Where to Stay in Dublin

This is a guide to Dublin's neighbourhoods, not a list of specific hotels — names and prices change too often to be worth pinning to a page like this, and where you stay matters more than which particular building you stay in. Below is what each area is actually like to come home to, and who it suits.

Dublin 2 — Trinity College, Grafton Street, St Stephen's Green

The historic core, and the area most first-time visitors end up choosing. Trinity College, Grafton Street, St Stephen's Green and most of the National Museum and Gallery sites are all within a 10–15 minute walk of each other here, so you can cover a huge amount of the city on foot without relying on public transport at all. It's also Dublin's most expensive area for accommodation, reflecting how central it is. See Best Things to Do in Dublin for how much of the city this area actually puts you next to.

Temple Bar

The cobbled district between Dame Street and the Liffey, and Dublin's densest concentration of pubs and live music. It's as central as Dublin 2, and genuinely historic — the oldest surviving street pattern in the city — but it's also the loudest part of town at night, especially Thursday to Sunday. It suits visitors who want to be in the middle of the nightlife rather than near it; see our Dublin at Night guide for what that nightlife actually looks like.

Docklands and the IFSC

The redeveloped waterfront east of the historic centre, built up from the late 1990s onward around the International Financial Services Centre. It's quieter and more modern than the city's historic core — newer hotels, waterside walks along the Liffey and Grand Canal Dock — at the cost of being a 20–25 minute walk (or a short Luas ride) from Trinity College and Grafton Street rather than next door to them.

Ballsbridge

An affluent, leafy residential area southeast of the centre, home to many of Dublin's embassies and the Aviva Stadium. It's quieter and more upmarket than the city centre, with a straightforward bus or Luas connection into town, and suits visitors who'd rather not be in the thick of things in the evening.

Portobello, Rathmines and Ranelagh

Three adjoining canal-side neighbourhoods just south of St Stephen's Green, generally better value than the city centre while still being well connected — Rathmines and Ranelagh sit directly on the Luas Green Line, putting the centre 10–15 minutes away. They're genuinely residential, with more locals than tourists, which some visitors prefer and others find quieter than they wanted on a short trip.

Choosing between them

If this is your first time in Dublin and you want to walk everywhere, Dublin 2 is the straightforward choice despite the price. If budget matters more than being in the thick of it, Portobello, Rathmines or Ranelagh give you a short, easy commute into the centre for less. If nightlife is the priority, Temple Bar puts you in the middle of it; if a quiet night's sleep is, almost anywhere else does better. See Dublin on a Budget for how far your money goes once you've picked an area.

Related reading

• Best Things to Do in Dublin
• Dublin in One Day
• Dublin on a Budget
• Things to Do in Dublin at Night