Scotland & Ireland Self-Launched Sampler: Edinburgh to Dublin in 7 Days
7 days · Scotland & Ireland
CIE Tours charges £2,190
No-markup version: ~£1,195 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of CIE Tours' 7-day "Scottish & Irish Sampler": Edinburgh's Old Town, a distillery tour and Edinburgh Castle, then across the Irish Sea to Belfast for the Giant's Causeway and Titanic Belfast, finishing in Dublin with EPIC, a pub session and a proper Irish night. You lose the coach, the tour director and the Marriott beds — you gain roughly £4,000 and the freedom to actually stop in the towns the coach drives past (a complaint in the original's own reviews). Book rail, ferry and buses yourself; book castles and museums directly on their own sites (often cheaper than GetYourGuide) and use GetYourGuide/Klook only for the distillery or a walking tour if you want a guided slot.
Day-by-day
Arrive Edinburgh — Old Town and Royal Mile on foot
Edinburgh
Land at Edinburgh Airport and take the Airlink 100 bus (£5.50 single) or the tram (£6.50) into the centre — about 30 minutes. Check into a Castle Rock or Old Town hostel private room, or a Haymarket guesthouse if you prefer quiet. Spend the afternoon walking the Royal Mile from the Castle esplanade down to Holyrood, ducking into closes (Advocate's Close, Victoria Street) and the Grassmarket. Free options: climb Calton Hill for the Athens-of-the-North view, and check whether St Giles' Cathedral or the National Museum of Scotland (free) fit your energy levels. Book a self-guided Real Mary King's Close tour (~£22) or a GetYourGuide Old Town walking tour (~£15) for the evening. Dinner: a pie and pint in a Rose Street pub, or a £10-12 bowl of Cullen skink.
🚌Airlink 100 bus £5.50 each way; everything else on foot
🛏Castle Rock Hostel or Smart City Hostel private twin (~£45-55/night)
- →Airlink 100 bus or tram from airport
- →Royal Mile and Old Town walk
- →Calton Hill sunset viewpoint
- →Victoria Street and Grassmarket
- →Optional: Real Mary King's Close tour ~£22
Edinburgh Castle and Port of Leith Distillery
Edinburgh
Pre-book Edinburgh Castle tickets on the Historic Environment Scotland site (~£21.50, cheaper than resellers) and get there for opening at 9.30am to beat the queues — see the Honours of Scotland and the One O'Clock Gun. Walk down via the Royal Mile for lunch, then take the 16 or 22 bus (£2 flat fare, tap on) or a 25-minute walk along the Water of Leith to Leith. Book the Port of Leith Distillery tour direct on their website (~£25-30, includes tastings) — the tower is worth it for the Forth views. Evening: The Shore in Leith for seafood, or back to town for a £12-15 curry on Nicholson Street. In August only, ask about Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo tickets (~£40+, sells out months ahead).
🚌Lothian bus £2 flat fare; rest on foot
🛏Castle Rock Hostel or Smart City Hostel private twin
- →Edinburgh Castle (pre-book direct ~£21.50)
- →Port of Leith Distillery tour ~£28
- →Water of Leith walkway
- →The Shore, Leith
- →Optional August: Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
Edinburgh to Belfast via Culzean Castle
Belfast
This is the travel-heavy day the original reviews flagged — break it up properly. Take an early ScotRail train from Edinburgh Waverley to Ayr (~2h, ~£18 advance single), then the Stagecoach 60 bus or a short taxi to Culzean Castle (National Trust for Scotland, ~£17 entry; bus is infrequent so check times or budget ~£12 taxi). The cliff-top Kennedy family seat and the Oval Staircase are the highlight. Back to Ayr, then train to Cairnryan/Stranraer Harbour (~£10) and the Stena Line or P&O ferry to Belfast (~2h15, £28-35 foot passenger). Alternatively, if you'd rather cut the day short, take the Citylink/Megabus to Glasgow (£8) and the Cairnryan bus link from there. Arrive Belfast around 8pm, check into a Cathedral Quarter hostel, and eat at the Sunflower or the Duke of York area.
🚌Train Edinburgh-Ayr ~£18, bus/taxi to Culzean, train to Cairnryan ~£10, ferry ~£32
🛏Vagabonds Belfast or Global Village Hostel private room (~£45/night)
- →Culzean Castle and Country Park ~£17
- →Ferry crossing Stranraer/Cairnryan to Belfast
- →Cathedral Quarter evening
Giant's Causeway, Nine Glens of Antrim and Crosskeys Inn
Belfast / Causeway Coast
Skip the coach: take the 7.15am or 9am Goldliner/Ulsterbus 218 from Belfast Europa Buscentre to Coleraine, or better, the direct 252 Causeway Coast service in summer. A cheaper, more flexible option is the train to Coleraine (~£12 return) plus the Causeway Rambler 402 bus along the coast. Walk the Giant's Causeway for free — the Visitor Centre charges ~£14 but the stones themselves are on open National Trust land; the audio guide is worth it if you're a geology nerd. Add the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge (NT, ~£16 booked ahead) and the Dark Hedges if time allows. Lunch at Crosskeys Inn near Toome (Ireland's oldest thatched pub) is easiest done by taking the 218/246 bus back through Toome — or hire a bike in Bushmills and do the coast your own way. Back in Belfast by 7pm for a £12-15 pub dinner.
🚌Train Belfast-Coleraine ~£12 return + 402 Causeway Rambler bus (£5 day ticket)
🛏Vagabonds Belfast or Global Village Hostel private room
- →Giant's Causeway (free access; optional Visitor Centre ~£14)
- →Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge ~£16
- →Nine Glens of Antrim scenic bus route
- →Crosskeys Inn thatched pub lunch
- →Optional: Bushmills Distillery ~£12
Titanic Belfast and Hillsborough Castle, then to Dublin
Dublin
Book Titanic Belfast online in advance (~£22.50, timed slots sell out) and go at 9.30am — give it a full 2.5 hours; it's genuinely the best museum of the trip. Then take the 20-minute bus or a 30-minute walk to Hillsborough Castle (Royal Palaces, ~£15), the royal residence in Northern Ireland with its walled garden. Alternatively, choose the Black Taxi political murals tour (~£15-20) if history-of-the-Troubles appeals more. In the afternoon take the Enterprise train from Belfast Grand Central to Dublin Connolly (~2h05, book at least a week ahead for ~£15-20; on-the-day fares hit £30+). Arrive Dublin, check into a city-centre hostel private room, and in the evening do the Irish night yourself: dinner and a live trad session at O'Donoghue's, The Cobblestone in Smithfield, or Whelan's — no coach transfer required and a fraction of Taylors Three Rock's price.
🚌Enterprise train Belfast-Dublin ~£18 advance
🛏Barnacles Hostel Temple Bar or Generator Dublin private room (~£55/night)
- →Titanic Belfast ~£22.50
- →Hillsborough Castle ~£15 or Black Taxi murals tour ~£18
- →Enterprise train Belfast-Dublin
- →Live trad session at The Cobblestone or O'Donoghue's
Dublin: EPIC, Trinity, Guinness and the Liffey
Dublin
Walk the classic Dublin loop: Trinity College and the Book of Kells (~£16, book on the TCD site), Dublin Castle, Christ Church and St Patrick's Cathedrals (combo ~£16), and the Ha'penny Bridge across the Liffey. Pre-book EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum (~£16.50 online) for the afternoon — it's in the CHQ Building in the Docklands, 15 minutes' walk from O'Connell Street. Swap or add the Guinness Storehouse (~£26 online, cheaper than gate) or the Jameson Bow Street tour (~£22) if whiskey is your thing. Grab a €5-7 lunch at a deli or the English Market-style stalls on Moore Street, then spend the evening in Temple Bar (pricy) or better, Smithfield and Stoneybatter for €6 pints and a trad session.
🚌All on foot; Leap Card for any buses ~£1.50-2 per trip
🛏Barnacles Hostel Temple Bar or Generator Dublin private room
- →Trinity College and Book of Kells ~£16
- →EPIC Irish Emigration Museum ~£16.50
- →Christ Church / St Patrick's combo ~£16
- →Optional: Guinness Storehouse ~£26
- →Liffey and Ha'penny Bridge walk
Depart Dublin (or one more morning in the city)
Dublin
If your flight is afternoon, use the morning for the free National Museum of Ireland (Archaeology, Kildare Street — the bog bodies and Ardagh Chalice) or a coastal DART train to Howth (£4 return) for cliff walk and fish and chips. Dublin Airport is 30-45 minutes from the centre: Aircoach/Airlink 747 (~£8) or Dublin Bus 16/41 (~£2 with Leap card). If you're continuing, Dublin is a cheap Ryanair base for onward Europe — book bags in advance.
🚌Aircoach/Airlink to Dublin Airport ~£8
🛏—
- →National Museum of Ireland (free)
- →Optional: DART to Howth cliff walk ~£4
- →Aircoach or Dublin Bus to airport
Self-launched vs. CIE Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | CIE Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,195 | £2,190 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £995 per person (45%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more CIE Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,195
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 Scotland & Ireland Self-Launched Sampler: Edinburgh to Dublin in 7 Days cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,195 per person for 7 days in Scotland & 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 CIE Tours?+
Yes — CIE Tours charges around £2,190 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,195 — a saving of roughly £995 (45%) per person.
How long is the Scotland & Ireland trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Scotland & 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, city-breaks, budget trip through Scotland & 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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