Self-Launched Emerald Coast & Giant's Causeway: Ennistymon to Belfast
8 days · Ireland & Northern Ireland
G Adventures charges £5,980
No-markup version: ~£725 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 8-day version of G Adventures' National Geographic Signature route from County Clare to Belfast — same cliffs, castles, islands and causeways, minus the luxury price tag. You'll use Irish and Northern Irish public buses and trains (plus the Doolin ferry to Inis Oírr), stay in hostels, guesthouses and budget B&Bs, and book the Black Cab tour, Titanic Belfast and Derry's Museum of Free Derry directly. Costs are rough backpacker/mid-budget estimates for one person, excluding international flights — expect Scotland-style weather, so pack a rain jacket.
Day-by-day
Arrive Ennis / Ennistymon
Ennistymon, Co. Clare
Fly into Shannon (SNN) — the closest airport — or Dublin and take a Bus Éireann/Expressway coach west (~3h to Ennis, ~£15-20). From Ennis, a local bus or 25-minute taxi (~£25) reaches Ennistymon. Settle into a guesthouse or hostel in this small market town on the Inagh River, walk to the cascading falls at the bridge, and have a pub dinner in town (try a seafood chowder and a pint). Early night — tomorrow is a big day on the Atlantic.
🚌Shannon Expressway coach from Shannon/Dublin to Ennis, then local bus 333/350 to Ennistymon (~£18 total)
🛏Guesthouse or hostel dorm in Ennistymon (~£28-40)
- →Wander Ennistymon's river falls and bridge
- →Traditional pub dinner in town
Inis Oírr ferry & Galway's Latin Quarter
Doolin → Inis Oírr → Galway → Westport
Take the local bus from Ennistymon to Doolin pier (~15 min), then the Doolin Ferry across to Inis Oírr, the smallest of the Aran Islands (~£25-30 return, 20-40 min crossing — book online ahead, sailings are weather-dependent). Hire a bike or walk the dry-stone lanes, see the wreck of the Plassy and O'Brien's Castle, and grab a soup and brown bread lunch in a pub. Ferry back, then Bus Éireann to Galway (~1.5h, ~£10) for a self-guided wander of the Latin Quarter, Spanish Arch and Claddagh. Evening bus to Westport (~2h, ~£12).
🚌Bus to Doolin, Doolin Ferry return to Inis Oírr, Bus Éireann Galway→Westport (~£50 total)
🛏Hostel or budget B&B in Westport (~£30-45)
- →Doolin Ferry to Inis Oírr and island cycle/walk
- →Self-guided Galway Latin Quarter walk
- →Spanish Arch and Claddagh
Inagh Valley, Westport & Clew Bay cruise
Westport, Co. Mayo
Explore Westport on foot — the Georgian mall along the Carrowbeg River, the harbour galleries, and Matt Molloy's pub if you fancy trad music later. Book a Clew Bay cruise online (~£20-25, ~1.5h) to see the 365 drumlin islands with Croagh Patrick looming behind. If you're a walker, add the short climb up to the foot of Croagh Patrick or the Greenway cycle out towards Achill. No car needed here; everything is walkable or a short local bus.
🚌On foot; optional local bus to Croagh Patrick trailhead (~£5)
🛏Hostel or budget B&B in Westport (~£30-45)
- →Clew Bay boat cruise
- →Westport heritage walk
- →Optional Croagh Patrick foothills hike
Sligo, Yeats' grave & into Donegal
Sligo → Donegal Town
Bus north to Sligo (~2h, ~£15), drop your bag and walk the town's Yeats trail and the Garavogue quays. Take a local bus or taxi out to Drumcliffe churchyard (~15 min) to see W.B. Yeats' grave beneath Ben Bulben. In the afternoon, Expressway bus to Donegal Town (~1.5h, ~£12). Check into a guesthouse or hostel, walk to Donegal Castle on the River Eske (small entry fee ~£5), and have dinner in one of the town's traditional music pubs.
🚌Bus Éireann Westport→Sligo→Donegal Town (~£27)
🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Donegal Town (~£30-45)
- →Sligo town and Yeats trail walk
- →Drumcliffe churchyard and Yeats' grave
- →Donegal Castle
- →Trad music pub evening
Slieve League cliffs & Donegal tweed
Slieve League → Donegal Town
Slieve League's clifftop trails are the star today — nearly 600m straight down to the Atlantic and quieter than the Cliffs of Moher. Public transport is thin, so book a local shuttle/taxi from Donegal Town or join a small-group day tour (~£35-50) that includes Slieve League and a stop at a hand-weaving mill such as Triona in Ardara, where you can watch weavers at the looms and buy tweed direct. Back in Donegal for the evening — swap the castle whiskey cellar for a tasting at a local distillery or whiskey bar (~£15-25).
🚌Local shuttle/taxi or small-group day tour to Slieve League (~£40)
🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Donegal Town (~£30-45)
- →Slieve League clifftop walk
- →Triona hand-weaving mill, Ardara
- →Whiskey tasting in Donegal Town
Derry's walls, Free Derry & Giant's Causeway
Derry/Londonderry → Giant's Causeway → Belfast
Bus from Donegal Town to Derry (~1.5h, ~£10, cross-border — sterling needed). Visit the Museum of Free Derry (~£8) for the Bogside story, walk the 17th-century walls (free, self-guided), and see the Bogside murals. Then take the train or bus along the north coast to the Giant's Causeway (~£10-12; the Causeway is free to walk — the Visitor Centre is ~£13 if you want the exhibition and audio guide). Ulsterbus/Train on to Belfast in the evening (~1.5h, ~£10).
🚌Bus Donegal→Derry, Translink Causeway Coast bus/train via Coleraine to Belfast (~£32)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Belfast (~£25-40)
- →Museum of Free Derry
- →Derry city walls and Bogside murals walk
- →Giant's Causeway
- →Causeway Coast scenic bus
Belfast: Black Cab tour, Titanic & Clifton House
Belfast
Book a Black Cab political tour direct with a local operator (~£45-60 for a shared tour, 1.5h) covering the Falls and Shankill roads and the Peace Walls. Lunch at Clifton House heritage centre on North Queen Street (~£10), run by the Belfast Charitable Society — your spend supports their community work. Afternoon at Titanic Belfast (~£28, book online to skip queues) in the old shipyard, then a farewell pint in the Cathedral Quarter's pubs. Everything in central Belfast is walkable or a short bus ride.
🚌Walkable + local Metro bus (~£5)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Belfast (~£25-40)
- →Black Cab political tour of Falls and Shankill
- →Clifton House heritage centre lunch
- →Titanic Belfast museum
- →Cathedral Quarter pubs
Depart Belfast
Belfast
Final breakfast, then the Airport Express 300 bus from Europa Buscentre to Belfast International (~30 min, ~£8) or the bus/train to George Best City Airport. If your flight is later, squeeze in a wander around St George's Market or the Titanic Quarter marina before heading out.
🚌Airport Express 300 bus to Belfast International (~£8)
🛏—
- →St George's Market (if time allows)
- →Titanic Quarter walk
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£725 | £5,980 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £5,255 per person (88%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£725
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 Emerald Coast & Giant's Causeway: Ennistymon to Belfast cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £725 per person for 8 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 G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £5,980 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £725 — a saving of roughly £5,255 (88%) per person.
How long is the Ireland & Northern Ireland trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 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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