itinerary Day 1 – Explore the City & Distilleries!
Flights from the US are going to get you to Ireland pretty early in the morning (I’m talking 6 am Dublin time). I highly recommend getting into the city using the Dublin Express coach buses if you find a spot close to your hotel.
BUT don’t be like me and pray that your hotel has availability for early check-in. Be better than me! Book your hotel room for the night before your flight lands so you’re not aimlessly wandering around the city until your room is ready.
Since I was awake so early (and had about 5 hours until check-in) I was able to stroll through St. Stephan’s Park. A beautiful historical park, where you can sit and read a book, have a cup of coffee, or people watch.
After finally getting into my hotel I had a reservation for later in the evening at the Teeling Whiskey Distillery, and to be totally transparent I’m not a whiskey drinker, but I’ll do anything for the experience.
The tour guide was fantastic and hilarious, and we had the chance to do the premium tasting at the end of the tour. And while I’m still not a fan of whiskey, I still think it’s a fun way to learn about Irish history and the history of distilled whiskey.
After the tour, I had dinner at an amazing restaurant called Hang Dai Chinese. It’s a small place that looks like a street car on the inside. The portion sizes work best for groups and there’s a tasting menu for only 50 euros. I did the a la carte since I was alone for this portion of the trip, but it was still a ton of food for one person!
You’ll find that there are a lot of great Asian restaurants in Dublin, so be sure to add city exploration to your Ireland itinerary and find all there is to offer!
Ireland Itinerary Day 2 – Full-Day Tour to Cliffs of Moher
As great as Dublin is I think an important part of any Ireland itinerary is to get out of the city! So I booked a tour through Viator with the group, Wild Rover Tours. This company has a lot of great tours all over Ireland, however, I did the Cliffs of Moher, Atlantic Edge Ocean, and Galway City Day tour.
I lucked out and had a really gorgeous day, and unfortunately, these tours are canceled if the weather is bad. So cross your fingers and your toes and pray for no rain!
The day starts bright and early with a meet-up time at 6 am. If you’re still operating on US time like I was then it won’t feel too exhausting. Our journey began in the city center and the tour guide Sean, who you can catch at Sean McTours, gave us a ton of information about the history of Dublin and the country as a whole.
A few hours of gorgeous green hills later we made it to the Cliffs of Moher! I’ve seen so many pictures before, but on a nice day, pictures don’t do it any justice.
I would classify the walk as intermediate since its about 20 km, but it’s not mandatory to do the entire walk! It can get muddy in certain areas so definitely don’t wear you’re favorite shoes. Be sure to pack a thick jacket and maybe rain gear because the weather can be a bit unpredictable here
The tour allows about 2.5 hours at the cliffs which sounds like a lot, but I barely had time to go through the museum in the gift shop!
After you leave the cliffs, the bus takes you to Galway City, which is a quant city about __ hours away. I had the Fish and Chips for lunch and later had some ice cream while strolling through the city.
This ice cream from Murphy’s was to die for and had such an interesting history. The cow that is comes from is called the Kerry Cow, indigenous to Ireland and from Kerry County, is considered an endangered species because farmers found their milk to be too sweet. Murphy’s found a genious idea to make ice cream out of their milk and now their populations are increasing. The ice cream flavors are super unique and delicious. I highly recommend the Irish Brown Bread and the Butterscotch.
While walking with my ice cream I came across Charlie Byrnes Bookshop. If you have space in your luggage I HIGHLY recommend stopping by here. There were so many great selections and a fantastic discounted section. I took pictures of a few covers to buy for later.
The drive back to Dublin is about 3 hours and we got back to the city around 7:30 pm. If you’re looking for something to do in Dublin a day tour either to the Cliffs of Moher or even Northern Ireland (which would check another country off of your list!) is highly recommended.
Ireland Itinerary Day 3 – Museums, Beer, and More Beer!
On your last day in Dublin take advantage of all the city has to offer and see the sights on a hop-on hop-off tour! I love doing these in new places because you pay a super low price to get all around the city. Some of the places I recommend are as follows:
- National Museum of Ireland
- Phoenix Park
- And of course Guinness Storehouse!
Since it’s the last day of your Ireland itinerary, you have to do a pub night! Or at least try out a pub tour. I can’t even recommend a good pub to try because they’re are so SO many that I’m sure you’ll have a great time at any.
Have you been to Dublin yet? What was your can’t miss spot?
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