5-Day Giant Irish Experience — Self-Launched
5 days · Ireland & Northern Ireland
Irish Experience Tours charges £1,150
No-markup version: ~£425 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Irish Experience Tours' 5-day small-group loop from Dublin through Belfast, the Causeway Coast, Donegal and Westport. You'll hit the same headline sights — Belfast, the Giant's Causeway, Derry's walls and Bogside, Slieve League, Mullaghmore, Glencar Waterfall, Croagh Patrick and Clew Bay — but travel by public bus and train (plus a couple of local tours booked online), sleep in hostels and B&Bs, and go at your own pace. Note that reaching the more remote spots (Ballintoy, Slieve League, Mullaghmore) on public transport needs a bit of planning and, in a few cases, a shared taxi or day tour — all flagged below. All costs are rough estimates in GBP for one person, excluding flights.
Day-by-day
Dublin to Belfast (and on to Ballycastle)
Dublin → Belfast → Ballycastle
Take an early bus or train north. The Enterprise train from Dublin Connolly to Belfast Lanyon Place takes about 2h15m and costs roughly £20-35 booked in advance (or a Bus Éireann/Translink Goldline coach for ~£15-20). Drop your bag at your Belfast hostel or push on straight to Ballycastle — the 218/171 Goldline coach from Belfast Europa Buscentre to Ballycastle takes about 1h45m (~£10). If you're staying the night in Belfast, do a self-guided walk of the Cathedral Quarter and Titanic Quarter (Titanic Belfast entry ~£22 / €18.50 if you want the museum). Late afternoon, head to Ballycastle to position yourself for the Causeway Coast.
🚌Enterprise train Dublin–Belfast ~£20-35 + Goldline coach Belfast–Ballycastle ~£10
🛏Ballycastle hostel or B&B (shared dorm ~£22-28; private room ~£45-60)
- →Self-guided Belfast Cathedral Quarter & Titanic Quarter walk
- →Optional: Titanic Belfast museum (~£22)
- →Goldline coach along the Antrim coast to Ballycastle
Giant's Causeway, Ballintoy & Dunluce — then Derry
Ballycastle → Causeway Coast → Derry
Catch the 402/172 bus (or a short ~£10-15 taxi) from Ballycastle to the Giant's Causeway visitor centre (~£9-10 by bus each way; the stones themselves are free to walk to via the public path — don't pay the visitor centre entry unless you want the exhibition). Walk the clifftop trail down, then continue to Ballintoy Harbour (Game of Thrones' Pyke) and photograph Dunluce Castle from the roadside. The Causeway Rambler / 402 bus links these stops in summer; outside season, a local taxi or a half-day Causeway Coast minibus tour (~£30-40 via GetYourGuide) is the practical option. In the afternoon take the 234/140 bus from Coleraine or Portrush to Derry/Londonderry (~£8-10, ~1h15m). Do a self-guided loop of the Derry Walls (free) and the Bogside murals and Free Derry Corner — a free walking tour from the Visit Derry office runs daily if you want the history properly explained.
🚌Local buses/taxi along Causeway Coast ~£15-25 + bus to Derry ~£10
🛏Derry hostel or guesthouse (dorm ~£22-28; private ~£45-60)
- →Giant's Causeway (free public path; visitor centre ~£9 optional)
- →Ballintoy Harbour walk
- →Dunluce Castle viewpoint
- →Self-guided Derry Walls & Bogside murals (free walking tour tip ~£5-10)
Derry to Donegal — Slieve League & Glencar
Derry → Donegal → Slieve League → Westport
Cross into the Republic on the 953/Expressway coach from Derry to Letterkenny or Donegal Town (~£10-12, ~1h15m). This is the day where a car-free traveller needs to be smart: Slieve League's cliffs are 10km beyond Carrick, so either join a Donegal day tour from Donegal Town (~£35-45, bookable via GetYourGuide/Klook) or take a bus to Carrick and a local taxi up to the cliffs (~£15-20 each way). Budget time for Glencar Waterfall (a short taxi or bus from Manorhamilton) and a photo stop over Mullaghmore Head and Classiebawn Castle — the Sligo bus to Mullaghmore village from Sligo town is frequent and cheap (~£3-5) if you route via Sligo. Then take a late Expressway/Bus Éireann coach to Westport (Sligo–Westport ~£15-18, ~2h; or Donegal–Westport with a change, ~3.5h).
🚌Coaches Derry–Donegal–Sligo–Westport ~£35-45 + local taxi/day tour
🛏Westport hostel or B&B (dorm ~£20-28; private ~£45-65)
- →Slieve League cliffs walk
- →Glencar Waterfall
- →Mullaghmore Head & Classiebawn Castle viewpoint
- →Optional: fresh seafood lunch in Mullaghmore (~£12-18)
Westport: Croagh Patrick or the Greenway
Westport & Clew Bay
A full day based in Westport — pick your adventure. Climb Croagh Patrick (764m, 3.5-4h round trip, free; the 450 bus or a ~£10-12 taxi from Westport gets you to Murrisk trailhead). Alternatively hire a bike in Westport (~£20-25/day) and ride a section of the Great Western Greenway towards Mulranny or Achill — the 45km full route takes most of a day, but you can shorten it and use the 450 bus back. Other easy options: wander the Westport House grounds (~£10-12 gardens ticket), or a 90-minute Clew Bay cruise from Westport Quay (~£18-22) with seal colony and lighthouse views. Evening: pubs on Bridge Street for trad music (free).
🚌Local bus/taxi to Murrisk ~£5-12; bike hire ~£20-25
🛏Westport hostel or B&B (dorm ~£20-28; private ~£45-65)
- →Croagh Patrick climb (free)
- →Bike hire on Great Western Greenway (~£20-25)
- →Westport House gardens (~£10-12)
- →Clew Bay cruise (~£18-22)
- →Trad music in Westport pubs
Westport House & return to Dublin
Westport → Dublin
Morning visit to Westport House (the tour includes a guided tour; independently the house and gardens ticket is ~£12-15 — check opening days as the house is seasonal). If you have energy, a short early Croagh Patrick climb or a final spin on the Greenway toward Mulranny works well before checkout. Then take the train from Westport to Dublin Heuston (~3h20m, ~£25-40 booked in advance on Irish Rail, or a Bus Éireann Expressway coach ~£20-25) arriving mid-to-late afternoon — the train also passes through the bog landscapes of Mayo and Roscommon, which is a decent send-off. Trip ends at Heuston Station, matching the original tour's endpoint.
🚌Irish Rail Westport–Dublin Heuston ~£25-40 (or Expressway coach ~£20-25)
🛏None (departure day)
- →Westport House & gardens (~£12-15)
- →Optional morning Greenway ride
- →Scenic Westport–Dublin train ride
Self-launched vs. Irish Experience Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Irish Experience Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£425 | £1,150 |
| Duration | 5 days | 5 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £725 per person (63%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Irish Experience Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£425
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.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does 5-Day Giant Irish Experience — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £425 per person for 5 days in Ireland & Northern 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 Irish Experience Tours?+
Yes — Irish Experience Tours charges around £1,150 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £425 — a saving of roughly £725 (63%) per person.
How long is the Ireland & Northern Ireland trip?+
This itinerary runs 5 days, covering 5 day-by-day stops through Ireland & Northern 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 adventure, culture, hiking trip through Ireland & Northern 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?
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