Things to do in Dublin!

Posted byGarciaFamilyUKPosted inHolidaysTags:, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Over the Easter Holidays we have took a trip to Dublin, Ireland. It was our first trip back to Dublin since our daughter was 10 months old (she is now 7 years old).

With the flight being under an hour from London, Dublin is a good destination for a mini break and with the prices for flights being decent too (our flights were around £40 return per person from Luton), you can have a lovely and cost-effective trip.

We went for 3 days and 2 nights and had a packed schedule of things to do! We decided to rent a car, as this would make the travelling around Dublin easier.

There are so many things to do, in and around Dublin, and these things go alongside the general touristic things you can do too.

You obviously must start with visiting Temple Bar and have a well-deserved pint of Guinness in one of the many famous pubs that stretch along this famous street. There are also a lot of good shopping spots around Temple Bar, like Grafton Street and O’Connell Street.

Grafton Street is a most as the one and only Disney Store in Ireland (which is much much better than the one in London) is located on this street.

Dublin Zoo –

Dublin Zoo is located centrally and was easily accessible, especially with a rented car, there was plenty of parking and the zoo could be accessed with a taxi or Uber.

My husband and daughter love zoo’s and think the ones in the UK are good but honestly, Dublin Zoo for both, was better. We entered the zoo and automatically realised just how big the place was and how much walking we would need to do. The layout is so clever and spacious! The zoo is split in 2 parts and takes you along an easy path which lets you see every animal that is housed in the zoo. We all have our favourite animals, and we always make the point of spending a lot of time with our favourites.

The first favourite we came across were the sealions, and our timing proved impeccable, as they were being feed but the zookeepers at the time. From the viewing area, we were able to watch them darting around their pool and fighting for their food – it was such fun to see how quick they were, and it honestly seemed like they were putting on a show for all the people watching them.

Next, we go to the Ped Pandas, which have always been a family favourite, and we were amazed at the number of them. In the UK zoos we have attended, there are a maximum of 2, but here, they had 5 that I could count, and they were so adorable and cute!

The next favourite were the giraffes and WOW, their habitat was so amazing. They have so much land to exercise and to graze (along with the zebras) and weirdly, you can get really close to them with the path you are able to walk with them.

There were a few a couple animals that we were able to tick off the list of animals we have never seen before, and they were Orangutangs and Wolves.

There are lots of places to eat and to get snacks, like a much-deserved Starbucks coffee right in the middle of the 2nd half of the zoo. There are places to get ice creams if the weather is nice.

I would really recommend adding this to your itinerary if you are making a trip to Dublin as it rounded off our trip and made it more magical.

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Emerald Park –

Just a short drive from Dublin in County Meath is Ireland’s only theme park and zoo. We decided it would be a great idea to add a day at a theme park to our Dublin trip and we weren’t disappointed.

At Emerald Park there is something for the whole family to enjoy, there are thrill attractions, a junior area, massive playgrounds, and a cool zoo which houses over 250 animals.

Let’s start with the legendary Cu Chulainn Coaster, which is a wooden coaster and it such an impressive looking coaster. It can be seen far away on the drive into Emerald Park and is a must try ride when at Emerald Park. There are plenty of flat rides available at Emerald Park also, and they are big and good for the thrill seeker out there.

Along with this well-known coaster, there are a couple brilliant junior coasters and are perfect for smaller kids and actually pretty good for older kids too. There was Dino Dash which is obviously a dinosaur themed ride, and it is fun and well themed. Then there is Flight School, which is exactly the same as The Flying Eagle in Legoland Billund (Legoland, Billund – Hosted Visit – Garcia Family UK) which is you have read our blog from there, we absolutely loved and would recommend doing it again and again!

There are several playgrounds throughout the park, and in the summer, there is a splash around available.

In the Junior area, there are plenty of rides for smaller kids and if your kids are smaller, you can pay a lesser entrance fee to simply use the smaller and more junior rides.

The zoo is a lovely escape from the big rides and the noise. It is home to some lovely animals, and you can spend a couple of hours walking around at your leisure taking it all in (like we did).

Emerald Park offers a lot of restaurants, shops, and kiosks around the park. We utilised a lot of these through our day. We got a unique and customised ice cream where you can choose the chocolate ice cream you want and 3 different toppings! They have a huge lunch hall where the food choices were vast and really warming on a cold day. And finally, we got the famous twisty crisps which were an absolute highlight.

Finally, Emerald Park has a lot of covered areas dotted around the park – which in a rainy and cold country is a god send. We used the shelter several times when it randomly started to rain! I feel like certain UK theme parks could use this example and do the same (ahem Legoland Windsor, haha).

In the next year or so, Emerald Park is going to be extending and adding a lot more rides and entertainment which will make it more of a desirable theme park to visit.

Butlers Chocolate Factory –

When we arrived in Dublin, we took a short trip to Butlers Chocolate Factory to take part in their Easter Themed Factory Tour. We arrived early as our tour started at 10 and we had an early flight, but we were able to sit in their café and enjoy some sweet treats and sample some of their chocolate.

The tour runs for approximately 90 minutes and involved dressing up like a Butlers Chocolatier in a lab coat and mop cap, we learned the history of the cocoa bean and the history of Butlers Chocolates.

We had a guided tour of the glass panelled walkway over the factory floor and show the staff making easter treats also.

The tour reminded me a lot of the Cadbury Factory Tour in Birmingham. Cadbury World, Birmingham (Christmas visit collaboration) – Garcia Family UK

At the end of the tour, we were allowed to decorate our own easter egg and take it home with us, which we snacked on throughout the rest of our stay in Dublin 😊

As this tour was Easter themed, the kids had a easter hunt with the Easter Bunny which was super cute and rounded off the experience.

Other things to do in Dublin:

6 thoughts on “Things to do in Dublin!”

  1. It looks like a great time in Dublin with your family! My daughter is also 7 years old, and she would love to visit the zoo and Emerald Park! Also, the chocolate factory tour sounds like a lot of fun!

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