8 Days Discovering Ireland — Self-Launched
8 days · Ireland
Oasis Travel charges £1,580
No-markup version: ~£650 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Oasis Travel's 8-day guided coach loop from Dublin: Wicklow and Glendalough, Kilkenny and the Rock of Cashel, two nights in Killarney with the Ring of Kerry, the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren, Galway and Connemara, then a whiskey distillery tour back in Dublin. Instead of a tour bus you'll use Ireland's excellent intercity coaches (Bus Éireann/Expressway, Dublin Coach, Citylink) and local day tours, staying in hostels and family-run B&Bs. All costs are approximate GBP per person and assume shared dorm or budget double accommodation, self-catered or pub food, and advance-booked coach tickets.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Dublin — city centre on foot
Dublin
Land at Dublin Airport and take the Dublin Express or Aircoach bus into the city centre (~£8-9, 30-40 min) rather than a taxi. Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse around Temple Bar, Smithfield or the north quays. Spend the afternoon walking the compact centre: Trinity College and the Book of Kells, Dublin Castle, Christ Church and St Patrick's Cathedral, and a wander along the River Liffey past the GPO and Custom House. Evening: skip the priciest Temple Bar tourist traps and head to a trad pub slightly off the beaten track (The Cobblestone in Smithfield or Devitt's on Camden Street) for a pint and live music.
🚌Aircoach/Dublin Express airport bus ~£8-9; everything else on foot
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Dublin city centre (~£25-35)
- →Trinity College & Book of Kells (book online, ~£14)
- →Dublin Castle & Christ Church Cathedral walk
- →River Liffey and GPO/Custom House orientation walk
- →Trad music pub evening
Wicklow Mountains & Glendalough day trip
Dublin / Glendalough
Book a small-group Wicklow day tour online (GetYourGuide/Viator, ~£40-55) or, cheaper still, take the St Kevin's Bus from Dublin to Glendalough (~£14 return) and walk the monastic site yourself. See the 30m round tower, the cathedral ruins and the lakes, then hike a short stretch of the Wicklow Way. Back in Dublin by evening — grab an Irish breakfast or pub dinner near your hostel. If you're self-driving, hiring a car in Dublin (~£30-40/day plus insurance) makes days 2-7 far more flexible and is worth splitting with 1-2 other travellers.
🚌St Kevin's Bus Dublin–Glendalough ~£14 return, or guided day tour ~£45
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Dublin city centre (~£25-35)
- →Glendalough monastic complex & round tower
- →Wicklow Mountains scenic drive/walk
- →Lakes walk in Glendalough
Dublin to Kilkenny, Cashel and on to Killarney
Kilkenny / Cashel / Killarney
Take an early Expressway or Dublin Coach service to Kilkenny (~£10-13, 1h45). Tour Kilkenny Castle and the medieval mile on foot, then continue by bus to Cashel (~£8) to see the Rock of Cashel and Hore Abbey. From Cashel catch a bus to Cork and connect to Killarney (Dublin Coach/Expressway, ~£15-20 combined, roughly 3h). Alternatively, a direct Dublin–Killarney Expressway coach (~£20-25, 4h) and doing Kilkenny/Cashel as separate day trips is simpler. Check into a Killarney hostel or B&B for two nights.
🚌Expressway/Dublin Coach buses Dublin–Kilkenny–Cashel–Killarney, ~£30-35 total
🛏Killarney hostel or family-run B&B (~£25-35)
- →Kilkenny Castle & Medieval Mile
- →Rock of Cashel & Hore Abbey
- →Cashel town walk
Ring of Kerry and Torc Waterfall
Killarney / Ring of Kerry
The Ring of Kerry is easiest as a bookable coach day tour from Killarney (~£35-45, 6-7h, sold through GetYourGuide, Klook or locally at any Killarney tour office) — it stops at the classic viewpoints over Dingle Bay, Waterville, Derrynane and Moll's Gap. If you have a hire car, drive it yourself anticlockwise and stop wherever you like. Either way, finish with the short 20-minute walk to Torc Waterfall in Killarney National Park and, if time allows, Muckross House gardens and the Muckross Abbey ruins (free entry to the park). Evening pub dinner and music in Killarney town.
🚌Ring of Kerry coach day tour ~£40, or shared hire car ~£12-15/person
🛏Killarney hostel or family-run B&B (~£25-35)
- →Ring of Kerry full-day loop
- →Torc Waterfall hike
- →Killarney National Park & Muckross Gardens
- →Killarney pub music session
Killarney to the Cliffs of Moher, Burren and Galway
Cliffs of Moher / Burren / Galway
Take a morning bus from Killarney to Limerick or Ennis (~£12-15), then the local 350 bus to Doolin and the Cliffs of Moher visitor centre. Walk the cliff path from Doolin to the visitor centre (2-3h, spectacular and free apart from the visitor centre fee ~£8) instead of paying for a tour. Continue via the seasonal ferry across the Shannon Estuary (Kilrush–Tarbert, ~£18 with a foot passenger, or bus via Limerick if out of season) and a stop in Lahinch for the beach. Take an evening bus from Ennis to Galway (~£10, 1h15). A Cliffs-of-Moher-and-Burren day tour from Galway (~£40-50) is the easy low-faff alternative covering the Burren's limestone pavement and Poulnabrone dolmen.
🚌Buses Killarney–Ennis–Doolin–Ennis–Galway ~£30-35; Shannon ferry ~£18 optional
🛏Galway hostel or budget guesthouse, Latin Quarter/Eyre Square area (~£28-40)
- →Cliffs of Moher cliff walk
- →Lahinch Beach
- →The Burren & Poulnabrone dolmen
- →Shannon Estuary ferry crossing
Connemara, Kylemore Abbey and Dan O'Hara's
Galway / Connemara
Take the Citylink/Expressway bus from Galway to Clifden or Letterfrack (~£12-15, 1h30-2h). Visit Kylemore Abbey and its Victorian walled garden (entry ~£16, book online), then walk in Connemara National Park from Letterfrack — the Diamond Hill loop is a superb 2-3h hike with Atlantic views. Dan O'Hara's Homestead near Leenane is a small, quirky heritage cottage stop (~£8) if you have a car; by bus it's easiest to skip or visit as part of a Connemara day tour from Galway (~£45). Return to Galway in the evening for seafood chowder and a pint.
🚌Citylink/Expressway Galway–Letterfrack–Galway ~£25 return
🛏Galway hostel or budget guesthouse (~£28-40)
- →Kylemore Abbey & walled garden (~£16)
- →Diamond Hill hike, Connemara National Park (free)
- →Dan O'Hara's Homestead (~£8, car-dependent)
- →Killary Harbour viewpoint
Galway back to Dublin — whiskey distillery tour
Galway / Dublin
Morning in Galway: the Spanish Arch, the Long Walk, Galway Cathedral and the Saturday market if your dates line up. Take a Citylink or Expressway coach back to Dublin (~£15-18, 2h30) and check back into your Dublin hostel. Pre-book a Teeling Whiskey Distillery tour in the Liberties (~£20-25, includes tasting) — it's the closest distillery to the city centre and the standard tour is roughly an hour. Evening: shopping on Grafton Street or Henry Street and a Guinness at a proper local rather than a Temple Bar tourist pub.
🚌Citylink/Expressway Galway–Dublin ~£16; distillery 15 min walk or Luas tram ~£2
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Dublin city centre (~£25-35)
- →Galway Spanish Arch & Long Walk
- →Teeling Whiskey Distillery tour & tasting (~£22)
- →Grafton Street shopping
- →Guinness at a local pub
Dublin — depart
Dublin
Final Irish breakfast, a last wander around the stalls at George's Street Arcade or a walk in St Stephen's Green, then take the Dublin Express or Aircoach back to the airport (~£8-9). If your flight is late, the EPIC emigration museum or Kilmainham Gaol (book ahead, ~£8-12) are excellent wet-weather fillers.
🚌Dublin Express/Aircoach to airport ~£8-9
🛏None (departure day)
- →George's Street Arcade / St Stephen's Green
- →Optional EPIC museum or Kilmainham Gaol (~£10-14)
Self-launched vs. Oasis Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Oasis Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£650 | £1,580 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £930 per person (59%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Oasis Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£650
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 8 Days Discovering Ireland — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £650 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 Oasis Travel?+
Yes — Oasis Travel charges around £1,580 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £650 — a saving of roughly £930 (59%) 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, hiking, adventure 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?
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