Dublin is full of brilliant backdrops for a family day out, and half the fun is capturing them. From colourful doors and quirky statues to sweeping coastal views and animal photobombs, this city has no shortage of spots worth stopping for.
The good news is that many of these places sit close together, so a day of exploring on foot can tick off several at once. The city centre is compact and easy to walk, while the bus, DART and Luas will get you further afield to the coast, the hills and beyond.
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Best Instagram Places in Dublin
Poolbeg Lighthouse
The vibrant red lighthouse at the mouth of the River Liffey sits at the end of the Great South Wall. A walk of around 4km from the car park brings you out to some genuinely scenic views.
Poolbeg Chimneys
Standing at just over 207m, the well-known Poolbeg Towers are visible across the Dublin skyline from almost every direction and remain one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks.
St Stephen’s Green
St Stephen’s Green is a green oasis right in the middle of the city. This historic park has links to important figures such as Arthur Guinness, 1st Baron Ardilaun, and Countess Constance Markievicz.
Keep an eye out for several notable Irish monuments as you wander, and let the little ones loose in the playground or by the duck ponds.
Ha’penny Bridge
Built in 1816, the Ha’penny Bridge is a landmark pedestrian bridge crossing the River Liffey. Named after the original toll charged to cross it, the bridge is now walked by thousands of people every day.
Trinity College
Set on a beautiful campus right in the heart of the city centre, Trinity College is Ireland’s highest-ranked university and a stunning setting for a stroll and a photo as you make your way through Dublin.
The Library at Trinity College
The Long Room at Trinity is one of the world’s most beautiful libraries and home to the Book of Kells, one of Ireland’s greatest cultural treasures. As you explore the exhibition, you’ll learn about the roughly 1,200-year-old manuscript and the rich artistry behind it.
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Howth Harbour
Howth is a working fishing village, with trawlers and fish shops lining the pier. Easily reached by DART, it has markets to browse, Howth Head to hike and seals to spot bobbing about the harbour.
Deer in the Phoenix Park
The Phoenix Park is one of the largest enclosed public parks of any capital city in Europe. Originally a royal hunting park from the 1660s, it opened to the public in 1747.
Open daily all year round, the 1,750-acre park has plenty to see and do, including Dublin Zoo, Áras an Uachtaráin, Victorian flower gardens, walking and cycling trails, playgrounds, the Papal Cross and more.
Although the President of Ireland calls the park home, its most photographed residents are the thousands of fallow deer that graze here. You’ll spot the herd as you walk or drive through — just remember to keep a respectful distance and never feed them. Let them photobomb from afar!
Martello Towers
There are 29 Martello towers running the length of the county. Built in the early 1800s as lookout posts, some are privately owned today while others have fallen into disrepair. A few are open to visit, including the Ye Olde Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio in Howth and the James Joyce Tower and Museum in Sandycove.
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Umbrellas on Anne Lane
For a truly unique backdrop, the canopy of colourful umbrellas on Anne Lane, just off South Anne Street in the city centre, is well worth a visit.
Georgian Doors
Georgian doors are synonymous with Dublin, and you’ll spot the most striking examples around Merrion Square and Fitzwilliam Square. The vibrant colours are fun to hunt for — can you collect the whole rainbow?
Portmarnock Beach
Known as the Velvet Strand, Portmarnock Beach is a stunning, sandy Blue Flag beach in north County Dublin. Stretching five miles from Baldoyle towards Malahide, it’s a popular spot for swimming, walking and watersports.
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Dublin Convention Centre
The striking design and ever-changing light display of the Dublin Convention Centre in the Docklands makes for a real photo opportunity. Lit up in seasonal or themed colours for events, the reflection on the Liffey at night is particularly special.
Grand Canal
The Grand Canal stretches from Dublin’s Grand Canal Dock all the way to the River Shannon. In the city, you can follow it through areas like Ringsend, Ballsbridge, Ranelagh, Rathmines, Harold’s Cross and Crumlin.
The canal itself is a lovely path for walking and cycling, and the traditional locks and barges along the water make for a memorable backdrop.
Christ Church Cathedral
Christ Church Cathedral is one of Ireland’s most historic buildings, standing in the heart of Dublin for more than 1,000 years.
The cathedral is home to a famous 12th-century crypt, one of the oldest and largest in Britain and Ireland. While the cathedral itself is a showstopper, the distinctive footbridge linking it to Synod Hall is particularly eye-catching in photos.
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Patrick Kavanagh Bench
Irish poet and novelist Patrick Kavanagh is commemorated with this unique seated statue along the Grand Canal, situated on the north bank between Baggot Street Bridge and the upstream Eustace Bridge.
Dublin Zoo
Dublin Zoo, set in the heart of the Phoenix Park, was opened by the Zoological Society of Ireland in 1831 and still operates as a charity today.
With areas including the Gorilla Rainforest, African Plains, Sea Lion Cave, Flamingo Lagoon and the elephants’ Kaziranga Forest Trail, there’s plenty to discover, learn and see. Keep an eye on the scheduled feeding times for a great way to learn more about the animals — you might even get photobombed by one of the residents!
Killiney Hill
Killiney Hill is a favourite with walkers and hikers for its spectacular views: Dublin to the northwest, the Irish Sea and (on a clear day) the mountains of Wales to the east and southeast, and Bray Head and the Wicklow Mountains to the south.
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Grand Canal Square
Grand Canal Square features a striking red “carpet” extending from the theatre out over the dock, with bright angled light sticks that catch the eye by day and glow beautifully at night.
Designed by American landscape architect Martha Schwartz, the 10,000 sq metre square is one of the largest paved public spaces in Dublin city.
Oscar Wilde Statue
The life-size, colourful statue of Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde can be found in Merrion Square in the city centre, opposite his childhood home at 1 Merrion Square.
The Spire
The Spire of Dublin, also known as the Monument of Light, is a stainless steel monument standing 390ft tall in the centre of O’Connell Street.
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The Hungry Tree
The Hungry Tree in Dublin is found on the grounds of The Honorable Society of King’s Inns, Ireland’s oldest school of law. This well-established London Plane tree appears to be slowly “eating” a cast-iron bench.
As the tree has grown, its gnarled bark has overtaken parts of the bench, making it look as though the seat is being pulled into the trunk itself. The grounds are open and accessible to the public, so you can go and see it for yourself.
Jeanie Johnston
The original Jeanie Johnston made her maiden voyage from Blennerville in Tralee, Co. Kerry, to Quebec in Canada in 1848 with 193 passengers on board. She carried around 2,500 Irish emigrants across 16 transatlantic voyages to North America during the Famine years.
Today, you can climb aboard the authentic replica Jeanie Johnston in Dublin’s Docklands for a tour, or simply use this landmark ship as a striking photo backdrop.
The Icon Walk, Temple Bar
Image © Fáilte Ireland/Tourism Ireland. Courtesy of Paola Floris
The Icon Walk in Temple Bar is a public art project made up of imaginative, inclusive snapshots of iconic Irish figures, past and present. These creative portraits are displayed on the walls of the streets leading up to the Icon Factory Gallery.
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Butterfly House at Malahide Castle
Step inside Ireland’s only butterfly house at Malahide Castle & Gardens. Watch them fly among tropical plants and spot their individual markings — with over 20 species housed here, it’s a treat for amateur enthusiasts and experienced lepidopterists alike.
Iveagh Gardens
Iveagh Gardens are known as Dublin’s “Secret Garden” thanks to their almost hidden location at the top of Harcourt Street, behind the National Concert Hall.
From modest beginnings as an earl’s lawn, the gardens went on to host the splendour of the Dublin Exhibition Palace in 1865. Many original landscape features remain, or have been restored since 1995, including the yew maze, the rosarium and the fountains.
EPIC Sign
EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum is housed in The CHQ Building, a beautifully restored 200-year-old Georgian warehouse. Discover why over 10 million people left this island, where they went and what they brought with them, through 20 interactive galleries of personal stories.
One particular photo hotspot is the EPIC sign out front!
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Buskers on Grafton Street
Buskers are part of the fabric of Grafton Street, from traditional Irish music to pop and rock singalongs. Many of Ireland’s best-known musicians started out here, including Damien Rice, Glen Hansard and Bono.
You can still catch some familiar faces on occasion — most notably on Christmas Eve, when some of Ireland’s biggest stars host an impromptu busking session for charity.
Kilmainham Gaol
Kilmainham Gaol opened in 1796 as the new County Gaol for Dublin. While most of its prisoners were common criminals, it also held political prisoners involved in Ireland’s struggle for independence, including Robert Emmet, Anne Devlin, the Fenians, Charles Stewart Parnell, Countess Markievicz and the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising.
Today, the gaol is a popular attraction with guided tours and a museum to explore.
Dun Laoghaire Pier
Image courtesy Fionn Mc Cann
The East Pier of Dun Laoghaire Harbour is a favourite with walkers, joggers and anyone after a bit of sea air. The pier features a Victorian shelter and bandstand, first built in 1890 and since renovated.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most Instagrammable spot in Dublin?
It really depends on what you’re after — Grafton Street’s buskers and the Georgian doors around Merrion Square are classic city-centre picks, while Poolbeg Lighthouse and Killiney Hill offer some of the best scenic, coastal shots.
Are these photo spots suitable for kids and buggies?
Many are, including St Stephen’s Green, the Grand Canal, Iveagh Gardens and Dun Laoghaire Pier, which all have accessible paths. Spots like Killiney Hill and the Great South Wall out to Poolbeg Lighthouse involve longer walks on uneven ground, so they’re best suited to older children or families comfortable with a hike.
Do I need to pay to visit these locations?
Most of the outdoor spots on this list — parks, bridges, statues, beaches and streetscapes — are free to visit. Attractions such as Dublin Zoo, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, Kilmainham Gaol and the Jeanie Johnston tour do charge admission, so it’s worth checking current ticket details before you go.
Is it easy to visit several of these spots in one day?
Yes — many of the city-centre locations, such as Trinity College, the Ha’penny Bridge, Grafton Street, St Stephen’s Green and Temple Bar, are within easy walking distance of each other, making it simple to build a photo-friendly walking route.
Related Articles
- Guide to Dublin for Families: Where to Eat, Stay, Play and Explore
- 40 Fun and FREE Things to Do in Dublin with Kids
- Best Outdoor Places in Dublin for Families
- Things to Do with Preschoolers in Dublin
- 30 Terrific Things to Do in Dublin for Teens and Older Kids
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