Six days, four corners, one nonstop wow factor. You’ll get two of Ireland’s biggest “stop-the-car” sights on foot: the Cliffs of Moher clifftop paths and the Giant’s Causeway hexagonal basalt stones. The one thing I’d flag is that the first night in Belfast can feel like a rougher start if you’re expecting hotel-level neatness.

A big reason this trip works is the people factor. Guides like Gordon can turn a drive into real conversations, local recommendations, and even a proper pub night rhythm, while Dani/Danny tends to bring extra story time to the major sites.

You’re also paying for the structure: backpacker-friendly costs, included rooms, and breakfasts on most mornings (one booking had 4 of 5 days). Still, with six days of movement, you’ll want to accept that some timing can be tight and comfort varies by the specific room setup—especially on that first Belfast night.

Key highlights worth planning around

• Clifftop walking at Cliffs of Moher rather than just roadside photos
• Giant’s Causeway with its famous hexagonal basalt formations
• Belfast and Derry top hits: Titanic Belfast, plus a historic Derry walking tour
• Antrim Coast + rope bridge area stops like Dunluce Castle, the Dark Hedges, and Carrick-a-Rede
• Dingle Peninsula and Killarney National Park with a 19th-century style horse-led ride
• Legend-heavy Ireland from Blarney Castle to Atlantic coastal drives, all with guide-led logistics

The big idea: one backpacker loop through Ireland and Northern Ireland

This tour is designed for people who want the whole island feel without paying for a private driver. You’re moving north and west, then looping back south, so you get broad variety in a short time: big cities with real local character, cliff walks, ancient-looking coastline, and classic inland stops.

The route also matters. If you only see southern Ireland, you miss the way the island’s story changes as you cross into Northern Ireland. This plan keeps that contrast front and center, from Belfast’s modern history to Derry’s older street-level texture.

Day 1 Dublin to Belfast: Titanic Belfast plus a historic downtown feel

You start in Dublin at 8:45 AM at Paddy’s Palace on Lower Gardiner Street, then head to Belfast. Belfast’s anchor stop is Titanic Belfast—built to make the city’s shipbuilding legacy feel vivid and modern, not like a museum you rush through.

After that, you’ll spend the night in Belfast, with time to explore the historic downtown quarter at your own pace. If you want a quick read on the mood of a city, this is a solid first evening stop: you’re not exhausted from a week of driving yet, so you can actually notice the details.

What to consider: your first day can set the tone for everything after it. If you’re sensitive to early logistics or you’re arriving with high expectations for your first-night lodging, Belfast’s accommodation setup is the variable to watch most closely.

Day 2 Belfast to Derry: Antrim Coast castles, Dark Hedges, and rope-bridge views

The second day is where the scenery workload ramps up, but in a good way. You’ll travel along the Antrim Coast and stop at major “wow” locations, including Dunluce Castle, which gives you that cinematic sense of a castle perched above the sea.

Next, you hit the Giant’s Causeway area—famous for about 60,000 hexagonal basalt stones. Even if you’ve seen photos before, the scale and the weird geometry of the rock formations tend to land differently when you’re standing there.

Then come two stops that are pure photo-and-feel: the Dark Hedges (that iconic tree-lined perspective) and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, where the walk across the bridge is the experience, not the postcard moment. You’ll also have an opportunity to take it all in with timing that gives you a chance to move around instead of sprinting.

In the evening, you land in Derry for a historic walking tour. This is smart for group travel: the walking tour helps you get orientation fast, so the rest of the night makes more sense.

What to consider: this is a long day with multiple stops. If your priority is slow wandering at each place, you might feel the schedule pressure here. If your priority is “see the big hitters,” this is one of the strongest days.

Day 3 Derry to Galway: Wild Atlantic Way driving and a Galway walking tour

Day three is about crossing from Northern Ireland into the wider Atlantic energy of the west coast. You road trip along the Wild Atlantic Way to Galway, and you’ll make stops that break up the drive with fresh air and simple breaks.

One stop centers on Strandhill, including time for lunch and a beach walk. Even for non-surfers, Strandhill is a good palate cleanser after castle and coast cliffs—more space, more sky, less “hurry to the next viewpoint.”

Then you reach Galway and enjoy a free walking tour. This matters more than it sounds, because a walking tour gets you into neighborhoods and streets you might otherwise skip. You’ll also get a better sense of where to spend your evening for food or a pub.

What to consider: this is another day with momentum. Your schedule will keep moving, so you’ll get less time in each city than if you were doing a slower independent trip. Still, for a 6-day overview, it’s a well-balanced pace.

Day 4 Galway to Annascaul: Cliffs of Moher and the Burren’s strange charm

This is the day that feels like you’re trading “time in a vehicle” for “time outside, looking at the world.” You travel from Galway toward the Dingle Peninsula area with planned stops including the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren.

You’ll spend time at the Cliffs of Moher walking the clifftop paths, which is a big upgrade from purely viewing from a distance. When the Atlantic is doing its thing, the cliff edge walk gives you changing angles instead of one static viewpoint.

Then there’s the Burren stop. It’s one of those places where the terrain itself makes you ask questions. You get the sense of a region shaped by unusual rock and weather patterns, and you’ll likely enjoy it more if you’re the type who likes to look closely at what’s right under your feet.

You end the day in Annascaul, on the edge of the Dingle peninsula. This is also where backpacker-style lodging can become more comfortable depending on your room option, and one guest noted that backpackers got a private room in Annascaul.

What to consider: this day is outdoors heavy, so you’ll feel it in your legs. If you don’t usually walk a lot, bring that energy down to “I can handle real walking.”

Day 5 Dingle to Killarney: Peninsula touring and a 19th-century horse-led ride

Day five is your full day on the Dingle Peninsula, one of the best-known drives for road-trip lovers. The peninsula is the kind of place where the road itself becomes part of the attraction, with little viewpoints and stops that add up to a day you’ll remember more for variety than for one single monument.

This is also where your tour shifts from “coast and cliffs” to “coast plus charm towns plus national-park style nature.” You’ll then move toward Killarney for the evening.

In Killarney National Park, you’ll experience a 19th-century tradition: a horse-led car ride. It’s a change of pace from constant viewpoint stops, and it’s a good reminder that Ireland’s tourism isn’t only about ruins and stone walls. It’s also about how people move through the countryside.

There’s also time in the evening for the kind of Irish night that makes this tour feel like more than a drive-through: a traditional Irish pub experience, and chances to dance depending on where the night goes.

What to consider: the peninsula day is busy by design. If you’re the type who likes quiet time with no agenda, this may feel like nonstop scenery consumption. If you love variety, it’s a highlight day.

Day 6 Killarney to Dublin via Cork: Killarney Park time and Blarney Castle

Your final day keeps the momentum but adds the trip’s most classic legend stop. You’ll get a tour of Killarney National Park, then you head toward Cork for Blarney Castle and the chance to kiss the Blarney Stone.

That Blarney moment is silly in the best way. It’s not just the act—it’s also the experience of doing something time-honored while surrounded by castle walls and tourists doing the same thing you’re doing. It’s a fun memory anchor at the end of a fast trip.

Back to Dublin by early evening, so you’re not ending the tour with a late-night drop-off. If you’re flying out the next day, this is a calmer finish than some multi-day tours that shove you into a final long drive with no time left.

What to consider: the last day is packed into “morning-to-evening” timing. If you’re tired of coach windows and want lots of slow wandering, you’ll have to be selective about where you linger.

Price and value: what $1,058 really buys you here

At $1,058 per person for 6 days, you’re paying for a bundle: guide, transportation, accommodations, breakfasts, and entrance fees. For independent travel, the expensive part is usually time and logistics—getting from place to place efficiently while paying separate entry tickets and managing bookings for rooms.

Here, you’re buying the machine that makes the full-island coverage possible. You don’t have to plan how to connect Belfast to Derry, then swing west to Galway, then down to the Dingle/Killarney area, and finally finish back in Dublin with a stop in Cork.

That said, the “economy” piece matters. Your lodging and room comfort can vary depending on the accommodation option you choose. One guest described the first Belfast hostel as dirty, while other nights sounded nicer, including a private room setup in Annascaul for backpackers—so the savings may come with some unevenness.

Group, comfort, and timing: when the coach helps and when it gets in the way

This kind of trip lives and dies by timing and group dynamics. The experience is easier when the group is small and the coach ride feels manageable, because you’re spending long stretches in transit between stops.

A couple of practical realities to plan for:

• You’ll be moving often, so some photo moments may happen from the coach window if stops run tight.
• If the guide is more driver-focused on your day, you might get less commentary at each site.
• Lunch timing can slide later on some departures, which can compress your morning and make the day feel rushed.

The good news is that there’s enough included structure to keep things flowing. And if your guide is the talkative, locally connected type, the drive becomes part of the experience, not dead time.

What you’ll probably love, and who should skip it

I think you’ll like this tour if you’re a “check the big icons” person who also enjoys real pacing variety: city history one day, cliff walking the next, then peninsula road-trip days that feel like a change of world.

It’s also a strong fit for solo travelers on a budget who want social energy. The included evenings (including a traditional pub stop and chances to dance) can turn random strangers into people you chat with, especially if you’re in a backpacker room setup.

You might want to skip it if you hate schedules, need lots of quiet downtime, or you’re expecting hotel-grade accommodation every single night. The first Belfast night, in particular, is the one to think about if you care a lot about cleanliness and comfort.

And if you have mobility needs, note that the tour isn’t suitable for wheelchair users.

Should you book Best of Ireland 6-Day Backpackers Economy Tour?

If your goal is an efficient, high-hit-rate tour of Ireland’s best-known regions—Belfast and Derry included—this can be a great value. You’re paying for coverage plus included entries, not just for transportation, and the day-by-day mix of cliffs, castles, and national park time is exactly what makes this kind of trip worth doing.

Book it if you’re flexible about lodging comfort and you’re comfortable with a packed schedule. Don’t book it if you need lots of free time at each stop or you know you’ll be disappointed by the possibility of later lunches and less commentary on certain days.

In short: this is a smart choice for people who want the full island experience fast—and can roll with the backpacker-style tradeoffs.

FAQ

Where is the meeting point and what time does the tour start?

You meet at 8:45 AM at Paddy’s Palace on Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin D1.

How long is the tour?

The tour duration is 6 days.

How much does the tour cost?

The price is $1,058 per person.

What is included in the tour price?

Included are a guide, transportation, accommodations (based on the option selected), breakfasts, and entrance fees.

Are lunch and dinner included?

No. Lunch and dinners are not included, and there may also be additional attractions not covered by the package.

What language is the live tour guide?

The live tour guide speaks English.

Is free cancellation available?

Yes. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible, and are pets allowed?

The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users, and pets are not allowed. Smoking is also not allowed.