Irish Gold — Self-Launched 8-Day Ireland Loop
8 days · Ireland
CIE Tours charges £2,325
No-markup version: ~£700 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of CIE Tours' 8-day "Irish Gold" coach tour: Dublin, Galway and Connemara, the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren, Killarney and the Ring of Kerry, Blarney, Waterford and Kilkenny. Instead of a 44-seat coach, you'll use Ireland's excellent (and cheap) intercity buses and trains, sleep in hostels and family-run guesthouses, and book the same headline experiences — Killary Harbour cruise, Kylemore Abbey, Cliffs of Moher, jaunting car, Waterford Crystal — directly. Costs are approximate per person and assume hostel/guesthouse dorm or budget private rooms, self-catering breakfasts plus pub meals, and public transport. Book buses on Bus Éireann/Expressway or Citylink, trains on Irish Rail, and attractions direct or via GetYourGuide.
Day-by-day
Dublin — Georgian streets, St Stephen's Green and a distillery tasting
Dublin
Arrive and check into a hostel or budget guesthouse near the city centre (Abbey Court Hostel, Generator Dublin or Barnacles Temple Bar are reliable picks, ~£25-40/night). Do the free City Council-style walking loop yourself: O'Connell Street and the GPO, then south past Trinity College and into St Stephen's Green. Book a Pearse Lyons Distillery tour and whiskey tasting direct online (~£18-22, book a slot a day ahead). Evening: pub dinner in Temple Bar or, cheaper, a €12-15 pub stew in Stoneybatter. Skip the group welcome drink — grab a pint of Guinness instead (~£5).
🚌Dublin Airport to city: Airlink/Dublin Express bus ~£8, or public bus 16/41 for ~£2.50 with a Leap Card
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse, Dublin city centre (~£30)
- →Self-guided walking tour: O'Connell Street, Trinity College, St Stephen's Green
- →Pearse Lyons Distillery tour & whiskey tasting (book direct, ~£20)
Dublin to Galway via Athlone
Galway
Take an early Irish Rail train from Dublin Heuston to Galway (~2h20, ~£18-25 if booked in advance online) — far more comfortable than the coach and drops you in the city centre. Break the journey at Athlone for a drink at Sean's Bar, Ireland's oldest pub, then continue by train or the Expressway X20 bus. Afternoon: join a pay-what-you-want walking tour of Galway (GetYourGuide/Freetour, tip ~£8-10) covering the Spanish Arch, Lynch's Castle and the Claddagh. Evening: fish and chips or a pub dinner in the Latin Quarter (~£15).
🚌Irish Rail Dublin Heuston to Galway ~£20; optional Athlone stop covered on the same route
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Galway city (~£30; Snoozles or Kinlay House are good budget options)
- →Sean's Bar, Athlone
- →Tip-based walking tour of Galway
- →Latin Quarter pub music
Connemara, Killary Harbour and Kylemore Abbey
Connemara / Galway
No car needed: take the Local Link or Bus Éireann 419 bus from Galway to Leenane via Clifden country, or book a small-group Connemara day tour (~£45-60) which bundles the driving. Pre-book the Killary Fjord catamaran cruise (~£25-30, Killary Fjord Boat Tours) for views up the only fjord in Ireland, and a timed ticket to Kylemore Abbey (~£17) including the Victorian walled gardens and Gothic church. Return to Galway in the evening for a cheap dinner at a takeaway or hostel kitchen (~£10).
🚌Bus Éireann/Local Link Galway–Leenane–Clifden ~£12 return, or small-group day tour ~£50
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Galway (~£30)
- →Killary Fjord catamaran cruise (~£27)
- →Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Gardens (~£17)
- →Connemara scenic drive / bus route
Galway to Killarney via the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren
Killarney
This is the big transfer day — do it with a hop-on-hop-off style Cliffs of Moher day tour from Galway (~£45-55) that includes the Burren limestone landscape, a sheepdog herding demo and the Cliffs visitor centre, then ask to be dropped at Ennis or take the evening train/bus onward to Killarney via Limerick Junction (~£25-30, 3.5-4h). Alternatively take the Expressway bus Galway–Limerick (~£10) and the train Limerick–Killarney (~£15). Check into a Killarney hostel (Killarney International Hostel or Neptune's) and eat at a pub in town (~£15). If you want the Kate Kearney's Cottage dinner-and-music night, book it directly (~£35-45).
🚌Cliffs of Moher day tour ~£50 + bus/train onward to Killarney ~£28
🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Killarney (~£28)
- →Cliffs of Moher and the Burren
- →Sheepdog herding demonstration
- →Optional Kate Kearney's Cottage traditional music dinner
Killarney — jaunting car, Ross Castle and the Ring of Kerry
Killarney / Ring of Kerry
Morning: walk or cycle into Killarney National Park (bike hire ~£12/day) to Ross Castle and Muckross House and Gardens (~£10 entry). The traditional jaunting car ride to Ross Castle can be booked at the park gate (~£12-15 per person, negotiate with the jarvey). Afternoon: do the Ring of Kerry — the cheapest way without a car is the public Ring of Kerry bus or a small-group tour (~£35-45) hitting Kenmare, Moll's Gap and the Gap of Dunloe viewpoint. Evening back in Killarney for traditional music in a pub (~£15).
🚌Bike hire ~£12; Ring of Kerry bus/small-group tour ~£40
🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Killarney (~£28)
- →Jaunting car ride to Ross Castle (~£14)
- →Muckross House & Gardens (~£10)
- →Ring of Kerry scenic drive / Kenmare village
- →Gap of Dunloe viewpoint
Killarney to Waterford via Blarney and Dungarvan
Waterford
Take the early train Killarney to Cork (~1h40, ~£12), then the 226 bus to Blarney (~£3) for a self-booked Blarney Castle ticket (~£18, book online to skip queues — kissing the Stone is included). Continue by bus/train Cork to Waterford (~£15-20, about 2.5h via Limerick Junction or a direct Bus Éireann X8). Break in Dungarvan for a pint and trad session at the Marine Bar if timings allow. Check into a Waterford hostel or B&B (also handy: a bus out to Tramore) and eat in the Viking Triangle (~£15).
🚌Train Killarney–Cork ~£12 + bus to Blarney ~£3 + Cork–Waterford bus/train ~£18
🛏Hostel or B&B, Waterford (~£30)
- →Blarney Castle & Stone of Eloquence (~£18)
- →Marine Bar, Dungarvan (optional stop)
- →Self-guided walk of Waterford Viking Triangle
Waterford Crystal, Kilkenny Castle and back to Dublin
Waterford / Kilkenny / Dublin
Book the House of Waterford Crystal factory tour direct (~£15-18) for the morning — the master blowers demo is the highlight. Then take the bus or train to Kilkenny (~1h, ~£8-10), wander the medieval city centre and take a self-guided or timed-entry tour of Kilkenny Castle (~£9). Evening: train Kilkenny to Dublin Heuston (~1h40, ~£12-18) and check into a Dublin hostel. Swap the tour's set dinner for a good-value Dublin pub meal or a €12-15 pizza-and-pint deal (~£18).
🚌Waterford–Kilkenny ~£9 + Kilkenny–Dublin train ~£15
🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Dublin city centre (~£30)
- →House of Waterford Crystal factory tour (~£16)
- →Kilkenny Castle (~£9)
- →Free time in Kilkenny medieval centre
Dublin — final morning and departure
Dublin
Slow morning: a self-guided stroll along the Liffey to the GPO, a €5-7 full Irish breakfast in a city café, and time for the Chester Beatty or National Museum of Ireland (both free) if your flight is later. Take the Dublin Express or Airlink bus back to the airport (~£8). Extra nights in Dublin can be added cheaply at the same hostel if you want to fit in Kilmainham Gaol (~£9, book weeks ahead) or a Guinness Storehouse visit (~£22).
🚌Dublin Express/Airlink to airport ~£8
🛏None (departure day) — add an extra hostel night ~£30 if needed
- →Chester Beatty Library or National Museum of Ireland (free)
- →Optional Kilmainham Gaol (~£9, book ahead)
Self-launched vs. CIE Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | CIE Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£700 | £2,325 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,625 per person (70%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more CIE Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£700
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 Irish Gold — Self-Launched 8-Day Ireland Loop cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £700 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 CIE Tours?+
Yes — CIE Tours charges around £2,325 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £700 — a saving of roughly £1,625 (70%) 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, foodie 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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