We arrived in Prague for a short weekend after our trip to Ireland. Prague has a ton of restaurant and coffeehouse options. Seeing as we didn’t have long to explore the city, we tried to have as many different cuisines as we could – so we could have varied suggestions regarding food in Prague.
Restaurants in Prague
Local Czech restaurant with the largest beer selection in the country
We found Pivovarsky restaurant following a tip from the guide of a free tour we took. He said they had great local food and the largest selection of beers in the Czech Republic. It definitely sounded to us like a place worth checking out.
The restaurant isn’t in the center of town but is easily reachable by metro. We went there for dinner on our second night in Prague. From the moment you walk in, the huge range of beers on offer becomes apparent.
We sat down for a meal on the lower floor of the restaurant and had been given two separate menus: One for food and one for beers. The beer menu was far larger than the food one and deciding which we should have was virtually impossible – So we asked the waitress what she recommends.
As for food, Roan had pork with mashed potatoes and I had a salad and sausages. The food was really good and the atmosphere was very pleasant as well.
One of the best Pizzas we had
We arrived in Prague at 10:30PM and were really hungry. There weren’t many options around our Airbnb apartment so we decided to ride a retro to Johnny Pizza, which we saw was open. As we got there, the cook was pulling a fresh pizza out of the oven and we got two slices of it, each.
The crust was really thin, just the way we like it, with tasty cheese and great toppings. The pizza was so good Roman asked for 3 more slices and couldn’t stop eating it. It’s really addictive – consider yourself warned. This is definitely a great option for fast, delicious food on the cheap.
A bit of everything – Restaurant with ready food, quiches, cakes, pastries and more
We came upon this place by accident while looking for something light to eat after our bike tour (In the center of town). After 3 hours of riding up slopes, we felt like we needed to eat some more.
By the bike store, there was the Bake Shop restaurant with lots of options. There were ready salads and stews you could order from by weight and eat on the spot. I had a pasta salad and a bulgur and squash salad, while Roman had the pasta and roast beef salad. The price was reasonable and the dishes good. I topped it off with coffee with a chocolate ice-cream scoop.
This restaurant is great if you’re a group of several people and everyone wants to have something different. They have a large variety of food, as well as desserts.
Great bakery with large variety of pastries
Antoninovo bakery was right next to our Airbnb apartment. They have several branches, so it’s worth checking if there’s one around you.
They have a large variety of fresh and delicious pastries. We had breakfast there on our first morning in Prague – I had a yeast cheese cake and a croissant and Roman had bread with egg salad and a poppy cake. Everything was really good. The prices were low, and so you might have to wait in line as the place is very popular.
Cheap and fast – Vietnamese and Chinese food stalls next to the mall
After our retro vehicle tour, we went for a stroll around the mall. As we were exiting it we noticed some nice food stalls, with Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine and Czech desserts. We decided to go for a snack from the stalls, Roman ordered Pho soup from the Vietnamese stall, which was very subtly flavored and would be a great option on cold days.
I had a fresh spring roll with rice noodles and vegetables, which was a really nice snack and from the Chinese stall we ordered two Gyozas. If you’re looking for cheap, fast food this is a good option. You can eat there, standing at the tables or take-away. At the Vietnamese stall they also have Vietnamese sandwiches in a baguette.
Address
Revoluční 655/1, 110 00 Prague, Czech Republic
A bit of variety – Thai restaurant
On our last evening in Prague, we decided to shake things up a bit and have Thai food. We visited Mesy Thai Restaurant, which was both intimate and pleasant. We had Dim Sum for our first course, and for mains I ordered a shrimp and veg vermicelli stir-fry while Roman had stir-fried egg noodles with meat.
The portions were large, and the food itself was tasty and filling. I asked to have half my dish to take-away, as I couldn’t finish it.
Address
Bělehradská 12/98, 120 00 Praha 2, Czechia
Next to Johnny Pizza
Cheap and quick breakfast
Prior to our bike tour, we went out for breakfast so we could have the energy needed for the tour. We found Piknik, a simple restaurant with an assortment of nice, cheap food. Roman had a veggie wrap and a croissant and I had fruit salad and chia pudding. They have a variety of sandwiches, salads, wraps and options for vegetarians and vegans.
We arrived at Prague on a low-cost flight from Dublin following our Ireland trip. We found a lavish Airbnb apartment at a good price, 10 minutes from the city center by metro. The apartment had a really cool design and we had a hot tub and fully furnished kitchen. The bed room was charming and pleasant. Update: this apartment is no longer available on airbnb.
Search for other accommodations.
Prague had a ton of great things to do, but seeing as we only had two and half days at our disposal, we elected to go with the attractions that seemed coolest to us. We decided on four types of tours, each one letting us see the city from a different angle. We went for a cocktail in the tallest tower in the Czech Republic, to the market and had local cuisine.
Attractions in Prague
Tour in a retro vehicle
Before arriving in Prague, I’ve done extensive research into special tours available. When I came across a stunning retro vehicle tour with Prague old car company and immediately knew it was going to be something we’ll want to do.
We pre-ordered the tour and had no clue what vehicle we were going to get, so every time a retro vehicle drove by we were left wondering if it was going to be ours. Lucky for us, we ended up getting the coolest and most unique vehicle and had a really charming driver as well. Click here to read more about our old car tour experience.
Panoramic bike and castle tour
One of our favorite ways of exploring new places is through bike tours. Having done a tour of the major landmarks with the retro vehicle, we wanted to check out a different area. We found a panoramic tour, which sounded really beautiful, through Praha Bike. Their tour sounded quite special – A combination of vantage points and a castle, with some physical challenge thrown into the mix. Click here to read more about our bike tour experience.
Ghost stories and legends tour
I have to admit the whole ghost thing scares me a bit, but when I came across the ghost story tour in the evening hours in Prague, it sounded like something worth trying – even if I don’t get any sleep afterwards.
We preordered the tour through Mysterium tours company.
Click here to read more about our spooky ghosts tour experience.
Television tower vantage point
Zizkov television tower is the highest tower in the Czech Republic, rated the 2nd ugliest in the world. As soon as you see it, you’ll understand why. It may be ugly on the outside, but don’t judge a book by its cover – Its interior design is super cool and there are several things to do there. You can go up to the head of the tower and see the city in 360 degrees.
You can sit on the fun swing couches and look over the city at the same time. Afterwards, you can go down a floor and sit at the bar, where you can get drinks (and food) and enjoy the amazing view.
I’d recommend getting there in time for sunset or during the late morning hours, not while the sun is directly above and glaring. We ordered two cocktails and enjoyed the view. The price to go up the tower isn’t too high at about 6 euros and the drink prices are reasonable as well. I would definitely recommend visiting it while in Prague.
Food market and souvenirs
Havelské tržiště Market – To be honest, we came across the market accidently while wandering around the old town, but we really like local markets and so were glad to run into it. There are lots of souvenir, jewelry, fruit and food stalls. All the different berries looked really good. We were there during lunch hours, so we decided to have a hot dog for lunch. We found a really nice stall called Ceske Uzeniny.
We both chose a spicy sausage in a bun along with some hot wine (One of the must tries in Prague, especially on cold days). I liked the sausage a lot and the bun was really good because he toasted it before serving. The market is open every day from 06:00 to 19:00, and on Sundays from 07:00 to 18:30.
Free tour in the city
Whenever we arrive at a new city, we always do the free tour (tip based), so we can get to know it better and hear of its history. We took the tour through Sandemans, who’s tours we had enjoyed in Dublin, Berlin and Jerusalem. The tour was around three and a half hours and was very thorough.
Our guide was really nice and told of Prague’s history in an interesting manner. I definitely recommend doing this tour on one of your first days in town, as the guide gives suggestions for recommended locations such as restaurants, bars and attractions. We followed his suggestion to a bar with the largest variety of beers in the Czech Republic. During the tour, there is a break of approximately half an hour during which you can get some food and drink and get some tips from the guide. It’s a light and interesting tour.
One of our favorite ways of exploring new places is through bike tours. We searched for a bike tour in Prague and found a panoramic tour, which sounded really beautiful, through Praha Bike. Their tour sounded quite special – A combination of vantage points and a castle, with some physical challenge thrown into the mix.
Our tour stated at 10:00, the meeting point being one of the company’s stores. Turns out only Roman and I were on the tour that day – so we got a private tour with the excellent guide, Jim.
We picked out our bikes, and Jim tuned the seats to fit our heights – then we started.
About the bike tour
At first, we rode through the city, then across the bridge and up through a beautiful park. We stopped at some really gorgeous vantage points and Jim was patient while I took a ton of photos, and he even photographed Roman and I together. The ride up the slope wasn’t too hard, but did require a certain physical effort, at least on my part, as Roman wasn’t particularly phased.
The park also had a bar Jim recommended we visit after sunset and have a beer to the city’s beautiful view. This sounded like a great suggestion, but unfortunately, we didn’t have the time to put it to good use. The place is easily reachable by metro.
The tour is supposed to include entry to a castle, but we had to forfeit the notion due to the amount of people waiting in line to get in. So, if you really want to visit the castle, I’d recommend going alone, as early as possible, and not count on seeing it during a tour.
From the castle area we continued to another great vantage point, which required riding up a slope some more – There we stopped to take pictures. From that point we started a pretty scary descent, it was very steep and felt like a Luna park. After the initial fear it got pretty fun.
At every stop Jim told us about the place, and at sometimes we spoke while riding. The tour was really cool and with stunning views of the city.
If you like riding a bike and are in relatively good shape this tour is a must in Prague.
I have to admit the whole ghost thing scares me a bit, but when I came across the ghost story tour in the evening hours in Prague, it sounded like something worth trying – even if I don’t get any sleep afterwards.
We preordered the tour through Mysterium tours Company. This company also has tours in Madrid and Budapest.
This tour is like an individual play. You get sucked into the guide’s stories and feel like you’re really in the scene she’s talking about. This tour is a completely different experience from others, since it makes you feel like you’re a part of a scary story. It also makes you see the city in a different light, and besides, a nightly tour is always nice – especially in a beautiful city like Prague.
The tour kicks off at 20:30. We chose a tour of The Dark Shadows of the Old Town.
Our guide’s name was Christina and she was incredible. First, the outfit she wore and the night lamp she carried immediately created an atmosphere of mystery and fright. She told the stories really well, in a dramatic and theatrical way that was very sweeping.
During the tour we stopped at several places known for ghost stories. Each story was unique and they were all spooky and interesting. We were a small, intimate group of six and we really enjoyed listening to the stories. It was also very nice to tour the city in the late evening hours.
If you like horror movies or stories about ghosts and the supernatural, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this tour a lot. It’s a tour for both teenagers and adults, and it’s available in a number of languages: English, French, Spanish and Italian.
The moment you enter Prague’s old-town, you’ll come across many beautiful and impressive vehicles. If you’ve always dreamed of riding in a prestigious car, now’s the time to fulfil that fantasy. Albeit we only took a 40-minute tour, I’ve got to say feeling like the rich and famous for even a short while feels really good 🙂
During our stay in Prague we’ve seen many retro-vehicle tour companies, but the one we chose had the most impressive car, we thought. We toured with Prague Old Car, having pre-ordered the tour. Seeing as we weren’t staying at a central location, they met us at a predetermined meeting point they sent us in advance. If you’re staying at a hotel in the middle of town, they’ll pick you up straight from there.
They offer two kinds of vehicles and several different tours. We took the 40-minute tour, which allows you to see the city’s main sites. There’s also an option to order a bottle of champagne and flowers ahead of time.
Our driver was really charming and told us about every place we drove by in a few sentences. The car being a convertible and the windy weather made him a bit difficult to hear (Would have helped if he had a microphone), but we were still able to make out what he was saying, and besides, the ride was so much fun. Honestly, we didn’t want it to end.
At one point we stopped at the John Lennon graffiti wall and took a few photos.
We love incorporating the luxurious lifestyle in our travels and this tour definitely fits in with that niche. The hair flapping in the wind, the prestigious blankets, the hypnotizing vehicle and view of the romantic city of Prague all made us feel like the very rich.
The tour is reasonably priced when compared to what you’re getting. It’s good for 1 to 5 passengers, so if you’re a group of friends or family you can all take the tour together.
I recommend asking for the car we got ahead of time.
When I arrived at a blogger convention in Killarney, one of the bloggers told me of a tour centered around HBO’s Game of Thrones in Northern Ireland. The tour visits several sites the show was filmed at. Upon hearing this, I immediately knew it was something we had to do – Roman and I love the show and it sounded like an awesome experience.
We didn’t have much time left in Ireland, so when I found out the tour leaves from Belfast, a two hour drive north of Dublin, I was really excited. I’ve begun searching for companies offering this tour and found Brit Movies. Their tour looked really cool, and it included a visit to a stunning area named Giant’s Causeway – An enormous area consisting of about 40,000 basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. (Unrelated to the show, but it’s in the area and is very recommended). Link for booking the tour.
We took an express bus from Dublin to Belfast which takes two hours. In Belfast we reserved a lovely Airbnb apartment at the city center. It had two bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen and a fun living room. A cozy, beautifully designed apartment that I would highly recommend – Link to the apartment. Search for other accommodations
Game of thrones tour
The Brit Movies Game of Thrones tour leaves at 9AM from Donegall Square 9 (A short walking distance away from our apartment). The tour was by van, and we were a small nine-person group. The guide was really nice and as it turns out – had been an extra on the show a couple of times, so she had interesting stories to share throughout the tour. It was lightly raining when we started and towards the end as well, but we were lucky enough to have perfect weather for the most part.
Putting the show’s amazing locations aside, the ride itself was exhilarating and we passed beautiful scenery along the way.
At every filming site you can find a picture showing which scene was shot there. We haven’t seen the seventh season yet so there we a few scenes we didn’t get to watch yet, but now I can’t wait to watch them and go “Cool, we were there in real life!” :).
As I don’t want to spoil the show for you or ruin the enjoyment of the tour, I’ll just share the crazy pictures we took at the locations we visited. I’ll only show you the first scene from the site we went to.
We stopped at a number of locations and each one was absolutely breathe-taking.
In this location for an extra charge, you may pass over a rope bridge. It’s not particularly scary, and not a must for sure – But it was nice and allowed us to take photos from a new angle. The views in this location were spectacular. We could spend hours there.
Lunch time
At the Giant’s Causeway, we ate lunch at Antik restaurant. It was really good, Roman had chowder (A traditional Irish soup) and goulash and I had an open sandwich with shrimp which was tasty and light.
The walk to the site itself takes about 15 minutes, but since we were short on time we took the shuttle (Costs a pound each way) which leaves from near the restaurant and drops you off right at the spot. The Giant’s Causeway is unbelievable. It’s crazy how beautiful nature can be.
We really liked touring with Brit Movies, and it turns out they’re among the few who offer tours by van and not a large bus. Touring in a van was more fun, the atmosphere was relaxed, you could talk to the guide as much as you wish – and the van reached places a bus wouldn’t have been able to go. You can do the tour independently but I think the guide’s input turns the whole experience much more special. Brit movies company also offers another Game of Thrones tour (link).
At the last site we were given show related props so we could feel like we’re part of the Game of Thrones. It was a ton of fun and we took some great pictures.
Even if you haven’t watched the show, this tour will astound you. The views are just breathe-taking and you might get encouraged to start watching, then you too could say “How cool is it that we were there in real life”.
Dublin is a city teeming with bars and joy, beautiful parks, cool tours and great food.
We arrived to Dublin from Killarney (southwest Ireland’s County Kerry).
Tips before traveling to Dublin
SIM card
I personally recommend using an ESIM, which is an electronic SIM, and recommend Airalo. I was very satisfied with their user experience (simple tutorial videos for operating the SIM card) and everything worked without any special problems. I wrote more about them in an extended post on the subject of taking a SIM card abroad and also about other options such as buying a local SIM card.
Blog followers have a 15% discount code for the Airalo company to purchase an ESIM – to redeem the discount, click on this link. The discount code is already included in the link. See it at checkout.
The biggest drawback at the moment is that some devices do not support an electronic SIM. How can you know if your device supports the electronic card? Very simple: go to this link and you can see. Link to which devices support ESIM.
Car rental in Dublin
I think this is the most convenient and fun way to travel. Car prices are low and the roads are easy to drive.
You can search for a car in the search engine Papam Papam. Personally, I really like to search through them because they save me time (instead of going to several websites) and they also have the option of filtering out non-recommended rental companies.
Attractions in Dublin
You can get ideas for other cool things you can do on the various attraction sites and even order through them (sometimes at a discounted price). The first attractions site is tiqets the second is Get your guide and Viator.
Where to stay in Dublin
We stayed at the Blooms Hotel, a 3-star hotel in a central location, complete with a bar and a breakfast option. You can search for places to stay in Dublin via Booking.
Day one – Daily routine: Tour of the city, Whiskey tasting tour and Michelin star restaurant
Irish breakfast
We started our morning with a hearty breakfast at the Stage Door Café, a beautifully designed, intimate restaurant. Roman ordered the traditional Irish breakfast with egg, sausage and beans. I had scrambled egg on toast, which was very well seasoned – I was extremely delighted by it. Roman liked his dish as well.
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Tour of the city
From the café we went to the meeting point of a free tour (Tip based) with Sandemans company (We’ve been on their tours in Jerusalem and Berlin in the past). Our guide’s name was Connor and he was among the best guides we’ve ever had.
He was very funny, and delivered the tour in a fascinating, humoristic fashion. He had an interesting anecdote about each and every place. Our group was huge, with about 40 people yet he was still able to sweep everyone away with his stories.
Lunch at a Japanese restaurant
After the tour, we walked from the end point to a Japanese restaurant named Musashi Noodle & Sushi, located approximately 10 minutes away on foot. The restaurant had a good business menu.
Roman had chicken Ramen for 9 euros and I ordered a Japanese box containing several types of food. Sushi, rice, sea food in a tasty sauce and a kind of schnitzel and miso soup for starters.
The food was really good and filling. Roman’s soup was subtly flavored, and I was happy to have a few different dishes to try – They were all good.
The restaurant’s atmosphere is very relaxing and service was great. Definitely a recommended place to have some satisfying, reasonably priced lunch.
Whiskey Museum Tour
After lunch we went on a tour of the Irish Whiskey Museum. Their tour included whiskey tasting, as well as a tasting tour where you could blend your own drink.
Read more about our experience at the whiskey museum.
Culinary experience at Michelin Star restaurant
For dinner we picked the Michelin star restaurant L’Ecrivain, belonging to Ireland’s Blue House (A chain of incredible boutique hotels and high-class restaurants).
The combination of delicious food, exquisite presentation and 5+ star service truly turned our dinner into an unforgettable night.
Read more about the dishes we had and our experience at L’Ecrivain.
Day two – Daily routine: Castle and harbor tour, traditional dinner and bar
Eggs Benedict breakfast
We started our morning at Art Café Dublin, with eggs Benedict with salmon and hollandaise sauce on brioche bread. Truth be told, I wanted to have their avocado sandwich but they were all out of avocado and so I decided to order the same dish as Roman. The food itself was filling and tasted great. We also had coffee along with our meal.
Castle and Dublin harbor tour
Following breakfast, we headed to the meeting point for DoDublin’s castle and Howth tour.
This particular tour leaves at 11:00 daily.
Ours was a nice green bus, who’s driver was also the guide, offering explanations and background for the sights along the trip.
Read more about the tour and our experience with it.
Dinner at a traditional Irish restaurant
If you’re looking for traditional Irish cuisine in an open and joyous environment – O’Sheas Restaurant is a solid choice. The entrance area is a bar, with a restaurant further inside – Although you can eat at the bar as well. We wanted to talk and so chose to sit in the dining area rather than the bar, as it was quite loud.
For starters I ordered a simple green salad and Roman had chowder, a thick creamy soup with sea food. Roman liked it a lot.
For mains I had the Shepherd’s pie, which had sea food with cream and potatoes on top, and Roman had the pork belly with potato. Both were not only really flavorful but also filling.
Irish bar
Dublin is full of fun bars with great atmosphere. There are bar crawls you can join or you can just walk through the city center and go from one bar to the next. Next to our hotel was Oliver St. John Gogarty, a live music bar that was great to hang out at.
Day three – Daily routine: Day trip to the cliffs of Moher
Tour to the Cliffs of Moher
We took this tour through Irish Day Tours. We really enjoyed touring with them and our driver was very nice. During our trip we visited the cliffs of Moher, had lunch at Doolin village and visited Burren and Galway city.
Read about our tour and impressions in detail.
Noodles dinner
We came back from the tour exhausted. The only thing on our mind was getting takeaway and returning to our hotel.
We went to the fast food restaurant Noodle Bar.
I had rice with shrimp, vegetables and curry and Roman had chicken noodles. Both dishes were excellent. Frankly, we were so tired I even forgot to take pictures, but if you’re looking for a quick, tasty and cheap fix for dinner – you can trust me it’s definitely worth it.
Day four– Daily routine: Shopping, parks and a modern Irish dinner.
Tasty breakfast
After having lots of bread and many Irish breakfasts, I was craving variety and so we went to Pog – a café serving tasty semolina porridge (They also have great looking pancakes for those looking for something a bit less healthy).
We had almond milk based porridge with berries, strawberries and ground (Roman ordered two 🙂 ) and they were delicious.
I asked a couple of girls there to take a picture of their dishes so I could show you what those looked like as well.
Going to the souvenir and food market
If you feel like buying a pretty souvenir or something artistic, George’s Street Arcade is a good place to visit. Actually, if you want some cheap breakfast or coffee – the market is a great choice for that as well. It may not be very big, but it’s got a variety of stalls and nice little cafés.
Enjoying nature at the heart of Dublin
After a walk around town we went to St. Stephen’s Green. You can rent a bike at special stations right on the streets and ride them around the park, or just go on foot. The park is beautiful and frequented by many who come to walk, run, lay on the grass or just sit on a bench and enjoy the quiet.
From the park we continued on to Iveagh Gardens, a quiet jewel of nature with very few people. There’s a nice waterfall but the water wasn’t flowing when we were there. It’s a giant and very peaceful garden – If you’re looking for a place to relax or have a little picnic Iveagh Gardens is a great option.
Vietnamese lunch
As you must have noticed, we really like Asian food. We found an authentic Vietnamese restaurant with good prices and very tasty food next to our hotel, The Pho Ta restaurant. Roman ordered Pho soup, a Vietnamese meat soup and I Ordered Bun Cha – a fish dish with noodles and excellent sauce.
Wandering down Dublin’s main streets
After lunch we wandered the city itself and went into shops at random along the way. If you’re interested in shopping, Henry street is home to many brand stores such as Zara, Bershka, H&M and more. There’s also Penny’s, which is like Primark with low-cost clothes.
Coffee house
The Cocobrew coffee house has great coffee, tasty drinks and unique desserts.
They also have desserts made of superfoods and vegan desserts. Roman had the banana cake which was really good, so I ate half of it and a peanut butter date ball which was a hit as well.
Dinner at a modern Irish restaurant
This time we picked Boxty, a modern Irish restaurant. The prices there we slightly higher than other Irish restaurants, but the place was very classy and the food all tasted great.
Roman had roast beef and I had the house special, a thin pancake filled with beef steak. We also had fries made of the pancake’s ingredients and they were addictive. We really enjoyed the food, the service and the atmosphere.
We heard that visiting the Cliffs of Moher is a must while traveling in Ireland. So we decided to take a tour there from Dublin. We took this tour through Irish Day Tours company. We really enjoyed touring with them and our driver was very nice.
We had to have a very early start, as it’s a day with lots of traveling (Over 700 Km in a single day). Therefore, by 6:45 we were already waiting at the tour’s meeting point, by Molly’s statue. The drive to the cliffs is about three and a half hours long, although about an hour and a half into the trip scheduled stop at a restaurant where you can get tea or coffee and some breakfast. Coffee was vital considering our early start.
During the ride the driver doubles as a tour guide, giving detailed regarding each place we pass – This served to make the ride much more intriguing. Truly, the views were so beautiful that I’ve spent most of the ride hypnotized by Ireland’s grace.
Cliffs of Moher
We arrived at the cliffs of Moher at around 10:30 and had some free time to roam the area. Luckily for us, the weather was amazing and visibility was great. We started on the right side and went up the tower (At 3 euros per person). The tower provided a good vantage point over the cliffs. Afterwards we continued to the left side. We had plenty of time to take photos (A ton of them!!) and explore both sides.
Lunch time at Doolin village
From there, we moved on to Doolin village where we had lunch. There were several restaurants at the area we were dropped off at. The driver told us about a fish and chips place named Chervil, and Roman led us straight there. It’s better to figure out where you want to eat ahead of time, as all the tours stop at the same area and restaurants are packed as a result.
I’d recommend heading straight for the restaurant and not dallying too long over where you want to sit.
While the line does move quickly and the food is quickly prepared, it would be better to sit as fast as possible if only to have more time to enjoy a quite meal. We ordered two servings of fish and chips there. There is also chowder on the menu, which is a creamed fish soup. Although I’m not really into deep fried food, I gathered that you can’t visit Ireland and not try the fish.
Burren
After lunch, we went to Burren – an area dominated by karst landscape, displaying large swathes of layered limestone which goes back to the ice age. We had free time to roam and take photos there. The area is quite slippery and should be traversed with care.
Galway
From there, we drove on to the city of Galway where we had about an hour to ourselves. The city was truly charming – if we had more time on our trip we might have gone there for a night or two. The central area is home to lots of shops, restaurants and cafes, as well as many cool street performances. We had a blast walking around and enjoying the jovial atmosphere. We also sat down at the Caffe Nero and had coffee with cookies.
When we were finished, we walked over to the Spanish arch. It’s very pleasant there – lots of people took their coffee to go and just sat around it.
We came back to Dublin at around 19:30. This proved to be one of our favorite tours of the whole trip and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Usually we like to rent a car to travel but the rental costs in Ireland were high, the roads narrow and hard to drive on – not to mention that they drive on the opposite side of the road. We felt that the tours were a great way to explore Ireland that was also less tiring for us.
In Dublin many people choose to go for a beer tour at the Guinness factory, which sounds quite nice –Yet we decided to go for a whiskey tour, particularly since while we have heard some stories of the beer before, the history of whiskey was far less known to us.
After searching for a whiskey tour in Dublin online, I’ve come across several options and had finally chosen the Irish Whiskey Museum tour.
Their tour includes tastings, and there was also another where you could blend your own whiskey. We pre-ordered a spot on the tour, since the tour groups are rather small and demand is high.
We arrived for the 4 o’clock tour. Our group totaled nine people, and our guide, Hannah, was really lovely. We moved on to the next room after brief introductions
In this first room, Hannah told us of the history of whiskey and how it used to be made.
Afterwards, we went on to a room designed as a bar where we talked further of the history of whiskey, before finally entering a room with a large bar table.
Next to each seat were four glasses of whiskey, and an empty one with a pipette in it. Hannah told us about each whiskey and how to properly taste it.
We smelled and tasted each of the whiskies and discussed their flavors. Considering I’m not a great whiskey enthusiast, I’ve found the flavors too strong for my taste – but any whiskey lover would surely have enjoyed the experience.
Having tried the four whiskies, we could then blend them to our own taste using the pipette.
If you’re a whiskey enthusiast, you’re sure to enjoy this part, as you can try your drink with each addition and keep balancing it to your liking.
When we finished concocting our own whiskey, we were given a jar to store it in.
At the end of the tour, Hannah gave us some tips regarding restaurants and bars and even wrote them down for us. The tour was a nice and engaging experience, and I enjoyed the design of the rooms we got to visit.
I think this tour is definitely worth it when visiting Dublin, though If you’re not a big fan of whisky – the standard tasting tour may be enough.
During our stay in Dublin we did a great day tour to the Malahide castle & Howth with DoDublin company.
Following breakfast, we headed to the meeting point for the Day Trip.
This particular tour leaves at 11:00 daily, from the DoDublin offices (They offer many additional tours).
The bus
Ours was a nice green bus, who’s driver was also the guide, offering explanations and background for the sights along the trip. Initially we sat down at the back of the bus’s first floor, but the engine noise drowned out what the driver had to say and so we moved a few minutes later. We moved upstairs, where we could hear much more clearly – So I would recommend doing so immediately. After an approximately 45-minute drive we arrived at the castle.
The castle
With about 10 minutes before the castle tour kicks off, we headed inside to wait. The tour’s price includes the guided part within the castle. We walked from room to room down the castle’s corridors, as the tour guide told us of the family that used to inhabit it. The castle’s household had belonged to a single dynasty for the past 800 years up until no legitimate heir was left and it was abandoned.
The castle’s tour
The castle itself is very impressive, yet has a homey feeling to it. I could almost see the family’s daily life in it, and to be honest I wanted to live there myself.
As the tour came to a close, we had about 45 minutes of free time. We walked the castle gardens and went over to a large shopping center on site which included a big food court. Roman bought a sandwich while I had juice.
After the castle we rode on to Howth harbor, a lovely area with many boats – a beautiful place to take photos at. They had a huge variety of sea-food restaurants, as well as other cuisine and cafes. We had about an hour of free time there, and so walked around and took some pictures.
Roman got a bit peckish after a time, so we went into a simple pizza and wrap place Prego Pizza. Roman had a chicken wrap which turned out really good (I tried it myself, of course, and thought it was very tasty). This is an awesome choice if you’re looking for something light for lunch in the area.
We started off back to Dublin around 15:00 and had practically finished the tour by 16:00.
Ordering a ticket online awards you a 20% discount. The tour ticket also doubles as a pass for the 17:00 o’clock “hop-on hop-off” bus and can be used to tour the city.
