Best of Ireland South — Self-Launched 8-Day Solo Route
8 days · Ireland
CIE Tours charges £2,345
No-markup version: ~£985 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of CIE Tours' coach-based "Best of Ireland South" loop — Dublin to Killarney, the Ring of Kerry, Dingle, Clare and Galway — built around public buses and trains, budget guesthouses and hostels, and self-bookable activities. Same landmarks (Guinness Storehouse, Blarney Castle, Killarney jaunting car, Ring of Kerry, Slea Head, Cliffs of Moher, Galway) at roughly a third of the group-tour price. Costs are approximate per-person estimates and assume dorm/private budget rooms, pub and café meals, and advance-booked intercity transport.
Day-by-day
Dublin arrival & hop-on hop-off orientation
Dublin
Land at Dublin Airport and take the Aircoach or Dublin Express into the city (~£8-10 one way, 30-45 min) rather than a private transfer. Check into a budget hotel or hostel around St Stephen's Green or the Liberties (e.g. Barnacles Temple Bar or a Generator-style hostel). Buy a Leap Visitor Card for local transport (~£16 for 3 days) and use the DoDublin Hop-On Hop-Off bus (~£20, bookable on GetYourGuide) to get oriented. Pick one headline attraction with your own ticket: Guinness Storehouse (~£22 advance online), EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum (~£18), Jameson Bow St. (~£22) or the GPO Museum (~£14). Evening: wander Temple Bar and the River Liffey, but eat a street over for lower prices.
🚌Aircoach/Dublin Express airport bus ~£8-10; Leap Card for city travel
🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Dublin city centre (~£40-55/night private, £22-28 dorm)
- →Aircoach/Dublin Express airport transfer
- →DoDublin Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour
- →Guinness Storehouse or EPIC Emigration Museum (self-booked)
- →Evening walk along the River Liffey
Dublin walking tour & distillery
Dublin
Join a free (tip-based) walking tour of central Dublin — Trinity College, Dublin Castle, Christ Church and Temple Bar — bookable via GetYourGuide or SANDEMANs (tip ~£10-15). Afternoon: self-book a Teeling Whiskey Distillery tour in the Liberties (~£18-22) and walk the historic streets around it. If you want the group tour's music-and-dance evening without the coach crowd, book a traditional Irish night at a pub like The Cobblestone or a Ceol agus Craic show (~£25-35) instead of the Taylors Three Rock dinner.
🚌On foot plus Leap Card bus/Luas hops ~£3-5
🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Dublin city centre (~£40-55/night private, £22-28 dorm)
- →Free tip-based city walking tour
- →Teeling Whiskey Distillery tour
- →Optional traditional Irish music session
Dublin to Killarney via Blarney and a farm stop
Killarney
Take an early Irish Rail train from Dublin Heuston to Cork (~£25-35, 2h40m, book online for cheapest fares), then a local bus to Blarney (Bus Éireann 226, ~£3). Self-book Blarney Castle admission (~£16) to kiss the Stone of Eloquence and walk the gardens. Continue by bus/train to Killarney (~£15-20, change at Cork). Check into a Killarney guesthouse or hostel near the town centre (e.g. Neptune's or a family B&B). For the farm-and-scone experience, book an independent option like an evening at a traditional farm or a Kerry Bog Village visit near Killarney rather than a coach stop.
🚌Irish Rail Dublin-Cork ~£25-35; Bus Éireann 226 Cork-Blarney ~£3; bus/train Cork-Killarney ~£15-20
🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Killarney town (~£35-50/night private, £20-25 dorm)
- →Blarney Castle and Stone of Eloquence (self-booked)
- →Cork to Killarney scenic bus/train transfer
- →Old Killarney village evening stroll
Ring of Kerry, jaunting car and Muckross
Killarney
Do the Ring of Kerry on a self-booked day tour (~£35-45 via GetYourGuide, departing Killarney) — cheaper and more flexible than a private car and identical scenery: Killorglin, Cahersiveen, Waterville, Sneem, Lady's View and Kenmare with time for lunch and the Gap of Dunloe craft shops. Alternatively rent a bike for the Muckross and Lakes section (~£15/day). Book a horse-drawn jaunting car through Killarney National Park to Ross Castle (~£25-30 per person, direct with drivers at the park gate). Evening: optional traditional music-and-dance dinner at a Muckross farm-style venue or a pub session in town.
🚌Group day-tour minibus ~£35-45 (self-booked) or bike hire ~£15
🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Killarney town (~£35-50/night private, £20-25 dorm)
- →Self-booked Ring of Kerry day tour (or bike hire)
- →Jaunting car ride to Ross Castle
- →Killorglin, Waterville, Sneem and Lady's View viewpoints
- →Optional Irish music-and-dance dinner
Dingle Peninsula, Slea Head and Shannon crossing
County Clare (Ennis/Newmarket-on-Fergus)
Take the Bus Éireann 275 from Killarney to Dingle (~£12-15, 1h15m). Book a Slea Head Drive day tour from Dingle (~£30-40 self-booked) to see the peninsula, Gallarus Oratory and the Blasket Island viewpoints, or take the local Slea Head bus. Explore Dingle town's harbour and crafts. Then travel north: bus from Dingle to Tralee and on to Limerick (~£18-22 total), and cross the Shannon Estuary by ferry if travelling on the Killimer-Tarbert route (~£4 as a foot passenger on the bus). Base yourself in Ennis or Newmarket-on-Fergus for two nights. Evening: a self-booked medieval-style banquet (Bunratty Castle is ~£55-65, or a cheaper pub dinner in Ennis for ~£15).
🚌Bus Éireann 275 Killarney-Dingle ~£12-15; Dingle-Tralee-Limerick buses ~£18-22; Shannon ferry ~£4
🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Ennis or Newmarket-on-Fergus (~£40-55/night private)
- →Slea Head Drive tour or local Slea Head bus
- →Gallarus Oratory and Blasket views
- →Dingle harbour and town
- →Shannon Estuary ferry crossing
- →Optional Bunratty medieval banquet
Cliffs of Moher, the Burren and Galway
Galway
Take the Bus Éireann 350 from Ennis to the Cliffs of Moher (~£8-10, 1h). Self-book Cliffs of Moher entry with the visitor centre (~£8 online, cheaper than at gate). Walk the cliff path to O'Brien's Tower. Continue on the same 350 route through the Burren's limestone landscape, stopping at Doolin or Lisdoonvarna, then onward to Galway (~£10-14 total). Check into a Galway hostel or guesthouse in the Latin Quarter (e.g. The Nest or Snoozles). Evening: join a self-booked guided walking tour of Galway with a local guide (~£15 via GetYourGuide) covering the Spanish Arch, Claddagh and Eyre Square, then find a trad session in a Latin Quarter pub.
🚌Bus Éireann 350 Ennis-Cliffs-Galway ~£18-24 total
🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Galway Latin Quarter (~£35-50/night private, £20-28 dorm)
- →Cliffs of Moher and O'Brien's Tower
- →Burren limestone drive (Bus Éireann 350)
- →Galway guided walking tour (self-booked)
- →Latin Quarter trad music evening
Galway to Kildare and back to Dublin
Dublin
Take an early Irish Rail train or Expressway bus from Galway to Kildare (~£18-25, change at Portarlington or direct coach). Self-book the Irish National Stud and Japanese Gardens combo ticket (~£14-16) and explore St Fiachra's Garden on foot. Continue by train/bus to Dublin (~£8-12). Check into a budget Dublin hotel or hostel. Final evening: a cheap-but-good dinner in the Liberties or Capel Street and a last Dublin pub pint.
🚌Galway-Kildare bus/train ~£18-25; Kildare-Dublin ~£8-12
🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Dublin city centre (~£40-55/night private, £22-28 dorm)
- →Irish National Stud and Japanese Gardens (self-booked)
- →St Fiachra's Garden walk
- →Kildare to Dublin rail transfer
- →Final Dublin evening
Dublin departure
Dublin
Breakfast, any last-minute sightseeing near your accommodation, and take the Aircoach or Dublin Express back to the airport (~£8-10). If your flight is later, squeeze in a free museum — the National Museum of Ireland and National Gallery are free.
🚌Aircoach/Dublin Express to Dublin Airport ~£8-10
🛏None (departure day)
- →Optional free National Museum or National Gallery
- →Airport transfer by Aircoach/Dublin Express
Self-launched vs. CIE Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | CIE Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£985 | £2,345 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,360 per person (58%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more CIE Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£985
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Best of Ireland South — Self-Launched 8-Day Solo Route cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £985 per person for 8 days in Ireland. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with CIE Tours?+
Yes — CIE Tours charges around £2,345 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £985 — a saving of roughly £1,360 (58%) per person.
How long is the Ireland trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Ireland.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, road-trip trip through Ireland, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.