Dublin is the capital and largest city of Ireland. It’s also a famous tourist destination for its exciting culture, active nightlife, and friendly people. The city serves as the ideal entry point to the country, so you’re likely to spend at least a few days here.
By Lizzy
There are a lot of great hostels in the city from which you can choose from for your accommodations. Most of them are reasonably priced, centrally located, and have a pleasant atmosphere. So, here are some of the best hostels that we recommend.
Top 4 Hostels in Dublin:
- 1. Sky Backpackers
- 2. Generator Dublin
- 3. Isaacs Hostel
- 4. Egali Hostel
The 4 Best Party Hostels in Ireland
Sky Backpackers
Price: $18.84
Sky Backpackers is a preferred hostel for tourists in Dublin. The hostel is both comfortable and affordable, and it has a social atmosphere where it’s effortless to mingle with other backpackers. Also, it’s set in a unique location – in a former recording studio whose clients included Van Morrison, U2, Def Leppard, Sinead O’Connor, and more. The hostel’s location is also great as it is very close to the River Liffey, the O’Connel Street, Ha’Penny Bridge, and a short walk away from the Temple Bar area.
Also, the hostel has a chill vibe with books and television available for all guests. They also host movie nights or live music regularly for guests. The staff is approachable and fun, and they can help you out with any queries that you may have. There are also several activities that you can take part in, like pancake day, walking tours, Sangria night, game nights, etc. If you’re musically inclined, they’d love for you perform for a discounted rate on the dorm rooms.
Also, you can choose between twins, triples, quads, or six-bed rooms. There are also four, six, eight, and ten-bed dorms.
- Great price, location, and activities
Generator Dublin
Price: $17.35 to $19.06
Generator Dublin belongs to a chain of hostels that are spread all around Europe. It’s a well-received hostel to stay in the city, and it has impressive facilities in a convenient location. The hostel’s atmosphere is fun, and the price is relatively cheap. It has the atmosphere of a nightclub, and it always seems that something exciting is happening. Also, there are a lot of amenities available to guests, such as Wi-Fi, lockers, and luggage storage. There are also daily free walking tours around the city as well. The hostel also hosts nightly events, which increases the party atmosphere to another level. Also, drink promotions happen regularly in the bar, karaoke, DJs, pool competitions, and drinking games. There are also monthly themed parties.
The staff are fun and friendly. The hostel can also give you advice on the best places to relax or eat. The hostel is also located near some famous attractions like the Guinness Storehouse, the Dublin Castle, the Wax Museum Plus, and Jameson Distillery. The Temple Bar area is only ten minutes away.
The hostel has a lot of private rooms available. There is a single, twin, triple, quad, and six-bed rooms to choose from. Some dorms can accommodate six or eight people. Read more..
- Great location, amenities, and parties
Isaacs Hostel
Price: $17.92 to $41.22
Isaacs Hostel is another highly-rated hostel in Dublin, and it’s one of the most famous hostels in the area. Also, it won’t be long before you make a lot of new friends in the hostel. It is located near Connolly Train Station and the city’s main bus station. It’s also minutes away from the Temple Bar area and O’Connell Street.
This hostel is known for its atmosphere. Many popular guidebooks recommend it, and it holds to its name. It’s one of the first backpacker hostels in Dublin, and it has indeed come to be an institution. If you wish to stay in a social environment where it’s easy to make new friends, this is the right place. Also, they offer guests free breakfast, sauna, video games, walking tours, and regular live music as well. There is also a lot of space available in the common area where you can chill, socialize with other guests, or party.
Also, there are large dorms and private rooms available, so despite your budget and preference, you can find one that fits your needs. Read more..
- Accessible through public transportation, social vibe, and lots of activities
Egali Hostel
Price: $11.94
Egali Hostel is housed in a renovated Georgian building that possesses a ton of character. The hostel is also conveniently located on O’Connell Street. It’s only a short walk away from the Temple Bar area and is close to several of Dublin’s best tourist spots. It’s also accessible to public transportation, including the Connolly train station and bus terminal.
The hostel has a lot of great amenities. There’s a free breakfast that is served daily and includes jams, toast, coffee, butter, and milk. Also, the hostel has free Wi-Fi throughout the whole property. If you want a spot to relax, they also have three different common areas. There’s a lounge with a sofa and widescreen tv, a dining area where you can enjoy a meal, and a beautiful outdoor common area.
Although the hostel has no private rooms, it has dorms that sleep six, eight, or even sixteen people. The large, sixteen-bed dorm is the most affordable and social, but can also get quite loud. All dorms are co-ed.
- Unique architecture, great amenities, and beautiful rooms
How is Dublin’s Nightlife?
Dublin’s pubs are world-famous, and you should make sure to try at least a couple of places during your stay. A few things to note: in general, your order at the bar and pay as soon as possible. Although if you ordered food, sometimes you just pay for everything after you finish like in a restaurant. If your food is served on your table, it is customary to leave some change as a tip. But you should never tip someone for just serving you at a bar counter.
The specific times that alcohol can be sold are strictly regulated by law, and this affects restaurants, bars, clubs, etc. In general, bars stop offering drinks at 23:30 except on the weekends (excluding Sunday) when they finish one hour later. A few bars are open until about 02:30, especially towards the weekend. Almost all Dublin city center pubs serve food at lunchtime, but a lot of them close their kitchens around 14:30 or 15:00 and don’t serve food at night. The most popular drink is beer, and all bars have a wide range of draught (known as tap in North America). Beer is commonly drunk in pints, and you can expect to pay about Eur 6 to 7 for a pint of Guinness. Contrary to popular belief, most Dublin pubs don’t play live music!
Despite its stature as a party city, clubbing in Dublin is pretty mellow as alcohol licensing laws hamper it. So, most venues are required to close by 03:00. Clubs are often rented out to different promoters on different nights, and the same place could receive drunken students or a salsa club on different nights! Clubs nights frequently change, so you check out their social media page or website.
The Best Bars and Clubs in Dublin
Whelan’s
Christy Moore, Hozier, Glen Hansard, Mundy – they all started their careers at Whelan’s – Dublin’s premier music venue. This Wexford Street mainstay attracts a mix of old-school music lovers and hip young professionals. These people usually come for a happy atmosphere and stellar, indie-centric programmed. You can also go to the backroom, where typically two DJs are on hand for the real craic. There’s a free silent disco during weekdays ( usually on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays).
Yamamori Tengu
Tucked at the back of an excellent sushi restaurant, Tengu is one of the hottest clubs in Dublin right now. Spread across two rooms, the edgy club prides itself on having one of the best sound systems in the capital. Genres are a right mix – so whether you’re more into R&B, disco or techno, there’s a night for you here. Open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 pm until early in the morning.
The Workman’s Club
The award-winning club is another must-visit for karaoke, comedy, and live music in the city center. This eccentric Georgian townhouse club has a casual vibe, boasting multiple dance floors and a vast beer garden with its very own Wowburger. The drinks offers are decent, too. What more could you want?
Café En Seine
The recently reopened Café En Seine is arguably the city’s most magnificent cocktail bar. With its wide range of elegant art nouveau rooms spanning three floors, this stylish venue is a top choice among couples and partygoers alike. The outdoor street garden, the bar’s pièce de résistance, is designed to imitate a typical shopping street in Paris. A decent soundtrack and excellent service round out the very glam experience.
The Bar With No Name
From its exterior, the Bar With No Name looks as mysterious as its moniker suggests – it only has a street sign with a wooden snail on it. But if you head up the stairs, you’ll find a speakeasy with a lot of seating areas lined with red velour curtains. Also, at the back of the bar, you will find a circus tent-style beer garden that’s always filled with people. You’ll also find nightlife hotspots nearby, such as Fade Street Social, Hogans, The Drury Buildings, and Idlewild – making this the perfect area for a small pub crawl.
About Dublin
Dublin is the capital city of Ireland. Its vibrancy, nightlife, and tourist attractions are world-renowned, and it’s the most well-known entry point for international tourists in Ireland.
As a city, it is too large relative to the size of the country with a population of approximately 1.9 million in the whole Greater Dublin Region. So, nearly half of the country’s population resides in the metropolitan area. The central tourist spots can be navigated by foot, with a few distant views, and suburbs are stretching out for miles.
Dublin is split up by the River Liffey. On the northern part of the Liffey is O’Connell Street — the main thoroughfare, which leads to numerous shopping streets, such as Henry and Mary Street, the city’s busiest shopping districts. On the southern side of the river are St. Stephen’s Green and Grafton Street, the second most active and several upmarket shopping areas. You can also visit Christ Church, Trinity College, and St. Patrick’s Cathedrals, the National Museum, and a lot of other attractions.
Although some of Dublin’s most elegant Georgian architecture was destroyed in the mid-20th century, an astonishing amount remains standing. At one point, these buildings were regarded as remnants of British imperialism, so many were demolished without considering their beauty and architectural significance. As a result, they are replaced with modernist or pastiche office blocks, parts of St. Stephen’s Green being the most famous example. Thankfully, attitudes have changed significantly, and Dubliners are now rightly proud of their impressive buildings from all eras.
Lizzy
Traveler & Blogger
Hi, I’m Lizzy! In the past 10 years I’ve travelled 60 countries and I’m still counting. While I was backpacking I could not find a website that provides valuable information about hostels. After months of thinking, doubting and brainstorming, hostelstobook.com was born.
I hope to make your trip easier, so you’d only stay in the best hostels around the globe. Do you have any questions? Don’t hesitate to send me a message.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some other places that people like to combine with a visit to Dublin are the main cities in Ireland, Northern-Ireland and the UK. Such as London. Other main European capitals that are not too far away are Amsterdam, Paris and Brussels.
Dublin is a warm and hospitable city, known for the friendliness of its people and famous for its craic (“crack”)—that mixture of wit, humor, intelligence, and acerbic and deflating insight that has attracted writers, intellectuals, and visitors for centuries.
Despite Ireland’s relatively small size, Dublin is a major city, and with that come the problems of any major European city. On the whole, however, it is considered to be a safe city, and the majority of crime is non-violent, such a pick-pocketing.
Sit-down restaurants are all relatively pricey. Dublin is an expensive city when it comes to food, but at least you’ve got plenty of options in the central hotel districts. A pint of Guinness or any food at all will be expensive, especially in the Temple Bar neighborhood.
You will need to rent a car to explore the whole country. So, ten days is just enough time to visit the highlights of Ireland, including Dublin, the Rock of Cashel, Galway, the Cliffs of Moher, the Dingle Peninsula, and Northern Ireland. It’s a fantastic trip, but expect to have busy and action-packed days.
The best time to go to Ireland is from April to June and in September and October. Even though you won’t have any guarantees when talking about the Irish weather, spring and autumn tend to be relatively mild and have fewer crowds (and lower prices) than during the peak of summer.