Places to Visit in Ireland
An Atlantic island republic of about 5 million people, where medieval cathedrals, Georgian squares and a strong pub and music culture sit within a small, easily travelled country.
Ireland has a temperate maritime climate shaped by the Atlantic Ocean: winters are mild and wet, summers are cool, and rain can fall in any month. Dublin averages roughly 750 millimetres of rain a year, less than the west coast, with January highs around 5 degrees Celsius and July averages around 16 degrees Celsius, and June evenings stay light past 21:00. May to September is the most reliable window for walking, day trips and outdoor sightseeing, while July and August bring the highest hotel prices and the longest queues at the largest attractions. St Patrick's Day on 17 March fills Dublin for several days, and booking ahead is essential. The Republic has about 5 million people, and English and Irish are both official languages, with Irish spoken daily in the Gaeltacht regions of the west. Ireland drives on the left, and public transport in Dublin runs on the Leap Card, with a TFI 90 Minute fare of EUR 2.00 for adults as of 2026. Intercity trains and buses link the main cities from Dublin's Heuston and Connolly stations. Pubs are social centres: buying a round in turn is the norm in a group, and tipping for a drink at the bar is not expected. In restaurants, 10-12.5% is customary when no service charge is added, and rounding up for taxis is normal. Ireland holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union from 1 July to 31 December 2026, and Dublin Castle is closed to the public for that period, so some standard sights are unavailable. Emergency services are on 112 or 999.
Capital
Dublin
Currency
Euro (EUR, €); Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, uses pound sterling (GBP, £)
Time zone
GMT (UTC+0) in winter and Irish Standard Time (UTC+1) in summer
Calling code
+353
Best months
May – Sep
Visas and entry
Ireland is not in the Schengen Area and has its own entry rules, so days spent in Ireland do not count toward the Schengen 90-in-180-day limit and ETIAS does not apply. Ireland shares the Common Travel Area (CTA) with the United Kingdom, which lets British and Irish citizens travel between the two countries without passport control. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens need no visa. Citizens of many other countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, can enter without a visa for up to 90 days as visitors, but permission to land is granted by an immigration officer at the port of entry, so carry a passport, onward travel details and proof of funds. Other nationalities need an Irish short-stay visa, applied for through the Irish immigration service. A UK visa is a separate document: it does not by itself allow entry to Ireland, and an Irish visa does not by itself allow entry to the UK, apart from the British-Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS), which lets eligible nationalities, mainly Indian and Chinese passport holders, use a single short-stay visa for both jurisdictions when they meet the scheme's conditions. Visitors who cross into Northern Ireland enter the United Kingdom and may need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) or visa even though no fixed border check exists. Rules change, so verify at irishimmigration.ie and gov.uk before travelling.
Where to start in Ireland
The place ranked first in each of our city guides.