Dublin's Second Visit: A Different Side of the City
Already been to Dublin and ticked off the biggest attractions? If you've already visited the Guinness Storehouse, explored Trinity College, wandered through Temple Bar and seen Dublin Castle, your second visit is the perfect opportunity to experience a different side of the capital.
From discovering Dublin's literary history and exploring the Docklands to taking a walking tour of Dublin, heading along the coast to Howth or venturing further afield on a day trip, there are plenty of things to do in Dublin beyond the traditional first-time itinerary.
This time, you don't have to rush from one famous landmark to another. Slow down, choose experiences you missed the first time and discover more of what makes Dublin unique.
What to Do in Dublin on Your Second Visit
Your first trip to Dublin is often about seeing the highlights. A second visit gives you the freedom to explore further.
You can discover a different part of the city's history, explore Dublin on foot with a local guide, experience the city after dark or even leave the city centre behind for a day.
Here are some ideas for making your second trip to Dublin feel completely different from your first.
1. Explore Dublin on Foot With a Local Guide
If you've already seen Dublin from a sightseeing bus, explore the city at street level on a DoDublin Walking Tour.
Walking allows you to slow down and notice the details you may have missed on your first trip. Instead of simply passing historic buildings, you can hear the stories behind them and discover streets, characters and events that helped shape Dublin.
DoDublin now offers both Northside and Southside walking experiences, making them a great option for repeat visitors who want to explore a different part of the city.
2. Discover Dublin's Southside Differently
Dublin's southside is packed with history, architecture and some of the city's best-known landmarks, but there is much more to it than the attractions you've probably already visited.
The DoDublin Southside Walking Tour takes you through historic parts of Dublin while your guide shares local stories, hidden corners and insights into the city.
It's an ideal choice if your first visit concentrated on ticking off attractions and you now want to understand more about the city itself.
3. See the Northside From a Different Perspective
If your first Dublin trip was mostly spent south of the River Liffey, head north and explore another side of the capital.
The DoDublin Northside Walking Tour is designed to reveal more of Dublin's history, characters and local stories while exploring the city on foot.
It can also be combined with the Hop-On Hop-Off experience, allowing you to see more of the city before exploring the streets in greater detail.
4. Discover Dublin's Literary Side
Dublin has a remarkable literary history, and this is an area that many visitors only discover after their first trip.
For something different, look for experiences connected with Dublin's writers, stories and cultural history. A second visit is the perfect opportunity to move beyond the standard sightseeing checklist and explore the city through the people who helped make it famous.
The DoDublin walking tour network offers several specialist walking experiences, including literary and themed tours, giving repeat visitors plenty of ways to explore a different side of Dublin.
5. Explore Dublin's Dark Side After Dark
You've seen Dublin during the day. Now see what happens when the sun goes down.
The Dublin Ghostbus offers a completely different way to experience the capital, combining Dublin's darker history with live storytelling, comedy and theatrical performances.
You'll hear stories about ghosts, grave robbers, body snatchers and some of the more sinister characters associated with Dublin's past.
For repeat visitors, it is a chance to discover a version of Dublin that has very little in common with a traditional daytime sightseeing itinerary.
6. Bring the Family to Ghostbus Kids
If you're returning to Dublin with children, you don't necessarily have to repeat the same family attractions from your first trip.
The Ghostbus Kids Tour is designed for children aged 7–14 and combines Dublin's darker history with games, stories and interactive entertainment.
It is a particularly different way for families to experience Dublin and gives children the opportunity to hear some of the city's unusual stories while taking part in the experience.
7. Explore Dublin's Coastal Side in Howth
One of the easiest ways to make a second visit feel completely different is to leave the city centre behind for a few hours.
The Howth Coastal Tour takes you from Dublin to the coast, where you can experience Howth Harbour, coastal scenery and the famous Dublin Bay landscape.
If you'd rather spend more time walking, you can also choose the Howth Hike Adventure, giving you a chance to experience the coastline on foot.
For anyone who has already spent their first trip around Dublin city centre, Howth can feel like an entirely different destination.
8. Take a Trip Into the Wicklow Mountains
If you've already explored Dublin itself, your second trip could be the perfect time to see some of the countryside just beyond the capital.
The Original Wild Wicklow Day Tour combines mountains, scenery and local history and gives you a full-day experience outside Dublin.
There are also several other Wicklow options available through DoDublin, including tours featuring Glendalough and Powerscourt.
9. Visit Glendalough
Glendalough is one of Ireland's most famous monastic sites and makes a fascinating addition to a second Dublin trip.
The Glendalough and Wicklow half day tour allows you to leave the city behind and explore the dramatic scenery and history of County Wicklow.
For visitors who have already completed a traditional Dublin sightseeing itinerary, this is an easy way to turn a city break into a wider Irish experience.
10. Explore Ireland's Ancient East
Your second trip doesn't have to stay within Dublin. The surrounding counties are home to some of Ireland's most important historic sites.
The Newgrange and Boyne Valley Day Tour is an option for visitors interested in ancient Ireland, prehistoric monuments and the history of the Boyne Valley.
It's a completely different experience from spending another day around Dublin's city-centre attractions.
11. Visit the Guinness Storehouse Again
Not every second visit needs to mean avoiding the attractions you've already seen.
If the Guinness Storehouse was one of your favourite Dublin experiences, there is no reason not to return. You can simply build it into a different itinerary and combine it with attractions or neighbourhoods you didn't explore previously.
DoDublin also offers a Hop-On Hop-Off and Guinness combination ticket, making it possible to combine sightseeing around Dublin with a visit to the Guinness Storehouse.
12. Discover EPIC and Dublin's Docklands
Dublin's Docklands is another part of the city that can easily be missed on a first visit.
Visit EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum and discover the stories of Irish people who left Ireland and the impact they had around the world.
You can also combine the museum with sightseeing through the DoDublin Hop-On Hop-Off and EPIC combination ticket.
13. Try a Different Whiskey Experience
If you've already experienced Dublin's most famous attractions, use your second visit to explore the city's whiskey heritage.
The Teeling Whiskey Distillery & Teeling Tasting Tour lets you combine city sightseeing with a visit to one of Dublin's best-known whiskey experiences.
It's a simple way to add something new to a familiar Dublin itinerary without having to completely reorganise your day.
14. See More of Dublin by Hop-On Hop-Off Bus
Sometimes the best way to have a different experience of Dublin is simply to change how you explore it.
The DoDublin Hop-On Hop-Off Tour has more than 25 stops around Dublin and allows you to get on and off throughout your ticket period.
On a second visit, you can use the bus differently from a first-time visitor. Instead of trying to see every major attraction, use the route to reach neighbourhoods and attractions you missed previously.
You can also combine your sightseeing ticket with experiences such as Guinness, EPIC, Teeling Whiskey Distillery or the DoDublin walking tours.
15. Turn Your Second Visit Into a Full Irish Adventure
If you've already experienced the best-known sights in Dublin, why not use your second visit as a base for exploring more of Ireland?
DoDublin offers a wide selection of day tours from Dublin, including trips to the Cliffs of Moher and Galway, Belfast and the Giant's Causeway, Kilkenny and Glendalough, Wicklow, Newgrange, Howth and other destinations around Ireland.
You could spend one day exploring Dublin and use another day to see somewhere completely different.
A Suggested Dublin Second-Visit Itinerary
If you have just one day in Dublin, you don't need to try to fit every attraction into your schedule. Pick experiences that you didn't have time for previously.
Morning: Explore Dublin on Foot
Start with a DoDublin Walking Tour and explore the city with a local guide. This gives you the chance to see familiar streets from a different perspective.
Late Morning: Take in More of the City
Continue your sightseeing with the DoDublin Hop-On Hop-Off Tour. Rather than following a traditional first-time itinerary, choose a few stops you didn't visit on your first trip.
Afternoon: Choose Something Different
Spend the afternoon at EPIC, the Guinness Storehouse, or another DoDublin attraction you've previously missed.
Evening: See Dublin After Dark
Finish your second day in Dublin with the Ghostbus Tour and discover the darker stories behind the city.
Make Your Second Dublin Trip Different
The best thing about returning to Dublin is that you don't have to see the city in the same way twice.
You've already seen the famous sights. Now you can explore the city's hidden stories, discover its neighbourhoods, walk its historic streets, experience Dublin after dark or take a day trip beyond the capital.
Whether you choose a walking tour through the city, a coastal trip to Howth, an adventure into Wicklow or a night aboard the Ghostbus, your second visit can be about discovering the parts of Dublin and Ireland that you missed the first time.
