A Weekend in Ireland, Off the Beaten Path
Two days pairs one offbeat Dublin city day with Howth, the only trip in this whole gateway family that asks for zero advance planning. Everything past this length starts adding the odder day trips, Glendalough’s pint-shaped lake, Newgrange’s solstice lottery, Belfast’s currency switch, one at a time.
Book these before you go:
- Kilmainham Gaol tickets: online only via heritageireland.ie , released 28 days ahead at midnight and gone within minutes, book this the second your dates are fixed
- Book of Kells and Trinity College tickets : timed entry, summer mornings sell out weeks ahead
- Your Dublin hotel : compare city center rates before you land
| Day | Focus | Travel time from Dublin |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dublin city, the odd-facts version | City center |
| 2 | Howth: cliff loop and fined-for-feeding seals | 30-35 min by DART |
Day 1: Dublin city, the odd-facts version
Book Kilmainham Gaol the moment your dates are set, it’s the cheapest major ticket in the city and, despite that, the single hardest to actually get. Spend the rest of the morning at Trinity College for the Book of Kells, budget about 90 minutes and get a timed slot in advance rather than risk a walk-up queue. Slip into the National Gallery of Ireland on Merrion Square afterward, free admission, a deep collection of Irish and European art, and consistently one of the emptiest major rooms in the city center. For the full city treatment, Temple Bar, Grafton Street, and everything else, see our Dublin hidden gems guide and the 2-day Dublin city itinerary ; this page only needs the city sorted enough to launch from.
Day 2: Howth, the easy win
Take the DART from Connolly, Pearse, or Tara Street, roughly 30 to 35 minutes, a train every half hour, a few euro each way or a Leap Card zone fare. Walk the Cliff Path Loop for sea views over Dublin Bay, then drop into the harbour, where a colony of grey seals has been working the fishing boats for scraps for years. Buy the seal-safe fish bits sold at the harbour fish shop instead of feeding them your own chips, doing it yourself can draw a fine reportedly up to EUR 5,000 under local bylaws. Eat at Beshoff Bros for fish and chips at half the price of a sit-down table.
Does Howth need advance planning?
No, and that’s exactly the point. No ticket, no tour bus, no backup plan required if the weather turns, the one day trip in this family you can decide to do the same morning. Everything else on the longer itineraries in this family wants a booking made days or weeks out.
Is Kilmainham Gaol worth the booking hassle on a 2 day trip?
Yes, if your dates are already fixed. It’s the cheapest major ticket in Dublin, roughly EUR 8, and the hardest to actually secure, since the 28-day release window sells out within minutes. Book it before anything else on this page, then build the rest of Day 1 around whatever slot you land.
Before you go
Buy a Leap Card for the DART to Howth, plus the Luas or bus if you need either in the city center. Pack for rain regardless of month, Dublin doesn’t run a reliably dry season. Dublin Airport has no rail or metro link in 2026, budget the Airlink 747/757 or Aircoach 700 coach into the city instead. If two days leaves you wanting the odder trips, the 3-day plan adds Glendalough and its pint-shaped lake next.