Dublin is famous for so many things - buzzing pubs and innovative restaurants, the drama of its history, and its vibrant cultural and theatre scene to name a few. But Dublin is also a place of incredible views, from its brightly lit night-time neon cityscape to the rugged sloping cliffs at the Howth coast.
And Dublin being a fairly compact city that’s right on the Irish Sea, with a train line that travels the coast of the county, you can very easily get to most of its most spectacular sights even within one day. Whether you want wild and windswept, birdseyes over bright lights, or a little bit of both, we’ve got a list of Dublin’s finest views that you should see for yourself.
About 20 minutes walk from the heart of the city centre, and you’ll find yourself at the mouth of the river Liffey, looking out at the Irish Sea. Here at the end of the Poolbeg Peninsula, you’ll find the Great South Wall. The wall was completed in 1731, and measuring almost 5km it was, at the time, the longest sea wall in Europe.
You can walk the length of the wall, right out to the bright red beacon that is the Poolbeg Lighthouse. When you get to the end, turn around and look back at a marvelous view of Dublin’s coast, from your vantage point in the bay. To your left, you’ll see the coast stretch out as far as Killiney with the Dublin mountains creating a lovely backdrop. To the right, you’ll see as far as Howth, getting a lovely view of Bull Island.
The Croke Park Kellogs Skyline Tour is a thrilling rooftop walkway, and at 17 stories high is Dublin’s highest open viewing platform. Nestled right in the heart of the North inner city, it's a perfect place from which to look down over Dublin from the mountains to the sea, spotting its most recognisable and iconic sights and landmarks along the way.
The tour guides here are great and will help you find some of the most interesting and important sights you can see from this birdseye balcony, and you’ll also get a fab view down over Dublin’s Field of Dreams, the Croke Park pitch, where some of our greatest battles have been fought, lost and won!
Even without the view, you should make the short hike up Montpelier Hill to the fabulous, creepy old ruins of the Hellfire Club. This is where Dublin’s most debauched aristocracy used to play cards, drink ‘scaltheen’ (meaning ‘a little scald’ - a mixture of whiskey, sugar and hot butter), party and torment the working class serving staff. The place is surrounded by lore and rumour including tales of the occult, satanic appearances and criminality. What’s certain is that it was badly damaged by fire and went to ruin in the late 18th century.
It’s a fabulous old ruin to explore, and the views down over the city from here are something else. You can go upstairs in the building for an even better vantage point, with views from the west of Dublin to the city and right down to Dublin Bay.
This one doesn’t involve much walking or hiking, in fact, you’ll stay right in the thick of the city. When the sun goes down and some of the bustle of the city starts to abate, head to the middle of the Ha’penny Bridge. Often said to be the coldest place in Dublin, at the peak of the bridge’s arch you’ll be exposed to any wind blowing its way down the Liffey so wrap up warm if you do this in winter. But do do it.
From here you’ll get a beautiful perspective on the city, feeling very much at the heart of this beautiful city. When the night has fallen and the lights are bright, the river will be illuminated with colourful neon reflections, and whether you look east towards O’Connell Street, the docklands and the sea or west towards Stoneybatter, you’ll feel immersed in the magic of the city.
Climb to the top of Killiney Hill for a peaceful, perfect view of Dublin to the Northwest, Bray Head and the Wicklow Mountains to the South, and the big blue Irish Sea to the East and Southeast, with the mountains of Wales even visible on a clear day.
There’s a pyramid partially hidden behind some gorse up here, and legend has it that if you do a full circle of each level of the pyramid, then stand on the top and look towards the oratory on Dalkey Island while you make a wish, you might just get it granted… We can’t make any promises except that the view from that little spot on the top of the pyramid will be worth your efforts, one way or the other!
When we say we left the best for last, it’s not just because the Gravity Bar is ours - honest. The truth is, the 360º panoramas from up here are just spectacular, giving you an all-encompassing and totally unparalleled view of every part of Dublin.
Best of all, you can enjoy the views from here with a lovely pint of Guinness, pulled right at the source by the people who know how to do it best.