Dublin trip recommendations

Hi Everyone-

I've got some friends coming over for a visit this summer (for the Olympics) and they would like to stop in Dublin for a couple days first.  I am thinking if meeting them there as well and anyway was looking for some recommendations on places to stay, guided tours or stuff we can go see on our own.  The only thing they know so far is the Guiness/ Jameson tours and also about the open top bus.  They are thinking of 2 or 3 days.

Any help would be much appreciated

I'm not sure I would spend the money on the hop on/off tour. Dublin city centre is very small and walkable. They have a Viking Splash Tour that I was more willing to do and it takes you a little more off the beaten path. It picks up next to St Stephen's Green. I always recommend Kilmainham Gaol. It's an excellent tour/museum and anyone who came to visit me always enjoyed it. I would pick either the Guinness tour or the Jameson tour. I think they're both only okay (other distillery tours in Ireland are a lot better) and in such a short time period I'm not sure I'd waste my time on doing both. If you do the Jameson tour I highly recommend heading into the Cobblestone (http://www.cobblestonepub.ie/) for a pint. They usually have traditional music. Also close by is L. Mulligan Grocer (http://www.lmulligangrocer.com/). They have an amazing whisky selection and lots of nice beers. They do posh gastropub type food and if you want to have an evening meal you might want to book just in case. You can easily walk from the city centre, but the LUAS line (Smithfield stop) is close by. The Porterhouse in Temple Bar and on Nassau Street has excellent food and drink (http://www.porterhousebrewco.com/). The Stag's Head pub is a great place to hear traditional music in the evening (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stag%27s_Head). Have a walk around Merrion Square to see the Georgian area of Dublin. There's a Georgian house museum there too (http://www.esb.ie/main/about-esb/numbertwentynine/default.htm).

If you're feeling more adventurous, you could get the DART to Greystones (about 45 minute ride) and walk the Bray's Head back to Bray to catch the DART back to Dublin. It's not a difficult walk and on a beautiful day it's amazing. You could also get the DART to Malahide (about 30 minutes) and go to Malahide Castle.

I hope that helps! If you want more food or drink recommendations, let me know. I have A LOT of those! 

Id do the hop on and hop off if you were feeling particularly lazy or not good at finding your way around.. It can be a bit dizzying the first time around..

I can second the Porterhouse. Excellent beer and food. Always lively and we used to eat there once a week. I also recommend getting a few drinks in at Sin è (north of the River) and at The Long Stone and Messrs Maguires , who are both JUST outside the Temple Bar are and really nice to drink at.

Guinness is GREAT. Very laid back and you do want you want (or can wait for a guided tour) Jamesons was okay, but when we were there (about 5 years ago) its was a bit dated and meh. We went to see the Book of Kells at Trinity College Dublin. I recommend hitting up the Metro Cafe for breakfast for one morning. So, so good.

Id avoid drinking directly in Temple Bar, as its complete rip off and just too full of tourists, IMO and was just not pleasant.

If you want some retail therapy, head over to Dundrum via the Luas (tram) line. 15 minutes from St Stephens Green. If you use either line, youll need to purchase your tickets BEFORE you boards as theyre not sold on the tram. There is a mall AT St Stephens Green, but its ghetto and crowded.

Enjoy your trip. I lovelovelove living in Dublin. Such an amazing city

Thanks for the info- any suggestions on accommodation?  Obviously cheaper is better but nice and safe is more important- they are 20- something girls on their own.

Keep the suggestions coming:)

Honestly, anywhere in the city centre they'll be fine. They might want to avoid Temple Bar only because it's noisy, but it's not unsafe (I'm a 30-something girl and I would walk there at night by myself). They should be able to find some pretty good deals. I stayed at the Harcourt Hotel once and it was fine. I had friends stay at a couple of different places, both on the edge of Temple Bar (one close to Christ Church and one closer to O'Connell Bridge) and they said it was fine. I think both of them just went on expedia or something like that and found a good deal.

I can't recommend going to Kilmainham Gaol enough. It was the highlight of my weekend in Dublin years ago. It's a bit of a hike from the center of the city so take the (public) bus but so worth it. It's really interesting and I learned a ton about Irish history.

We stayed at the Barnacle's Hostel in Temple Bar. I went to celebrate my friend's 21st birthday, though, so being in the center of the party was what we were after. It was nice and clean and safe, although not very cheap for a hostel (we had a room to ourselves for the 4 of us).

When I was in Dublin in 2010, I stayed at the Arlington Hotel, O'Connell Bridge. I don't believe it was too expensive.

I was only in Dublin for 3 days, so I can't really give touristy ideas, I was too busy drowning myself in Guinness with blackcurrant and trying to take a Guinness tour (it was closed the two days that we tried to go). Though I will say that our hotel had great live music in the bar.

I will say that my friends and I had fun though. We are four 20-somethings women and we felt safe walking around at night by ourselves and we even went bar hopping with some local lads one night - which ended with one of my friends wrestling in the snow while drunken bystanders shouted USA USA USA!

Ahhh, I digress. You'll have fun!