In May 2015, my mom and I had a one day layover in Dublin on our way to Italy. To make the most of our time, we did a hop on hop off bus tour. This is a convenient way to see the city. The route covers the major sites and it’s easy to get on and off at any of the designated stops as many times as you want during the day. The weather was unpleasant the day we were there, but that didn’t stop us from sitting on the top deck of the bus.

The Brazen Head

We stopped at the oldest pub in Ireland (dating back to 1198!), the Brazen Head, for lunch. This pub is rich in history and provides a cozy, authentic Irish setting. I had fish and chips and Guinness. I’m not normally a huge fan of Guinness, but it sure tastes great in Ireland! The pub is right in the heart of Dublin’s city center, making it a convenient stop.

Guiness Storehouse

Next,  we headed to the Guinness Storehouse to take a tour. This is a must-visit for anyone interested in Ireland’s brewing history. I recommend buying your tickets online because the line to buy tickets in person was down the street. This will guarantee your entry and guarantee your time slot.

Since I had gotten the tickets online, we walked right up to the entrance and didn’t have to wait at all. The Guinness factory is more like a museum than anything else. Sevens stories tall, and full of facts about beer (including how to properly taste Guinness), the factory is quite impressive. We reached the sky bar on the top floor and got our complimentary glass. The bartender drew a clover into my foam as he was pouring it. The sky bar has a 360 degree view of Dublin. It was beautiful, even during such a dreary day!

Temple Bar

We finished the rest of our bus tour while fighting jet lag. The last area we explored was Temple Bar, one of Dublin’s neighborhoods known for its atmosphere and nightlife. Our last stop of the day was a pub in Temple Bar called The Oliver St. John Gogarty for some beef stew. They also had live Irish music, which really added to our experience! We finished our day by doing some souvenir shopping in the area. Finally we made it back to the hotel and passed out before another day of traveling.

Overall, Dublin was not my favorite city I’ve ever been to. If we had more time, I’d have loved to spent some time in the Irish countryside, but Italy was calling!