Irish Classic – Self-Launched 12-Day Ireland & Northern Ireland Loop

Land in Dublin and check into a city-centre hostel or budget guesthouse around Temple Bar, Smithfield or Portobello. Do the free (tip-based) Dublin walking tour to cover Trinity College, Dublin Castle, St Stephen's Green, the Georgian townhouses of Merrion Square and the River Liffey, then walk to St James's Church area in the Liberties. In the afternoon book Pearse Lyons Distillery directly online (~£18-20) for a guided tour and whiskey tasting in the converted St James's Church. Self-cater or eat in a decent pub off Temple Bar (a pint there is £7-8; two streets away it's £5).

🚌Dublin Airport to city: Airlink/Dublin Express coach ~£7 or public bus 16/41 ~£2.50. Everything day one on foot.

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Dublin city centre (~£28-35 pp)

• →Free tip-based Dublin walking tour
• →Pearse Lyons Distillery tour & whiskey tasting (pre-book direct)
• →St Stephen's Green
• →Trinity College & Book of Kells (optional, ~£15)
• →River Liffey & Ha'penny Bridge

Take the early Bus Éireann/Expressway or Aircoach X1 from Dublin to Belfast (~£12-15, 2h15). Drop bags at the hostel, then take a local bus (or the train to Downpatrick via a change, ~£7 return) south to Downpatrick: visit Down Cathedral and St Patrick's grave, the St Patrick Centre, and the Ulster Folk Museum at Cultra (Ulster Transport Museum next door is a bonus). Evening back in Belfast — the Cathedral Quarter has excellent pubs and cheaper food than the Titanic Quarter.

🚌Dublin→Belfast coach £12-15; local bus/train to Downpatrick ~£7 return. Note: Northern Ireland uses GBP.

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Belfast city centre (~£25-32 pp)

• →Down Cathedral & St Patrick's grave
• →St Patrick Centre (£7)
• →Ulster Folk Museum, Cultra (£12)
• →Cathedral Quarter pubs

Morning self-guided Victorian Belfast walk: City Hall in Donegall Square, Linen Quarter, St Anne's Cathedral. Book Titanic Belfast online in advance (~£21-24) and give it 2.5-3 hours — the highlight of many travellers' trips. In the afternoon join a Black Taxi political mural tour booked direct or via GetYourGuide (~£18-25, share the cab cost between 4) for Falls and Shankill roads, or take a free tip-based city walking tour. Optional: Crumlin Road Gaol or the Titanic slipway walk.

🚌All city centre on foot; local bus £2.50 single with a Leap-style card or contactless.

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Belfast city centre (~£25-32 pp)

• →Titanic Belfast (pre-book, £21-24)
• →Black Taxi political mural tour (~£20 shared)
• →City Hall & Donegall Square
• →St Anne's Cathedral
• →Free tip-based walking tour

Cheapest option: take the train from Belfast to Coleraine (~£10), then the seasonal Causeway Rambler bus (or call into the Giant's Causeway Visitor Centre; the stones themselves are free on foot). Alternatively the full-day Causeway Coast day tour from Belfast booked via GetYourGuide/Viator (~£25-30) covers Carrick-a-Rede, Dunluce Castle, the Nine Glens of Antrim and the Giant's Causeway — better value if you don't want to negotiate buses. Then travel on to Derry by train via Coleraine (~£8-10). In the evening join the free Derry walking tour of the 17th-century walls (tip-based, ~£5-10), then a craft beer flight at Walled City Brewery.

🚌Belfast→Causeway Coast day tour £25-30, or train + Causeway Rambler ~£18; to Derry by train ~£8-10.

🛏Hostel or guesthouse inside the walls, Derry (~£22-28 pp)

• →Giant's Causeway
• →Dunluce Castle viewpoint
• →Nine Glens of Antrim drive
• →Free Derry walls walking tour
• →Walled City Brewery beer flight (~£10)

Cross back into the Republic. Public transport through Donegal is thin, so plan: Derry→Letterkenny bus (~£7), then Letterkenny→Donegal Town (~£8), and if you want Ardara's Triona Design handweaving workshop/studio (free to browse), a local bus or taxi from Donegal Town (~£10 return). From Donegal Town take the Expressway to Sligo and connect to Westport (total ~£22-28, 4-5 hrs) — or, for a much smoother day, book a shared/private transfer day tour through Donegal (~£45-60). Evening: free tip-based Westport walking tour and a trad music pub (Matt Molloy's).

🚌Derry→Letterkenny→Donegal→Sligo→Westport ~£25 total; Ardara detour ~£10 (or a shared Donegal day transfer £45-60).

🛏Hostel or family-run guesthouse, Westport (~£22-28 pp)

• →Donegal countryside
• →Triona Design handweaving, Ardara
• →Westport town walk
• →Matt Molloy's trad session

Book a Connemara day tour from Westport or Clifden (GetYourGuide/local operators, ~£40-50) which typically takes in Leenane, Killary Harbour (Ireland's only fjord), views of Croagh Patrick and stops at Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden (entry ~£16 extra). To see the sheepdog demonstration cheaply, pick a tour that includes a working farm stop, or book Killary Sheep Farm directly (~£10) and use a local taxi. Independent alternative: Bus Éireann Westport→Leenane→Clifden (~£12) and back. Eat in Westport in the evening.

🚌Connemara day tour £40-50 (or public bus loop ~£12 plus taxis).

🛏Hostel or family-run guesthouse, Westport (~£22-28 pp)

• →Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden (£16)
• →Killary Harbour viewpoint
• →Leenane village
• →Sheepdog demonstration (~£10)
• →Croagh Patrick views

Bus Westport→Galway (~£12, 1h45). Spend the morning wandering Galway's Latin Quarter, Spanish Arch and Claddagh, then take the afternoon Cliffs of Moher day tour from Galway (~£35-45 via GetYourGuide/local operator) which includes the Burren and a stop at the cliffs — or the public Bus Éireann 350 to Doolin and the cliff walk for ~£20 return. Continue to Limerick/Ennis for the night (bus ~£10). In the evening, swap the castle banquet for a Bunratty Castle Medieval Banquet booked direct (~£55) if you want the full experience, or a cheaper trad dinner in Limerick.

🚌Westport→Galway £12; Galway→Cliffs tour £35-45 or bus 350 ~£20; to Limerick ~£10.

🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Limerick or Ennis (~£25-30 pp)

• →Galway Latin Quarter & Spanish Arch
• →Cliffs of Moher
• →The Burren
• →Optional Bunratty Castle Medieval Banquet (~£55)

Bus or train Limerick→Tralee (~£14) then Tralee→Dingle (~£8). Call into John B. Keane's pub in Listowel if you route via Tralee-Listowel (bus ~£6). On the Dingle Peninsula, the Slea Head Drive is best done on the local Slea Head bus tour from Dingle town (~£18-22) or by renting a bike (~£15/day) — the road is narrow with a coach-unfriendly bend at Slea Head. Afternoon bus Dingle→Killarney (~£10). Evening in Killarney: free tip-based town walk, then a pub session (Courtney's, O'Connor's).

🚌Limerick→Tralee→Dingle ~£22; Slea Head tour/bike £15-22; Dingle→Killarney £10.

🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Killarney (~£24-30 pp)

• →Dingle town
• →Slea Head Drive & Slea Head viewpoint
• →Bike rental or local Slea Head bus tour
• →John B. Keane's pub, Listowel (tea & scones)
• →Killarney pub session

Take the public Ring of Kerry day bus (Local Link/private operators, ~£18-25) or a GetYourGuide Ring of Kerry tour (~£40) hitting Killorglin, Cahersiveen, Waterville, Derrynane and Ladies' View. Alternatively hire a bike in Killarney and ride to Moll's Gap (~£18/day). In the afternoon, take the traditional horse-drawn jaunting car through the Gap of Dunloe from Beaufort Bridge (~£20-25 per person shared), with a boat or walk back via the Lakes of Killarney, finishing near Ross Castle. Stop at Moriarty's in the Gap of Dunloe for lunch. Free time in Kenmare if you ride the Ring.

🚌Ring of Kerry day bus £18-25; jaunting car ~£22 shared; local bike hire £18.

🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Killarney (~£24-30 pp)

• →Ring of Kerry drive
• →Ladies' View & Moll's Gap
• →Gap of Dunloe jaunting car (~£22)
• →Ross Castle & Kenmare Estate walk
• →Kenmare town

Bus Killarney→Cork (~£14, 1h40), then local bus 215 to Blarney (~£4 return). Visit Blarney Castle & Gardens and, if you like, kiss the Stone of Eloquence (~£20 entry, book online to skip the queue). Continue Cork→Dungarvan (~£10) for an Irish coffee and traditional music at the Marine Bar, then Dungarvan→Waterford (~£8). Evening: free tip-based walking tour of Waterford's Viking Triangle (Reginald's Tower, the walls) at dusk or a self-guided loop, followed by a pub dinner.

🚌Killarney→Cork £14; local bus to Blarney £4; Cork→Dungarvan→Waterford ~£18.

🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Waterford city centre (~£24-30 pp)

• →Blarney Castle & Gardens (£20)
• →Stone of Eloquence
• →Marine Bar, Dungarvan (Irish coffee & music)
• →Waterford Viking Triangle walk

Morning at the House of Waterford Crystal factory tour (~£16, book direct or on arrival) to watch the blowers and engravers. Take the bus to New Ross (~£6) and tour the Dunbrody Famine Ship & Irish Emigrant Experience (~£12). Bus New Ross→Dublin (~£16-20, 2h45). Final night: instead of Taylors Three Rock, book a Dublin trad music night — either a free pub session (Cobblestone, O'Donoghue's) or a dinner-and-show at the Irish House Party or Celtic Nights (~£45-55) if you want the staged version.

🚌Waterford→New Ross £6; New Ross→Dublin £16-20.

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse, Dublin city centre (~£28-35 pp)

• →House of Waterford Crystal tour (£16)
• →Dunbrody Famine Ship, New Ross (£12)
• →Dublin trad music session or Irish House Party (~£45-55 optional)

Slow breakfast, a last wander through the Liberties or along the Grand Canal, and pick up any last souvenirs on Grafton Street or in the George's Street Arcade. Airlink/Dublin Express coach back to Dublin Airport (~£7) or public bus (~£2.50). If you have a late flight, the free National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology (Viking gold, bog bodies) is a great wet-weather standby.

🚌Airlink/Dublin Express to airport ~£7, or public bus ~£2.50.

🛏None (departure day)

• →Grafton Street & George's Street Arcade
• →National Museum of Ireland (free)
• →Grand Canal walk