Self-Launched Ireland & Northern Ireland: Dublin, Belfast, Galway, Killarney & Waterford Loop
11 days · Ireland & Northern Ireland
Royal Irish Tours charges £3,200
No-markup version: ~£1,275 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, independent version of Royal Irish Tours' 11-day "Manor Royal" coach tour, which circles Ireland and Northern Ireland from Dublin, taking in Belfast and the Giant's Causeway, the lakelands of Roscommon, Galway, the Cliffs of Moher, the Ring of Kerry, Blarney and Cork, Waterford and Kildare. Instead of 4-5* castle hotels and a private coach, you'll travel by public bus, train and occasional day tours, staying in hostels and budget guesthouses, and booking the same headline sights yourself. Roughly £1,100-1,350 per person versus the operator's ~£3,200 (US$4,151).
Day-by-day
Arrive Dublin — into Northern Ireland by bus
Dublin → Belfast
Land at Dublin Airport and pick up an Irish SIM/eSIM or a Leap visitor card at the terminal. Rather than joining a coach group, take the Aircoach or Dublin Express bus straight to Belfast (approx 2h, £12-16 one way) — this knocks out the operator's opening transfer and lunch stop in one. Settle into a hostel or guesthouse in the Cathedral Quarter or Queen's Quarter. Evening: pub dinner in the city (the operator's traditional Irish pub lunch stop is easily replicated — try The Crown Liquor Saloon or a Cathedral Quarter bar).
🚌Aircoach/Dublin Express bus Dublin Airport → Belfast, ~£12-16
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Belfast (~£22-35/night)
- →Airport SIM/Leap card pickup
- →Bus transfer to Belfast
- →Evening in Belfast Cathedral Quarter pubs
Giant's Causeway & the Antrim Coast
Belfast → Ballycastle → Belfast
Book a day tour to the Giant's Causeway and Antrim Coast (GetYourGuide/Viator, £30-45) — this covers the same ground as the operator's included Causeway visit and coastal drive, plus Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge and Dark Hedges. Back in Belfast in the late afternoon, do a self-guided Black Taxi / political murals walk or a panoramic city walk (free, or ~£10 for a guided version).
🚌Day tour minibus (~£30-45); walking in Belfast
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Belfast (~£22-35/night)
- →Giant's Causeway day tour
- →Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge
- →Belfast murals / city walk
Titanic Belfast & into the Irish lakelands
Belfast → Roscommon (via Enniskillen)
Morning at Titanic Belfast (book online, ~£22-25) — the same visit the operator includes. Then cross back into the Republic: take the bus Belfast → Enniskillen (~2h, £10-13, Translink), and connect onward by Bus Éireann/Expressway to Carrick-on-Shannon or Roscommon (~£15-20). Base yourself in Carrick-on-Shannon or Boyle — a friendly, cheap market town in the heart of the lakelands and a realistic substitute for the castle-hotel stay.
🚌Titanic Belfast entry ~£22; buses Belfast→Enniskillen→Carrick-on-Shannon ~£25-33
🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Carrick-on-Shannon/Boyle, Co. Roscommon (~£25-35/night)
- →Titanic Belfast
- →Bus journey through Fermanagh lakelands
Sligo, Mullaghmore & Donegal coast
Roscommon → Sligo → Donegal → Roscommon
Self-drive or take a day tour of the northwest. The easiest independent version is a small-group or self-drive loop: Sligo town and Lough Gill (Yeats country), the Mullaghmore headland for Donegal Bay views, and — if you have time — the Tobernalt Holy Well near Sligo or Parke's Castle on the lough shore. Public transport here is thin, so a hired car for one day (~£35-50/day plus fuel, split between travellers) or a bookable day tour from Sligo is the practical route.
🚌Car hire ~£35-50/day + fuel, or local day tour ~£40
🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Carrick-on-Shannon/Boyle (~£25-35/night)
- →Lough Gill and Yeats country
- →Mullaghmore headland
- →Tobernalt Holy Well / Parke's Castle
Galway city & walking tour
Roscommon → Galway
Take a train or bus from Carrick-on-Shannon/Boyle to Galway (~£12-18, 1.5-2h). Check into a hostel on the Latin Quarter side, then join a pay-what-you-like walking tour of Galway (~£10-15) — the same style of guided city walk the tour includes. Afternoon free for the Spanish Arch, Claddagh and Eyre Square; evening for trad music in a local pub and a bowl of chowder.
🚌Train/bus to Galway ~£12-18
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Galway (~£22-35/night)
- →Guided walking tour of Galway
- →Spanish Arch & Claddagh
- →Trad music pub evening
The Burren & Cliffs of Moher
Galway → Burren → Cliffs of Moher → Killarney
Book a Cliffs of Moher day tour from Galway (GetYourGuide, ~£35-45) which includes the Burren's limestone landscape and a stop at the Cliffs — the operator's included Cliffs visit for a fraction of the price. If you'd rather do it yourself, take a bus to Doolin or Ennis and walk/cycle in the Burren. To reach Killarney afterwards, use a tour that drops you at the bus route or take the bus Galway → Killarney via Limerick/Tralee (~£20-28, 4-5h).
🚌Cliffs of Moher day tour ~£35-45; bus to Killarney ~£20-28
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Killarney (~£22-35/night)
- →Cliffs of Moher & visitor experience
- →The Burren landscape
- →Overnight in Killarney
The Ring of Kerry
Killarney → Ring of Kerry → Killarney
Book a Ring of Kerry day tour from Killarney (~£30-40, GetYourGuide/Klook) — the classic 179km scenic loop via Killorglin, Waterville and Sneem, hitting the same viewpoints the coach tour uses. Quieter alternative: take the bus from Killarney to Cahersiveen/Portmagee and walk sections. Back in Killarney in the evening, hit the pubs for live trad music.
🚌Ring of Kerry day tour ~£30-40
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Killarney (~£22-35/night)
- →Ring of Kerry coastal drive
- →Waterville & Sneem villages
- →Killarney pub session
Blarney Castle, Cork and into Waterford
Killarney → Blarney → Cork → Waterford
Bus to Cork via Blarney (~2h, £14-20, Bus Éireann/Dublin Coach), then spend the morning at Blarney Castle & Gardens to kiss the Blarney Stone (entry ~£16-18, book ahead). Move on to Cork for a self-guided panoramic wander — St Fin Barre's Cathedral, the English Market and the river — before catching the bus or train to Waterford (~2h, £10-16). Evening: seek out a traditional Irish music session in a Waterford pub.
🚌Buses Killarney→Blarney→Cork→Waterford, ~£25-36 total
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Waterford (~£22-35/night)
- →Blarney Castle & Stone
- →Cork English Market & St Fin Barre's
- →Traditional music session in Waterford
New Ross and Dunbrody Famine Ship, then Kildare
Waterford → New Ross → Kildare
Hop the bus to New Ross (~45min, £8-12) to visit the Dunbrody Famine Ship experience (~£14-16, book online) — the same attraction the operator includes. If you want a second heritage stop, Russborough House near Blessington (entry ~£12-14) sits roughly en route as you head north toward Kildare. Take the bus/train onward to Kildare or Dublin's outskirts (~£15-22, 2-3h) and check into a budget hotel or hostel.
🚌Buses Waterford→New Ross→Kildare ~£23-34
🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Kildare or Dublin (~£25-40/night)
- →Dunbrody Famine Ship
- →Russborough House (optional)
- →Travel north to Kildare
Dublin city tour & farewell dinner
Kildare → Dublin
Take the short train or bus into Dublin (~£10-15, ~1h). Join a self-bookable walking tour or the hop-on hop-off bus to cover Trinity College, St Stephen's Green and the River Liffey (~£15-25) — the same landmarks the coach tour points out. If you want the Book of Kells, book ahead (~£18-20). Round off the trip with dinner in a Dublin pub or restaurant (your own version of the farewell dinner) in Temple Bar or the south city.
🚌Train/bus Kildare → Dublin ~£10-15; DART/Luas day transport ~£6
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Dublin (~£28-45/night)
- →Dublin walking or hop-on-hop-off tour
- →Trinity College & Book of Kells (optional)
- →Farewell dinner in Dublin
Depart from Dublin
Dublin → Dublin Airport
Last full-Irish breakfast in Dublin, then take the Aircoach or Dublin Express to Dublin Airport (~£7-10, 30-45min, depending on your departure time). If you have a few hours spare, add the Guinness Storehouse (~£26) or a morning in the National Museum of Ireland (free).
🚌Aircoach/Dublin Express to Dublin Airport ~£7-10
🛏—
- →Airport transfer
- →Optional Guinness Storehouse or free national museums
Self-launched vs. Royal Irish Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Royal Irish Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,275 | £3,200 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,925 per person (60%) | |
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.~£1,275
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 Ireland & Northern Ireland: Dublin, Belfast, Galway, Killarney & Waterford Loop cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,275 per person for 11 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 £3,200 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,275 — a saving of roughly £1,925 (60%) per person.
How long is the Ireland & Northern Ireland trip?+
This itinerary runs 11 days, covering 11 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, slow-travel, 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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