·

10 Things To Do In Autumn In Dublin 2025

Autumn tends to be one of the best seasons of the year in Dublin. This being Ireland, you cannot guarantee any type of weather, but for the months that fall in autumn, you can be assured that you’ll experience rain, cooler weather, and lots of bundling up against the elements. 

Autumn in Dublin means back to school, walking on fallen leaves, umbrellas, warm clothing, and cozy pubs. The city is arguably at its prettiest, with the beautiful autumn leaves changing their colors from emerald green to rusty red and everything in between. 

Photo by . on Unsplash

Exploring autumn in Dublin should be one of the most scenic times to visit the city and Ireland. If you are a fan of hiking, this would make a beautiful time to experience the magic of the Dublin mountains, nearby city parks or castles. 

Autumn in Dublin Weather

We used to joke about experiencing four seasons in a single day in Dublin, but as the autumn months draw to a close you’ll experience brief moments throughout a day taking off all your layers of clothing, then suddenly being freezing cold before being stuck in the infamous sideways rain of Ireland. 

MonthHigh Celsius/FarenheitLow Celsius/Farenheit
September17ºC / 63ºF9ºC / 48ºF
October14ºC / 57ºF7ºC / 45ºF
November10ºC / 50ºF4ºC / 39ºF

1. Phoenix Park

Phoenix Park is the largest city park in Europe and one of the best ways to experience autumn in Dublin. You can easily spend an entire day exploring Phoenix Park and spotting the infamous deer that have made this park their home.

Experience the beauty of autumn foliage of red and gold leaves as you make your way through Phoenix Park to view the President of Ireland’s residence, Áras an Uachtaráin, or one of Europe’s oldest zoos – Dublin Zoo. 

Dublin Zoo opened in 1831 over the years has created one of the most successful breedings and conservation programs in Europe. Dublin Zoo is a fantastic day out and you could spend an entire day wandering around the exhibits.

In late November, the zoo opens its doors in the evenings for visitors to experience a spectacular themed light show that is unmissable. You can read more about the Wild Lights at Dublin Zoo in my Dublin Christmas Market post.

2. Cosy Pubs in Dublin

There is absolutely nothing better to do in Dublin than sit in a cosy pub. It’s one of my favorite indoor activities in Dublin, especially when the weather outside is wet and wild (which is a good percentage of the time in Ireland). And with the city teeming with unbelievably incredible pubs to choose from, I’ll suggest a few of my favorites that shouldn’t be skipped on a visit to Dublin.

Autumn in Dublin means cooler and wetter evenings. You won’t experience much of an outdoor culture like mainland Europe has when it comes to dining or drinking outside in the colder months. 

Instead, it means pubs in Dublin are the best ways to spend an afternoon or evening in, hiding from the elements outside. You can find pubs with roaring fires, excellent food, and plenty of locals. 

Grogans // Located just off Grafton Street, Grogans Pub is one of the best cosy pubs in Dublin to pass the time. It serves incredible ham & cheese toasties, and in the evenings you’ll struggle to find even standing room in the pub. Unmissable. 

Kehoes Pub // There is nothing quite like autumn in Dublin evening spent in a snug in Kehoes. A snug is a small sectioned-off area of a pub that was traditionally used for women to be allowed to drink in pubs back in the day. Nowadays these are coveted areas that are some of the best seats in the pub. 

Peter’s Pub // A very local pub with a younger crowd. A no-frills pub with good pints and a good chat. 

Rustic interiors of Kehoes Pub in Dublin
Upstairs in Kehoes Pub

3. Halloween in Dublin

A lot of people are always surprised to learn that the origins of Halloween stem from the Celts who celebrated the festival of Samhain. Samhain marked the end of summer and the end of the harvest season.

The pagans of Ireland (before Christianity was introduced to the island) celebrated this festival with bonfires and wearing costumes to ward off spirits. 

Nowadays, the celebration of Halloween is celebrated across the world and is generally thought of as an American holiday. It’s one of the largest celebrations that occur in autumn in Dublin and you’ll find lots of spooky parties and celebrations throughout the city. 

4. Dublin Ghostbus Tours

What better place to experience the spookiness of Dublin than by taking part in a Dublin Ghostbus Tour? Climb on board the double-decker bus and spend 2 hours learning about Dublin’s scariest felons, ghosts, and of course vampire author, Bram Stoker!

Visit the Hellfire Clubroom and various spooky sights around Dublin. Book your tickets here or check availability in the widget below.

5. The Gravedigger Ghost Bus 2-Hour Tour

Hilarious and terrifying at the same time, the Gravedigger Ghost Bus Tour is one of the funniest experiences you’ll have in Dublin. With a cast of actors, learn about the horrible and scary past of Dublin’s most haunted sights. Drown your horrors in the Gravediggers Pub with a pint of Guinness, before climbing back on board and learning torture techniques and gruesome deaths.

An unmissable autumn in Dublin experience and perfect for the long dark evenings. Book your tickets here or in the widget below.

6. Glasnevin Cemetary

Learn about some of the incredible and influential people who are buried in Glasnevin Cemetary through one of the best-guided tours in the city. I highly recommend visiting the superb Gravediggers Pub for a pint afterward. With over 1.5 million people buried in the cemetery, the guided tour will explain the important figures in Irish history and their final resting place. 

7. Bram Stoker Festival 

Ireland has produced a lot of famous authors over the centuries, with Bram Stoker perhaps being one of the most influential horror writers.

Photo by Cederic Vandenberghe on Unsplash

A Dublin native, Stoker’s most famous work is Dracula, and what better time to support the infamous author’s book than with a 3-day Bram Stoker Festival. Expect lots of gruesome activities and spooktacular fun over the course of the October Bank Holiday Weekend – Friday 27th October to Monday 30th October.

During the Bram Stoker Festival in Dublin Castle, make sure to check out Borealis, an incredible light display. From 6.30 PM until 10.30 PM, the incredible light show mimics the Northern skies during the Aurora Borealis.

I had the fortune of seeing the Borealis light show in Antwerp and it’s an amazing sight for the entire family.

8. Culture Night 

Friday September 22nd marks a highlight in the autumn in Dublin’s calendar as it celebrates Culture Night. With late-night openings in museums and galleries in Dublin City, you can enjoy some of the city’s finest pieces of work for free.

Music, art, and literature are celebrated enthusiastically throughout the city and make Culture Night an unmissable evening event in autumn in Dublin. 

9. City Walks

One of the best ways to discover Dublin is on foot. Dublin is a relatively small capital city compared to neighboring European cities. Walking from O’Connell Street on the north side of the city, across the River Liffey, and to the top of Grafton Street on the south side takes 20 minutes. 

white concrete building beside the body of water
Photo by Mark Dalton on Pexels.com

The city is divided into two parts, with Trinity College Dublin, Grafton Street, and Dublin Castle located on the south side of the river Liffey. Across the river, on the north side, you can find landmarks such as O’Connell Street, The Spire, GPO, and Phoenix Park. 

One of the best areas to explore the autumn foliage is to amble around the city and explore areas such as Trinity College Dublin, Merrion Square Park, Grand Canal, Fitzwilliam Square, and looping back to St Stephen’s Green. 

The buildings in this part of Dublin are beautiful Georgian buildings that now are home to offices. A walk by Grand Canal takes in the sweeping willows and trees that line this beautiful canal and is home to some peaceful swans. 

Temperatures in Ireland in September

The temperatures in Ireland in September can yield beautiful summer-like days, which usually annoys those who have to head back to school and miss out on the good weather. Depending on the year, September is often one of the best months to visit Ireland. 

The evenings remain light until after 7 p.m., and you can experience days where the temperature soars above 17ºC/63ºF in the early part of the month. The grounds of Trinity College Dublin and St. Stephens Green become awash with people soaking up the final bits of the warm sun for the year. 

A light jacket and sweater are recommended even when the weather is good. And as always, an umbrella or rain jacket is always needed. 

Temperatures in Ireland in October

The temperatures in Ireland in October can mean a bright summer-like afternoon with temperatures reaching as high as 14ºC/57ºF during the day, and quite cooler evenings. This is the perfect time to bring your warm rainproof jacket and thick sweaters out of the closet. 

The evenings start to get quite dark, as do the mornings as we approach the winter solstice. 

Temperatures in Ireland in November

When visiting Ireland during the month of November, be prepared for a lot of rain. The months of November, December, and January are some of the wettest months in Ireland. Ireland rarely experiences sub-zero temperatures, but there is a wind chill in the colder months that has a nasty bite to it.

One of the more challenging months of the year, when it seems the city is wrapped in perpetual darkness. With each passing day in November yielding less and less sunshine, it can feel like the month of November passes by in a murky haze. 

Photo by Ruvim Noga on Unsplash

The temperatures in Ireland in November are chilly and a warm winter jacket is needed. The weather can be quite hard to deal with and a lot of people will use this time to do more indoor activities. 

However it’s not all doom and gloom and by the end of November, autumn in Dublin gradually begins to make way for one of the best times – Christmas in Dublin! Around the city, in November you’ll see the beginnings of store displays change for the festive season and stunning Christmas lights light up the city. 

The Beauty of Autumn in Dublin

For such a small city there are endless things to do in Dublin. Visit one of the many excellent museums that covers the remarkable history of Ireland, or the National Gallery of Ireland to learn about our famous artists.

Or spend an afternoon in one of the many excellent bookstores in Dublin. Whether it’s raining outside, or sunny there is always something to uncover in the amazing city of Dublin.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *