9 Cool Things to Do in Dublin for Tourists

September, 2018

Cool places in Dublin aren’t in short supply. And there’s more to the city than the Guinness Storehouse and Dublin Castle. Ireland’s capital is packed full of day trips. Sightseeing by car is a whole lot easier too. So, where exactly can you visit?

That’s where Holiday Autos comes in. Using our extensive sightseeing knowledge, we’ve compiled a list of the best cool things to do in Dublin. Read on as we look at 9 cool things within a short drive from the city centre.

1. Dublin Zoo

With over 400 animals across 28 hectares of gardens and lakes, Dublin Zoo is the perfect way to spend a day in the Irish capital. It’s split into different areas like the African Plains, Fringes of the Arctic and World of Primates, with everything from leopards and tigers to turtles, sea lions and lizards.

The zoo also has three rare, endangered species – Rodrigues fruit bats, Golden lion tamarins and Moluccan cockatoos. It’s located just 4 kilometres from the bustling centre, with plenty of parking on site.

2. Aviva Stadium

Sports fans will have a ball at the Aviva Stadium. The stadium holds 51,700, making it the third largest in Ireland and the nation’s only UEFA elite stadium – with a four-star rating.

Home to the Irish National Rugby Team and National Football Team, it was originally built back in 2010 on the site of the old Lansdowne Road stadium. Visitors can see its architectural beauty in person on a guided tour – or even by attending a rugby or football match.

3. Bray

Just an hour away from Dublin is the beautiful seaside town of Bray – known as the Gateway to the Garden of Ireland. On a visit to Bray, you can embark on the scenic Bray Head cliff walk. The spectacular coastal path is well maintained, taking you all the way to Greystones and back with amazing views of the Irish Sea and Wicklow mountains.

Bray is also home to the SEA LIFE Sanctuary, which is packed full of different marine species with talks, displays and feeding demonstrations throughout the day.

Image by Giuseppe Milo, From Bray To Greystones Ireland Landscape Photography (114586483), CC BY 3.0

4. Portmarnock Beach

A short drive north of Dublin lies the beautiful beach of Portmarnock. Also known as the Velvet Strand, the beach provides ‘velvet-smooth’ sand stretching 5 kilometres up the Irish coast.

It’s also famous as the starting point of Charles Kingsford Smith’s 1930 flight from Ireland to Newfoundland – one of the first ever east-to-west transatlantic flights.

Image by Giuseppe Milo, Father And Daughter Color Street Photography Dublin Ireland (154833551), CC BY 3.0

5. National Botanic Gardens

Situated a few kilometres to the north of Dublin, the National Botanic Gardens are a must-visit for anyone that loves nature – or just wants to see something beautiful. The gardens have more than 15,000 plant species from all over the world with award-winning planted glasshouses.

Like the zoo, the National Botanic Gardens have their fair share of rare species, with over 300 endangered plants and even six that are extinct in the wild. On your visit, be sure to check out the Rose Garden, Rock Garden, pond area and Alpine Yard along with the arboretum – a section of the gardens made up exclusively of various tree species.

Image by infomatique, National Botanic Gardens - Dublin (7177723959), CC BY-SA 2.0

6. RDS Arena

The RDS Arena is a multi-purpose stadium just south of Dublin’s centre. While it’s not worth visiting on its own, it does host a wide range of events, both music and sporting. In the past, the RDS has welcomed Queen, Michael Jackson, Andrea Bocelli, Jay Z and Justin Timberlake to name just a few.

The 18,500-capacity stadium is also home to Leinster Rugby – one of Europe’s most successful teams. However, it was originally constructed to host show-jumping. And, to this date, the Dublin Horse Show is still held at the RDS each year.

If you are visiting around August, it’s well worth attending to see an array of world class equestrian exhibitions, shows and show-jumping competitions with a variety of food, music and shopping on site.

Image by cisko66, Dublino. RDS Arena - panoramio, CC BY 3.0

7. Malahide Castle and Gardens

Dublin Castle isn’t the only castle in the Irish Capital. One of the best day trips from Dublin is Malahide Castle and Gardens, just 14 kilometres to the north. Founded in 1185, the estate comprises numerous great attractions over its 260 acres.

Take a guided tour of the castle, stroll through the Talbot Botanic Gardens or take advantage of several football pitches across the site. There’s even a 9-hole par-3 golf course and 18-hole pitch-and-putt course for the golfers out there.

Image by Daniel Keating, Malahide-Castle 2, CC BY-SA 4.0

8. Golf

There’s far more to Dublin’s golf scene than the courses at Malahide Castle. Ireland accounts for a quarter of the world’s natural links courses, with over 300 golf clubs in total. Not only that, Dublin and the East Coast of Ireland has been named International Golf Destination of the Year by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators on multiple occasions.

If golf is your thing, you can choose from a plethora of top-rate golf courses across the region. From Howth and Deer Park in the East to Grange and Rathfarnham to the South, Dublin has countless courses within a few kilometres of the centre.
With a car, you’ll be able to reach all of them no problem.

9. Drogheda

Another great day trip from Dublin by car is the old town of Drogheda. Founded in the 10th century, it’s one of Ireland’s oldest settlements – located just an hour up the M1 from Dublin. Take in all the historic landmarks, like the Millmount Fort, Saint Laurence Gate and the Magdalene Tower.

To the west of Drogheda, you’ll also find Newgrange, a UNESCO World Heritage site that was built around 5,000 years ago – making it older than both Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids.

Image by Pixie, Drogheda, Ireland, CC BY-SA 3.0

Hiring a car in Dublin

With so many cool places, Dublin really does have something for everyone. Whether it’s a round of golf, day trip or even a concert at the RDS, you can see, do and experience all of it with a hired car.

Holiday Autos makes it easy to hire a car in Dublin. We do the hard work of comparing car hire for you. Our car hire experts negotiate exclusive rates with top car hire brands to bring you the best deals. You can even filter by customer rating price and car type. Search and compare car hire brands at HolidayAutos.com to get the best car hire deal today!