Best of Ireland & Scotland — Self-Launched
15 days · Ireland, Northern Ireland & Scotland
Trafalgar charges £3,630
No-markup version: ~£1,698 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 15-day self-launched version of Trafalgar's "Best of Ireland and Scotland" coach tour: Dublin to Edinburgh via Kildare, Waterford, Blarney, Killarney and the Ring of Kerry, Galway, Ballina, Donegal, Derry/Londonderry, the Giant's Causeway and Belfast, then a ferry across to Glasgow, Loch Lomond, Glencoe, Skye, Loch Ness, Culloden, Pitlochry, St Andrews and Edinburgh. You swap the 20-50 person coach for public trains, buses and the Stena Line ferry, and swap chain hotels for hostels and family-run guesthouses. Every included highlight (Blarney Castle, Waterford Crystal, Titanic Belfast, Eilean Donan, Edinburgh Castle) is booked direct or through GetYourGuide. Costs are approximate per person and assume a mix of hostel dorms and budget private rooms, self-catering plus pub meals, and booking transport in advance.
Day-by-day
Arrive Dublin — Georgian squares and Temple Bar
Dublin, Ireland
Land at Dublin Airport and take the Dublin Express or Aircoach bus into the city centre (~€7-8, 30-45 mins) — cheaper than the taxi the coach group gets included. Check into a hostel in the Temple Bar / Smithfield area (Generator Dublin, Jacobs Inn, Barnacles Temple Bar all have dorms from ~£20). Spend the afternoon on a free self-guided walk past Trinity College, Grafton Street and St Stephen's Green, then a pint in Temple Bar or — cheaper — a trad session in a locals' pub like The Cobblestone in Smithfield. Pick up a Leap Card at any newsagent for discounted city transport.
🚌Dublin Express coach from airport ~£7
🛏Hostel dorm or budget private room, Dublin city centre (~£22-28 pp/night)
- →Self-guided walk: Trinity College, Grafton Street, St Stephen's Green
- →Evening trad music session in Smithfield
Dublin — St Patrick's, Kilmainham and the Guinness Storehouse
Dublin, Ireland
Do the sightseeing tour the coach group gets by bus on foot and by LUAS tram: St Patrick's Cathedral (€9), a wander through the Georgian Squares (Merrion Square, Fitzwilliam Square), then Kilmainham Gaol — book online in advance, it sells out (€8). Optional afternoon at the Guinness Storehouse (€26 if pre-booked online) which covers the 'Dublin Dinner and Irish Show' optional for many travellers. For the evening, skip the €72 dinner-and-show package and catch a cheaper traditional music night at Whelan's or the Cobblestone (free entry, drinks extra).
🚌Walking + LUAS tram day cap ~£5
🛏Hostel dorm or budget private room, Dublin city centre (~£22-28 pp/night)
- →St Patrick's Cathedral €9
- →Kilmainham Gaol tour €8 (book ahead)
- →Guinness Storehouse €26 (optional)
Kildare and Waterford — stud farm, Japanese gardens, crystal
Waterford, Ireland
Take an early Irish Rail train from Dublin Heuston to Kildare (~35 mins, €11) — or a direct Dublin-Waterford train and do Kildare as a stopover. Irish National Stud & Gardens is a 20-minute walk or short taxi from Kildare station; entry to the stud and Japanese Gardens is ~€15 and includes a self-guided map (the guided walk is £0 extra if you join a scheduled one). Continue by train Kildare to Waterford (~1h 45, ~€17). In Waterford, the House of Waterford Crystal workshop tour is €15 and can be booked direct or via GetYourGuide — the same tour the group gets included. Stay in a guesthouse or hostel in Waterford's Viking Triangle (~£25).
🚌Irish Rail Dublin-Kildare-Waterford ~£28 total
🛏Guesthouse/hostel, Waterford Viking Triangle (~£25 pp/night)
- →Irish National Stud & Japanese Gardens €15
- →House of Waterford Crystal workshop tour €15
Blarney Castle and on to Killarney
Killarney, Ireland
Bus from Waterford to Cork (Bus Éireann route 40, ~2h 15, ~€15), then local bus 215 from Cork to Blarney (~30 mins, €3). Blarney Castle entry is €20 online (€22 at the gate) and the queue for the stone is longest mid-morning — go early or late afternoon. After kissing the stone and walking the Rock Close gardens, continue Cork to Killarney by Bus Éireann or Irish Rail (~1h 30, ~€15). Base yourself in Killarney town — hostels like Neptune's or the Black Sheep have dorms from ~£20, and it's a two-minute walk to the national park gates.
🚌Bus Éireann Waterford-Cork-Blarney-Killarney ~£30
🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Killarney town (~£24 pp/night)
- →Blarney Castle & Rock Close €20
Ring of Kerry — self-drive, bus tour or bike
Ring of Kerry, Ireland
Three ways to do the Ring loop: a full-day coach tour from Killarney booked via GetYourGuide (~£35-40, includes Moll's Gap, Ladies View and Waterville stops), a local hop-on bus (Local Link), or — best value and most fun — hire a bike in Killarney and ride the Gap of Dunloe and part of the ring (~£18/day). Entry to Muckross House and Gardens is €9 and the estate itself is free to walk. In the evening, cook at the hostel or grab fish and chips in town; the €70 Quilles Farmhouse 'Be My Guest' dinner can't be replicated directly, but a farmhouse B&B dinner or a trad pub dinner in Killarney runs £15-20.
🚌Local bus or bike hire ~£18
🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Killarney town (~£24 pp/night)
- →Full-day Ring of Kerry small-group tour ~£37 (GetYourGuide)
- →Muckross House & Gardens €9
Adare and Galway
Galway, Ireland
Bus Killarney to Limerick (~1h 45, €12) and hop off at Adare — thatched cottages, the Trinitarian Abbey and Adare Desmond Castle ruins, all free to wander. Rejoin the bus to Limerick city, then Expressway or Irish Rail to Galway (~1h 30, €13). Galway's Latin Quarter, Eyre Square and the Spanish Arch are free; the Long Walk and Claddagh are a 10-minute stroll. Cheap and excellent dinner at McDonagh's fish and chips (~£12) or a pint and trad session in Tigh Neachtain. Skip the included group dinner in Ballina — Galway is far more fun at night and hostels in Salthill or the Latin Quarter are ~£22-26.
🚌Bus Éireann / Expressway Killarney-Adare-Limerick-Galway ~£25
🛏Hostel, Galway Latin Quarter (~£25 pp/night)
- →Adare village walk (free)
- →Galway Latin Quarter & Spanish Arch (free)
- →Trad session in Tigh Neachtain
Donegal and Derry/Londonderry's walls and murals
Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Bus Galway to Sligo (~2h, €15), then on to Donegal Town (~1h, €10) for the Diamond and Donegal Castle (€5). Continue to Derry/Londonderry by Bus Éireann/Ulsterbus (~1h 45, ~€13 — note you cross into sterling, so pay by card). The 17th-century city walls are free to walk (1.5 km loop, 45 mins) and the Bogside murals and Free Derry Corner are free — the Bogside Artists' website has a self-guided map, or join a £8-10 political taxi tour. Stay inside the walls — Derry hostels run ~£20-24 a night.
🚌Bus Galway-Sligo-Donegal-Derry ~£33
🛏Hostel, Derry city walls (~£22 pp/night)
- →Donegal Castle €5
- →City walls self-guided walk (free)
- →Bogside murals & Free Derry Corner (free)
Giant's Causeway and Belfast's Titanic Quarter
Belfast, Northern Ireland
The cheapest route to the Causeway is the Causeway Rambler / Ulsterbus 402 from Coleraine, but the smoothest from Derry is a train Derry-Coleraine (~40 mins, £7) then bus to the stones. Causeway entry via the National Trust visitor centre is £14 (or free if you walk the public path — the stones themselves are free). Then bus/train to Belfast (~1h 15, £8) and the Titanic Belfast experience (£21.50 online, cheaper than walk-up) — the same included visit as the coach tour. Overnight in the Cathedral Quarter; Belfast hostels ~£20-25.
🚌Train/bus Derry-Coleraine-Causeway-Belfast ~£16
🛏Hostel, Belfast Cathedral Quarter (~£23 pp/night)
- →Giant's Causeway (free via public path, £14 visitor centre)
- →Titanic Belfast £21.50
Belfast to Glasgow by ferry
Glasgow, Scotland
Morning free city walk: City Hall, the Big Fish at Donegall Quay, the Titanic Quarter slipways and the Samson and Goliath cranes at Harland & Wolff — all free and all on the coach tour's included Belfast drive. St George's Market if it's a weekend. Then take the train or bus to Cairnryan (~2h 30, £15) for the Stena Line ferry to Belfast-Belfast/Cairnryan crossing (~2h 15, foot passenger ~£28-35 booked ahead), then the coach or train from Cairnryan/Stranraer to Glasgow (~2h, £12). Arrive Glasgow evening — check into a hostel in the Merchant City (~£25) and get a cheap dinner in the Barrowlands or Finnieston.
🚌Bus/train to Cairnryan £15 + Stena Line ferry ~£30 + coach to Glasgow £12
🛏Hostel, Glasgow Merchant City (~£25 pp/night)
- →Belfast self-guided city walk: City Hall, Big Fish, Titanic Quarter, cranes (free)
- →St George's Market (free)
Glasgow — murals, George Square and the Clyde
Glasgow, Scotland
Free walking tour with Glasgow City Chambers or a self-guided mural trail (the official Glasgow Mural Trail map is free online and covers the same ground as the coach tour's 'Make Travel Matter' mural walk — highlights are St Mungo, Honeybee and the World's Most Economical Taxi). George Square, the Clyde waterfront and the Riverside Museum (free) fill an afternoon; Kelvingrove Art Gallery is also free. Skip the £44 Stirling evening and instead take a £9 return train to Stirling if you want the castle (castle entry £21).
🚌Subway/walking day ticket ~£5 (optional Stirling train £9 return)
🛏Hostel, Glasgow Merchant City (~£25 pp/night)
- →Glasgow Mural Trail self-guided (free)
- →George Square & River Clyde walk (free)
- →Kelvingrove Art Gallery (free)
Loch Lomond, Glencoe, Eilean Donan and Skye
Isle of Skye, Scotland
This is the big transport day — do it by Citylink coach or a combined tour. Cheapest: Citylink Glasgow-Fort William (£20, 3h) plus Scottish Citylink Fort William-Portree/Uig via Eilean Donan (£22, 3h). Cheaper still if you want the whole scenic run in one go: a GetYourGuide/Citylink 'Loch Lomond, Glencoe & Eilean Donan' day transfer to Skye from ~£45-55. Eilean Donan Castle entry £12. The 57° Skye Distillery tasting is ~£15-20 booked direct. Base in Broadford or Portree — Broadford has hostel beds ~£25 and is on the bus line; Portree is livelier at ~£28.
🚌Citylink coaches Glasgow-Fort William-Skye ~£42 (or combined tour transfer ~£50)
🛏Hostel, Broadford or Portree, Isle of Skye (~£26 pp/night)
- →Eilean Donan Castle £12
- →Loch Lomond / Glencoe scenic stops (free)
- →57° Skye Distillery tasting ~£18
Skye to Loch Ness and Culloden
Newtonmore / Scottish Highlands
Morning on Skye: the Old Man of Storr hike is free and a 45-minute walk from the car park (bus from Portree ~£6 return), or the Fairy Pools if you have a car. Then Citylink Skye-Inverness (~2h 30, £18), bus to Loch Ness (Drumnadrochit, £5) for a loch-side walk or a £15 boat cruise, and on to Culloden Battlefield (entry £14, or walk the free external trail and moor). Overnight in Newtonmore or Aviemore — the Cairngorm Hostel / Aviemore Bunkhouse run ~£22-26 and are on the main bus line toward Pitlochry.
🚌Citylink Skye-Inverness + local buses ~£28
🛏Hostel, Newtonmore or Aviemore (~£24 pp/night)
- →Old Man of Storr hike (free)
- →Loch Ness boat cruise ~£15 (optional)
- →Culloden Battlefield £14
Pitlochry, Blair Castle and St Andrews
Edinburgh, Scotland
Citylink or ScotRail Aviemore-Pitlochry (~45 mins, £10); Pitlochry's dam and fish ladder are free and Blair Castle is £16 if you want it. Then bus or train to Perth (£8), Perth to St Andrews via Stagecoach (£8) — walk the Old Course public paths and West Sands beach for free, and the cathedral ruins (£6) are worth it. Finally Stagecoach X24/X59 or train St Andrews-Leuchars-Edinburgh (~£14, 2h). Arrive Edinburgh and check into a hostel in the Old Town (~£28 — book well ahead, August is Festival season and prices triple).
🚌Coach/rail Aviemore-Pitlochry-Perth-St Andrews-Edinburgh ~£40
🛏Hostel, Edinburgh Old Town (~£28 pp/night)
- →Pitlochry dam & fish ladder (free)
- →Blair Castle £16 (optional)
- →St Andrews Old Course & West Sands walk (free)
Edinburgh — Castle, Royal Mile and Arthur's Seat
Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh Castle entry is £21.50 booked online (book a timed slot — it sells out). Walk the Royal Mile, pop into St Giles' Cathedral (free, donation), and see the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Scottish Parliament from outside (Holyroodhouse entry £20 if you go in). A free Sandemans/Edinburgh Free Tour runs twice daily and covers the same ground as the coach tour's Local Specialist guide (tip ~£10). Finish with the climb up Arthur's Seat — free, 45 minutes, best sunset in the city. The £62 Scottish dinner show can be swapped for a £15-20 pub meal plus a free or £5 folk session at Sandy Bell's.
🚌Walking; Lothian bus day ticket £5 if needed
🛏Hostel, Edinburgh Old Town (~£28 pp/night)
- →Edinburgh Castle £21.50
- →Free walking tour (tip ~£10)
- →Arthur's Seat hike (free)
- →Holyroodhouse £20 (optional)
Depart Edinburgh
Edinburgh, Scotland
Final breakfast, a last wander down to Leith or the Grassmarket, then the Lothian 100 Airlink bus to Edinburgh Airport (£5.50, 30 mins) or the tram (£7.50). If you're flying out late, the National Museum of Scotland is free and open all morning. Flights home aren't included in either the Trafalgar price or this estimate.
🚌Airlink bus to Edinburgh Airport £5.50
🛏—
- →National Museum of Scotland (free)
- →Grassmarket / Leith walk (free)
Self-launched vs. Trafalgar
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Trafalgar | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,698 | £3,630 |
| Duration | 15 days | 15 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,932 per person (53%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Trafalgar-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,698
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 Best of Ireland & Scotland — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,698 per person for 15 days in Ireland, Northern Ireland & Scotland. 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 Trafalgar?+
Yes — Trafalgar charges around £3,630 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,698 — a saving of roughly £1,932 (53%) per person.
How long is the Ireland, Northern Ireland & Scotland trip?+
This itinerary runs 15 days, covering 15 day-by-day stops through Ireland, Northern Ireland & Scotland.
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, backpacker trip through Ireland, Northern Ireland & Scotland, 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?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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