Is Dublin worth a day trip?

Yes: 7 hours in Dublin, £75 for the whole day, 30 min into town each way. Enough for the main sights and a proper lunch without rushing.

How long do you actually get in Dublin?

About 7 hours in Dublin. Landing to take-off is 9.5 hours; the trip into town and back and the time at the airport come off that.

How do you get from Dublin airport into town?

Aircoach 30 min, €12 return. A day ticket on local transport is Leap card day cap €6. Cheaper option: The €8 Leap Visitor Card covers the 16/41 airport bus and all city travel, but those take 50-70 min each way.

What does a day in Dublin cost, not counting the flight?

About £46 a person for the day: local transport, lunch, dinner and a drink. Paid attractions are listed separately because most people do one or none, and an average that includes them is a number nobody actually pays.

Is the flight price on this page the one I will pay?

The fare shown is the cheapest recently seen on this route, not a live quote for these exact flights. Check the airline or the booking link for the price you will actually pay.

How early do I need to be back at the airport?

Leave the city by 14:30. That allows 30 min to get back to the airport and 90 min there, before the 16:30 flight home.

Will passport checks eat my day?

Ireland is not in the EU Entry/Exit System, so we allow no extra time for it. Bring your passport; the usual check on arrival is quick.

Day trip to Dublin.
From Manchester, back by 17:30.

Ireland·Tue 17 Nov · 7.0 hours in the city

£75

the whole day

7.0 hours

in the city

17:30

back in Manchester

Day Trip Flight Details

Time in the city

7.0 hours

after transfersAfter transfers and airport time

Airport distance

10km

to the centreFrom Dublin centre (DUB)

Daylight

8.5 hours

07:54 to 16:27Sunrise 07:54, sunset 16:27

FlightAirport, immigration and transportIn the city

06:00
Leave Manchester
Ryanair, direct
07:30
In the city
Lands 07:00, 30min from the airport
14:30
Leave the city
30min back, 90min at the airport
17:30
Back in Manchester
Flies 16:30

Leave ManchesterRyanair, direct06:00
Land in Dublin1h07:00
In the city30min from the airport07:30
Leave the city30min back, 90min at the airport14:30
Fly home1h16:30
Back in Manchester17:30

Typical weather for this date

9°C

average high

5°C

average low

3 in 10

years it rained

This date is too far out to forecast. These are Dublin's actual figures for the same date across the last 10 years.

Also on in Dublin

Coming up in Dublin: Leopardstown Christmas Festival, 26 to 29 Dec

Things to do in DublinShow

Guinness StorehouseTickets on TiqetsAffiliate link
Jameson Distillery Bow St.Tickets on TiqetsAffiliate link
Dublin Attraction PassesTickets on TiqetsAffiliate link
EPIC The Irish Emigration MuseumTickets on TiqetsAffiliate link

All things to do in Dublin · Tiqets, affiliate link

With kids in DublinShow

What a day in Dublin costs

Flights and on-the-ground spend, per person.

£75/ all in, per person

Aircoach to city centre and back£10

Local transport£5

Lunch£12

Dinner£19

Beer calculator× 0£0

Entry fees, on top (optional)

Book of Kells£21 (€25)

National Museum, National Gallery, Phoenix ParkFree

On the ground£46

Prices checked 3 Oct 2026

Return flight from£29

Google Flights price. Checked 12 hours ago.

Getting to Manchesterfrom free

All in, per person£75

Book on Google Flights

Compare fares on Aviasales · Affiliate link

Estimated cost. Fares last checked 7 Oct, 23:00. Prices and availability change and are set by the airline or agent when you book.

The main button opens the airline or Google Flights; Compare fares goes to Aviasales, who pay us a small commission.

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Getting to the airportShow

Getting to Manchester

Per person. Not in the total above. Prices checked 25 Sept 2026.

Free

Free drop-off areaFree
24/7 shuttle bus to the terminals. Source

Train

From Manchester Piccadilly£2.90 each way13-20 min
Advance single. last train 01:34 Source
From Leeds£6.90 each way83-96 min
Advance single Source
From Liverpool (Lime Street)£3.60 each way46-73 min
Advance single. First train 05:00, last train 00:18 Source
First train too late for this flight: it gets you to Manchester less than 90 min before take-off.

Coach

National Express from Manchester / Leeds / Liverpool£5.90 each way
Cheapest advertised single. Runs round the clock. Source

Taxi

From Manchester city centre£25-£35 one way~10 miles
Estimate, not a quote. Uber or Bolt usually £15-£25.
From Leeds£90-£120 one way~45 miles
Estimate, not a quote. Uber or Bolt usually £60-£90.
From Liverpool£75-£100 one way~35 miles
Estimate, not a quote. Uber or Bolt usually £50-£75.

Parking at the airport

Paid drop-off, Terminal 2from £5.50
5 min £5.50, 10 min £6.50, up to 30 min £25. Source

More parking

Short StayNo same-day price
From £65 (4-day stay). Source
JetParksNo same-day price
From £54.99 (8-day stay). Source
Mid StayNo same-day price
From £79 (8-day stay). Source
Drop & GoNo same-day price
From £69.99 (8-day stay). Source
Meet & GreetNo same-day price
From £85.99 (8-day stay). Source
Multi StoreyNo same-day price
From £65 (4-day stay). Source

Parking nearby

No same-day price published. See multi-day prices

Maple Parking Park & Ride (5.8 mi from airport)£49.99
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 15-20 min. Source
APH Park & Ride (2.7 mi from airport)£69.95
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 7-15 min. Source

Costs people forgetShow

Costs people forget

Not in the total above. Worth a minute before you go.

Phone data. EE, Vodafone and Three charge about £2.75 a day to use your allowance in Europe. O2, Tesco Mobile and giffgaff include it free.
Card fees. Many cards add a foreign-exchange fee to every payment abroad. Check yours before you go, or take one that doesn't charge it.
Ryanair airport check-in. £55 per person, per flight, if you don't check in online. Without a paid seat, online check-in opens 24 hours before and closes 2 hours before. Ryanair, fees
Ryanair bags. One small bag (40 x 30 x 20 cm) under the seat is free. A 10kg cabin bag (55 x 40 x 20 cm) needs Priority & 2 Cabin Bags, £12.49 to £36 when booked. An oversize bag at the gate is refused or put in the hold for £70 to £75. Ryanair, fees

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Ask about Dublin

Your hours, your budget, what you like. Answered from real costs and tips from people who have been.

Tips from day trippers

1 tip and 4 BudgetBro picks for Dublin. Tap a place on the map to add yours.

Comments on DublinShow

Comments

No one has been yet, as far as we know. If you have, tell the next person what made the day.

Day trip to Dublin.From Manchester, back by 17:30.

Day Trip Flight Details

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Day trip to Dublin.
From Manchester, back by 17:30.