Early Arrival to See Some Extra Sights
Following the advice of the countless others, Sean and I decided to arrive a day early so that we could see several sights in Dublin that are not included in the tour. Our flight arrived at 5:15 am, so we had the morning to travel in from the airport, get breakfast, and then hit the ground running. From my previous travel, I knew that I needed to stay active on the first day to help avoid any jet lag. It meant a long day, but pretty much guaranteed a good night's sleep that first night!
Taking the bus to the Hotel to drop off our Luggage.
We decided to stay at the Buswell's Hotel for our PreTour night, as it is also the Tour hotel in Dublin. |
Ready to get started!!
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PreTour Day 1 Itinerary:
The bus tour made traveling to all the sights really easy. A ticket is good for 2 days. We highly recommend for Dublin. |
Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour Pictures - These are some drive by shots taken while riding the bus. We mostly sat in the open upper deck.
Dinner and Relaxing - What a long day it's been!
We went to The Hairy Lemon for Dinner.
After dinner, we took a stroll through St. Stephen's Green.
We didn't make it a late night, as we were both exhausted.
We went to The Hairy Lemon for Dinner.
After dinner, we took a stroll through St. Stephen's Green.
We didn't make it a late night, as we were both exhausted.
And Now the Rest of the Story Part 1
Our second Day PreTour
PreTour Day Two Itinerary
- Full Irish Breakfast
- Get some pastries
- Temple Bar
- Ha'Penny Bridge
- Dublin Castle
- National Gallery
- National Museum: Archaeology
- Start the Tour!!!
Dublin Castle
- This castle was the seat of English rule for 700 years
- Built on the spot of the first Viking Fortress. The turret is part of the original structure.
- It was here that the British handed over power to Michael Collins and the Irish in 1922.
The National Gallery and The National Museum of Archaeology
- These are great stops on any visit to Dublin
- Both are FREE!
- The National Gallery was under renovation while we were there, so we didn't get the full experience, yet there were some very nice paintings - including Picasso, Caravaggio, and Irish painter Jack B. Yeats.
- The National Museum of Archaeology was especially impressive with their collections of gold, early Irish artifacts, and Viking display.
- Be sure to see the Tara Brooch, the Cross of Cong, and the Bell of St. Patrick.
- My favorite part of the National Museum of Archaeology was the Bog Bodies - people that had fallen or been buried in the bogs. It was amazing how well preserved they are.
- Sorry - no pictures from the museums here. Some photography was allowed, but I prefer to not take many pictures in the museums. You can see a few below in the slideshow.