Best time to visit Dublin
The best time to visit Dublin is May–August, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Dublin, Leinster, Ireland
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.4 °C / 45 °F | 3.2 °C / 38 °F | 68 mm / 2.7 in | neither best nor good |
| February | 8 °C / 46 °F | 3.5 °C / 38 °F | 62 mm / 2.4 in | neither best nor good |
| March | 9.2 °C / 49 °F | 3.8 °C / 39 °F | 65 mm / 2.6 in | good month, for St Patrick's Day Festival. The weather alone makes it neither best nor good. |
| April | 11.4 °C / 53 °F | 5.5 °C / 42 °F | 59 mm / 2.3 in | good month |
| May | 14.1 °C / 57 °F | 8 °C / 46 °F | 68 mm / 2.7 in | best month |
| June | 16.7 °C / 62 °F | 10.7 °C / 51 °F | 76 mm / 3 in | best month |
| July | 18.3 °C / 65 °F | 12.5 °C / 55 °F | 85 mm / 3.4 in | best month |
| August | 17.8 °C / 64 °F | 12.3 °C / 54 °F | 81 mm / 3.2 in | best month |
| September | 16.1 °C / 61 °F | 10.6 °C / 51 °F | 78 mm / 3.1 in | good month |
| October | 13.3 °C / 56 °F | 8.6 °C / 47 °F | 83 mm / 3.3 in | neither best nor good |
| November | 9.9 °C / 50 °F | 5.6 °C / 42 °F | 86 mm / 3.4 in | neither best nor good |
| December | 8.1 °C / 47 °F | 4 °C / 39 °F | 79 mm / 3.1 in | neither best nor good |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: good
- AApril: good
- MMay: best
- JJune: best
- JJuly: best
- AAugust: best
- SSeptember: good
- OOctober: neither
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- May–August
- Good
- March–April, September
Dublin never gets hot, so the mildest, sunniest, driest-feeling months for walking and sightseeing run May to August, with April and September good shoulder months; the dark, damp winter from October to February is poor for being outside on foot, though St Patrick's Day lifts March to a good month regardless of its still-cold, wet weather.
Why these months
March · good
Made good by St Patrick's Day Festival.
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 65%, precipitation 65 mm / 2.6 in, days with heavy rain 1.1 days.
Against: feels like (high) 5.3 °C / 42 °F, average daily high 9.2 °C / 49 °F, wet days 13.2 days, relative humidity 82%, average daily low 3.8 °C / 39 °F.
Also on: Football (soccer) season, Spring blossom.
Watch out for: Easter travel rush, St Patrick's Day travel rush.
April · good
In its favour: precipitation 59 mm / 2.3 in, share of daylight that is sunny 71%, days with heavy rain 1.1 days, average daily low 5.5 °C / 42 °F.
Against: feels like (high) 8.3 °C / 47 °F, average daily high 11.4 °C / 53 °F, wet days 12.5 days, share of rain falling in the daytime 45%, relative humidity 80%.
Also on: Five Lamps Festival, Football (soccer) season, Gaelic games at Croke Park, Spring blossom.
Watch out for: Easter travel rush.
May · best
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 70%, precipitation 68 mm / 2.7 in, days with heavy rain 1.6 days, average daily high 14.1 °C / 57 °F, average daily low 8 °C / 46 °F.
Against: wet days 13.2 days, share of rain falling in the daytime 48%, feels like (high) 11.9 °C / 53 °F, relative humidity 80%.
Also on: Football (soccer) season, Gaelic games at Croke Park, International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival, International Literature Festival Dublin, Spring blossom.
June · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 15.3 °C / 60 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 67%, average daily high 16.7 °C / 62 °F, days with heavy rain 1.9 days, average daily low 10.7 °C / 51 °F.
Against: wet days 13.7 days, precipitation 76 mm / 3 in, share of rain falling in the daytime 46%, relative humidity 80%.
Also on: Bloomsday, Football (soccer) season, Gaelic games at Croke Park, Pride.
July · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 17.4 °C / 63 °F, average daily high 18.3 °C / 65 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 64%, average daily low 12.5 °C / 55 °F.
Against: wet days 15.7 days, precipitation 85 mm / 3.4 in, days with heavy rain 2.2 days, share of rain falling in the daytime 45%, relative humidity 81%.
Also on: Football (soccer) season, Gaelic games at Croke Park.
August · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 16.4 °C / 62 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 65%, average daily high 17.8 °C / 64 °F, days with heavy rain 1.9 days, average daily low 12.3 °C / 54 °F.
Against: wet days 13.9 days, precipitation 81 mm / 3.2 in, share of rain falling in the daytime 44%, relative humidity 82%.
Also on: Dublin Horse Show, Football (soccer) season, Gaelic games at Croke Park, The Big Grill food festival.
September · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 66%, feels like (high) 14.2 °C / 58 °F, average daily high 16.1 °C / 61 °F, average daily low 10.6 °C / 51 °F.
Against: wet days 12.3 days, precipitation 78 mm / 3.1 in, days with heavy rain 2 days, share of rain falling in the daytime 44%, relative humidity 84%.
Also on: Culture Night, Dublin Fringe Festival, Dublin Theatre Festival, Football (soccer) season, Gaelic games at Croke Park.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Glencoe Mountain Resort, 375 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | 3.4 °C | 3.9 °C | 5.3 °C | 8.3 °C | 11.9 °C | 15.3 °C | 17.4 °C | 16.4 °C | 14.2 °C | 10.7 °C | 6.5 °C | 4.3 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 1.1 days | 1.1 days | 1.1 days | 1.1 days | 1.6 days | 1.9 days | 2.2 days | 1.9 days | 2 days | 2.3 days | 2.4 days | 1.9 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 7 am | 11 am | 4 pm | 6 pm | 4 pm | 4 pm | 4 pm | 5 pm | 2 pm | 12 pm | 12 am | 8 am |
| Sunshine per day | 4.3 h | 5.7 h | 7.8 h | 10 h | 11.2 h | 11.4 h | 10.5 h | 9.5 h | 8.3 h | 6.2 h | 4.8 h | 3.8 h |
| Relative humidity | 87% | 85% | 82% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 81% | 82% | 84% | 86% | 87% | 88% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 4.5 µg/m³ | 4.5 µg/m³ | 6.2 µg/m³ | 7.8 µg/m³ | 8.6 µg/m³ | 7.5 µg/m³ | 5.7 µg/m³ | 6.5 µg/m³ | 6.2 µg/m³ | 5.3 µg/m³ | 4.7 µg/m³ | 4.2 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 7.8 µg/m³ | 7.6 µg/m³ | 10.8 µg/m³ | 13 µg/m³ | 13.7 µg/m³ | 12 µg/m³ | 9.9 µg/m³ | 10.3 µg/m³ | 9.9 µg/m³ | 8.3 µg/m³ | 8.3 µg/m³ | 6.9 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.
Events and seasons
What the weather records cannot show. A major event can lift a month to good or best. The warnings are there to help you plan, and never count against a month.
Reasons to go
- St Patrick's Day Festival Major
15–17 March
- Winter in Dublin festival season
1 November–31 January
- New Year's Eve festival
31 December–1 January
- JMW Turner watercolours at the National Gallery
January
- Six Nations rugby championship
February
- Dublin International Film Festival
February
- Spring blossom
March, April and May
- Football (soccer) season
March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November
- Five Lamps Festival
April
- Gaelic games at Croke Park
April, May, June, July, August and September
- International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival
May
- International Literature Festival Dublin
May
- Pride
June
- Bloomsday
16 June
- The Big Grill food festival
11–20 August
- Dublin Horse Show
August
- Dublin Fringe Festival
September
- Dublin Theatre Festival
21 September–15 October
- Culture Night
September, dates vary from year to year
- Bram Stoker Festival
October
- Dublin Book Festival
November
- Dublin Castle Christmas Market
December
- Dun Laoghaire Christmas Festival
December
- Christmas carol services
December
- The Moving Crib
December
- Christmas Eve busk on Grafton Street
24 December
Worth knowing before you go
- St Patrick's Day travel rush
15–17 March
- Easter travel rush
March and April, dates vary from year to year