You can explore the centre by foot. By day, the world-famous Temple Bar area is far from being a noisy collection of pubs.
Buskers liven up the street corners and small shops are packed with all sorts of nice things to buy. Try counting the colours of the pub doors you spot!
The Dublin Castle, Parliament House, and many museums are only a stone’s throw away.
Captain America’s, the restaurant favoured by families, is in the popular Grafton Street shopping area. If you get tired of walking, hop on a bus and get the Freedom Ticket, as it’s a handy way to continue exploring.
The well-known Dublin Zoo is so near to the centre – right in expansive Phoenix Park – that you can walk there. The best time to see the animals is during feeding time.
A colourful history of Viking exploits and emigration
For a different experience, try a Viking Splash tour aboard WW II amphibious vehicles that travel by land and water.
The guides will tell you all about Ireland’s Viking history – wearing horned helmets, of course. Passengers also get to don helmets and belt out loud war cries every so often.
If your children are a little older, ‘The Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship and Famine Museum’ is an interesting place to find out more about Ireland’s rough history, troubled by famine and emigration.
On the deck of the museum’s carefully restored 19th-century sailing ship it feels nearly as though you were really on your way across the Atlantic to a better future.
For those spending more than a few days in Dublin, Malahide Castle, some 20 km away, is a must. Built in the 12th century, the magnificent castle and its grand parks and restaurants are a popular excursion for locals too.
Finnair offers direct flights from Helsinki Airport to Dublin from 30 March to 24 October 2015, and Norwegian also flies direct from Helsinki Airport to Dublin.
