3 Days in Dublin on Points – Anniversary Trip Highlights
3 Days in Dublin
We celebrated our anniversary with three unforgettable days in Dublin—made even sweeter by booking flights and our luxury stay at the Hilton Conrad Dublin entirely on points. From sipping whiskey at Jameson Distillery to exploring the Book of Kells at Trinity College, this itinerary blends history, culture, and travel hacking tips to show how you can experience Dublin without breaking the bank.
How We Booked Free Flights to Dublin
We celebrated our 20-year anniversary in February. My husband had about 90K points in his American Airlines account from a sign-up bonus a few years ago. February is the off-season to fly to Europe from the US, so I started looking at where we could get FREE on points, but it wouldn’t take all day to get there and back. His time off each year is limited, and I try to maximize as many fun adventures with him as possible. We quickly settled on Dublin. We had never been to Ireland, and it is relatively quick to get to from here. Best of all, I could get us two free round-trip tickets from Nashville to Dublin.
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Luxury Stay at Hilton Conrad Dublin
Once we settled on flights, I started looking at hotel options. Since it was our 20th anniversary, I wanted to stay somewhere special in Dublin. We picked the Conrad Dublin. My husband travels occasionally for work and prefers Hilton. To maximize points, I had him get the American Express Aspire card. Not only do we get hotel points for him staying at the Hilton, but we also get 14 points per dollar when charging it to our card. This allowed us to accumulate quite a few Hilton points. His Hilton Aspire card offers us Diamond Status with Hilton. In Europe, this status gives us free breakfasts, which are usually AMAZING! We also get free upgrades when available.
Another benefit of Diamond status with Hilton is that you earn more points for every dollar you spend at Hilton. We used this to our advantage and charged everything to our room. I used to pay as we went at hotels until I realized I was leaving valuable points behind. Now we charge everything to our room.
Dublin Anniversary Itinerary – What We Did
Day 1: Arrival, Guinness Storehouse tour, and local pub crawl
Day 2: Jameson Distillery, Book of Kells, and dinner at a cozy Irish restaurant
Day 3: St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin Castle, and a farewell pint
We booked our tours through Viator, which included the Dublin Jameson Distillery and Guinness Storehouse Guided Tour. We also booked the Teeling Distillery. We visited the Book of Kells at Trinity University and met the nicest people as we toured the city. It was so much fun going to the local pub and having a pint (or two).
Final Thoughts
Three days in Dublin was the perfect mix of history, culture, and celebration. By leveraging points and miles, we turned an anniversary getaway into a nearly free luxury experience. Whether you’re planning your first trip to Ireland or looking for ways to maximize your rewards, Dublin offers endless opportunities to leave no point left behind.
