Guinness storehouse & exploring the city | Dublin, Ireland

I decided to surprise my mum with a citybreak to Dublin for her Christmas present back in December (well it started as a surprise until I had to tell her weeks before planned because she'd decided to book a concert at the exact same time - doh). Ryanair provide super cheap flights at £60 return for both of us and I managed to book a lovely little hotel right in the centre of the city for £60 for the whole stay too, so overall it was a pretty cheap break away.

We arrived early on Wednesday morning in the pouring rain quickly managed to buy return tickets for the airport bus (10 euros each) which dropped us off a couple of minutes walk away from our hotel just off O'Connell St. We stayed at the Clifton Court Hotel right in the heart of Dublin. We discovered why the hotel had been so cheap - there were workmen building a new bridge across the river right outside our bedroom window, but it really wasn't as bad as we thought. 

I actually fell in love with the hotel, it was perfect for a two-night stay. The main reason I booked this particular one was because of Lanigan's, the cosy little pub that sat underneath the hotel. Each wall and the whole ceiling were covered in posters, souvenirs, books and all sorts that made each nook of the bar unique. The pretty fairy lights and christmas decorations that decorated the place made the atmosphere feel so festive. 

We couldn't check in straight away, so we decided to leave our bags at the hotel and head straight to the Guinness storehouse. There were plenty of buses that headed the right way so we jumped on one for a couple of euros each and arrived at Thomas St. within ten minutes. We showed our student cards and managed to get in for just 13 euros each (including a free pint of Guinness!) We hadn't planned to join a guided tour but just got there in time, along with an American family and a couple of Australian travellers. We'd definitely recommend taking the tour, it brought the factory to life and we learned so much more than we would have by just reading the information boards. After learning about how Guinness is brewed, we we taught how to pour the perfect pint before taking it up to the Gravity bar which gives a  stunning panoramic view across Dublin, where we could even see the beautiful Co. Wicklow mountains.

We decided to walk back in the hope that we would stumble on a traditional Irish pub for something to eat as we were starving. We came across some stunning architecture on the way, before settling in a little Irish pub called . It was very pricey but the food was gorgeous and my mum fell in love with her home made Guinness bread. 

After our late lunch we decided to head back to check in at our hotel and sort things out before heading downstairs to Lanigan's for dinner. We didn't fancy venturing far as it was so cold outside and raining like crazy. We weren't too hungry so shared a panini and chips which was really yummy for 5.90 euros, before having a few drinks and heading to bed as we were so tired.