Dublin Flights And Sights

It's easy to fall for charming, crazy, colorful Dublin. The laid-back Irish capital is a somehow harmonious blend of Victorian pubs, rows of elegant Georgian town houses in silvery stone, and glittering modern buildings. With a permanent population of nearly 1.7 million; more than a third of the Irish people either live in or near this city, which explains the great restaurants, bars, and shopping opportunities. Get ready to have a good time.

Things to Do

From the National Museum and its ancient caches of polished gold, stroll along Georgian terraces around Merrion Square, past the homes of literary luminaries like Yeats, Wilde and Beckett. Nearby is Dublin Castle, which houses the Chester Beatty Library. You'll find plenty of Dubliners welcoming sunny days on the flower-strewn St. Stephen's Green. Take a walk north over the River Liffey and up statue-lined O'Connell Street to the Dublin City Gallery for Francis Bacon's chaotic studio.

Shopping

On weekends in Temple Bar you can find markets filling its cobbled squares, where stalls are piled high with farmhouse cheeses. Splash out on your favorite Kevin Sharkey abstract painting or Georgian furniture along Francis Street's arts and antique stores. Inside the Powerscourt Centre, local young designers sell reworked vintage clothes and delicate silver jewelry. Edge past the buskers on pedestrianized Grafton Street, where a top-hatted doorman welcomes you into the elegant, 160-year-old Brown Thomas department store.

Nightlife & Entertainment

From the storied Abbey Theatre to the shining new Daniel Libeskind-designed Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin's theatre scene is thriving. Settle down in a wood-paneled booth at a pub for a traditional music session with fiddles and pipes, or perch up at the bar where it won't take long for the locals to start a conversation. For sports lovers, you can't beat cheering on the "Dubs" at the mammoth Croke Park stadium at a high-octane hurling match.

Restaurants & Dining

Dublin's horizons are widening, from Goan fish curries to top sushi. Stylish seafood restaurants dot the neighborhoods near the Grand Canal. Locals favor fresh Dublin Bay oysters or a hearty lamb-and-Guinness pie at a pub in the city center. On the Liffey's north bank, tucked-away trattorias offer homemade pasta with crusty bread.

With American Airlines flights to Dublin, it's easy to visit the Emerald Isle and let the unique charm of the city captivate you. Dublin itself is sized perfectly for exploring on foot, especially if you're staying in the city, so you'll have convenient access to some of the best things to do in Dublin.

We recommend seeing it all with the Dublin City Hop-on Hop-off Tour, because you'll be able to get a good overview of all the activities in Dublin. You can get off the bus when you come to an attraction you'd like to spend more time exploring, then just get back on another bus when you're ready to continue on. It even goes to the Guinness Storehouse, which we think is a must-see. It's Dublin's top tourist attraction, and with good reason. Purchase a ticket and you can tour the historical building, located in St. James's Gate. You'll journey up the world's largest pint glass (really; it's part of the architecture) and learn to pour the perfect pint. Finish off your tour in the Gravity Bar at the tippity top of the building, where you'll enjoy amazing views of Dublin and the countryside from windows that wrap around 360 degrees.

Another one of our favorite things to do in Dublin is a visit to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. This elegant and elaborately decorated tome contains the four gospels in Latin, and it was written around 800 AD. You'll be amazed at the intricacy of the designs.

We also like the Viking and Medieval Dublin Walking Tour, which includes a stop at historic Dublin Castle and its final remaining medieval tower. This tour is a great way to delve into the Norse history and legends of the Vikings who helped shape the city.

And, of course, one of the most picturesque activities in Dublin only starts in Dublin -- and that is renting a car and driving through the scenic Irish countryside. Spend a day exploring and you'll see what inspired so many eloquent poems and songs.

You don't need the luck of the Irish for an unforgettable visit here. You just need American Airlines, because we make it easy to fly to Dublin and explore this welcoming destination.