Hello from Ireland, I'm John!
Because all of our small-group tours depart from the Grand Canal Hotel in Dublin, I've put together the following guide to eating, drinking and having the craic in the area.
The hotel is located just south of Dublin city centre. Downtown Dublin is a short taxi/train/bus/bike ride away.
You don't have to stay at the Grand Canal Hotel to take our tours - it just makes your life more convenient!
How To Get Downtown 🌆
The Grand Canal Hotel is located just south of central Dublin.
The distance is approximately 2.5km (1.5 miles).
You can reach the downtown Grafton Street area of Dublin from the Grand Canal Hotel using the following methods:
- 🚕 TAXI - Total journey time: 8-16 minutes. This depends on traffic. Two passengers hailing the cab on the street will pay between €9.60 - €14.20 (using this taxi fare estimator tool). You can also ask the hotel concierge to pre-book a taxi for you (this adds a flat rate fee to the cost).
- 🚌 BUS - Total journey time: 12-15 minutes. This depends on traffic. Both the 4 and 7 public bus routes pass close to the Grand Canal Hotel. Walk to nearby Mount Street to pick either routes into the city centre. The bus journey itself will only take 4 minutes.
- 🚉 TRAIN - Total journey time: 10-20 minutes. Grand Canal Dock station is adjacent to the hotel, which will take you between 5-7 minutes to walk. The train journey into central Dublin takes between 3-7 minutes, depending on what station you disembark.
- 🚴♀️ BIKE - Total journey time: 10-15 minutes. You can rent city bikes just over the canal bridge from the hotel. The journey time once you are cycling is between 5-10 minutes, dependent on traffic.
- 👟 ON FOOT - The total journey time depends on how fast a walker you are and where exactly you end up — plus how many shop windows you stop to look at along the way. But walking from the Grand Canal Hotel to central Dublin near Grafton Street should take between 20-40 minutes.
Here are some maps of walking routes from the Grand Canal Hotel to popular attractions in downtown Dublin:
- Grafton Street [map] - pedestrianised shopping district
- St Stephen's Green [map] - charming city park
- Trinity College [map] - home to the Book of Kells.
Eating Options Near Grand Canal Hotel 🍽️
You are spoiled for choice when it comes to food choices!
Find the following delis restaurants and casual dining spots within walking distance to the Grand Canal Hotel:
Breakfast, Brunch & Coffee
- ☕ 3fe [map] - Get your barista -brewed caffeine fix from this small Dublin chain (4 minute walk)
- 🍳 Juniors [map] - Sit-in for brunch, order ahead for to-go lunchtime sandwiches or enjoy an Italian-influenced dinner menu; casual (5 minute walk)
Lunch
- 🥪 Eurospar [map] - Large convenience store with Irish-style baguette sandwiches, fresh pastries and full deli (5 minute walk)
- 🇮🇳 Dosa Dosa [map] - Indian food with a focus on south Indian dosas (potato pancakes); dine-in or to-go (5 minute walk)
- 🥪 Lotts & Co [map] - High-end grocery and deli food with organic, imported and local brands (5 minute walk)
Dinner
- 🍕 Paulie's Pizza [map] - Ireland meets Naples at this wood-fired pizza joint; casual (5 minute walk)
- 🍽️ Etto [map] - Italian-influenced seasonal dining; affordable fine dining (18 minute walk / 7 minute taxi ride)
- 🍣 Musashi [map] - Dublin's Japanese chain serves up good sushi and noodles; casual (7 minute walk)
Pubs & Bars Near Grand Canal Hotel ☕
- 🍻 The Old Spot [map] - Refined pub with an excellent dinner menu; casual (5 minute walk)
- 🎻 O'Donoghue's [map] - famous traditional pub for Irish music; great Guinness; always busy (18 minute walk / 7 minute taxi ride)
- 🥂 Ely Wine Bar [map] - quaff from a wine list 400-strong; good food too (18 minute walk / 7 minute taxi ride)
Catch A Show In Dublin... 🎭
The Bord Gáis Energy Theatre is Ireland's largest fixed-seat theatre.
It's roughly a 10 minute walk away [map].
Most major Broadway and West End (London) shows arrive at the Bord Gáis at some point
Dublin also boasts these downtown venues:
- Gaiety - Theatricral plays, stage shows and pantomimes
- Olympia - Theatricral plays, stage shows and intimate concerts
- Abbey - Classic Irish and international theatricral plays
- Gate - Contemporary Irish and international theatricral plays
- 3Arena - Large capacity indoor concerts
...Or A Game! 🏟️
Sports nut? Music fan?
The 52,000 capacity Aviva Stadium is home turf to both Ireland's rugby and soccer teams, as well as the provincial Leinster rugby team.
During the summer, this stadium also hosts regular music concerts.
Stadium tours are available if a game or concert isn't scheduled.
From the Grand Canal Hotel, the Aviva Stadium is only a 12 minute walk [map].
The RDS (Royal Dublin Showgrounds) is another large venue close to the Grand Canal Hotel.
Croke Park, on Dublin's northside, is an 82,000 all seater stadium. It hosts sports events all year round and large rock and pop concerts each summer.
Check our list of 2024 events in Dublin
Visit A Dublin Battlefield 💥
A few hundred feet away from the Grand Canal Hotel is the site of the Battle of Mount Street Bridge.
During the 1916 Rising, newly-arrived British forces were ambushed here.
A handful of rebel snipers held two army battalions at bay for hours before heavy artillery arrived.
From the Grand Canal Hotel, this journey back in time will take you approximately 3 minutes! [map]
Ogle Georgian Dublin Architecture 🧱
During its heydey in the late 18th century, elegant townhouses and town squares were built around Dublin.
The very finest examples lie a short stroll away from the Grand Canal Hotel.
See Oscar Wilde's former family home in Merrion Square with a 13 minute walk [map].
Or take a guided tour of 14 Henrietta Street, Dublin's highly recommended Tenement Museum.
Dublin Day Trips By Train 🚆
A matter of footsteps away from the Grand Canal Hotel lies Grand Canal Dock train station [map].
Dublin's light rail system offers you delightful destinations, all within easy distance.
- Dalkey [map] is a quaint village with great pubs
- Howth [map] offers fantastic seafood, scenic views and hikes
- Visit the James Joyce Museum in Sandycove/Glasthule [map]
Here are some more easy Dublin day trips by public transport
Hike Or Bike Dublin's Grand Canal 🦢
Discover the scenic manmade waterway that gave the Grand Canal Hotel its name.
The Grand Canal runs east to west.
Follow its towpath to discover this little piece of nature in the city. Swans and other birdlife are pretty much guaranteed.
These southside Dublin neighbourhoods are within easy reach along the Grand Canal towpath:
- Baggot Street - Bars, pubs and restaurants galore only 14 minutes [map] walk from your hotel
- Grand Canal Dock - Great lunch spots and people watching between the canal and the river. Only 11 minutes [map] easy stroll away.
- Portobello - Visit the Irish Jewish Museum in Dublin's historic Jewish neighbourhood. 32 minutes away [map].
Are you a biker? Cut those journey times in half with the Dublin Bike Scheme.
There's a Dublin Bike station located only 3 minutes walk [map] from the Grand Canal Hotel. You'll need a credit card to sign up.
Alternatively, Bleeper Bikes can be found anywhere. You'll need to download their iOS app or Android app to get started.
Hit The Beach... In Dublin 🏖️
You're never far from the sea in Dublin.
From the Grand Canal Hotel's front door, the surprisingly wild and windswept Sandymount Strand is only a gentle 30 minute stroll away [map].
Let us know what hidden gems you've found near Grand Canal Hotel!
