Northern & Southern Ireland — Self-Launched
9 days · Ireland & Northern Ireland
Intrepid Travel charges £3,290
No-markup version: ~£740 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 9-day self-launched version of Intrepid's Belfast-to-Dublin small-group trip, rebuilt so you can book it yourself. You'll cover the same ground — Titanic Belfast, the Giant's Causeway, Derry's Bogside murals and Bloody Sunday history, Galway, a ferry day on the Aran Islands, the Cliffs of Moher, Adare, Killarney, the Ring of Kerry and a sheepdog demo, then Dublin — using Ireland's excellent (and cheap) public bus and train network instead of a tour vehicle. Hostels and family-run B&Bs replace the tour hotels, and every "included activity" is swapped for a self-bookable equivalent (Translink/Expressway buses, Aran Islands ferry + bike hire, OPW/Cliffs visitor centre tickets, a working sheep farm show). Costs are approximate per-person GBP at 2025/26 backpacker rates; peak summer (Jun–Aug) adds roughly 20–30% on accommodation.
Day-by-day
Arrive Belfast — Cathedral Quarter & Titanic Quarter
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Land in Belfast (fly into Belfast International or George Best City Airport, or take the ferry from Cairnryan if coming from Scotland) and check into a city-centre hostel. Spend the afternoon free-walking the Cathedral Quarter, City Hall and Donegal Square, then walk the revitalised waterfront. If you want the Titanic story, pre-book Titanic Belfast online (approx £25) and add the SS Nomadic (£7) — book a late-afternoon slot to avoid queues. Cheaper alternative: Ulster Museum and Botanic Gardens are both free. Evening: pub dinner in the Cathedral Quarter (approx £12–15). Skip the £50 Black Cab Tour unless you're specifically after the political-murals narrative; the £20 History of Terror walking tour is the budget option.
🚌Airport bus (Airport Express 300 from Belfast International, approx £9 single) or train from George Best City Airport (approx £2.60)
🛏City-centre hostel dorm, Belfast (approx £20–28/night)
- →Self-guided Cathedral Quarter & City Hall walk (free)
- →Titanic Belfast (pre-booked online, approx £25)
- →Ulster Museum & Botanic Gardens (free)
Giant's Causeway & Causeway Coast by public bus
Belfast → Giant's Causeway → Derry/Londonderry
Take the morning train from Belfast to Coleraine (approx 1h15, £9–11) and connect onto the Causeway Coast bus (service 402 / Ulsterbus) to the Giant's Causeway (approx £5 return on the connecting leg, or use a Translink day ticket). Alternatively join a small-group day tour from Belfast (GetYourGuide, approx £30–40) if you'd rather see the Dark Hedges and Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge too. The Causeway itself is free to walk — you only pay if you want the National Trust visitor centre (£14, skip it). Late afternoon, continue by bus/train to Derry (approx 1h, £8–10) and check into a guesthouse inside the walls.
🚌Train Belfast→Coleraine approx £10; bus to Causeway approx £5; bus Coleraine→Derry approx £9
🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Derry's walled city (approx £22–30/night)
- →Giant's Causeway (free to access)
- →Causeway Coast scenic bus route
- →Evening walk of Derry's city walls (free)
Derry — Bogside murals & Bloody Sunday history
Derry/Londonderry
Do the Bogside yourself: the murals, the 'Free Derry' corner and the Bloody Sunday memorial are all free to walk and well signed. For the depth the tour guide would give you, book a Bogside/Bloody Sunday walking tour with a local guide direct (approx £12–15, bookable via GetYourGuide or the Museum of Free Derry) — highly recommended, led by people with lived experience. Afternoon: Museum of Free Derry (approx £8), Guildhall (free) and a walk along the Peace Bridge. Optional Siege Museum (£5).
🚌Everything walkable; city is compact
🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Derry (approx £22–30/night)
- →Bogside murals & Bloody Sunday memorial self-walk (free)
- →Local Bogside walking tour (approx £12–15)
- →Museum of Free Derry (approx £8)
- →Guildhall & Peace Bridge (free)
Derry to Galway — cross into the Republic
Derry → Galway
A long travel day: Bus Éireann/Expressway route 64 runs Derry to Galway (approx 4h30–5h, £18–22) — book online in advance for the cheaper fare. Arrive Galway late afternoon, check into a hostel near Eyre Square or the Latin Quarter, and wander the harbour, the Claddagh and the Spanish Arch at golden hour. Evening: trad music session in a Latin Quarter pub (free entry, one pint approx £5.50) with a cheap dinner — Galway is a great foodie stop but the budget move is a chippers or a pub carvery (approx £12).
🚌Expressway bus 64 Derry→Galway approx £18–22
🛏Hostel dorm, Galway Latin Quarter (approx £25–35/night in season)
- →Galway Harbour & Spanish Arch walk (free)
- →Latin Quarter trad music session (free entry)
- →Claddagh & Long Walk photo walk
Aran Islands day trip — Inis Mór by ferry & bike
Inis Mór (Aran Islands) → Galway
Book the Aran Islands ferry direct with Aran Island Ferries (Rossaveal/Connemara) or Doolin Ferries — from Galway the standard self-launch move is the shuttle bus + ferry combo (approx £35–40 return including bus from Galway city). On Inis Mór hire a bike at the pier (approx £12–15/day) and ride to Dún Aonghasa, the Bronze/Iron Age clifftop fort (OPW entry approx £5), then on to the Seven Churches ruins and the lighthouse viewpoint. You'll see the same flora, fauna and stone-walled landscapes the tour covers — just on your own schedule. Catch the late-afternoon ferry back and eat in Galway.
🚌Shuttle bus Galway→Rossaveal + return ferry approx £35–40 total
🛏Hostel dorm, Galway (approx £25–35/night)
- →Aran Islands return ferry & shuttle (approx £35–40)
- →Bike hire on Inis Mór (approx £13)
- →Dún Aonghasa fort (OPW, approx £5)
- →Seven Churches & lighthouse viewpoint (free)
Cliffs of Moher, Adare & on to Killarney
Galway → Cliffs of Moher → Adare → Killarney
Take the morning Expressway bus 51 from Galway to Ennis, then bus 350 along the coast to the Cliffs of Moher (total approx £14–18). Pay the Cliffs visitor experience/exhibition entry (approx £10–12) for the award-winning Atlantic Edge exhibition the tour includes, and walk both the south and north cliff paths — the best viewpoints are free and outside the centre. Then bus onward via Limerick to Adare (thatched cottages, free to wander, approx 40 min stop) and connect to Killarney (approx £12–15). Arrive Killarney, check into a hostel or B&B, and hit a pub for dinner and music.
🚌Expressway 51 + local 350 buses approx £14–18; Limerick→Adare→Killarney approx £14
🛏Hostel or family-run B&B, Killarney (approx £28–38/night)
- →Cliffs of Moher & Atlantic Edge exhibition (approx £11)
- →Cliff path walks (free)
- →Adare village stop (free)
- →Killarney pub music session (free entry)
Ring of Kerry & sheepdog demonstration
Ring of Kerry / Iveragh Peninsula → Killarney
The Ring of Kerry is hard without wheels, so two self-launch options: (1) a hop-on day tour from Killarney (GetYourGuide/Klook, approx £25–35, includes photo stops at Ladies View, Waterville and Sneem) or (2) rent a bike and ride the Killarney→Kenmare section for the best scenery on a budget. Add a working sheep farm show — Kells Sheep Centre or a similar farm near Cahersiveen / Glenbeigh (approx £8–10 direct booking, cash) for the sheep-herding demonstration the tour includes. Back in Killarney, dinner in town and an early night; the next day is a long transfer.
🚌Ring of Kerry day tour approx £30, or bike hire approx £20
🛏Hostel or B&B, Killarney (approx £28–38/night)
- →Ring of Kerry day tour or self-ride (approx £30 / £20)
- →Sheep farm herding demonstration (approx £9)
- →Ladies View, Waterville & Sneem photo stops
- →Torc Waterfall walk (free)
Killarney to Dublin — Guinness, cathedrals & creative quarter
Killarney → Dublin
Take the morning train Killarney to Dublin Heuston (approx 3h15, £25–35 if booked online in advance with Irish Rail — much cheaper than buying on the day). Check into a city-centre hostel, then self-launch the Dublin classics: St Patrick's Cathedral (approx £8/€9), a wander through the Creative Quarter and Temple Bar (window shopping is free), and either the Guinness Storehouse (pre-book online, approx £22–25) or the cheaper Teeling/Jameson alternative. Evening: a proper Dublin pub dinner away from Temple Bar for better value (approx £15).
🚌Irish Rail Killarney→Dublin Heuston approx £25–35 advance
🛏City-centre hostel dorm, Dublin (approx £25–35/night)
- →Irish Rail train to Dublin
- →St Patrick's Cathedral (approx £8)
- →Guinness Storehouse (pre-booked, approx £24)
- →Creative Quarter & Temple Bar walk (free)
Dublin — final morning & departure
Dublin
Last morning: free-entry National Museum of Ireland (Archaeology on Kildare Street — the bog bodies and Gold Hoard are the highlights) or the Chester Beatty Library, plus a proper Irish breakfast. Grab a Leap Visitor Card or a single LEAP fare for the Airlink/16 bus to Dublin Airport (approx £2–6) and fly out — or add a night or two, since Belfast and Dublin time is short on this route.
🚌Dublin Bus Airlink 747 or route 16 to airport approx £2–6
🛏—
- →National Museum of Ireland (free)
- →Chester Beatty Library (free)
- →Full Irish breakfast (approx £10)
Self-launched vs. Intrepid Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Intrepid Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£740 | £3,290 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,550 per person (78%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Intrepid Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£740
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 Northern & Southern Ireland — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £740 per person for 9 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 Intrepid Travel?+
Yes — Intrepid Travel charges around £3,290 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £740 — a saving of roughly £2,550 (78%) per person.
How long is the Ireland & Northern Ireland trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 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 culture, budget, backpacker 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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