How Much I Spent for 10 Days in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland took me by surprise.
It’s not that I thought I wouldn’t like Northern Ireland — it’s that I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. I loved the people, the cities, the cider. And I loved, loved, loved, the coast and its abundance of incredible natural sights.
I explored Northern Ireland for 10 days — journeying from Derry to the coast to Belfast. During my visit, I tracked every dollar I spent on transportation and food and lodging and absolutely everything else. Now I’m spilling the beans and telling you exactly how much it cost me to visit Northern Ireland for 10 days.
Are you:
Then my Travel Spending series is for you. Here, I open up about how much my travels actually cost so you can make informed decisions about which destinations, accommodations, restaurants, activities, and more might be right for you. I also make some alternative suggestions in case you’re traveling on a tighter budget or want to shell out for a little more luxury than I chose.
Check out all the posts in my Travel Spending series here, or read on for a peek into my spending in Northern Ireland.
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The Cost of 10 Days in Northern Ireland
My 10-day trip to Northern Ireland took place in July 2023. If you’re reading this in some future year, you can estimate the cost of my trip in present values using an inflation calculator (like this one, if you’re in the U.S.).
All amounts are in USD.
Transportation
| Travel to Northern Ireland | $23.95 |
| Transport card | $80.86 |
| Round-trip ferry to Rathlin Island | $20.37 |
| Other transportation | $8.66 |
| TOTAL: | $133.84 |
I traveled to Northern Ireland from Dublin, as part of an extended period of full-time travel, so my travel expenses were low — just $23.95 for a bus to Derry. This could have been cheaper, but I waited too long to buy my bus ticket.
For transport within Northern Ireland, I purchased an iLink transit card for $80.86. This provided me with unlimited travel on all forms of public transit (buses, trains, etc.) within the country for one week.
I got plenty of use out of the iLink card, but also took a few forms of private transport that it didn’t cover. Specifically, I spent $20.37 on a round-trip ferry ride to Rathlin Island for one day, plus $6.37 for a shuttle bus while on the island. I also spent $2.29 on a train ride after my iLink card expired.
My total transportation costs: $133.84.
If you want to spend less on Transportation…
- You’re not likely to spend much less than I did to get to Northern Ireland, unless you are also coming from somewhere extremely nearby. If that’s the case, you can save some money by booking your bus or train ticket well in advance (unlike me!)
- Move around less. During my 10 days in Northern Ireland, I had three home bases (Derry, Ballycastle, and Belfast) and took several day trips. All of these choices increased my transportation costs.
If you’re looking for more luxurious Transportation…
- Unless you’re coming from elsewhere in Ireland or the UK (or somewhere else nearby in Europe), you’re almost certainly going to fly to Northern Ireland. Naturally, you’re free to spend as much as you want on fancy upgraded seats, or not (or hey — book with points!).
Accommodations
| Hotel in Derry (3 nights) | $320.63 |
| Airbnb in Ballycastle (3 nights) | $279.40 |
| Hostel in Belfast (4 nights) | $269.91 |
| TOTAL: | $869.94 |
First, I spent three nights in Derry in Quay 8. I loved this place: my room was small but outfitted with a kitchenette (which allowed me to save some money on food, as I could heat up leftovers), and the location was perfect. It cost $320.63.
In Ballycastle, I stayed in this Airbnb, which was also excellent. For three nights, it cost $279.40. This was a great home base for exploring the coast and Rathlin Island.
Finally, I spent four nights in a private room (including a private bathroom) at Belfast International Youth Hostel. This was nothing special, but at $269.91, it was a reasonably priced place to stay in Belfast.
My total accommodation costs: $869.94.
If you want to spend less on Accommodations…
- Book a dorm room in a hostel, such as Derry Hostel & Guest House in Derry, Ballycastle Backpackers Hostel in Ballycastle, and Global Village in Belfast. This option requires you to be comfy with sleeping on a bunk bed in a room with a few strangers. If that’s the case, hostel dorm rooms are a great option: they’re often incredibly inexpensive, and you can easily meet other travelers if that’s something you’re looking for. (And, if you’re traveling in a group of, say, 4 or 8 people, you may even be able to snag a dorm room for your group alone!) NOTE: some hostels offer women-only dorm rooms for female travelers who would rather not stay in the same room as men.
- NOTE: Other than flights, accommodations are often the biggest line item in a travel budget. The great news is that most destinations have a variety of lodging options at all sorts of price points — so if you’re looking to cut on-location costs, start here!
If you’re looking for more luxurious Accommodations…
- Check out The Lawrence or The James Suites in Derry, The Salthouse Hotel or Marine Hotel in Ballycastle, and the Fitzwilliam Hotel or the Titanic Hotel in Belfast.
Food & Drink
I spent $390.27 on food and drinks. That includes all my meals, snacks, coffee, alcohol, and water (yes, you have to buy water in some European restaurants).
This number reflects a mix of groceries, leftovers, street food, and meals at sit-down restaurants.
If you want to spend less on Food and Drink…
- Eat fewer meals at sit-down restaurants, and opt for more street food instead.
- If you’re staying at a hostel or an apartment with a kitchen, you could buy groceries and prepare some of your meals, which typically costs a lot less than eating at restaurants. You can also buy cheaper, premade meals at many grocery stores. I did both of these things sometimes during my time in Northern Ireland (namely, in Ballycastle, where I stayed at an Airbnb with a full kitchen), but at other times I ate more consistently at sit-down restaurants.
- Buy fewer beverages. At dinner, I sometimes drank a glass of wine or a cider and bought a bottle of water. Those things add up! In particular, I would have saved a bunch of money by skipping the alcohol entirely.
If you’re Willing to Spend More on Food and Drink…
- Eat at fancier restaurants!
Activities
I spent $93.72 on activities, which included entrance fees for museums, plus several walking tours. My most expensive activity was visiting the Titanic Museum in Belfast, which cost $31.86. Conversely, my least expensive (paid) activity was entering the Seabird Centre on Rathlin Island, which cost $6.39. I did plenty of free activities, like walking the Causeway Coastal Route (notably, because I walked, my entrance to both Giant’s Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede were free!).
If you want to spend less on Activities…
- Chill out! Do a little less. Spend more time just walking around or people-watching at cafes.
- Be choosier about the activities you spend money on, and opt for more free activities instead of paid activities.
If you’re Willing to Spend More on Activities…
- There are plenty of museums and activities in both Derry and Belfast that I skipped out on, but if you have a bigger budget for activities, plus the time and interest, go nuts.
Shopping
I spent just $5.09 on a souvenir: a Christmas tree ornament (I collect them from places I visit).
I also spent $77.31 replacing some jeans that no longer fit. (I visited Northern Ireland near the beginning of many months of full-time travel, so I couldn’t really just wait until I got home!)
If you want to spend less on Shopping…
- Easy: don’t buy anything!
If you’re Willing to Spend More on Shopping…
- Easy: shop more!
- In all seriousness, there’s no shortage of places to spend your money while traveling, including in Northern Ireland. If you want to come home with more souvenirs than I did, it will not be hard to do.
Grand Total
| Transportation | $133.84 |
| Accommodations | $869.94 |
| Food & Drink | $390.27 |
| Activities | $93.72 |
| Shopping | $82.40 |
| TOTAL: | $1,570.17 |
In total, I spent $1570.17, or approximately $157 per day.
Whether that sounds like a lot or a little to you will of course depend on your own perceptions of how much travel should cost. To me, it’s a lot for long-term travel, but I did not slow travel through Northern Ireland. Instead, I moved around a lot and kept my days quite full of activities — increasing my costs.
If you want to visit the same destinations but spend less than I did, it would not be hard to do so. You could spend hundreds less than I did just by staying in hostel dorm rooms and cooking more of your meals.
More Information About Northern Ireland
ITINERARY | Here’s your perfect itinerary for one delightful week in Northern Ireland.
GETTING AROUND | It’s refreshingly easy and inexpensive to travel Northern Ireland without renting a car. Here’s how.
THINGS TO DO | Learn all about some of my favorite things to do in Northern Ireland, including hiking along the glorious coast, visiting Giant’s Causeway, and taking a day trip to Rathlin Island.
DERRY | Spend two wonderful days in my favorite city in Northern Ireland: Derry.
BELFAST | Northern Ireland’s small capital city, Belfast, is a complicated and lovely place. Here’s how to spend one day there.
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