Dublin 3-day itinerary

Start at Trinity College to see the Book of Kells and the magnificent Long Room library (€18 combined). The 9th-century illuminated manuscript is mesmerising up close. Walk through Front Square, then head to Merrion Square — Georgian townhouses with iconic colourful doors, the Oscar Wilde statue, and the free National Gallery of Ireland with its Caravaggio and Jack B. Yeats collection.

Explore Dublin Castle's State Apartments (€8) — the heart of British rule for 700 years. Next door, the Chester Beatty Library (free) houses one of the finest collections of manuscripts, miniature paintings, and early texts from across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Lunch at Fade Street Social or grab a toastie at Grogan's pub on South William Street.

Wander Temple Bar's cobbled lanes — skip the overpriced pubs on Temple Bar Street itself and head to The Porterhouse for craft beers brewed on-site (pints from €5.50). For proper trad music, cross the river to The Cobblestone in Smithfield — sessions every night, no cover charge, and a crowd of locals who actually play. Dinner at Leo Burdock's for legendary fish and chips (€12).

Take the Luas Red Line or walk through the Liberties to the Guinness Storehouse (€26 online). Seven floors tracing the history of Ireland's most famous export, ending at the Gravity Bar — a 360-degree glass-walled bar at the top where your ticket includes a perfectly poured pint with panoramic city views. Learn to pull your own pint at the Guinness Academy (included).

Walk 15 minutes to Kilmainham Gaol (€8, must pre-book). The guided tour through the prison where leaders of the 1916 Rising were executed is one of the most powerful historical experiences in Ireland. The execution yard is haunting. Afterward, visit the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) next door — free, set in the beautiful Royal Hospital Kilmainham.

Head to Camden Street and Wexford Street — Dublin's best stretch for young locals. Start with tacos at 777 or ramen at Neon, then pub-crawl from Whelan's (live music venue) to The Bernard Shaw's outdoor area, Devitt's for trad, and Cassidy's for late-night pints. If you want cocktails, try Vintage Cocktail Club on Crown Alley — speakeasy style, ring the doorbell.

Take the DART train from Connolly or Tara Street station to Howth (30 minutes, €3.60 with Leap Card). Walk the Howth Cliff Path — a stunning 6km loop along dramatic sea cliffs with views of Ireland's Eye island and the Dublin Mountains. Seals bask on the rocks below, and wildflowers line the trail in summer. The harbour village has colourful fishing boats and fresh seafood stalls.

Lunch at the Howth Market on the pier — fresh seafood chowder (€7), fish and chips, oysters, and smoked salmon. Or splurge at Octopussy's on the harbour (crab claws €14). Take the DART back and hop off at Pearse Station for a wander through the Creative Quarter — Drury Street, George's Street Arcade (Dublin's oldest covered market), and the indie shops of Cow's Lane.

End your Dublin trip properly. Start with a pint at Mulligan's on Poolbeg Street — unchanged since 1782, serving the best Guinness in Dublin (locals will fight you on this). Walk to O'Donoghue's on Merrion Row where The Dubliners started their sessions. Finish at Toner's on Baggot Street — a pub so old it was originally a grocery shop. Order a toastie with your last pint.