Dublin’s Hidden Gems

12 Pubs of Christmas Dublin 2026: The Ultimate Route (And Where to Base Your Crew)

Every December, thousands of office teams, friend groups and Christmas party crews take on Dublin’s favourite festive tradition: the 12 Pubs of Christmas. Twelve pubs, one night, a Santa hat or two, and a city centre that goes all-in on the occasion. If you’re planning your own 12 Pubs night — or organising a Christmas party for the office — here’s how to do it properly, and where to base yourselves so nobody’s stuck getting a taxi home at 2am.

What Is the 12 Pubs of Christmas?

The 12 Pubs of Christmas is Dublin’s answer to a Christmas pub crawl, a group of friends or colleagues taking on twelve pubs (or however many you survive) over one festive night out. Most groups play it as a game, with each stop bringing a different challenge or activity alongside a drink or two before moving on to the next pub It’s become one of the most popular Christmas party traditions in the city, especially among office teams and groups travelling in for the weekend.

Planning Your Route

Camden Street and the surrounding streets around Dublin 2 are one of the best-stocked areas in the city for a 12 Pubs route — you can walk the whole thing without ever needing a taxi. A typical route pulls together spots like:

• Jimmy Rabbits, Ryans & Flannerys – all on Camden Street itself
• The Jar (Wexford Street) – a great early or mid-crawl stop on the same strip
• Ciss Madden’s (Drury Street) – cosy and full of character, a solid regroup point
• Disndat (Dame Court) – cosy, quirky, great winter drinks menu
• The Stags Head (Dame Court) – Dublin’s best-preserved Victorian pub, with a bar dating back to 1895, great to visit while in Dublin.
• The Hairy Lemon (Stephen Street Lower) – a Dublin institution, always buzzing over the festive season
• The Camden – right around the corner from the hotel, lively and central and a great place to end your night.

Stagger your stops so you’re not backtracking across the city, and build in one food stop around pub six or seven, trust us.

Why Base Your Group on Camden Street

If you’re organising for a group — an office team, a hen or stag crew, or just a big gang of friends where you sleep matters as much as where you drink. Camden Street Hotel puts you right in the middle of the route, with:

• Triple and quad rooms built for groups, so you’re not booking six separate singles scattered across the city
• A genuinely central location — most of the route is a walk, not a taxi
• No fuss when you stumble in — we’re a straightforward, room-only base for the night, not a hotel that minds a loud group coming home from the pubs

It’s why we’re a regular base for hen and stag parties as well as Christmas crews — see our Hen & Stag Parties page for group booking details.

Organising an Office Christmas Party?

If you’re the one person in the office who ends up organising the Christmas do, book your accommodation early, group rooms in the city centre go fast in December, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. Booking direct or getting in touch by email means we can help sort a block of rooms for your team in one go, rather than everyone booking separately and hoping there’s space left by the time it’s your turn.

Get in touch at stay@camdenstreethotel.com to enquire about group rates for your office party or crawl crew.

When to Book

December weekends fill up quickly, and rates rise as the month goes on. If you’re planning ahead, keep an eye on our Advance Purchase Offer for the best rates on early bookings, and check our Christmas Stays page for what else is on in the city this December.

Ready to book your crew in? Reserve your rooms now or email stay@camdenstreethotel.com for group bookings of 6 or more.