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Dublin or Edinburgh? An honest comparison
The short answer
Pick Dublin for pubs, live music and Irish literary history. Pick Edinburgh for dramatic scenery, a castle on a volcanic rock and a compact old town, at a lower daily cost (about €247 mid-range against €265 in Dublin).
Dublin: suits friends and solo travellers who want pubs, music and literary history.
Edinburgh: suits couples and photographers who want castles, views and whisky.
Side by side
| Dublin | Edinburgh | |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-range day* | €265 | €248 £211 local |
| Budget day* | €136 | €128 |
| Value for money | ●●●●●About €265 a day mid-range. | ●●●●●About €247 a day mid-range. |
| Crowds (5 = calm) | ●●●●●Temple Bar and Trinity College are busy. | ●●●●●Royal Mile and August festival extremely crowded. |
| Food | ●●●●●Good pubs, seafood and modern Irish cooking. | ●●●●●Good seafood, whisky bars and Scottish dishes. |
| Nightlife | ●●●●●Pubs with live music every night. | ●●●●●Pubs and whisky bars, festival nights in August. |
| Family-friendly | ●●●●●Parks, zoo and friendly pubs. | ●●●●●Castle, Arthur's Seat and museums. |
| Getting around | ●●●●●Walkable centre with buses and trams. | ●●●●●Compact and walkable, but hilly. |
| Best months | year-round, see below | year-round, see below |
| Warmest / coolest | Jul 20°C / Jan 8°C | Jul 19°C / Jan 6°C |
| Known for | Book of Kells at Trinity College, Guinness pubs, and Newgrange tombs nearby. | Castle on volcanic rock, Royal Mile, whisky tastings, and Arthur's Seat views. |
* Per person per day with two sharing a room: bed, food, sights and local transport, from our Dublin and Edinburgh day-cost tables (approximate 2026 prices; other currencies converted at recent rates). Ratings are our editorial judgement.
Which one should you pick?
Pick Dublin if…
- you want pubs and live music.
- you want Irish literary history.
- you want Guinness.
- you want day trips to Newgrange or the coast.
Pick Edinburgh if…
- you want castles and views.
- you want whisky.
- you want the August festivals.
- you want Highlands day trips.
Weather month by month
| Month | Dublin high / rainy days | Edinburgh high / rainy days |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8°C · 12 | 6°C · 13 |
| Feb | 10°C · 12 | 8°C · 13 |
| Mar | 11°C · 13 | 9°C · 15 |
| Apr | 11°C · 11 | 10°C · 12 |
| May | 15°C · 13 | 14°C · 16 |
| Jun | 18°C · 11 | 18°C · 10 |
| Jul | 20°C · 13 | 19°C · 17 |
| Aug | 19°C · 12 | 18°C · 13 |
| Sep | 18°C · 13 | 17°C · 13 |
| Oct | 15°C · 19 | 13°C · 19 |
| Nov | 11°C · 10 | 10°C · 14 |
| Dec | 9°C · 16 | 7°C · 16 |
Average daily high and number of rainy days. Copernicus ERA5, 2021–2023.
What you will eat
Dublin
Irish stew · Full Irish breakfast · Breakfast roll and chicken fillet roll · Fish and chips · Dublin coddle · Oysters and stout
Where: George's Street Arcade, Temple Bar Food Market (Meeting House Square), Moore Street, Capel Street and Parnell Street
Edinburgh
Haggis, neeps and tatties · Cullen skink · Fish supper · Full Scottish breakfast · Mussels · Scotch pie
Where: Edinburgh Farmers' Market (Castle Terrace), Stockbridge Market, Leith (The Shore and Leith Walk), Grassmarket and Victoria Street
Doing both in one trip
7 days: 3 in Dublin + 4 in Edinburgh
Start in Dublin, then give Edinburgh the extra day so you can add a Highlands tour at the end.
Getting between them: Flight about 1 h plus airport time; ferry and train via Belfast takes a full day. Distance about 351 km as the crow flies. Check current timetables.
- Day 1: Trinity College and Book of Kells
- Day 2: Guinness Storehouse and Temple Bar
- Day 3: Howth or Newgrange
- Day 4: Fly to Edinburgh
- Day 5: Castle and Royal Mile
- Day 6: Arthur's Seat and Holyrood
- Day 7: Leith or a Highlands day trip
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Common questions
Is Dublin or Edinburgh cheaper?
Edinburgh, slightly. Our mid-range estimate is about €247 per person per day in Edinburgh against about €265 in Dublin. Dublin hotels are among Europe's priciest, and a pint costs more there too. Edinburgh hotels jump sharply in August during the festivals, so the gap can disappear in that month.
Which is better for nightlife?
Dublin. Its pubs have traditional and contemporary live music every night, and pub culture is the centre of social life, well beyond Temple Bar. Edinburgh has good pubs and whisky bars in the Old Town, Grassmarket and Leith, and the August festivals bring comedy and shows until late.
When is the best time to visit?
Summer is warmest, around 19 to 20°C, with very long evenings in June and July. Edinburgh in August is festival time: exciting but very busy and expensive. Spring and early autumn are calmer in both. Rain and wind are possible in any month, so pack layers and a waterproof jacket.
How do I travel between Dublin and Edinburgh?
Fly; the flight is about 1 hour, with several departures daily, and both airports are about 30 minutes from the centre by bus or tram. Going overland means ferry and train or bus via Belfast and Cairnryan, which takes most of a day. Check current timetables.