Your journey
Drive from Dublin to Belfast, the Causeway Coast, the Boyne Valley and Kilkenny, with a castle-country stay and a four-night Dublin finale.
15 days / 14 hotel nights. Day 1 is arrival in Europe, with international travel before arrival separate.
Tour reference: T4R-12249. Custom dates. Pricing on request.
Self-drive with selected guided visits. We tailor the confirmed hotels, ground transportation and sightseeing to your party. Your written proposal lists the included services before booking.
- Dublin: 1 night
- Belfast: 3 nights
- Kingscourt / castle country: 3 nights
- Kilkenny: 3 nights
- Dublin: 4 nights
Your route at a glance
Your day-by-day itinerary
This sample route is customized for your dates and interests. Optional experiences and independent time are identified below. Your quote confirms admissions, guiding, meals and transport.
DAY 1
Arrive in Dublin
Meet your chauffeur at Dublin Airport and transfer to your hotel for the first night. Take time to recover from the journey before setting out on foot.
The remainder of the day is independent. A short walk along O’Connell Street or beside the Liffey offers an easy start. Rental collection begins tomorrow, leaving you free of driving responsibilities on arrival.
Overnight: Dublin.
DAY 2
Collect your car and head to Belfast
Collect your rental car and begin the drive north toward Northern Ireland. Stop at Carrickfergus for a look at its waterfront castle before continuing to Belfast.
Settle into your base for three nights. Your rental agreement must permit cross-border travel and cover the selected vehicle and drivers. Parking, fuel, deposits and any additional cover are confirmed separately in the quotation.
Overnight: Belfast.
DAY 3
The Causeway Coast
Drive toward the Giant’s Causeway for a visit to the basalt coast. Allow time for the visitor experience and the walking route suited to your party.
Dunluce Castle is an optional additional stop, subject to opening and your pace. Return to Belfast for the night. Coastal weather changes quickly, so keep suitable clothing and avoid committing to an overfull driving schedule.
Overnight: Belfast.
DAY 4
Derry’s city walls
Travel to Derry for the proposed shared walking tour of its historic walls. A local guide introduces the city’s past and the streets enclosed by its fortifications.
Allow time to explore independently before driving back to Belfast. The day involves a round trip from your base, so agree the start and return timing around the selected tour. Additional museum admissions are optional.
Overnight: Belfast.
DAY 5
Armagh heritage and Loughcrew
Leave Belfast for the Armagh region and the ancient heritage associated with Navan Fort. Continue south toward Loughcrew for the proposed private introduction to its megalithic setting.
Reach the Kingscourt area for your three-night castle-country stay. We confirm the order, admission and walking requirements before booking. The image introduces Irish castle heritage and does not identify your final hotel.
Overnight: Kingscourt / castle country.
DAY 6
The Boyne Valley and Brú na Bóinne
Set out for the Boyne Valley and the Brú na Bóinne visitor experience. Your confirmed ticket determines which monuments and guided access form part of the visit.
Trim Castle is an optional addition if timing permits. Return to your castle-country base for the evening. We plan the day around your confirmed entry time.
Overnight: Kingscourt / castle country.
DAY 7
A slower day in castle country
Enjoy a day without a planned transfer or scheduled sightseeing. Spend time around your accommodation, read, walk or arrange a leisurely lunch nearby.
Cabra Castle is the proposed base, with the final property and room category confirmed in your quote. Additional activities, spa visits and meals remain optional. The photograph shows Irish countryside scenery.
Overnight: Kingscourt / castle country.
DAY 8
Drive south to Kilkenny
Leave the Kingscourt area and drive toward Kilkenny for a three-night stay. Allow time to settle into your hotel before exploring the city’s medieval streets.
A heritage visit is proposed on arrival, with its venue and admission confirmed during planning. Walks along the lanes and river provide an independent introduction. Avoid scheduling too much around the transfer.
Overnight: Kilkenny.
DAY 9
Kilkenny Castle and the medieval city
Visit Kilkenny Castle on the proposed guided tour, then continue independently through the city’s historic center. The castle grounds and surrounding streets offer different ways to pace your day.
Pause for lunch and browse local shops before returning to your hotel. Additional visits depend on your interests and available tickets. Today’s photograph provides an Irish streetscape for the journey, rather than the castle itself.
Overnight: Kilkenny.
DAY 10
An excursion beyond Kilkenny
Use your rental car for a day beyond Kilkenny, selecting the outing with your travel expert before booking. Choose a route around your interests and preferred driving distance.
A countryside drive with time for lunch suits a slower pace. Any castle, garden or heritage admissions are optional unless quoted. Return to Kilkenny for the final night at this base.
Overnight: Kilkenny.
DAY 11
Through Wicklow to Dublin
Drive toward Dublin through the Wicklow region, with a route and stops chosen around the season and your preferred pace. Leave enough time for the return to the city.
Check into your hotel for four nights. Your proposal confirms where and when to return the rental car, along with the connection to your hotel. The rest of the evening is independent.
Overnight: Dublin.
DAY 12
Dublin with a local guide
Join the proposed guided walking tour introducing Dublin’s main sights and less familiar streets. Your guide connects the city’s buildings and neighborhoods with its history.
An afternoon visit is also proposed, with the venue and inclusions confirmed in the final itinerary. Afterward, continue independently or return to your hotel. Any Trinity College or Book of Kells access requires a confirmed ticket.
Overnight: Dublin.
DAY 13
Dublin or an optional day beyond the city
Spend the day independently in Dublin or discuss an optional excursion during planning. Museums, galleries and riverside neighborhoods provide several ways to shape the day around your interests.
Organized excursions, transport and admissions are separate unless listed in your proposal. Leaving the day open gives you time to revisit a favorite area and enjoy a meal without moving hotels.
Overnight: Dublin.
DAY 14
A final full day in Dublin
Enjoy another independent day in the capital. Browse shops, visit a museum or spend time in the Georgian squares before your final evening in Ireland.
Choose any ticketed visits ahead of time if they are priorities for your party. Otherwise, keep the schedule flexible and leave time to pack. No organized guiding is assumed for this leisure day.
Overnight: Dublin.
DAY 15
Depart from Dublin
Meet your chauffeur for the private departure transfer agreed in your proposal. The pickup time follows your confirmed flight and the airport’s check-in requirements.
Your journey ends after fourteen hotel nights. Extra nights or a further European extension are arranged during planning, with accommodation and transfers quoted together. International flights remain separate unless expressly included.
Departure day. No additional hotel night.
Your complete package
Planned arrangements
- 14 hotel nights in selected four-star or higher accommodation, with final properties and room categories agreed before booking.
- Self-drive with selected guided visits, on the days and routes listed in your confirmed proposal.
- Selected sightseeing, admissions and guided visits, with private and shared arrangements identified in writing.
- Arrival, departure and station or port transfers only where listed in the quote.
- Travel4Real planning and coordination of your confirmed itinerary.
- Meals, tastings, ferries, rail class and rental cover only as expressly confirmed.
Separate unless listed
- International flights and travel insurance.
- Local visitor taxes, gratuities and personal expenses.
- Unlisted meals, drinks, admissions, guiding and transfers.
- Optional experiences and leisure-day suggestions.
- Rental deposits, fuel, parking, tolls, extra drivers, one-way charges, island or cross-border fees and additional insurance unless the agreed rental terms include them.
Hotels, access and pace
We select four-star or higher hotels around your route and preferences. Your proposal confirms the properties, rooms and availability before booking. Tell us about mobility, walking distances, luggage and dietary needs. Castle stairs, cobbled streets and rural paths affect access.
Opening days, royal closures, weather and seasonal transport affect the final sequence. We agree suitable alternatives where needed. Your proposal confirms the arrangements available for your travel dates.
Planning your trip
Is this a fixed group departure?
No. This is a customized itinerary. Your written proposal identifies private services, shared activities and independent time. Party size and guiding depend on your selected arrangements.
How do we receive a price?
Share your travel dates, number of travelers and room needs. We confirm current availability and quote the complete package. Your price depends on your dates, party size and selected services.
When should we start planning?
Contact us at least two months before departure. Six to eight months gives more choice for popular hotels and experiences. We arrange complete packages of at least seven nights with accommodation, ground transportation and sightseeing.
Do you charge for an initial conversation or sample itinerary?
No. Initial conversations and sample itineraries for a trip you plan to book through us have no planning fee. A separate planning-only service applies only when you want a trip planned without booking travel services through us. Any fee is agreed before that work begins.
Where do we meet drivers and guides?
At your hotel lobby, arrival terminal, station or a central location confirmed in your final travel documents. Exact meeting points follow your booked arrangements.
What should we know about self-drive travel?
You drive on the left. We confirm the vehicle, driver eligibility, rental cover, deposits and return arrangements before booking. Island travel and crossing between Ireland and Northern Ireland require the rental company’s permission where relevant. Do not drive after alcohol tastings.
Read our trip-planning FAQs for payment, insurance, cancellation and planning information. Read our booking terms.
Plan your 15-Day Ireland Self-Drive: Northern Coast, Castle Stays & Dublin
Share your preferred dates, travelers, rooms and any changes to the route. Please include T4R-12249 with your request.