Dublin Christmas Markets

Sipping on a mulled wine (or Guinness) while strolling through a winter wonderland, thinking about what lovely gifts to buy your family and friends... Christmas markets are the place to be if you want to feel festive in Dublin. Here's our guide to the best of the best.

By Dom Bewley
Christmas Markets in Dublin

​Christmas; some say it's the most wonderful time of the year; others are wrong. And one such event that makes the season so magical is the Christmas markets. With the perfect blend of things to do, stalls selling all manner of festive offerings, and a great big dollop of community spirit, nothing quite beats a good Christmas market. You can sort out gifts for your whole family and feel all warm and fuzzy at the same time.

So, if you're visiting Dublin in the run-up to the big day, why not check out our picks of the best Christmas markets in the city and see what all the fuss is about?

Including:

  • Does Dublin have good Christmas markets?
  • How is Dublin in December?
  • Is Dublin fun at Christmas?
  • The best Christmas Markets in Dublin

Does Dublin have good Christmas markets?

happy-women-friends-shopping-presents-christmas

Indeed it does, fellow traveler! As you'll see below, there are a ton of festive offerings all over Dublin that'll have you feeling Christmassy in no time. Take a look at our suggestions below and find the perfect Christmas Market for you.

How is Dublin in December?

You'll need to wrap up warm because December in Dublin can certainly be chilly. Average highs hit around 7°C/46°F, and average lows tend to be around 5°C/41°F. So, no matter the weather, you'll need to wear plenty of layers - pack accordingly! It's also worth mentioning that it rains for an average of 23 days in December, so a warm waterproof or a decent umbrella should be the first items in your luggage.

Is Dublin fun at Christmas?

Dublin at Christmas

Of course it is, you silly goose! Dubliners know how to have a good time, and with a mix of Christmas markets, winter events, and more, it would be hard not to enjoy yourself!

Dublin Castle Christmas Market

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Dublin Castle Christmas Market is one of the youngest markets on this list, which opened its doors in 2019. Step inside its welcoming walls, and you'll find more than thirty stalls selling all manner of artisanal goods, warm Christmas drinks, and plenty of good food to warm your belly. All of your adventuring is accompanied by live music, entertainment for the kids, and plenty of Christmas cheer!

Typically, the market opens in the first two weeks of December and then shuts the weekend before Christmas itself, but it's worth keeping an eye on their website so you know when to go. And, while entry is free, you do need to book a 1.5-hour timeslot to get in. The slots ensure the market doesn't burst at the seams, and you'll have plenty of time to see it all.

Swords Castle Christmas Market

While many Dublin Christmas Markets have risen and fallen in recent years, it seems the castle-based ones are doing pretty well for themselves. It must be those castle walls and ramparts coming in clutch. Another is Swords Castle Christmas Market, which doesn't boast the turnout our choice available at Dublin Castle Christmas Market, is a great local event where you can pick up some goodies, sample local food, and children even get a picture taken with the big man.

Typically, the market opens its doors over two weekends between the end of November and the beginning of December. As above, keep an eye on official opening times when they're released.

Guinness Storehouse Winterfest

guinness-storehouse-dublin-brewery

You could hardly expect Guinness not to be part of the proceedings. It's Dublin, after all. Calling it Christmas Market might be somewhat disingenuous, but they have stalls selling Guinness-themed goodies, and plenty of photo ops both within the storehouse and without, thanks to those iconic Guinness doors.

Artist collaborations have become quite common over the years, and this year, Irish visual artist GRIF is joining the fray. Expect to see a digital Christmas Tree installation because, of course, grab a mulled Guinness, which could either be terrible or amazing and take a wander!

Gifted – The Contemporary Craft & Design Fair

The market formally known as the Contemporary Craft & Design Fair, Gifted - The Contemporary Craft & Design Fair is a fantastic place to pick up some artisanal wares in the run-up to Christmas. And yes, while it might not be a Christmas-themed market, you'll fill plenty of stockings with the items on offer!

Inside, you'll find endless stalls selling all manner of handcrafted delights, from clothes to jewelry and even ceramics and metalwork. If you need to pick up something unique in a pinch, you won't find many better places in Dublin. But when we said "endless stalls", we meant it. There must be hundreds! As such, you're best off putting a few hours aside to see it all.

Gifted tends to run for a week between the end of November and early December, but it is best to check ahead online for official dates and times. You can also buy your tickets online, so it's worth keeping an eye on their site.

Fumbally Christmas Market

Dublin at Christmas

If the weather's a worry, and, let's be honest, Dublin's winter can be an unpredictable, wet, ice-cold beast, then you might seek shelter from the elements. Thankfully, the Fumbally Christmas Market lets you get your fix without enduring the wrath of the weather gods, as it's one of the only indoor Christmas markets in the city.

Stall-wise, it's a mix of handcrafted clothes, furniture, jewelry, and beauty products, alongside locally sourced foodstuffs, confectionaries, and other knick-knacks that'll easily fill a stocking. While there aren't any stalls selling cooked meals or drinks, you can grab something at the Fumbally Cafe, which will open throughout the market's run.

And those were our picks of the best Christmas Markets in Dublin. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us here at Go City®!

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Dom Bewley
Go City Travel Expert

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4 Days in Dublin

Four days is the perfect amount of time to liberally drench yourself in Dublin’s rich heritage, from its medieval center and imposing castle to lively cobbled lanes lined with bars and restaurants, illustrious literary culture, beautiful parks and fine museums. Our guide takes in all of these and more, leaving plenty of time to enjoy the legendary craic and sample the city’s most famous exports: the twin joys of Guinness and whiskey. So, pack your passport, walking shoes and Alka-Seltzer and get ready to say ‘sláinte’ to Dublin! Our guide includes: Christ Church Cathedral Dublin Castle Malahide Castle Trinity College Temple Bar St Stephen’s Green EPIC Irish Immigration Museum The Guinness Storehouse Grafton Street Day 1: Dublin: A Brief History One of the best things about Dublin is how compact and easily walkable it is. A well-planned itinerary will mean you never have to stroll far for the next big-ticket attraction. But do wear comfy shoes to tackle the ubiquitous cobbles! Our suggested itinerary kicks off with a handful of Dublin’s must-sees, all within just a few minutes’ walk of each other. Trinity College, Dublin’s stunning 16th-century seat of learning is our first port of call. Here, aficionados of Irish literature can walk in the footsteps of exalted alumni including Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett and Bram Stoker, to name-drop just a few. Wander the cobbled quadrangles and admire the grand neoclassical architecture ahead of the main event: a guided tour of the atmospheric Old Library that takes in the extraordinary Book of Kells, easily the most astonishing preserved medieval manuscript in the British Isles, if not the entire planet. Suitably awed, head over to Grafton Street, grabbing a selfie by the statue of Molly Malone – she of the classic ‘Cockles and Mussels’ ballad (known locally (and rather unkindly) as ‘the tart with a cart)’ – on the way. A fine spot for lunch (and a shopper’s paradise), Grafton Street also brims with street performers. Expect to enjoy music, magic and all manner of other sensory delights as you dine. This will no doubt whet your appetite for an evening in Temple Bar, Dublin’s legendary nightlife district, where cobbles, colorful characters and great craic are all but guaranteed. But before all that, make sure to spend an afternoon chilling in the relative peace and tranquility of stunning St Stephen’s Green. Manicured gardens, vibrant flower beds, duck ponds and monuments to James Joyce and W.B. Yeats are the order of the day in this lush Victorian idyll. Day 2: Dublin’s Best Museums and Booze Dublin’s museums are plentiful, offering myriad methods of getting under the skin of this fine city. You can view timeless masterpieces by some of the world’s greatest ever artists – Caravaggio, Goya, Monet, Picasso, Rembrandt, Turner, Vermeer and more – at the excellent National Gallery, and explore the best of contemporary local art at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA). Delve into the city’s storied history at the, well, epic EPIC Irish Emigration Museum and discover how desperate Irish citizens fled the Great Famine aboard the Jeanie Johnston Tallship in the 19th Century, in search of a better life in North America. Whiskey connoisseurs will also be in clover in Dublin. Ireland’s complex relationship with the amber nectar is explored in depth at the Irish Museum of Whiskey, and you can sample it for yourself on distillery tours at (amongst others) Jameson and Teeling, as well as in pretty much any Irish bar worth its salt. Prefer books to booze? Get yourself down the Writers Museum and Museum of Literature Ireland, where exhibits celebrate the great and good of Irish wordsmithery, from Shaw to Sheridan, Joyce to Wilde. A Game of Thrones studio tour and a National Leprechaun Museum offer further fantastical japes and prove beyond all doubt that there really is something for everyone in Dublin! Head full of dragons, poetry and folklore, mosey on down to the Guinness Storehouse for a well-deserved pint of the black stuff, accompanied by panoramic views from its space-age 7th-floor Gravity Bar, taking in Dublin Bay, the Wicklow Mountains and everything in between. You can continue the party at Guinness's Open Gate Brewery, an experimental taproom where you can sample the iconic brewer’s newest tipples. Day 3: Day Trip to Malahide Castle Sure, there’s stacks more you can be doing in Dublin on day three of your getaway. But what could possibly be more decadent than taking a break from your city break? Banish the specter of last night’s overindulgence on a day trip out to magnificent medieval Malahide Castle, a stunningly preserved stone fortress on the north Dublin coast. Set in 260 acres of glorious parkland, this turreted confection and its grounds promise diversions enough to fill an entire day. We’re talking opulent interiors bedecked with period furniture, carved friezes and huge portraits of the Talbot family, who owned the castle between the 12th century and the 20th. There are also botanical gardens featuring a four-acre walled garden plus several glasshouses (including a Victorian conservatory), a butterfly garden and a fairy trail. Heck, there’s even a cricket pitch in the grounds. How the other half live, eh? If that doesn’t tickle your pickle, alternative out-of-town marvels include the picturesque harbor town of Howth (also with its own castle, natch), and the marvelous 18th-century folly that is Casino Marino, a Tardis-like gem of neoclassical architecture just beyond the city limits. A cold pint or three of Guinness awaits the weary traveler on their inevitable return to Temple Bar in the evening – the promise of lively banter, traditional Irish music and cozy pub nooks providing the perfect antidote to sightseeing fatigue. Day 4: Medieval Dublin Morning! How’s the head today? Delighted to hear it! Because there’s still A LOT to see before we send you off on your merry way. First up on our whistle-stop tour of medieval Dublin is Christ Church Cathedral, where the arresting site of a mummified cat and rat locked in eternal chase should help shake off that biblical hangover of yours. And that’s not all. There are many more weird and wonderful highlights to seek out inside this, the city’s oldest building (around 1,000 years, but who’s counting?). Check out those epic vaulted ceilings and ogle stained-glass windows that rival those of York Minster and Canterbury for sheer scale and vividness. There’s even a rare copy of the Magna Carta for your perusal as well as the inevitable relics, among them the heart (encased inside a heart-shaped casket) of 12th-century saint Laurence O’Toole. Continue your religious pilgrimage at nearby St Patrick’s, named in honor of Ireland’s snake-chaser-in-chief. Or pop just next door to the excellent Dublinia experience, where immersive and interactive exhibits take you back to the Dublin of Viking and medieval times. Last but by no means least, Dublin Castle should be considered an essential element of your 4-day Dublin itinerary, if only to secure a selfie in front of its imposing medieval tower. The castle’s sumptuous state apartments, Viking defenses, gothic Chapel Royal, and formal gardens, once home to the dark tidal pool (Dubh Linn) from which the city takes its name, are also well worth a few hours of your time. Save on things to do in Dublin Save on admission to Dublin attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.
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Stuart Bak
Dublin Castle
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Things to do in Dublin for Students

Don’t let its reputation as one of Europe’s priciest cities fool you: scratch the surface and you’ll find there are loads of cheap and free things to do in Dublin. Students will be in (four-leaf) clover, with discounted gallery and museum entry, and plenty more cultural riches to explore – think the Book of Kells and Dublin Castle. Read on for our guide to Dublin’s best bits for students.
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