Arriving in a big city can be daunting. Especially when you have limited time. What do you see? What can you go without seeing? What to do in Dublin in one day? Don’t be fooled by it’s grandeur, Dublin may be a capital city but it’s tiny compared to Paris or Madrid. Great for visitors,  its rich culture and history are compressed into a walking distance.

One of the best ways to see Dublin and get to grips with it is to take one of the various walking tours  around the city.  A free tour picks up from the hostels in the morning and take you all around the popular tourist attractions. Have a charming local tell you the story of English rule and rebellion at Dublin Castle, the rise of artisans in Temple Bar, and the traditions and superstitions of Trinity College.

Now you’re in St. Stephen’s Park. Had a nice bit of lunch and ready to continue on with your day. Heading out past the Fusiliers‘ Arch you’re on Grafton street. The principle shopping street in Dublin. Full of the bustle of busy shops and busker’s music floating through the air, it is a sight to be seen in itself.

Start north you’ll reach O’Connell bridge, O’Connell street, and the statue of Daniel O’Connell; the pacifist campaigner for Catholic emancipation. Jump over the bridge, unique in Europe for being wider than it is long, and you’ll see the Spire. Erected to celebrate the millennium, it is the single tallest sculpture in the world.

West from the Spire is Henry street, and off this Moore street. Home of the famous Moore Street open air fruit and vegetable market. Dublin’s oldest food market. Head back across the river over Ha‘ Penny Bridge and you’re in Temple Bar. The artists quarter, home to the National Photographic Archive, the Irish Film Institute, and a whole host of great bars and pubs.

Finish off your evening with a view of the whole city at the Gravity Bar in the Guinness Store House. Dublin is best viewed in the dark and with a well earned Guinness after all of that walking in your one day. Now you’ve seen the center of Dublin, in just one day.