How Much Does a 7 Day Trip to Ireland Cost?

Planning on visiting Ireland? Wondering how much does a trip to Ireland cost?

Ireland is one of the most popular destinations in Europe, known its amazing landscape, friendly people, culture and pubs. The Emerald Isle has so much to offer!

Depending on where you choose to go in Ireland, It is also a country that can break the bank very quickly. BUT keep reading because this doesn’t have to be the case because there are plenty of ways to visit Ireland affordably.

Most Ireland visitors head to popular cities like Dublin, Cork, and Galway, which are also more expensive, there are amazing lesser-known towns in counties like Donegal, Wicklow and Limerick.

This guide is based on the costs for a single person and I’m going to suggest an itinerary of 7 days in Ireland. Of course, you can spend much longer here (there are many things to see and do), so you can still use this guide to help you budget accordingly. If you are travelling as a couple, make sure to double these estimates (except for hotels).

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Below are some guidelines to help you estimate your daily travel costs in Ireland.

Average Daily Cost for visiting Ireland

With so many landmarks in Ireland, the average traveler spends about 150 – 200 € per day in Ireland. Those traveling on a smaller budget spend an average of around €80 -100 a day.

Most of the costs will be towards lodging and activities, but don’t forget to budget extra for those “non-essentials.”

Ireland Attractions and Museum Prices

There is never a shortage of things to do and see in Ireland. You can easily spend a few weeks and not see everything. You might be able to save some money by using the Dublin Pass – It grants you free access to over 30 top attractions, museums, and monuments, including the famous Dublin Castle, the Dublin hop-on hop-off bus tour, the Irish Emigration Museum, and many more! (https://flathatnews.com/)

Dublin Attractions and Museum Prices

• Guinness Storehouse: €25
• The Book of Kells: €13
• Hugh Lane: Free
• Dublin Castle: €9
• Jameson Distillery Bow St: €25
• St Patrick’s Cathedral: €10
• Dublin Zoo: €20
• National Gallery of Ireland: Free

Cork Attractions and Museum Price

• Blarney Castle & Gardens: €18
• Fota Wildlife Park: €17
• Shandon Bells & Tower St Anne’s Church: €10
• Butter Museum: €4

 

The Cheapest Times to Visit Ireland

Late May to August is one of the best times to visit Ireland in terms of weather. These months have less rain and more sunshine. The cheapest season to visit Ireland is in Winter, prices for activities stay the same but accommodation prices slightly decrease.

Best Month to visit Ireland	Season	Crowds	Vacation in Ireland Cost
Visiting Ireland in January	Winter – Rains everyday and its cold AF!	Low	Moderate
Traveling to Ireland in February	Decreasing average rainfall but still cold	Low	Moderate
Visiting Ireland in March	Rain is often followed by sunny clear skies. In 2018 it snowed 🙁	High – St. Patricks day festivities	High
Visiting Ireland in April	Occasional rain showers and sunny days	Moderate	High
Visiting Ireland in May	The “wet season” is over and with it comes the heat.	High	High
Visiting Ireland in June	The beginning of summer in Ireland	High	High
Visiting Ireland in July	Summer in Ireland: great weather	High	High
Visiting Ireland in August	Summer in Ireland	High	High
Visiting Ireland in September	Occasional rain showers and sunny days	Moderate	High
Visiting Ireland in October	Start of rainy reason	Moderate	High
Traveling to Ireland in November	Rains every day	Moderate	Moderate
Visiting Ireland in December	Winter + Wet season, might even snow	High	High

Is Ireland Expensive to Visit

Ireland Trip Cost: Transportation

NB: The legal age to rent a vehicle in Ireland is 25!

Ireland might seem like a small country but a surprisingly large amount of visitors don’t seem to realize how far apart each major city is. However, this will become immediately apparent as soon as you leave the airport (any of them) and realize it takes at least an hour to get to Dublin. So basically, you’re going to be spending some money on transportation unless you are keen to walk about 20 miles each day.

Unlike most popular European countries and cities like Venice or Montecarlo, Ireland is not super walkable! Depending on which county you choose to visit, you may find yourself only using public transportation at least twice a day. For this reason, I recommend renting a car if you’re going to leave Dublin.

Dublin has an okayish public transport system – avoid the meter taxis as they are ridiculously expensive and no, unfortunately, there is no uber! When exploring Dublin, I recommend purchasing a leap card and loading money on it, the card can be used on the buses, tram (the Luas), or trains.

If you leave Dublin, you should consider renting a car as each county has different bus schedules and trains. The most popular bus company that travels from Dublin to major parts of the country is Bus Éireann when you arrive at your destination, you will find smaller bus companies who service the areas.

Airfare from Johannesburg to Dublin: $657 (Return)

Major Airlines serving Ireland include Aer Lingus (the national airline of Ireland), American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, and more.

I booked my flight with Emirates and traveled from Johannesburg to Dubai (8 hours) then Dubai to Dublin (7 hours, 52 minutes). It’s faster and sometimes cheaper to fly to London, then get a connecting flight to Dubin, the reason I chose not to do that was that South Africans need a Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV) for London and I didnt want to spend $45 (R743) to pass through an airport.

Booking your flight to Ireland in advance always helps as does making sure you avoid high season (think St. Patrick’s Day in March or Christmas time). There are five international airports in Ireland making it easy to compare flights offered by different airlines.

• Dublin Airport – North of Dublin City on the east coast
• Cork Airport – Just south of Cork City on the south coast
• Shannon Airport – North of Limerick City on the west coast
• Knock Airport (Ireland West Airport) – in County Mayo in the North West
• Belfast Airport (Northern Ireland) – west of Belfast City in the North East

Ireland Hotel, Hostel, and Airbnb Prices

You should budget about €150/night per person for a decent hotel in Ireland. If you’re a backpacker and choose to stay in a hostel, prices for a bed in a shared dorm room range from €20-€40/night.

If you want a private room, expect to pay €50-€100. Check out the latest prices at Booking.com as accommodation prices are always fluctuating.

The cost of accommodation for my trip to Ireland was $337 for two nights at Herbert Park Hotel in Dublin 4, $240 for 2 nights at an Airbnb in Cork, $102 for one night at The Heights Hotel Killarney, $103 for one night at Cul Cottage in Valentina Island.

Cost of Food in Ireland

Food in Ireland is not cheap with lunch prices ranging from $15 to $30 per person. If you want to save money on food costs in Ireland.

I recommend buying sandwiches or salads from Delis inside Convenience Stores like Spar or Londis or eating at Pubs and not stand-alone restaurants as they tend to be pricer.

The average cost of a pint of Guinness is €4.50-€10. In fact, the price of Guinness is cheaper outside of Ireland.

Ireland Trip Cost: Activities

Now that we’ve covered such basic needs as food, shelter, and transportation, it’s time to cover the cost of actually doing things in Ireland.

There are many spectacular coasts and countrysides, museums, and castles to visit in Ireland. My 7-day Ireland Itinerary included stops in Dublin, Kilkenny, Wicklow, Cork, Donegal, and Belfast.

Travel Insurance for Ireland Travel

Use travel insurance while visiting Ireland so you are covered for theft and medical expenses.

My total trip to Ireland cost:

• Airfare: $657 | (R10,950)
• Accommodation: $782 | (R13,030)
• Transport within Ireland: $450 (car rental and petrol for 7 days) | (R7,500)
• Activities: $364 | (R6,067)
• Travel Insurance: $40 | (R667)
• Total: $2253 | (R38,214)

Ireland is generally an expensive country to live and visit, hence I recommend that you do the proper research on how to adequately budget.

If you are smart about where you spend your money and how you travel, your trip to Ireland costs can be minimal. If I didn’t only stay at 4-5 star hotels, my costs for accommodation could’ve been less.

So how much money should you factor into your total Ireland trip cost? Well, that is honestly entirely up to you!

Are you planning a budget-friendly trip to Ireland? Here are some tips:

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