Discover Northern Ireland: Self-Launched Causeway Coast Adventure
5 days · Northern Ireland
G Adventures charges £1,099
No-markup version: ~£385 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of G Adventures' 5-day Belfast–Derry–Dublin loop, done independently by public bus and train. You'll hit the same headline sights — Giant's Causeway, Old Bushmills Distillery, the Dark Hedges, Derry's walls and a Belfast pub night — but on your own schedule and staying in hostels and budget guesthouses. Northern Ireland's Causeway Coast is well served by Translink buses and the Belfast–Derry train, so no private vehicle is needed. Costs are approximate per person, excluding flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Belfast
Belfast
Land at Belfast International (Airport Express 300 bus to the city centre, £7.50 single) or Belfast City Airport (bus 600, ~£2.50). Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse around Queen's Quarter or Cathedral Quarter. Spend the late afternoon walking the Cathedral Quarter's street art and cobbled lanes, then join a free guided walking tour (tip-based) or just settle into a pub for a pint of local stout. Eat dinner in a cheap city-centre pub — expect £10-14 for a main.
🚌Airport Express 300 bus from Belfast International, £7.50 single (~45 min)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Queen's/Cathedral Quarter (~£35/night)
- →Cathedral Quarter street art walk
- →Optional tip-based city walking tour
- →Pub dinner
Causeway Coast: Giant's Causeway, Bushmills & the Dark Hedges
Belfast → Derry/Londonderry
Do the Coast Road independently. Cheapest option: local bus/train to Coleraine (or Coleraine–Portrush by train), then the 402/172 Causeway Coast bus along the coast. Better for a one-day sweep: book a Causeway Coast day tour from Belfast (approx. £30-40) covering Giant's Causeway, Bushmills and the Dark Hedges, then get dropped off in Derry or take the bus on to Derry yourself. Giant's Causeway visitor centre is free to walk the stones (charge only for the centre). Bushmills Distillery does self-bookable guided tours (~£12-15). The Dark Hedges is a short taxi/bus hop away. Evening: arrive in Derry, check into a guesthouse inside or just outside the walls.
🚌Coleraine–Portrush train + 402 Causeway Coast bus, or a £30-40 day tour; Derry connection by bus/train (~£8)
🛏Guesthouse in Derry, near the walls (~£40/night)
- →Giant's Causeway (free access to the stones)
- →Old Bushmills Distillery guided tour (~£12-15, book directly)
- →The Dark Hedges
- →Causeway Coast scenic drive/bus route
Derry walls & history, then back to Belfast
Derry/Londonderry → Belfast
Morning: walk the 17th-century city walls (free, ~1.5km) and cross the Peace Bridge. Join a self-bookable Derry walking tour (Bogside murals / political history tours run ~£10-15 per person, book online or at the tourist office). Lunch at the Walled City Market if it's market day, or grab a cheap sandwich. Afternoon: visit the Tower Museum (~£4) or St Eugene's Cathedral (free). Evening: train back to Belfast (~1h45, ~£9-13), check back into your Belfast hostel.
🚌Belfast–Derry train, ~1h45, ~£9-13 one way
🛏Belfast hostel/guesthouse (~£35/night)
- →Derry City Walls walk (free)
- →Bogside murals guided walking tour (~£10-15)
- →Tower Museum (~£4)
- →Peace Bridge
Free day in Belfast
Belfast
Full free day. Options: a traditional Ulster fry breakfast (~£8), Titanic Belfast experience (~£22, book online in advance), the Ulster Museum (free) plus the Botanic Gardens (free), St George's Market for lunch (free entry, food ~£6-10). Late afternoon: consider a Black Taxi Tour of the Shankill/Falls murals (~£15-20 shared) or a Game of Thrones filming-locations mini-tour. Wrap up with a Belfast pub night — the Cathedral Quarter's traditional music pubs are free to enter.
🚌Walking plus local Metro buses (~£2-4 day)
🛏Belfast hostel/guesthouse (~£35/night)
- →Titanic Belfast (~£22)
- →Ulster Museum & Botanic Gardens (free)
- →St George's Market
- →Optional Black Taxi murals tour (~£15-20)
- →Traditional music pub night
Belfast to Dublin
Belfast → Dublin
Morning: take the Enterprise train from Belfast Lanyon Place to Dublin Connolly (approx. 2h15, book in advance for ~£15-20) or the cheaper Aircoach/X1 bus (~£12-15, 2h30). Arrive in central Dublin early afternoon — trip ends on arrival. If you're continuing, Dublin hostels are plentiful; if flying home, Dublin Airport is a 30-45 min bus/DART hop (~£5-7).
🚌Enterprise train Belfast–Dublin, ~£15-20 booked ahead; or X1/Aircoach bus ~£12-15
🛏Not included (onward travel or book a Dublin hostel separately)
- →Optional short Dublin city wander before onward travel
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£385 | £1,099 |
| Duration | 5 days | 5 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £714 per person (65%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£385
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 Discover Northern Ireland: Self-Launched Causeway Coast Adventure cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £385 per person for 5 days in 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 £1,099 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £385 — a saving of roughly £714 (65%) per person.
How long is the Northern Ireland trip?+
This itinerary runs 5 days, covering 5 day-by-day stops through 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, road-trip, budget trip through 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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