2 Days in Dublin With Kids (Not Guinness), Dublin Co., Ireland

When one thinks of visiting Dublin, the obvious choice would be to tour Guinness, a bunch of distilleries and pub crawl at the Temple Bar. But if you are traveling with kids, these choices might not be very appealing to all audiences. Dublin has a variety of family-friendly places to visit.

River Liffey: River Liffey flows through Dublin and is the best place to spend an afternoon. There are multiple bike rental places accessible to tourists. Several tours have starting points near River Liffey.  The Famine sculptures and a guided tour of Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship gives an insight into the hardships faced by people during the Irish famine. A cast-iron pedestrian bridge across river Liffey also knows as Ha'penny Bridge, is the oldest bridge in Dublin. It is an easy walk across the bridge to reach the other side of the city. However, Beckett bridge is much cooler in appearance. 

Butler's Chocolate Factory: Click here for the full post. Butler's Chocolate Factory tour was a huge hit with kids. Try to pre-book a tour on a weekday. Chocolate production is down during weekends and hence there won't be much to see on a weekend. Decorating a chocolate elephant was a sweet ending to the tour.

Dublin Zoo: Another kid's favorite. The area is huge and the grounds are well maintained. The habitat is designed specifically to suit the animals. Wild lights display during Christmas is amazing to see.

Merrion Square: Another fun place to visit. Stephan's green is good but Merrion square is awesome. As my kids say, Merrion Square is funky fun. The odd sculptures, swings and play areas are super fun for kids. 

Natural History Museum: Natural History Museum is right across the road from Merrion Square and the entry is free. A mid-size museum with animal and bird exhibits. Groud floor exhibits are predominantly local to Ireland. While the 2nd-floor exhibits are taxidermy exotic wild animals. A very good place for kids to visit.

Trinity College & Book of Kells: Book of Kells is right in the middle of Trinity College. Some find Book of Kells expensive. But strolling through the college grounds is a good way to spend a few hours. 

Howth Village and Cliff Walk: Click here for the detailed post. Howth Village is about an hour from Dublin. A cute village with beautiful views of the Irish Sea.

Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Cincinnati , Ohio

Located in downtown Cincinnati, Cincinnati Zoo is a feast for eyes in spring. The garden blooms in spring every year with around 100,000 Tulips and million other bulbs . This is by far the best place to spend  a day in April. Plan a visit on Thursday for free concert in April.

There are wide variety of exhibits to capture the interest of kids and adults equally. Watch gorillas in the gorilla world caring for the babies and grooming or let the monkeys in the small island can entertain kids . Touch the turtle shell and feed the turtles . Capture lots of pictures amid tulips and animal sculptures.

This Zoo houses wide variety of animals from around the world. The peacocks always love to put up a show for their visitors. While the wild cats relax a the eager visitors take pictures !!!! These white Tigers are by far my favorite.

Toledo Zoo and Aquarium, Toledo, Ohio

Free admission for mothers on Mothers day and free admission for fathers on Fathers day with your children of course. Definitely you can expect large crowds on these days. A perfect place for family outing on a summer day. Be prepared for long walks which can be bit strenuous for younger children. 

The zoo starts off with Arctic encounter where you can watch several animals like Penguins, Polar bear up close. A short walk away is Safari Railway, runs around the African safari where you can catch a glimpse of animals feeding or resting under a tree shade. Cross the bridge to get to more exhibits. Flamingos, Elephants, Lions, Camels, Apes, Reptiles and what not .This zoo houses vide variety of animals and it is a lot of ground to cover !!!

Zoo staff rolled out a big cart with a big snake on it. Kids gathered for a petting session while scared parents like me stood few feet away watching 😕

Make sure to visit the Aviary. It houses varied species of birds from all across the globe. Lot of gift shops and food stalls to pick up a souvenir or quench your thirst on a hot summer day. Make sure to bring extra water bottles and have fun.