Cute Dublin Instagram spots for the best pictures

The Irish capital is such a beautiful city. You feel like you stepped back in time. It has a lot of great places where you can take beautiful photos for your Instagram feed. In this blog post I’ll go over my favorite Dublin Instagram spots so you know where to go for those Insta-worthy pictures. This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Find out more here.

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Guinness Storehouse

If there’s only one activity to include on your Dublin itinerary it’s to visit the Guinness Storehouse. It’s an immersive experience where you learn everything about how they make Guinness, you do a beer tasting, and you get a free pint of Guinness at their rooftop bar, which has some of the best views of Dublin.

If you want to see your selfie on a pint of beer, then opt for the Stoutie ticket. Stout + selfie = Stoutie. This experience costs an additional 8 euros.

The experience spans multiple floors and it offers some of the most instagrammable spots in Dublin. I think they designed it with this purpose in mind. There are so many exhibits, lights, and pieces of decor that are great photo ops.

Dublin umbrella street

Head to Anne’s Lane in the heart of the city to see the famous Umbrella Street. More and more places have umbrella streets, and Dublin is part of this trend. This spot is super cute, colorful and it’s the perfect place for an Instagram picture.

I visited in November and there were no tourists when I was there. I had the entire street to myself. If you visit during peak season, and depending on the time of day, you might have to wait a few minutes to snap a great picture under a colorful umbrella.

Beanhive Coffee

latte art in dublin, the start of the 4 day dublin itinerary

I love coffee, so my first stop in Dublin was at Beanhive Coffee, one of Dublin’s hidden gems. It’s a very cozy coffee shop that makes latte art creations. They don’t charge extra for the latte art, which I awesome.

I ordered a cappuccino, and I asked them to surprise me with a cute design. And boy, did they deliver! Look how adorable that cat is. And it’s a nerdy cat with glasses and curly hair, just like yours truly. You need to bless your social media following with a picture of you drinking this adorable coffee.

They also serve the traditional Irish breakfast, sandwiches of your choice on a ciabatta or wrap, and other egg dishes. Prices are around 10-15 euros.

The café is small, so there might be a short wait if you plan to sit there. They have both indoor and outdoor seating.

Kilmainham Gaol

Kilmainham Gaol is a former prison where a lot of Irish revolutionaries were imprisoned and executed. It’s rated as the top museum in Dublin and for good reason. It’s also the cheapest museum in Dublin. Make sure to book your ticket about 2 weeks in advance of your trip because they sell out quickly. It’s an activity you don’t want to miss if you want to learn more about Irish history.

Besides being a great museum, it also has some of the best photo spots in Dublin.

The Long Room at Trinity College Library

exhibit inside trinity college library dublin

Trinity College Dublin has one of the most famous libraries in the world. And I can see why. It’s breathtaking. The Long Room, pictured above, houses 200,000 old manuscripts. They removed most books for a redevelopment project, but it still looks impressive even though it’s almost empty. You can also find Gaia here, an illuminated sculpture of Earth. This room is one of the most Instagrammable places in the center of Dublin.

While you’re there make sure to check out the other attraction included in your Trinity College Library ticket, the famous Book of Kells. It’s a Celtic gospel book, written in Latin around the year 800.

Merrion Square

Merrion Square is home to the famous doors of Dublin. These doors are Georgian, and they all have bright colors. You can find them all over the city, but there’s a high concentration of them in Merrion Square. One of the best Dublin instagram spots!

If you are a book lover, then make sure to check out Oscar Wilde’s statue at 1 Merrion Square, very close to his childhood home.

Ha’penny Bridge

There are many bridges along River Liffey so you can go from one side to the other. Ha’penny Bridge is probably the most famous one. Before the Ha’penny Bridge, people could only cross the river by ferry. The ferries were in a bad condition, so they built this bridge.

The people crossing the bridge had to pay a toll. The toll used to be a penny-ha’penny (1.5 pence), hence the name of the bridge. They got rid of the toll in 1919 (crazy to think that’s only 105 years ago!). The bridge used to have turnstiles while they had the toll in place.

It’s one of my favorite spots for a picture.

Temple Bar district

The Temple Bar area is one of the best spots in Dublin. There’s something about walking on a cobblestone street in the middle of Dublin and being surrounded by famous pubs and old buildings.

Dublin has an impressive pub culture. There are so many amazing traditional Irish pubs in the city. Temple Bar Pub is probably the most famous one. One of the best places for Instagram pictures.

It has been operating since 1840, they play traditional Irish music, and they have the largest collection of whiskies in Ireland. It’s beautifully decorated and the ambience is fantastic. I think it’s worth a stop. After all, popular places are popular for a reason, right?

St Patrick’s Cathedral

St Patrick’s Cathedral is an Irish church that was founded in 1191 and it is the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland today. It is open to the public, but you’ll need to buy a ticket to enter. It’s one of those old churches that’s very impressive and beautiful. It’s a great spot to both learn more about the culture of Dublin and to snap a cute picture.

FAQ about traveling to Dublin

Where to stay in Dublin

Dublin is a relatively small European capital city, and you can find most attractions on both sides of River Liffey in the city center. Some popular neighborhoods are Wood Quay, Temple Bar, Smithfield. You can find plenty of hotels for all budgets in Dublin.

Budget hotels

Dublin offers budget friendly 2- and 3-star hotel options located in the city center. The price range is between $40-85 per night. Some popular options include Jacobs Inn Dublin, easyHotel Dublin City Centre and Drury Court Hotel.

Mid-budget hotels

I stayed at Hampton by Hilton Dublin City Centre. The location was great, and the room was small and cozy. It was perfect for me, but if you like larger rooms you should pick a different hotel.

Some other mid-budget hotels are: The Grafton Hotel, Conrad Dublin, and Arthaus Hotel.

Luxury hotels

If you are looking for high-end facilities and top service, Dublin has many five-star hotels to choose from. Popular options include The Westbury, The Merrion Hotel, and The Shelbourne – Autograph Collection.

Hostels

Unfortunately, I am not the right person to recommend you any hostels. I am in my 30s and I value comfort, so I will always choose to stay at a hotel vs a hostel. I can see how a hostel is a great option for younger people, but I’m at a different stage in life, so I prefer hotels.

Airbnb

I also tend to pick hotels over Airbnbs because I feel like it’s less of a risk and it’s a more reliable option. One time when I visited Miami with my friends we booked an Airbnb that looked great in pictures but looked really bad in reality. We ended up going to a hotel instead. After that experience I tend to avoid Airbnbs altogether.

How to get cell phone data when visiting from abroad?

The cheapest and most convenient way to get data while visiting from abroad is to buy an eSIM. An eSIM is a digital SIM that lets you activate a data plan from a provider without having to use a physical SIM card. They are super easy to use.

I use Nomad eSIM (use code IOAN43TM for 25% off your first purchase). You can go to their website, select the country you’re traveling to, select how many GB of data you want, and how many days you want the eSIM to be active for. After you pay you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to activate the eSIM.

You can activate it on your phone and the process takes under 1 minute. Once the eSIM is activated you don’t have to do anything else. When you’re at your destination you will automatically get data.

Is Dublin safe for a solo female traveler?

Yes, overall, I felt safe in Dublin as a solo female traveler. There was a riot on the first night I visited, which was a bit scary. It was violent as they set on fire a bus, a tram, and a police car as a form of protest. 34 people were arrested. Thankfully I wasn’t in the area when it happened, and I was very careful the following days. Things like this happen everywhere in the world, so it doesn’t mean that Dublin is unsafe. Locals told me this was the first time something like this happened.

What is the best time to solo travel to Dublin?

I visited in late November and I loved it because there weren’t many tourists. However, it was colder than what I would have liked, and it also rained a few times. I think the spring or early fall could be great times to visit so you can have better weather.

I tend to avoid Europe summer travel because it gets so hot and there are so many tourists everywhere that it takes away from the experience for me. I’d rather wait a few months and go in the fall so I can properly enjoy the destinations I’m visiting.

How can I get around Dublin?

Dublin is a very walkable city. They also have a lot of buses and the Luas tram system, so you can get anywhere easily.

How can I get to the city center from Dublin airport?

Bus

This is the option I went with. The bus is called Dublin Express and a round trip costs 10 euros. They have multiple stops along River Liffey in the Dublin city center area.

They ask you to pick a time when you book the ticket online, but you can use the ticket 12 hours before or after the booked departure time.

You can take the bus from any stop and get off at any stop.

If you don’t have time to book the ticket online ahead of your trip, you can also buy a ticket at their booth at the airport. There are signs at the airport that will point you to their bus stop.

Taxi / uber

If you don’t want to take public transportation you can take a car. You can order an Uber through the app. It costs about 25-30 euros to get to the city center from the airport. Alternatively you can also schedule a private transfer.

Do I need cash?

I didn’t use cash when I visited, I paid for everything with a credit card. But it’s always recommended to carry some cash with you so you can tip tour guides or buy souvenirs or something else from small mom-and-pop shops who don’t accept credit cards.

Pro tip: always get cash from an ATM in the airport instead of going to an exchange place. Your bank will always have better exchange rates when taking out cash in a foreign currency from an ATM.

How many days do I need in Dublin?

I think 4 days in Dublin is enough time to see the major tourist attractions and to take a day trip somewhere close to Dublin. If you plan on exploring more of Ireland, then you should aim for a week or 10 days.

Do I have to tip in Dublin?

Tipping is not mandatory, but it is highly encouraged. I usually leave 1-2 euros as tip when I eat out. They highly appreciate it when you do this.

Do you recommend Dublin as a solo destination?

Yes, I highly recommend Dublin as a destination for solo female travelers. I think it could be a great destination for a first-time solo trip. It’s a safe city and they speak English, so it could be a great option when you’re first starting out solo traveling.