Causeway & Castles — Self-Launched (Belfast to Dublin, 5 Days)
5 days · Ireland & Northern Ireland
Royal Irish Tours charges £1,320
No-markup version: ~£600 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY version of Royal Irish Tours' 5-day "Causeway & Castles" loop from Belfast to Dublin, covering Titanic Belfast, the Giant's Causeway, Dunluce Castle, Derry's walls, Donegal and a night in a castle hotel in Roscommon — all bookable yourself. Travelling by public bus (Translink Goldliner, Expressway, Bus Éireann) and self-guided audio tours keeps costs down dramatically versus the guided coach package. Built on hostel/budget-guesthouse stays with two splurges: a castle hotel night and Titanic Belfast entry. Costs are rough estimates for one person sharing a dorm/room, excluding flights.
Day-by-day
Dublin to Belfast via Monasterboice
Dublin → Belfast
Start early in Dublin and take the Aircoach or Bus Éireann X1/Translink Goldliner from Dublin city centre to Belfast (approx. £12–18, 2h15). To break the journey at Monasterboice, take a Drogheda-bound service (Bus Éireann 100 or the Enterprise rail to Drogheda, ~£10) and hop on a local bus/taxi to the Monasterboice monastic site for the 5th-century round tower and Muiredach's High Cross — free to visit. Continue to Belfast by train or bus. Settle into your hostel near Cathedral Quarter, then take yourself on a self-guided walk or a black-cab/self-guided audio tour of the Falls and Shankill murals. Evening free in the Cathedral Quarter pubs.
🚌Bus/rail Dublin–Drogheda (~£10), onward Drogheda–Belfast (~£8), local taxis to Monasterboice (~£10 shared)
🛏Budget hostel dorm or private twin in central Belfast (e.g. Cathedral Quarter / Queen's Quarter hostels), ~£20–28 pp
- →Monasterboice monastic site & Muiredach's High Cross (free)
- →Self-guided Falls Road & Shankill Road murals walk / political taxi tour (~£15 shared)
Titanic Belfast & the Ards Peninsula
Belfast
Pre-book Titanic Belfast tickets online (approx. £25 timed entry) and spend the morning in the shipyard exhibition — allow 2.5–3 hours. In the afternoon, either stay in the city (St George's Market, Ulster Museum free, Crumlin Road Gaol) or head to Crawfordsburn for a traditional pub supper. Optional: swap in a distillery visit (Echlinville or Titanic Distillers at the Thompson Dock) for a DIY tasting instead of The Shed Distillery, which is a long detour from Belfast.
🚌Local bus/Glider around Belfast (~£4 day ticket); optional train to Crawfordsburn (~£3 each way)
🛏Same Belfast hostel/hotel, ~£20–28 pp
- →Titanic Belfast visitor centre (~£25 pre-booked)
- →Optional distillery tour & tasting (~£15–20)
- →St George's Market / Ulster Museum (free)
Causeway Coast: Giant's Causeway, Dunluce & on to Derry
Belfast → Giant's Causeway → Derry/Londonderry
Take the early Translink Goldliner 218 (Belfast–Coleraine) or the Causeway Coaster service to the Giant's Causeway (approx. £9–12 one way; day ticket options available). Walk down to the stones yourself — the visitor centre entry is ~£13 but the causeway itself is free via the public path. Continue a couple of miles to Dunluce Castle for the clifftop ruins (~£7). In the afternoon take the train or bus from Coleraine to Derry/Londonderry (~£7, 40–50 min) and check into a city-centre hostel or guesthouse. Evening on the Derry walls at sunset.
🚌Goldliner 218 Belfast–Coleraine (~£10), Causeway Coast bus/taxi hops (~£6), train Coleraine–Derry (~£7)
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel inside the Derry walls, ~£25–32 pp
- →Giant's Causeway (free on foot; visitor centre ~£13 optional)
- →Dunluce Castle (~£7)
- →Evening walk of the Derry city walls (free)
Derry, Donegal & Sligo to a castle in Roscommon
Derry → Donegal → Sligo → Roscommon
Do a self-guided Derry walls walk in the morning (free maps at the visitor centre, or a ~£12 local guided walk booked via GetYourGuide). Take the bus to Donegal Town (Bus Éireann 64/480, ~£8, 1h20) for lunch and a stop at the Donegal tweed shops — some offer free weaving demos (e.g. Magee's, Donegal Craft Village) in place of the Irish House stop. Then continue to Sligo (~£12, 1h45); Atlantic Sheepdogs is near Streedagh/Mullaghmore and can be visited independently by taxi from Sligo (~£15 each way) with a demo booked direct (~£10). Finally take the bus/train toward Carrick-on-Shannon/Boyle (~£10) and a short taxi to Kilronan Castle or a nearby budget B&B for your splurge night.
🚌Bus Derry–Donegal (~£8), Donegal–Sligo (~£12), Sligo–Boyle/Carrick (~£10), taxi to castle (~£12 shared)
🛏Castle-hotel splurge night (Kilronan Castle or similar, ~£90–120 for a twin, ~£50–60 pp) or nearby B&B ~£35 pp
- →Self-guided Derry walls walk (free) or guided walk (~£12)
- →Donegal tweed weaving demo (free/low cost)
- →Atlantic Sheepdogs demo (~£10, book direct)
- →Castle dinner (budget ~£25)
Roscommon to Dublin via Drumshanbo
Roscommon → Drumshanbo → Dublin
Morning bus/taxi back to Carrick-on-Shannon, then a local bus or taxi to Drumshanbo for a self-booked tour and tasting at The Shed Distillery (~£18–22, book online in advance). Return to Carrick-on-Shannon and take the train or Expressway bus to Dublin (approx. £18–25, 2h30). Arrive Dublin early evening — end at O'Connell Street as per the original tour.
🚌Local bus/taxi to Drumshanbo (~£10), Carrick-on-Shannon–Dublin train/Expressway (~£20)
🛏Not included (own arrangements in Dublin, ~£25–35 pp hostel)
- →The Shed Distillery tour & tasting (~£20, pre-booked)
Self-launched vs. Royal Irish Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Royal Irish Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£600 | £1,320 |
| Duration | 5 days | 5 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £720 per person (55%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Royal Irish Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£600
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 Causeway & Castles — Self-Launched (Belfast to Dublin, 5 Days) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £600 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 Royal Irish Tours?+
Yes — Royal Irish Tours charges around £1,320 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £600 — a saving of roughly £720 (55%) 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, 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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