Dublin completely stole my heart. While everyone raves about the pubs (and trust me, they’re great), this city knocked me sideways with how gorgeous it actually is. When I walked into Trinity College’s Long Room library, with its towering wooden arches and endless rows of ancient books, I literally stood there with my mouth open. No photo does this place justice.
From the blooming flower gardens at St. Stephen’s Green to the grand Georgian buildings along Merrion Square, these are the most beautiful places in Dublin that made me fall hard for Ireland’s capital. Listen, forget what you’ve heard about Dublin just being a party city. I’ve found some seriously stunning spots here that’ll make you see this place in a whole new light.
Prettiest Spots to See in Dublin
Looking to explore Dublin’s most beautiful places? From the historic charm of Trinity College to the vibrant atmosphere of Temple Bar, Dublin is packed with stunning scenery. Stroll through the lush paths of St. Stephen’s Green, marvel at the cultural richness of the National Gallery, or explore the historic halls of Dublin Castle. Discover the tranquil allure of Phoenix Park, the picturesque views from Howth Cliff Walk, or the lively vibe of Grafton Street. Whether you’re into history, art, or vibrant city life, here are 12 of Dublin’s most breathtaking spots!
1. Dalkey Beach
This isn’t your typical city beach – it’s actually a rugged rocky shoreline that’ll surprise you with how pristine it feels. Dalkey Beach sits about 20 minutes from Dublin by DART train, and honestly, most tourists have no clue it exists. The water quality here is excellent (officially rated as “Good” in 2025), and swimming is possible year-round if you can handle temperatures that range from 9-15°C.
What makes this spot special is Dalkey Island sitting just offshore – you can kayak out there if you’re feeling adventurous, or just enjoy the views from the mainland. The Vico Baths nearby have become famous after Harry Styles and Matt Damon were spotted taking dips here. I found the best photo spots are along the coastal walk toward Killiney Hill – you’ll get panoramic shots of Dublin Bay and on clear days, you can actually see Wales.
Parking is a nightmare though. Your best bet is Dalkey Train Station car park (13-minute walk away) rather than trying to squeeze into spots on Sorrento Road. The village itself is pretty posh with great cafes, so grab coffee at Cavistons Food Emporium and eat it overlooking the water. Best time to visit is weekday mornings when you’ll practically have the place to yourself.
2. Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle isn’t really a castle anymore – it’s more like a government complex with seriously impressive state rooms that’ll make you feel underdressed. The guided tours cost €12 (€10 for seniors) and honestly, they’re worth it over the self-guided option. You get to see the State Apartments with their painted ceilings and the medieval Undercroft where they found Viking remains.
The Chester Beatty Library inside is actually free and houses some of the world’s best manuscript collections. I spent way more time there than expected. What surprised me most was how active this place still is – they hold actual government functions in these rooms, so sometimes sections are closed without warning. The Dubh Linn Gardens out back are perfect for Instagram shots of the Record Tower.
Book online in advance because they only sell limited same-day tickets. Tours run 10am-4:30pm daily, but get there early since groups are capped. The castle is walking distance from Trinity College, so you can easily hit both in one morning. Fair warning – the guided tour is pretty much required if you want to understand what you’re looking at. The self-guided version leaves you guessing at a lot of the history.
3. Dublin Zoo
Dublin Zoo gets crazy busy (over 1 million visitors yearly), but it’s actually pretty well managed for such an old place. Tickets are €22.50 at the gate, but you’ll save money booking online 2+ days ahead for €19. They’re open 9:30am-6pm daily except Christmas, and you’ll want the full day – this place covers 28 hectares with over 400 animals.
The big attraction right now is Zoorassic Trail – 40+ animatronic dinosaurs that opened in March 2025 and runs through early September. It’s included in your regular admission, which is pretty sweet. The Gorilla Rainforest remains my favorite spot, especially early morning when the gorillas are most active before their afternoon naps.
African Plains is massive and feels like an actual safari. The elephants have their own mud baths and the viewing areas let you get surprisingly close. I’d skip weekends if possible – the place gets packed between 12:30-2:30pm. Parking is free but fills up fast, or you can take Dublin Bus/LUAS to Phoenix Park. Bring snacks or pack a picnic – the zoo allows outside food as long as you don’t feed the animals. The keeper talks starting at 11:15am are definitely worth timing your visit around.
- Read next: Epic Places in Ireland to Visit
4. EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum
This isn’t your typical dusty museum – EPIC is completely digital and interactive, housed in 200-year-old stone vaults at CHQ Building in the Docklands. Adult tickets are €21, and you get a green “passport” that you stamp in each of the 20 galleries. It sounds gimmicky, but it actually works really well.
The whole experience takes about 90 minutes, and your ticket is good for a return visit within 10 days, which is pretty generous. I loved how they use touchscreens, projections, and even smell to tell the stories of 10 million Irish emigrants. The section on Irish influence in America blew my mind – I had no idea how deep those connections ran.
There’s a guided tour at 1pm daily that you need to book ahead, plus audio guides in 8 languages. The museum is a 10-minute walk east from O’Connell Bridge, and the Irish Family History Centre next door can help trace your Irish roots if you’re into that. The CHQ Building has several cafes, so you can easily make this a half-day thing. Fair warning – don’t bring rolling luggage; you can move it around, but it’s awkward in the tight spaces.
- Read Next: 10 Best Airlines to Fly to Dublin
5. Iveagh Gardens
Most people walk right past Iveagh Gardens without knowing it exists, which is exactly why you should go. It’s literally Dublin’s best-kept secret – a beautiful Victorian garden hidden between Harcourt Street and St. Stephen’s Green. The Guinness family gifted this to the city in 1865, and it still feels like discovering buried treasure.
The highlight is the rustic cascade waterfall and the hidden grotto areas where you can actually sit in peace. Unlike the crowded St. Stephen’s Green, you’ll often have whole sections to yourself. The sunken lawns and formal gardens are perfectly maintained, and there are plenty of benches tucked into quiet corners.
I found this place by accident while staying at The Iveagh Garden Hotel (which has direct garden access – pretty sweet deal). It’s open daily during daylight hours and completely free. The fountains and Victorian landscaping make for great photos, but honestly, this is more about finding a moment of calm in the city center. Pack a book and claim a bench near the cascade – you’ll thank me later. Best photo tip: the morning light hitting the waterfall creates amazing shots if you’re into that sort of thing.
6. Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA)
IMMA sits in this gorgeous 17th-century Royal Hospital Kilmainham building that looks more like a palace than a hospital. The contrast between cutting-edge contemporary art and classical architecture is pretty striking. I wasn’t expecting to spend two hours here, but the exhibitions rotate regularly and the permanent collection is actually impressive.
The formal gardens are meticulously restored and way more interesting than I thought they’d be. There are medieval burial grounds on the property too, which gives the whole place this layered history vibe. The building itself was inspired by Les Invalides in Paris, so even if modern art isn’t your thing, the architecture is worth the trip.
Admission is free, which in Dublin is saying something. It’s about 3km west of the city center in Kilmainham, walking distance from Kilmainham Gaol if you’re doing a history day. The sculptures in the garden are positioned perfectly for photos with the building as backdrop. I’d recommend weekday mornings when you can appreciate both the art and the building without fighting crowds. The Hyatt Centric The Liberties nearby makes a good base for exploring this part of town.
7. Kilmainham Gaol
Kilmainham Gaol is heavy but essential if you want to understand Irish history. This Victorian-era prison is where Ireland’s revolutionary heroes were held and executed, and the guided tours really bring that history to life. The East Wing with its central skylight creates these dramatic shadows that I still remember years later.
Tours run throughout the day and cost around €9 for adults (book online to guarantee entry). The Stone Breakers’ Yard where executions took place is particularly sobering. What surprised me was how the building itself is almost beautiful – the morning light streaming through those cell windows creates haunting effects.
The small museum displays personal items from former prisoners, which makes the history feel much more real. It’s walking distance from Dublin Castle and IMMA, so you can easily hit all three in a western Dublin history tour. I’d recommend morning tours when the natural lighting in the East Wing is most dramatic. The whole experience takes about an hour, and fair warning – it’s emotionally heavy stuff. The Hyatt Centric The Liberties is perfectly positioned for this area if you’re planning to stay nearby.
- Read next: Reasons to Take an Ireland Tour
8. Merrion Square Park
Merrion Square is Georgian Dublin at its most refined – perfectly preserved townhouses with those famous colorful doors surrounding a beautiful park. The weekend outdoor art gallery along the railings is fantastic, and I’ve found some real treasures there. Local artists display their work every Saturday and Sunday, turning the whole perimeter into Dublin’s largest outdoor gallery.
The Oscar Wilde statue reclining on a rock in colorful stone clothing is pure Instagram gold. The flowerbeds change seasonally, so spring is particularly gorgeous when everything’s blooming. The mature trees provide great shade for reading or picnicking, and it’s amazing how quiet this place feels considering it’s steps from busy Grafton Street.
The Georgian architecture surrounding the square is probably the most photographed in Dublin – those colorful doors are iconic for a reason. The Merrion Hotel occupies several of these Georgian buildings if you want to stay right on the square (though it’s pricey). I found the best photos are in morning light when the sun hits those doorways just right. The park is free and open during daylight hours, and you can easily combine this with shopping on Grafton Street or visiting Trinity College.
9. Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park is massive – 1,750 acres of urban wilderness just 2-3km from the city center. The wild deer herds are the main attraction, and early morning offers your best chance to see them grazing in the misty meadows. I made cycling the miles of paths through ancient woodlands my morning ritual during my Dublin stay.
The LUAS tram connects easily to Heuston Station, so you don’t need a car. Dublin Zoo is inside the park, plus Áras an Uachtaráin (the President’s residence) and the Wellington Monument. The park has remained largely unchanged since the 1660s, which is pretty incredible for an urban space.
What I loved most was how it actually feels like countryside within the city. You can rent bikes near the main entrance or just walk the numerous trails. The deer are habituated to people but still wild, so don’t try to feed them. The Ashling Hotel near the main entrance is perfectly positioned if you want to be close to the park. Best photo opportunities are during golden hour when the deer are most active and the light is perfect for capturing both wildlife and the vast green spaces.
10. St Stephen’s Green
St. Stephen’s Green is the heart of Dublin’s shopping district – 22 acres of Victorian garden design right at the end of Grafton Street. The ornamental lake with wooden bridges is classic, and feeding the ducks is still a thing people do. The cherry blossoms in spring create this stunning pink canopy that’s worth timing a trip around.
Free lunchtime concerts at the Victorian bandstand happen regularly in summer, and I stumbled into several that were actually pretty good. The park is surrounded by luxury shopping, so it’s perfect for retail therapy breaks. The Little Museum of Dublin sits on the northern edge if you want to add some local history to your visit.
The Shelbourne Hotel overlooking the green is pure luxury if you can swing it – the literary history alone is worth the splurge. The park gets busy during lunch hours with office workers, but early mornings and late afternoons are more peaceful. The monuments scattered throughout tell Dublin’s story, and the formal gardens are meticulously maintained year-round. It’s completely free and open daily, making it probably the most accessible beautiful spot in Dublin. The people-watching from the benches is top-notch, especially during shopping hours on Grafton Street.
11. St. Patrick’s Cathedral
St. Patrick’s Cathedral is Ireland’s largest church and dates back to 1191, so you’re looking at serious history here. The Gothic architecture is impressive, but what got me was the soaring interior with those breathtaking stained glass windows that create colored light patterns on the ancient stone.
Jonathan Swift (yeah, the Gulliver’s Travels guy) was dean here, and his self-written epitaph is pretty witty. The cathedral choir performs daily, and hearing that music in a medieval space is otherworldly. Adult admission is around €8, and guided tours provide way more context than just wandering around on your own.
I’d recommend early weekday mornings when the eastern light creates the best effects through those stained glass windows. The medieval choir stalls and Lady Chapel are particularly beautiful for photos. It’s in the Liberties district about 1km southwest of city center, walking distance from Dublin Castle. The Hyatt Centric The Liberties nearby offers modern accommodation with cathedral views, which is a nice contrast to all that medieval architecture. The cathedral is still very much active, so sometimes they’ll have services or events that might limit access.
- Read Next: 14 Best Day Trips From Dublin
12. The Guinness Storehouse
The Guinness Storehouse is touristy as hell, but it’s actually pretty well done. The building is shaped like a giant pint glass (seriously), and the seven-floor experience covers everything from barley to brewing. Adult tickets are around €25-30 depending on when you book, and yes, you’ll save money booking online in advance.
The whole thing culminates at the Gravity Bar on the 7th floor with 360-degree views of Dublin – and you get a free pint that you hopefully learned to pour properly downstairs. The interactive exhibits engage all your senses, which sounds cheesy but works better than expected. You can touch barley, smell hops, and witness the actual brewing process.
Time your visit for late afternoon so you experience both daylight and sunset views from the Gravity Bar. The experience takes 2-3 hours if you really explore everything. It’s in St. James’s Gate, about 2km west of city center, and easily walkable from Dublin Castle or Kilmainham. Aloft Dublin City in the Liberties district is perfectly positioned nearby. Fair warning – this gets absolutely packed during summer and weekends, so early weekday visits are much more pleasant.
- Read Next: 5 Most Reliable SIM Cards for Ireland
