A Christmas Market Day Trip to Dublin (flying from Newcastle)

 This is based on a visit in December 2025 which I paid for myself. As always, please check details with venues direct when making plans as info can change. The currency in Dublin is euros but I have converted everything to pounds for the purpose of this post. 

Every year I take a Christmas Market trip with my mam. Last year we visited Leeds (and were disappointed) and the year before (and most years to be fair) it was Edinburgh which we do love. In 2025 though, we fancied a change and visited Dublin for the day. We decided to slightly splash out on flights and keep eating out to a minimum (we usually spend quite a bit on a fancy lunch and cocktails) so budget wise, it worked out around the same. Here are the details:

Flights

We flew direct from Newcastle with Ryanair. It was £70pp for us return (9:30am flight there / 8:45pm flight back) but you can get these flights for as little as £30pp return if you’re flexible. You need a valid passport.

Newcastle Airport had some festive specials available & their Pigs in Blankets Bap with Bacon Jam was so good that I didn’t even mind paying the over-inflated prices. We added a glass of Prosecco and really got into the festive mood.

Our flight time was 40 minutes, getting through passport control was no bother and we hopped in a taxi to Smithfield Square which took around 25 mins and cost £24. Very helpful & friendly driver too.

TwinkleTown

TwinkleTown is new to Dublin this year. Free entry & open from 11am daily. It’s small but there’s lots going on with an Ice Rink, Ferris Wheel, Carousel, Santa Show (only £4.50), Live Music SpiegelTent, Twinkle Tavern Bar + a few stalls and food vendors. It’s all Irish owned & super friendly.

As we arrived they were actually filming live for This Morning with Clodaugh and we got to watch in the audience which was a nice surprise. I was really impressed with the prices and that every food vendor had to offer a family deal for 2a,2c for under £25. I picked up a Dublin tree decoration for less than £2, a lovely necklace for around a tenner, enjoyed a nice mulled wine (£4), strawberries in chocolate (£7.50) and twisted potato sticks (£4.30).

There’s usually a market at Dublin Castle too but it’s taking a break this year and there’s another at RDS Dublin.

There’s a tram outside Smithfield Square & also a viewing tower in the old Jamieson Factory Chimney if you fancy checking out the city views. We just decided to walk everywhere though (we did around 17k steps in total) and it was a 15 min walk along the river to Temple Bar……

Temple Bar is known for its Irish Pubs with live music and lively atmosphere.

We went to the OG Temple Bar Pub and it was just ridiculously Christmassy. It had been decorated within an inch of its life. If you’re looking for somewhere to get you in the festive spirit- the pubs of Dublin will not disappoint.

It was 1pm and the place was absolutely packed. They have service down to a T though with lots of staff walking around taking orders for you so your next drink arrives as soon as your last one finishes. Prices weren’t as bad as expected for a City Centre Bar - £15 for a beer and large Sauv Blanc.

The atmosphere and live music was excellent. Not the kind of place to visit if you’re not keen on drunk people as we were shoulder to shoulder, swaying and singing along with strangers (our new besties) to the Pogues and tried our v best to pick up the lyrics to some traditional Irish songs too. It was a fantastic experience.

Afterwards we enjoyed a spot of shopping and then walked down Grafton Street. We stumbled upon a fab indoor market, department stores & vintage shops. There are loads of record stalls too. A fantastic city for shopping and although we had to be careful & not go too crazy as we were hand luggage only, we did manage to pick up a few bits and bobs.

For a bit of culture, I booked a Little Museum of Dublin Tour (£8 each) which takes place inside a museum and lasts 29 minutes. Really interesting tour which whizzed through the history of Dublin from Viking times up to present day using artefacts from the museum & lots of fun facts and humour along the way. You can also sit down while you listen so perfect if you’ve been on your feet all day.

We ended our day in Dublin with a glass of wine at The Ginger Man Pub. Another Christmas-themed pub that goes OTT with their decorations. Every single surface was covered with Christmas. Again, it was super busy but they have service down to a T and there’s a lady standing in front of the bar taking orders and payments and lots of bar staff behind the bar making drinks plus staff walking around taking orders. Despite not being able to move in there, it’s crazy how quickly the drinks arrived in our hands (within seconds of stepping inside).

Loved this bar. It was playing Christmas music and had such a happy vibe. Still mega busy but not as rowdy as Temple Bar.

I had pre-booked a private transfer to the airport from outside the pub to maximise our time. It was around ⅓ more than a taxi but worth it for convenience I think. It was lovely seeing the Christmas lights from the car as we left the city. There’s an evening light trail in Dublin which looked fab and it’s only £2 per adult and kids go free! Bargain.

Dublin Airport is huge compared to Newcastle and their duty free was really good - I bought a 1 litre bottle of Smirnoff for £11 for New Year and a few bits and bobs for Christmas.

A few people mentioned we must visit Butlers for Hot Choc but we didn’t get a chance so I was delighted to see a Butler’s Christmas Cafe inside the airport. I ordered one of their signature hot chocs along with a sandwich and everyone gets to pick a free chocolate from the counter with their order which was nice (Raspberry White Choc for us).

Our flight was a little delayed and we switched planes at the last min but we were outside Newcastle Airport waiting for Steve to pick us up at 10pm so not bad at all. We walked 17k steps but weren’t overly tired & it just felt the same to us as catching a train to Edinburgh Christmas Markets.

LOVED this day trip and would definitely do it again. Here's a little map of our route...

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