Things To Do In Dublin Near The Grand Canal Hotel

At A Glance

🚐 All tour pick-ups and drop-offs happen at the Grand Canal Hotel, Dublin.
📍 The hotel is located just south of Dublin city centre.
😋 Lots of pubs, restaurants and coffee shops are located around the hotel.
🚶🏽 Downtown Dublin is a short taxi/train/bus/bike ride away. Stroll there in approximately 10-20 minutes.
🚉 Grand Canal Dock train station is located 5-7 minutes walk from the hotel.
🏟️ Within a 10 minute walk you'll find a major sports stadium and one of Ireland's largest theatres.
🏨 You don't have to stay at the Grand Canal Hotel - 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 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 €7.60 - €11.20. 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 - Depending on how fast a walker you are — plus how many shop windows you stop to look at along the way — downtown Dublin is easily reachable from the Grand Canal Hotel on foot.

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 these restaurants and casual dining spots within walking distance to the Grand Canal Hotel:

Farmer Browns [map] - Irish soul food; brunch and lunch; casual (5 minute walk)
The Old Spot [map] - refined gastro pub grub; casual (5 minute walk)
Juniors [map] - order ahead for their lunch sandwiches or enjoy an Italian-influenced dinner menu; casual (5 minute walk)
Etto [map] - Italian-influenced seasonal dining; Irish Restaurant of the Year 2018; affordable fine dining (18 minute walk/7 minute taxi ride)
Musashi [map] - Dublin's small Japanese chain has good sushi and noodles; casual (7 minute walk)

Pubs, Bars & Coffee Near Grand Canal Hotel ☕

3fe [map] - get your barista -brewed caffeine fix from this small Dublin chain (4 minute walk)
The Square Ball [map] - hip brew pub with Irish craft beers and liquor; award-winning chicken burger (7 minute walk)
O'Donoghue's [map] - famous traditional pub for Irish music; great Guinness; always busy (18 minute walk)
Ely Wine Bar [map] - quaff from a wine list 400-strong; good food too (18 minute walk)

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

...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.

The Aviva Stadium is only 12 minutes walk [map] from the Grand Canal Hotel.

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.

This historical expedition will take you approximately 3 minutes! [map]

Ogle Georgian Dublin Architecture 🧱

During its heydey in the late 18^th century, elegant townhouses and town squares were built around Dublin.

Red Georgian-style doors

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].

Visit the Georgian House Museum in Fitzwilliam Square, which is a 11 minute walk [map].

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

A DART train makes its way along Killiney Bay with the Sugarloaf mountain in the background

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.

Barge on the Grand Canal in Dublin

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 Jewish Museum in Dublin's historic Jewish neighbourhood. 32 minutes away [map].

Dublin Bikes docking station on the River Liffey