Self-Launched Northern Ireland & Atlantic Coast: Dublin to Belfast, Donegal, Westport & Galway
5 days · Ireland & Northern Ireland
Rabbie's Small Group Tours charges £950
No-markup version: ~£470 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Rabbie's 5-day small-group loop from Dublin up to Belfast and the Giant's Causeway, then down the Wild Atlantic Way through Donegal, Sligo, Westport and Connemara, finishing in Galway and back to Dublin. Instead of a driver-guide coach, you'll use the Dublin–Belfast Enterprise train, local buses and the odd shared taxi/private minibus hop to reach trailheads and park entrances, staying in hostels and family-run B&Bs. You'll cover the same headline stops (Titanic Quarter, Giant's Causeway, Derry Walls, Glenveagh, Benbulben, Achill, Kylemore, Connemara, Cong, Galway) but with more time in each place and total costs of roughly £400–£500 per person — a big saving on the ~£950 operator price. Costs are approximate DIY estimates for one person in a shared hostel dorm / budget twin, self-catering or casual meals, and public transport; prices vary by season.
Day-by-day
Dublin to Belfast to Portrush: Titanic Quarter & the Antrim Coast
Dublin → Belfast → Portrush
Start at Dublin Connolly and take the Enterprise train to Belfast Lanyon Place (~2h10, book ahead on translink.co.uk or irishrail.ie, £12–20 if booked early). Drop your bag in a Belfast locker or head straight to the Titanic Quarter: the Titanic Belfast museum is £24–27 (book a timed slot online) and HMS Caroline is a short walk away. Free self-guided wander of the Cathedral Quarter and City Hall, then take the train from Belfast Great Victoria Street to Coleraine (~1h15, £9–12) and the connecting bus/train to Portrush (~15 min). Base yourself in Portrush for two nights. If you'd rather do the coast by road, a GetYourGuide/Klook Giant's Causeway day tour from Belfast (~£30–40) covers the Causeway, Dunluce Castle and the Dark Hedges if you're short on time. Evening: fish and chips on the harbour and a walk along the East Strand.
🚌Enterprise train Dublin Connolly → Belfast Lanyon Place (£12–20); local train Belfast → Coleraine → Portrush (£9–12)
🛏Hostel or family-run B&B in Portrush (dorm £22–28 / twin £35–45 pp); e.g. Portrush hostel or guesthouse near the harbour
- →Titanic Belfast museum (self-booked timed entry, ~£25)
- →Titanic Quarter & HMS Caroline exterior
- →Belfast Cathedral Quarter free walking loop
- →East Strand beach walk, Portrush
Giant's Causeway, Antrim Glens & Derry's Walls
Portrush → Giant's Causeway → Derry → Donegal
Early bus or local train to the Giant's Causeway (bus 402/172 from Portrush, ~20–30 min, £3–5). The Causeway visitor centre charges ~£14 but the stones and clifftop path are free to access via the public right of way — do the 2-mile clifftop loop for the best views. Optional add-on: Old Bushmills Distillery tour (~£12) or Dunluce Castle (small entry). Mid-afternoon, return to Coleraine and take the bus (Goldliner 234) to Derry/Londonderry (~1h, £8–10). Walk the 17th-century city walls (free, ~1.5h), pop into the Free Derry Museum or the Tower Museum (£5–8), then take the bus over the border to Letterkenny/Donegal town (~1h15, £10–12, pay in euro or card). Check in to a Donegal town guesthouse and eat in one of the pubs with live traditional music.
🚌Local bus Portrush → Giant's Causeway (£3–5); Goldliner bus Coleraine → Derry (£8–10); bus Derry → Donegal town (£10–12)
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in Donegal town (dorm £20–25 / twin £30–40 pp)
- →Giant's Causeway clifftop walk (free access)
- →Dunluce Castle viewpoint
- →Derry city walls self-guided walk
- →Free Derry / Tower Museum (optional, £5–8)
Glenveagh National Park, Mount Errigal & Benbulben to Westport
Donegal → Glenveagh → Sligo → Westport
Take the Local Link Donegal bus (route 271/973, book by phone if needed, £5–8) to Glenveagh National Park, or a shared taxi from Donegal town (~£15 pp if split). Entry to the park is free; the shuttle bus to the castle is ~£3 and the castle tour ~£8 — the lakeside walk and the viewpoint trails are free and gorgeous. Views of Mount Errigal are on the drive north. Return mid-afternoon and take the bus to Sligo (~2h, £12–15). From Sligo a short local bus or taxi (~£8 / £15 split) gives you Benbulben and Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery (~€5 entry). Continue by Bus Éireann Expressway to Westport (~2h, £12–16), your base for two nights.
🚌Local Link bus Donegal → Glenveagh (£5–8); bus Donegal → Sligo (£12–15); Expressway Sligo → Westport (£12–16)
🛏Hostel or B&B in Westport town (dorm £22–28 / twin £35–45 pp)
- →Glenveagh National Park lakeside walk & castle grounds
- →Mount Errigal viewpoints
- →Benbulben photo stop
- →Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery (optional, ~£5)
Kylemore Abbey, Connemara & Achill Island from Westport
Westport (day trips to Connemara & Achill)
Two options today. Option A: the local bus (Bus Éireann 423/456 via Leenane, ~1h30) to Kylemore Abbey (~£10 each way) — abbey, Victorian walled garden and lakeside walk ~£16 entry — then continue into Connemara National Park (free, Letterfrack trailheads) and Clifden via the bus or a shared taxi. Option B: the Local Link bus out to Achill Island for the Keem Bay and Minaun cliffs walks (free), returning for a Westport evening. Either way, the Twelve Bens and the Sky Road (Clifden) are easy to fold in if you hire a bike in Clifden (~£18/day) or split a taxi with other travellers. Evening: seafood chowder and a pint on Westport's Shop Street; Matt Molloy's for trad music.
🚌Bus Éireann Westport → Leenane → Kylemore (£10 each way); optional bike hire or shared taxi (£10–18)
🛏Hostel or B&B in Westport town (dorm £22–28 / twin £35–45 pp)
- →Kylemore Abbey & walled garden (£16)
- →Connemara National Park trails (free)
- →Clifden & Sky Road
- →Achill Island / Keem Bay (free)
- →Trad music session in Westport
Maam Valley, Cong Abbey & Galway, back to Dublin
Westport → Cong → Galway → Dublin
Bus through the Maam Valley and Lough Corrib to Cong (~1h15, £8–10). Walk Cong Abbey ruins and the village (free), and the Quiet Man museum if you're a fan (~£6). Then a short bus to Galway City (~45 min, £7–9): wander the Latin Quarter, the Spanish Arch and the Claddagh, have a late seafood lunch, and optionally stop at Kilbeggan Distillery on the way east if you're driving (public transport makes this a stretch — skip and enjoy Galway instead). Finish with the CityLink or GoBus express Galway → Dublin (~2h30, £12–18 booked online) arriving in the early evening. Trains from Galway to Dublin Heuston (~2h20, £20–30) are the comfier alternative. Build in a flexible buffer because this is the day the original tour rushes.
🚌Bus Westport → Cong (£8–10); bus Cong → Galway (£7–9); CityLink/GoBus Galway → Dublin (£12–18)
🛏None included — own arrangements in Dublin (hostel dorm £25–35 if you need a night)
- →Maam Valley & Lough Corrib viewpoints
- →Cong Abbey & village walk (free)
- →Galway Latin Quarter & Spanish Arch
- →Optional Kilbeggan Distillery (self-drive only)
Self-launched vs. Rabbie's Small Group Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Rabbie's Small Group Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£470 | £950 |
| Duration | 5 days | 5 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £480 per person (51%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Rabbie's Small Group Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£470
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 Self-Launched Northern Ireland & Atlantic Coast: Dublin to Belfast, Donegal, Westport & Galway cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £470 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 Rabbie's Small Group Tours?+
Yes — Rabbie's Small Group Tours charges around £950 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £470 — a saving of roughly £480 (51%) 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 culture, adventure, 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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