The best things to do in Dublin in 2025

What is it? James Joyce may have stolen the spotlight for years with his annual Bloomsday celebration, but the hottest new (ish) literary festival in town is Oscariana. Now in its third year, this festival is held every October around the birthday of Oscar Wilde, but this year, it’ll also mark the 125th anniversary of his death. 

Why go? The main festival HQ is in Oscar Wilde House, his fancy pants childhood home that overlooks Merrion Square (with a direct view of the flamboyant Oscar Wilde statue, too). In the house, there’ll be plays performed in the living room, intimate gigs in the salon and fairytale readings in his nursery. And around the city, there are movie screenings in cinemas like the lush art deco Stella Theatre.   

Time Out tip: Oscar Wilde House is open for tours throughout the year, but only at the weekends during term time (it’s home to an American college). If you can, book a guided tour – the experts know all the best scandals about Wilde, and don’t sugarcoat the story. 

Address: Events centred at Oscar Wilde House, 1 Merrion Square North, Dublin 2, D02 NH98 – but you’ll find activities across the city

Opening hours: October 16-19, 2025

Price: Most events free. Ticketed events range from €9-€25

What is it? A part-brewery, part-museum in Dublin showcasing everything you need to know about the city’s most famous drink.

Why go? In 1759 Arthur Guinness signed a lease for the St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin and started to brew. More than 250 years later, Dublin is still synonymous with the Guinness brand. Pay a visit to the Storehouse (open seven days a week) to learn about the brand’s history, then finish off your tour with a pint at the seventh-floor Gravity Bar, which offers excellent views over the city.

Time Out tip: There’s no avoiding the crowds, but to minimise the queueing try to book a morning slot – who says Guinness can’t be for breakfast? 

Address: St James’s Gate, D08 VF8H Dublin

Opening hours: Daily 9am-7pm, last entry 6.45pm

Price: Adults from €26, children 5-17 €10, under-4s free, family from €62

What is it? An imposing former jail on the outskirts of the city centre, where you’ll get a haunting insight into some of the most pivotal moments in Irish history. You’ll get a feel for the conditions in which prisoners lived – and died – and you’ll also see the role the prison played in the Easter Rising.  

Why go? It’s a valuable history lesson, sure, but Kilmainham is also a great area to explore. The Irish Museum of Modern Art is a ten minute walk away, with grounds that are perfect for an amble on a sunny day, and if you fancy something to eat, you can pop into neighbourhood favourite Storyboard.

Time Out tip: Be sure to book in advance, and tour slots regularly sell out, particularly on summer weekends.

Address: Inchicore Road, Kilmainham, D08 T2X5 Dublin

Opening hours: Daily 9am-5.15pm, museum open 10.30am-5.15pm in winter and 10.30am-5.45pm in spring and summer

Price: Adults €8, seniors €6, students €4, children 12-17 €4, under-12s free, family €20

What is it? One of the largest enclosed city parks in Europe, this behemoth of a park brings a taste of the Irish countryside into the middle of the city. If you want a long, rambling walk, a spot for a sunny picnic or a jogging route through the forest, this is where to go. Oh, and keep a look out for the antique lampposts lining the main avenue – these gas lamps are some of the last of their kind, still maintained by the same family who have lit them since 1890.  

Why go? A popular haunt of locals with dogs, Phoenix Park is home to both a herd of deer and the Irish president, who lives at Áras an Uachtaráin. If you’re a big animal fan, you can also visit Dublin’s zoo while you’re here, and the quaint Victorian tea rooms are a lovely spot for a pot of tea and slice of cake. 

Time Out tip: Rent bikes from the stall at the main entrance, and you can zip around the park and see far more than you would on foot.

Address: Phoenix Park, Dublin 8, Republic of Ireland

Opening hours: Daily 24 hours

Price: Free 

What is it? On the city’s northside, Glasnevin Cemetery is the final resting place of some of Ireland’s most influential people, including some celebrities and many who played major roles in the East Rising and the War of Independence. 

Why go? Book a tour with a guide and you’ll learn about Luke Kelly, Brendan Behan, Micheal Collins and Éamon de Valera, plus you’ll get some cool (and gruesome) tidbits about the ghoulish side of the city. They also do themed options, like the Women in History tour that tells you all about Ireland’s badass women over the years. Oh, and the Gravediggers pub beside the cemetery pours one of the best pints of Guinness in Dublin.

Time Out tip: There’s a secret (ish) entrance to the neighbouring National Botanic Gardens, up in the northeastern part of the cemetery.

Address: Finglas Road, Glasnevin, D11 XA32 Dublin

Opening hours: Cemetery daily 9am-5pm, Visitor Centre and café daily 10am-5pm

Price: Cemetery free, museum €8, tours €13, O’Connell Tower €10

What is it? A tiny old library in the shadows of St Patrick’s Cathedral, where many Irish literary greats once studied – think Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker and James Joyce. In fact, they may have even been locked up in the reading cages at the back of the room, designed to ensure rare books didn’t go walkabout. 

Why go? While a lot of people (rightfully) flock to the Long Room in Trinity College, Marsh’s Library gets a fraction of the footfall. And yes, it’s not as big, but it’s every bit as charming, with creaky old bookshelves groaning under the weight of thick leatherbound books. Head to the back, and you can see the books with bulletholes in their spines, the result of stray gunfire in the Easter Rising. Oh, and you should also ask the librarian on duty about the resident ghost. 

Time Out Tip: There’s a lovely little garden that’s only accessible for visitors, so spend a little time there once you leave. 

Address: St Patrick’s Close, D08 FK79 Dublin

Opening hours: Tuesday-Friday 9.30am-5pm, Saturday 10am-5pm, closed Sundays

Price: Adults €7, students and seniors €4, under-18s free

What is it? A household name in south Dublin since the 1950s, Teddy’s has been serving ice cream in the coastal suburb of Dún Laoghaire for generations. This isn’t the place to go if you fancy an artisanal blood orange sorbet or a sea salt gelato – there’s only one order of business and that’s a good old fashioned, nostalgic 99. 

Why go? Eat at Teddy’s, and you’ll be an honorary Dubliner, if only for a few minutes. Order said 99 (with a chocolate flake, obviously) and join the crowds walking along the pier – there’s even another stand at the end, so you can get a second cone for the walk back. On weekends, stroll to nearby People’s Park and enjoy the local food market.

Time Out tip: If you’re walking to the end of the pier, know that no walk is complete until you tap the lighthouse at the end.

Address: 1A Windsor Terrace, Dún Laoghaire, Dublin

Opening hours: Daily from around 10am until sunset

Price: Cones and tubs from €3, specials from €6.50

What is it? The Museum of Literature Ireland (or MoLI) is set in a gorgeous building on the edge of St. Stephen’s Green (on the original site of University College Dublin). Today, the space honours former students-turned-literary prodigies – like James Joyce, Flann O’Brien and Maeve Binchy – through interactive exhibits spread across several floors.

Why go? You never quite know what you’re going to get – there could be an exhibition on Irish romance novels, spanning everything from Marian Keyes to Sally Rooney, or a film installation about Oscar Wilde’s De Profundis, which he wrote while imprisoned. Plus, the gardens out the back are a little slice of heaven if you want to sit under a tree and read for a while. 

Time Out tip: If you’re in town on the first Friday of the month, book a ticket to their free evening event First Fridays, with live readings, music and drinks.

Address: 86 St Stephen’s Green, D02 XY43 Dublin

Opening hours: Daily 10.30am-5.30pm, last admission 4.30pm

Price: Adults €14.50, children/students/seniors €12, family €32, under-3s free

What is it? You can’t come to Dublin without hearing a bit of live music – and one of the magic things about Dublin is that you might stumble across it at any given bar. 

Why go? And while there’s loads to be found in Temple Bar, it’s best to avoid the tourist traps and head to a pub where a session is taken seriously. Try the Cobblestone up in Smithfield, a Dublin institution with music every night of the week, or the more casual O’Donoghue’s in the city centre, where there’s also a beer garden at the side if you need a breather. 

Time Out tip: If you’re standing close to the musicians in a trad session, keep yourself quiet – chatter won’t be appreciated. 

Cobblestone address: 77 King Street North, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 TP22

O’Donoghue’s address: 15 Merrion Row, Dublin 2

Price: Free to watch, but you’ll have to buy a drink – and make sure to give a donation if there’s a pot

What is it? A Georgian townhouse overlooking the beautiful St. Stephen’s Green, this quirky (and freshly renovated) museum offers a whistlestop tour through Irish history, skipping over the boring bits. Informative, entertaining guides and engaging exhibitions (including one charting the story of U2) make this a must-see. The main museum re-opened in June 2025 following refurbishment. 

Why go? You’ll get an inside scoop into the idiosyncrasies of Irish life, like the kids TV show puppets Podge and Rodge, but you’ll also have time after the tour to wander around at your own speed. And after a big refurbishment, the building is now wheelchair accessible. 

Time Out tip: Keep an eye out for the adults-only evening tours, where the guides spill some of Dublin’s naughtier secrets.

Address: 15 St Stephen’s Green, D02 Y066 Dublin

Opening hours: Daily 9.30am-5pm, last entry 4.30pm

Price: Adults €18, seniors and students €16, family €45