The 2023 Bucket List Road Trip: 4 Weeks Exploring Ireland (Full Route + Itinerary)

Day 2 (Dublin) – Trinity College, the Guinness Storehouse and so much more

We’ve an absolute peach of a day in store for you on day two of your Ireland road trip.

Grab a bit of breakfast wherever you’re staying and hit the road early.

1 – Trinity College and the Book of Kells Tour

// Grab a bit of breakfast wherever you’re staying and aim to arrive at Trinity for 9 //

Otherwise, you’ll be stood queuing outside.

The grounds of Trinity College are a joy to walk around and are arguably one of the best places in Dublin for a bit of people watching.

When you’ve had your fill of the grounds head for the entrance to the Book of Kells tour.

The highlight of which is the Long Room, which is often compared to a set from the Harry Potter movies.

There’s just something wonderful about the Long Room in Trinity College.

The smell of old books that hits you as you walk into the library, the high ceilings with their beautiful designs, the winding staircase, the dusty volumes – I love it all.

2 – The often overlooked GPO 1916 Tour

// Leave Trinity at 10:30 and arrive at the GPO for 10:45 //

The GPO 1916 tour is constantly overlooked by people that visit Dublin.

And I’m basing that on the hundreds of conversations that I have with people that are planning a trip to Ireland every month.

Walking into the tour is like stepping out onto a battlefield; from the minute the tour begins, you feel completely immersed in the action.

The exhibition puts you right inside Dublin’s GPO during Easter Week in 1916.

It’s highly visual, and conveys the events in an easy to digest, dramatic manner that’ll leave you with a totally different perspective of the General Post Office forever more.

3 – A bit of lunch on Capel Street

// Leave the GPO at 12:00 and arrive to Brother Hubbard on Capel Street at 12:10 //

As you’re in the area, I’m going to recommend that you take the short stroll up O’Connell St. and head for Brother Hubbard on Capel St. for a bit of food.

The Braised Beef Short Rib sounds amazzzzzzzing!

Fill the belly and take a little bit of time to recharge. We’ve a solid afternoon and evening ahead.

4 – Getting up close with the Vikings at Dublina

// Leave Capel St. at 13:20 and arrive to Dublina at 13:35 //

The Dublinia tour is one that has been recommended to me time and time again, both by people from Ireland and from those that visit.

Those that embark upon it will meet the Vikings face to face while learning about life during the Medieval period in Dublin.

How the folks at Dublina describe the tour:

‘Go back to Viking times in Dublin! See for yourself what life was like onboard a Viking warship. Learn of their long and challenging voyages, their weaponry and the skills of being a Viking warrior.

Try on Viking clothes, become a slave (watch those heavy chains) and stroll down a noisy street. Visit a smokey and cramped Viking house, learn the Viking runic alphabet and hear their poetry and sagas. Enjoy the myths and learn of the mysteries surrounding the Vikings and their legacy.’

Find out more about the tour here.

5 – The Guinness Storehouse

// The Dublina Tour takes around 90 minutes. Finish up there at around 15:10 and take the 15-minute walk to the Guinness Storehouse. //

I left the Guinness Storehouse out of a previous 2-day Dublin guide, and I received a tonne of mails (and I mean a tonne) saying that it’s well worth doing.

So, here we are.

Your journey at the Guinness Storehouse kicks-off at the bottom of the world’s largest pint glass and continues right the way up through seven floors that are packed to the brim with interactive experiences.

When you reach the top, you’ll be rewarded with a pint in the rooftop Gravity Bar, which you can enjoy as you look out over Dublin.

6 – Food and bed

When you finish up in the storehouse, head for a bite to eat (see the restaurant section in day 1 for recommendations) and then head back to the room to chill and sleep.

We’ve an active day on the cards for day 3 – in other words, you’ll be f****d if you’re hungover!

If you’re looking to pick up souvenirs from your time in Dublin, you can nip into Carrolls (you’ll find them everywhere… literally).

If you’re looking to pick up a bottle of whiskey – don’t. There’s no point lugging around a heavy bottle for the rest of your trip.

Just grab it duty-free in Dublin Airport before you fly home.