Best of Ireland in 5 Days for Less Than $1500

Ireland is a top rated destination because of it’s amazing culture and stunning views. I have been blessed enough to have gone twice now!  Once due to being 75% Irish and having a family reunion there, but the second I traveled alone by myself and crammed the best things in 5 days and as little cost as possible!

The flight is the most expensive part and you have to track it using Kayak or an airline site to get the best price!  The flight is the majority of the budget and I’m saying around ~$1000 for it but I have friends who have gotten for it less than $700 but you’ve gotta be proactive. Track prices weekly or even daily it’s not just a one stop shop, you have to put the work in to get the best price! Also the days your travel are important try and leave on a Tuesday or Wednesday they are cheaper!

Airlines I recommend: most of these you will have a layover but in my mind longer time spent in an airport is worth it for the price- you can catch up on life

Air Lingus {you will most likely have a layover but they are super cheap}

Jet Blue {they aren’t in every city but they can get you directly to Ireland for cheap}

British Airways {they sometimes connect with Air Lingus as well but one again great prices}

Lufthansa {an air line you’ve probably never heard up, but hey it gives you a cool layover in Europe and one again a great price}

Stop #1: Dublin

Where to stay:

• Airbnb– I stayed in a local Dublin apartment for $95 for 3 nights that was on the northern side of the city but still walking distance to everything
• Paddy’s Palace Hostel {$15-40 per night}- was a great hostel for the price! They are super cheap, provide free wifi, and best part a ride to the airport even at 4am when I had to be there
• Kinlay House {$18-$30}-fantastic location for the price of this hostel. It is in the heart of the city with an awesome lounge room at the bottom alone with a kitchen to cook your own food!

What to see/do:

• Free Walking Tour of Dublin {Price: $15-25}- gives you the best bang for your buck for seeing all the sights and sounds of Dublin! From Dublin Castle to Trinity Castle and all the Irish history you can pack in a 2-3 hour time span and you only pay for the tip of your tour guide!

 

• Guinness Storehouse Tour {Price: $16}- even if you aren’t 21 this tour is 100% worth it! The building has lots of levels with the history of the company  and their beer along with their advertising and their impact on the Irish culture! This is one coolest museum’s ever with many interactive activities! At the top there is a great panoramic view of Ireland! If you are like me and don’t like beer a lot, get the Guinness with blackcurrant! It is a little bit sweeter! It is also very family friendly even if it involves alcohol!

• Jameson Tour {Price: $43}: more of a whiskey gal or guy than a beer person? That was totally me so it is worth to do both! This tour was a little bit less trendy than the Guinness tour which I kind of liked! It was an actual tour with a group of people instead of a self tour with a lot more historical information about the history of whiskey and the processes to preserve it today. You get to do a tasting of the different types of whiskey they make and at the end you also get a free drink, hollah! {I chose the whiskey ginger, it was great!}

Day Trips From Dublin: 

I chose to spend 1 day in Dublin, yes you can do everything in one day, and then take a day trip from Dublin to somewhere else! There are many different places to go but my recommendation is the Blarney Castle and Cork tour by Paddywagon Tours! Cost : $60 You get transportation there, your ticket into the castle included {kissing the blarney stone gives you the gift of gab for 7 years!}, tour around Cork (another famous Irish city where the Titanic set sail) and see the Rock of Cashel!

 

There are many different other tours you can do as well like Belfast (Price :$50) or Giant’s Causeway(Price:$65)  if you are wanting to see more of Northern Ireland instead of southern Ireland!

Stop #2: Galway 

Getting from Dublin to Galway is relatively easy! I took a bus after my day tour using GoBus! It was so easy and convenient with many different options for pick up locations! My advice would be to make sure you save your pick up location on a google maps so if you get lost you can easily find it! Price: $15 to travel across the entire country in about 2- 3 hours!

Where to Stay:

Airbnb: (Price: $50 a night} yes when I went airbnb was the up and coming trend but it was awesome because I got to stay with a local Irish women who gave me the best recommendations for transportation and food!

Kinlay Hostel (Price: $27 a night): with a fantastic location in the heart of downtown and close to the bus and train stations!

Barnacales Hostel Galway (Pice: $20-$30 a night): Another great trendy hostel with a great location! It is right near the water and has stunning views when you walk outside it!

What to see/do: 

Spanish Arch and Galway City Museum: a historical part of the city right on the water that really encompasses the historical beauty of this city!

Quay Street: Is the main focus of the city. This is the heart where all the hostels, restaurants an of course pubs for a perfect place to plop down to eat a delicious Irish breakfast or some fish and chips

Day Trips: 

The best part of Galway for me is being on the western side of Ireland there are so many other fantastic things to do that you can get done in a day but super cheap! I HIGHLY recommend using the Galway Tour Company   because I did 2 of their tours and I absolutely loved them

Trip #1:  Cliffs of Moher and Burren 

You not only get to see one of the most breathtaking views of Ireland the famous Cliffs of Moher BUT you also get to explore the Burren area which includes castles, interesting rocks (yes I know weird but super cool) and Fairy’s (yes like tinker bell). The BEST part of this deal that includes your transportation the whole day and tickets into the Cliffs’s only $30!!!! 

Trip #2: Connemara and Cong

Being completely honest I had absolutely not idea what I signed up for in this adventure. But I can tell you I got to see parts of Ireland that most never will and for only $30 for the whole day! You get to explore this valley region of Ireland with breathtaking views along the way and a personal tour guide the whole time giving you every single piece of history you could ever imagine! The pictures don’t do it justice!!

The Kylemore Abbey is a big stop along this trip and even though the tour doesn’t include the ticket, it is worth it to spend the extra $15 for the ticket! I mean cmon look at these views at the historical beauty of this Abbey!!!

These were just the things I personally did on this trip I traveled to alone on but I hope this inspires you to see this magnificent country! Hope you make it super high on your bucket list!