A Guide to Dublin from Parking Luton Airport

When you think of Dublin, the works of James Joyce and William Butler Yeats, black pints of Guinness and the Book of Kells may be the first things that spring to mind. This Irish city is well known for its authors, ale and history, but it also offers many other cultural and recreational attractions.

The Guinness Storehouse
	Beer lovers won’t want to miss the Guinness Storehouse. Part of the original St. James Gate brewery, this interactive museum offers artifacts, audio-visual presentations and photographs detailing the dark drink’s history and features live musical and dance performances. Best of all, you get to drink a pint at the end of the tour -- as long as you’re of legal age, of course.

The National Gallery of Ireland
	Explore the vast collection of Irish and European art held by the National Gallery of Ireland. This Dublin museum’s permanent collection contains 14,000 works by masters including Fra Angelico and Caravaggio. Paintings and sculptures date from the 1200s through the 1900s.

The Dublin Literary Pub Crawl
	From Oscar Wilde to Yeats, Samuel Beckett to Joyce, Dublin has been the home and haunt for many of Ireland’s best authors. Learn about these literary masters on the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl. Explore the actual pubs that the authors frequented while your guides bring scenes of their works to life through acting and song.

Dublinia

Set in the heart of the city, Dublinia provides an interactive way to explore Ireland’s Viking and medieval history. Guests at this unusual museum can enter a Viking ship and house, try on period clothes, practice being a Viking’s slave and learn about their fascinating history. The medieval exhibit recreates smells, sights and sounds from the past. Guests can visit a fair, play period games and shop along a medieval street. The history hunters exhibit documents the important role archaeology plays in discovering Dublin’s past. Don’t miss the best view in town; climb 98 steps to the top of St. Michael’s Tower for panoramic city views.

Trinity College
	No trip to Dublin would be complete without a tour of Trinity College. The institution is worth a visit for its impressive architecture alone, but the more than 500,000 tourist that visit the Old Library every year mostly come to see the Book of Kells. This stunning illuminated manuscript, created in 800 A.D., contains the four gospels of the New Testament.

National Botanic Gardens

Get back to nature without leaving the city at the National Botanic Gardens. Located just north of the city center, this 48 acre garden was created in 1795. Bordered by the Tolka River, this green space offers a series of peaceful walking trails and spaces perfect for picnicking. Be sure to stop by the historic curvilinear greenhouses. Built from 1843 to 1869, this series of glasshouses may date to the Victorian age, but they employ all the latest in agricultural technology in order to recreate natural plant ecosystems from around the world. Orchid lovers will appreciate that the first seed-raised orchids originated at Dublin’s National Botanic Gardens.