Scottish & Irish Sampler — Self-Launched Edition
7 days · Scotland, Northern Ireland & Ireland
CIE Tours charges £2,195
No-markup version: ~£545 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of CIE Tours' Edinburgh-to-Dublin sampler: two nights in Edinburgh, two in Belfast and two in Dublin, linked by local buses, the Stena Line ferry and a train. You'll still see Edinburgh Castle, Culzean Castle, the Antrim coast and Giant's Causeway, Titanic Belfast, Hillsborough Castle and EPIC — booked yourself via GetYourGuide, Klook or the attractions' own websites, and staying in hostels, guesthouses and budget hotels instead of Marriott and four-star properties. Costs are approximate per person, based on backpacker/budget rates.
Day-by-day
Arrive Edinburgh — Royal Mile & New Town on foot
Edinburgh
Land at Edinburgh Airport and take the Airlink 100 bus or tram into the city centre (~£5-7 single, 30 mins). Check into a hostel or guesthouse in the Old Town, Tollcross or Leith. Do the panoramic orientation walk yourself: start at the Castle Esplanade, walk the Royal Mile down to Holyrood, duck into the closes and medieval townhouses (Gladstone's Land ~£10 if you want a guided interior), then loop through New Town's Georgian grid — Princes Street, Charlotte Square, Rose Street. Evening: free walking tour (tips-based, ~£10-15 tip) or a pub supper on Rose Street. Self-launched travellers can book a small-group Old Town walking tour on GetYourGuide from ~£15 if you'd rather have narration.
🚌Airlink 100 bus or tram from airport ~£5-7; everything else on foot
🛏Castle Rock Hostel / Budget guesthouse near Old Town (~£25-35 pp dorm, £55-75 pp private)
- →Self-guided Royal Mile & closes walk
- →New Town Georgian architecture walk
- →Optional GetYourGuide Old Town walking tour ~£15
- →Optional Gladstone's Land entry ~£10
Edinburgh Castle & Leith distillery
Edinburgh
Pre-book Edinburgh Castle tickets online (~£21, cheaper than gate) for the 9:30 opening to beat the crowds — allow 2-3 hours with the Crown Jewels and Mons Meg. Afternoon: walk or take the tram/bus to Leith (Lothian bus ~£2) for a distillery tour. Port of Leith Distillery runs tours from ~£25 with tastings; alternatives are the Scotch Whisky Experience on the Royal Mile (~£22) or a Leith pub crawl. In August, check the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (tickets from ~£30, book months ahead via the official site). Evening free for dining — Leith Walk has great cheap eats.
🚌Lothian bus or tram to Leith ~£2 each way
🛏Castle Rock Hostel / Budget guesthouse near Old Town
- →Edinburgh Castle entry ~£21
- →Port of Leith Distillery tour ~£25
- →Optional Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (August) ~£30+
Edinburgh → Cairnryan → ferry → Belfast (via Culzean Castle)
Belfast
The long travel day. Take the early Stagecoach West Scotland bus (or ScotRail to Ayr then bus) from Edinburgh to Ayr/Girvan (~£12-18, 2.5-3 hrs). Detour to Culzean Castle: the 60/360 bus from Ayr gets you to the estate gate, then walk or taxi to the castle (National Trust for Scotland entry ~£18, pre-book a timed slot). Have a cheap lunch at the castle café or a pub in Maybole rather than the formal castle lunch. Mid-afternoon continue to Cairnryan for the Stena Line or P&O ferry to Belfast (~£30-40 foot passenger, 2h15m). Arrive Belfast, take a Translink bus/train into the centre (~£3) and check into a hostel near Queen's Quarter or Cathedral Quarter. Grab a cheap dinner; you'll be tired.
🚌Bus Edinburgh–Ayr ~£15; local bus to Culzean ~£4; bus to Cairnryan ~£6; ferry Cairnryan–Belfast ~£35
🛏Vagabonds Belfast / Global Village hostel, Queen's Quarter (~£20-28 dorm, £55-70 private)
- →Culzean Castle & Country Park entry ~£18
- →Stena Line ferry crossing ~£35
Nine Glens of Antrim, Giant's Causeway & Crosskeys Inn
Belfast / Causeway Coast
Book a day tour rather than driving: GetYourGuide and Viator both sell Giant's Causeway + Antrim Coast day trips from Belfast from ~£35-45, typically routing through the Nine Glens (Glenariff, Glenballyemon) and the coastal road with stops at Carrick-a-Rede and the Dark Hedges. Alternatively take the train from Belfast to Coleraine (~£9, 1h15m) then the 402 bus along the coast, but the bus is infrequent — the day tour is better value. The Causeway itself is free to walk (Visitor Centre exhibition ~£14, skip it if you're tight). Lunch stop at Crosskeys Inn near Toome, Ireland's oldest thatched pub — a bowl of stew or toastie ~£10-14, or the tour's own lunch stop. Back in Belfast by early evening.
🚌GetYourGuide day tour coach from Belfast ~£40 (covers all transport)
🛏Vagabonds Belfast / Global Village hostel, Queen's Quarter
- →Nine Glens of Antrim coastal drive
- →Giant's Causeway visit (free)
- →Lunch at Crosskeys Inn ~£12
- →Optional Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge ~£10
- →Optional Dark Hedges stop
Titanic Belfast, Hillsborough Castle → Dublin
Dublin
Morning at Titanic Belfast (pre-book online ~£25, cheaper off-peak; allow 2.5 hrs). Then take the Translink Goldliner 238 bus to Hillsborough (~£6, 30 mins) for a Hillsborough Castle & Gardens tour (~£15-18, book on the Historic Royal Palaces site) and a wander through the village. Return to Belfast, collect your bag, then take the Enterprise train Belfast–Dublin Connolly (~£20-30 if booked ahead, 2h15m) or the Aircoach/X1 bus (~£15-18). Check into a hostel in Dublin's city centre (Temple Bar is noisy and pricey — try Smithfield, Stoneybatter or Portobello). Evening: get tickets directly for a traditional music night. Taylors Three Rock runs its own dinner-and-show package (~£50-55) which you can book yourself, or go for a cheaper authentic trad session with a pint in a Stoneybatter or Capel Street pub (~£15-20 total).
🚌Bus to/from Hillsborough ~£12; Enterprise train Belfast–Dublin ~£25; Luas/bus in Dublin ~£2
🛏Generator Dublin / Barnacles Temple Bar or Smithfield hostel (~£25-35 dorm, £70-90 private)
- →Titanic Belfast ~£25
- →Hillsborough Castle & Gardens tour ~£16
- →Optional Taylors Three Rock dinner & show ~£52
- →Alternative: trad session in a Dublin pub ~£18
Dublin city walk & EPIC Emigration Museum
Dublin
Self-guided morning walk: Trinity College and the Book of Kells (pre-book ~£19, or just walk the free Front Square), Dublin Castle courtyard, Christ Church and St Patrick's Cathedrals (each ~£10-12), then down the Liffey to O'Connell Street for the GPO and the Spire. Cross the Ha'penny Bridge and loop the Georgian squares — Merrion Square and Fitzwilliam Square — on foot. Afternoon at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum in the Docklands (pre-book online ~£17, allow 1.5-2 hrs; the 20-minute walk from O'Connell Street goes past the Famine Memorial). Free walking tours run from City Hall daily if you want a guide for tips. Evening in Smithfield or Capel Street for food and pints.
🚌All on foot; optional Leap Card bus/Luas ~£2 per hop
🛏Generator Dublin / Barnacles Temple Bar or Smithfield hostel
- →Self-guided Georgian Dublin & Liffey walk
- →EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum ~£17
- →Optional Book of Kells ~£19
- →Optional Christ Church / St Patrick's Cathedral ~£11 each
- →Optional tips-based city walking tour ~£12
Dublin — departure
Dublin
Last morning: a flat white and Irish breakfast in Stoneybatter, a final browse of the George's Street Arcade or the Hugh Lane Gallery (free), then take the Airlink 747 or Dublin Express coach to the airport (~£7-8, 30-40 mins) or the DART/bus combo. If you're flying out of Edinburgh instead, the Enterprise train back takes about 4.5 hours (~£30 booked ahead) — but book the flight out of Dublin and skip the return leg.
🚌Airlink 747 / Dublin Express coach to airport ~£8
🛏—
- →Free morning wander: Hugh Lane Gallery / George's Street Arcade
Self-launched vs. CIE Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | CIE Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£545 | £2,195 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,650 per person (75%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more CIE Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£545
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 Scottish & Irish Sampler — Self-Launched Edition cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £545 per person for 7 days in Scotland, Northern Ireland & 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 £2,195 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £545 — a saving of roughly £1,650 (75%) per person.
How long is the Scotland, Northern Ireland & Ireland trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Scotland, Northern Ireland & 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, budget trip through Scotland, Northern Ireland & 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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