How to Spend a 7 Hour Layover in Dublin

If you’re stuck in Dublin on a layover for 7 hours, you might think you have to battle through the boredom and keep yourself entertained in the airport. But fear not! 7 hours is more than enough time to discover all the best that Dublin has to offer. This guide will take you through some top tips for making the best of your layover and how you should spend your time in Dublin. Time to make layovers much more fun, you might as well explore a new city if you’re stuck there anyway!

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Tips for a Layover in Dublin

Luggage Storage

Take it from someone who learned the hard way – you need to store your luggage on a layover in Dublin! As beautiful as Dublin was, lugging a cabin suitcase around the cobbled streets for several hours put a dampener on the day, especially as it was raining. By using Nannybag, you can store your luggage and be free to properly explore for as little as €6.

With Nannybag, businesses and hotels can sign up to store luggage, so you can find countless convenient places to drop off your luggage for a few hours in the city. Each place has reviews and ratings, and the payment covers insurance, so you know that your luggage will be safe.

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Bring a Portable Charger

This is probably my number one tip for a layover in Dublin – you will need a portable charger. This is going to be a long day, and you will likely be relying on your phone to navigate you round the city and store some important travel documents. My boarding pass for my next flight was on my phone, so running out of battery was no option. Invest in a reliable portable charger to get you through the day. However, it doesn’t need to be expensive – mine only cost £10.

Returning to the Airport

Make sure you leave plenty of time to get back to the airport. So many things could go wrong with the transport back, and as luck always works, things will probably go wrong if you try to cut it fine. There are many more things that I could have done during my layover in Dublin but I decided to be safe and head back to the airport 3 hours before my flight.

What’s especially important about Dublin, is that you need to wave down the airport bus like there is no tomorrow, especially on busy streets. If there is a tour bus blocking the way, the Airlink drivers will often head straight past the stop unless they can clearly see that you want to board. This happened to me with the first bus that went past and I had to wait an extra fifteen minutes.

Transport around Dublin

If you are only in Dublin for a short amount of time and are sticking to the city centre, it is easiest to walk everywhere. That being said, the city has a very well-connected public transport system. Dublin Bus is the best way to get around. There are trams and trains available but they are more useful to get to the outskirts of the city and the suburbs. You can find all the information you need about getting around by bus on the Dublin Bus website.

Getting from Dublin Airport to Dublin City Centre

Airlink – Direct Bus

The Dublin Airlink is by far the most convenient way to get between the airport and the city, especially if you have limited time on a layover in Dublin. There are two routes, the 747 and the 757. Both go into the city centre, but I would recommend the 747 as it runs more frequently.

You can buy tickets online (€1 discount for booking this way), at the self-service machines or from vendors at the Airport bus stop, or from the bus driver on the bus itself. Normally, the quickest way to buy is from the self-service machines, but note that they are only available outside T1. If you fly into T2 you will need to buy from the bus driver.

A return ticket costs €12, and a single costs €7. If you buy your ticket beforehand, you should scan it on the machine as you board the bus. You can also choose to purchase a combined Airlink and hop-on hop-off bus ticket, which is valid for 48 hours and costs around €30.

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On the Airlink, it takes around 40 minutes to get from the airport to the city centre. At busy times, the journey can take a bit longer so keep this in mind in accordance with your flight times. Buses depart every 10-15 minutes, from around 5 am-midnight. See the detailed timetables here. There are several stops in the centre of Dublin, but for this itinerary, I’d recommend that you get off at Aston Quay. I got back on in this area as well, and the stop is across the River Liffey on Bachelors Walk.

Dublin Bus – Public Bus

If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option, you can take the public bus into the city. However, this takes around an hour and is more affected by traffic, which can take up precious time in the city and is not great if you have a short amount of time on your layover in Dublin. A ticket costs €3,30 each way based on the fare calculator from DublinBus. The best bus route to take is the 16, and you can find more information and timetables on the Dublin Bus website.

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What to Do on a Layover in Dublin

Explore Temple Bar

Temple Bar is the name of arguably the most famous pub in Dublin, but it’s also the name of a whole area of the city, that is known for its nightlife as well as its cute, cobbled streets. Getting off the bus at Aston Quay will drop you right in Temple Bar ready to explore.

Ha’penny Bridge

The first thing you’ll see is the Ha’penny bridge, which crosses the River Liffey. This bridge has been around since the 1800s, and although it has naturally undergone some renovations since then, it still keeps its original colour and some components. You can cross the Ha’penny Bridge and then come back across the Millennium Bridge which, as the name suggests, was built to commemorate the new millennium in 2000.

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Brick Alley Cafe

Now head into the cute streets of Temple Bar for some food. Of course, this depends on what time you arrive in Dublin. I was there in the morning so I headed for some breakfast at the Brick Alley Cafe. I enjoyed some lovely pancakes with bacon. If you fancy something more traditional, they offer a full Irish breakfast, as well as many other options. This is the perfect spot to enjoy a traditional breakfast in the heart of Temple Bar.

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Brick Alley Cafe is open from 9 am daily (10 am on Sun) until the evening. The closing time varies depending on the day of the week but is between 10 pm and midnight. It is located at 25 Essex St E, Temple Bar, Dublin, D02 W560, Ireland. You can expect to pay around €8-9 for breakfast and a few euros for coffee. Dublin is an expensive city, so this is a pretty good price for the Temple Bar area.

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The Temple Bar

If you arrive into Dublin a little later, then head just next door to the iconic The Temple Bar for some gourmet sandwiches and Guinness or Irish Whiskey. If you’re feeling adventurous, they also offer oysters. It’s worth noting that they do not accept reservations, so it is often busy and you might need to wait for a table. You can find The Temple Bar at 47-48, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 N725, Ireland, and all of the other information, including menus and prices can be found on their website. Opening Hours are 10:30am-1:30am Mon-Wed; 10am-2:30am Thurs-Sat; and 11:30am-1am Sun. If your connecting flight is late a night, it’s definitely worth trying to squeeze yourself in for a drink or two, and experience authentic nightlife in Dublin.

Even if you arrive in Dublin earlier than opening hours, like I was (or don’t want to eat here!), you should definitely still pop by to see the gorgeous exterior and snap a shot or two.

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Temple Bar

Now that you have filled up for the day, it’s time to explore a little more of the Temple Bar Area itself. The best way to do this is just to wander around and find your own favourite spots! You might want to check out the Irish Music Wall of Fame, and Love Lane.

Dublin Castle

After wandering the streets of Temple Bar until your heart is content, it’s time to head out west and see some historical sights in the city.

Dublin Castle is rich in history that you can learn about on a guided or self-guided tour. Tickets cost between €8-12, with discounts for seniors and concessions, and you can see more information on the Dublin Castle Website. The castle is open to visitors daily from 9:45am-5:45pm. The tours take an hour so you’ll need to decide if you can fit this into your schedule. I chose to skip the tour, just seeing the outside of the castle and the Dubh Linn Garden, and still had a great experience! You can see the historic and modern sides of the castle, as well as the beautiful surrounding gardens.

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St. Patrick’s Cathedral

St Patrick’s Cathedral is the tallest church in Ireland and the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland. It costs around €8 to enter the Cathedral and learn about its history and prominence, and you can save money by booking online. The cathedral is surrounded by a lovely park that provides great views of the exterior of the church.

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The City Centre

Now you can see the more modern centre of the city, along famous streets like Drury Street and Grafton Street.

On Drury Street, pass through the George’s Street Arcade, an adorable Victorian style shopping centre with lovely market stalls. You might even find a nice souvenir to take home here! The arcade is open from 9am-6:30pm Mon-Sat (7pm Thur-Sat), and 12pm-6pm on Sun. Drury Street also has its share of street art and cute buildings.

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Make your way through the streets to Grafton Street. If you’re into 70s music, you’ll want to pop by the Phil Lynott Statue on the way here. Grafton Street is a pedestrianised shopping street in Dublin but is known for the array of buskers that line the street, making it a wonderful hub of activity. I loved that Grafton Street still keeps some of the traditional Dublin charm, for example with these old fashioned Marks and Spencer advertisements.

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If the weather is on your side, pop into Murphys Ice Cream, which is just off Grafton Street. It was raining and cold when I visited so I didn’t get to try it, but I have been told that it’s the best!

Trinity College Dublin

Trinity College in Dublin is famed for its picturesque exterior, making everyone wish they could have been a student here!

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It is free to enter the Trinity College campus and wander around the grounds. The most famous part of the College is the Old Library and the Book of Kells, which you can pay to enter, and you can also book a guided tour of the whole campus. You can find all the information on their website, and you can buy tickets for the Library and the Book of Kells online. There was a very long queue when I visited so I wasn’t able to see the library, so bear this in mind if you are on a tight schedule. It might be worth visiting Trinity College as soon as you arrive if you really want to see them.

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Please Note: The Book of Kells is closed for renovation until March 2020, and there is no access to it. Ticket prices are slightly reduced during this period. Follow the link to the Trinity College Website above for updates on this.

More time on your Layover in Dublin?

My layover in Dublin was a short one, but I still managed to see a lot of the main sights of the city. If you have more time, I have a few more recommendations:

• See Merrion Square and the Oscar Wilde Statue, as well as the Georgian-style buildings that surround the park
• Venture further out to Phoenix Park, and try to spot some deer in the wild or visit Dublin Zoo.
• Learn about the history and brewing process of Guinness and try Ireland’s most famous drink at the Guinness Storehouse.
• Visit the quirky Leprechaun Museum to discover all about the little green legends.

Or, find more Dublin attractions and tours below

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