Guide · Private

A private day trip from Dublin, with your own driver

A car, a driver-guide and a route shaped around your group: a private day trip from Dublin turns a long coach day into something closer to a road trip with a local. Here is what the private options cost and when they pay off.

Check availabilityfrom $1,433 · free cancellation

Editorial team, dublindaytrip.comUpdated October 18, 20266-minute read4 sources

The tour that goes with it Cliffs of Moher: Private Luxury tour from Dublin 4.9 (19 reviews) 10 hours from$1,433 Check availabilityFree cancellation up to 24 hrs before

In brief

01Cliffs of Moher: 10 hours in a Mercedes, from $1,433 per group.
02Giant's Causeway: 12 hours, with the Carrick-a-Rede bridge, from $1,266.
03Wicklow: 8 hours with a Glendalough hike, from $795.
04Newgrange: 8 hours, from $772; tickets booked separately.
05Pickup: Included on all four private trips.

What a private trip gives you

On a private trip the vehicle and the guide are yours alone. The driver collects you in Dublin, the day follows your pace, and the stops can stretch or shrink depending on what catches your eye. There is no waiting for a coach full of strangers to return from the toilets, and no rushing past the viewpoint you wanted to linger at. It is also the most comfortable way to travel with small children, older relatives or anyone who needs regular breaks.

Every private listing on this page includes pickup, so you start from a pickup point you arrange rather than a fixed meeting point in the city. Several of them describe their route as a suggestion that can be changed, which lets you add a castle, skip a shop stop or spend more time at the place that matters most to you.

The price is set per group, not per person, so the cost per head falls as your party grows. When several of you share the bill, a private day trip from Dublin can come closer to the cost of a coach tour than you might expect, especially once you count the time and comfort you gain.

A private day

The private Cliffs of Moher route

Morning

Pickup in Dublin

Your driver-guide collects the group in a Mercedes.
2.25 hrs

Bunratty Castle

An optional 30-minute break for coffee and photos.
Midday

Cliffs of Moher

2 hours to walk, look and take photos.
Lunch

Doolin

An optional lunch stop at extra cost.
Afternoon

Burren and Dunguaire

Two short stops of about 15 minutes each.
Evening

Back to Dublin

The day runs about 10 hours in total.

The Cliffs of Moher in private

The most reviewed private trip goes to the Cliffs of Moher. It runs 10 hours in a Mercedes with a driver-guide and holds a 4.94 rating from 19 reviews. The route drives west to an optional 30-minute stop at Bunratty Castle, then gives you 2 hours at the cliffs.

After the cliffs you can stop for lunch in Doolin for an extra fee, then take short stops in the Burren and at Dunguaire Castle, about 15 minutes each, on the way back. The guides score 5.0 and the value 4.6 on the listing.

It starts from $1,433 for the group. Compare that with the shared coach tour to the cliffs, Burren and Galway at $90 per person, and the private trip makes the most sense for larger parties or for anyone who needs a gentler pace. Ask for a window table at lunch in Doolin; the village has good views of the coast on a clear day.

Length

Hours on each private trip

hours

Durations as each listing states them; a private route can run shorter or longer by agreement.

Side by side

Four private trips from Dublin

Trip	Length	Highlights	Rating	Price per group
Cliffs of Moher	10 hrs	Bunratty, cliffs, Burren	4.94	from $1,433
Giant's Causeway	12 hrs	Dunluce, Carrick-a-Rede	5.0	from $1,266
Wicklow Mountains	8 hrs	Sally Gap, Glendalough hike	5.0	from $795
Newgrange	8 hrs	Slane, Monasterboice, Mellifont	5.0	from $772

Group from-prices and ratings, taken from the four GetYourGuide listings.

Private picks

West coast, north coast or mountains

Most reviewed

Cliffs of Moher

Mercedes and driver-guide

Length: 10 hrs
Rating: 4.94
Price: from $1,433

See dates

North coast

Giant's Causeway

With the rope bridge

Length: 12 hrs
Pickup: Included
Price: from $1,266

See dates

Closest

Wicklow Mountains

Sally Gap and Glendalough

Length: 8 hrs
Hike: One hour, guided
Price: from $795

See dates

Decision helper

Is private right for your group?

Find your situation in the list

Family or group of friends Couple on a budget The rope bridge as well A real hike in the hills A calmer shared day

Private trip

One price for the group, pickup included.

Shared coach tour

The cliffs tour costs from $90 per person.

Private Causeway trip

Adds Carrick-a-Rede to the Causeway.

Private Wicklow day

A one-hour guided hike at Glendalough.

Small-group minibus

The Newgrange tour travels by small minibus.

We have guided tours running every hour; or you can pick up an audio guide and unlock the secrets of this landscape at your own pace, with information available in 11 languages

National TrustSource 1

The Giant's Causeway in private

A private trip north runs 12 hours and covers the Giant's Causeway, Dunluce Castle and the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, a crossing that the coach tours on this site do not include. On the way back through Belfast you can stop at the Peace Wall and the murals if you wish.

At the Causeway itself, the National Trust runs guided tours every hour and offers audio guides in 11 languages, so your driver-guide can let you explore on site while they wait.¹ The private format helps here, because you choose how long to stay on the stones and when to move on to the bridge. Carrick-a-Rede sits a short drive east of the Causeway along the same coast road.

Remember the border. Since 2025 you need an ETA to enter Northern Ireland unless you are British or Irish, and that applies in a private car exactly as on a coach.² ³ The trip starts from $1,266 for the group and holds 5.0 from 7 reviews.

Checklist

Agree these before the day

Ask the operator

Which tickets and fees the price covers
Pickup time and exact address
Any access needs in your group
Where and when you will eat

Prepare

An ETA for a trip into Northern Ireland²
Newgrange tickets, booked separately
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead

Compare with shared

What shared tours cost for your group

Set your group size and compare with a private price.

Cliffs of Moher coach13 hrsfrom $90 Giant's Causeway coach12 hrsfrom $99 Glendalough coach9 hrsfrom $52

People 2

Total from$180

per head from $90

Check availabilityfree cancellation

Totals multiply the starting price GetYourGuide lists by your party size, shown in your chosen currency at the ECB rate; checkout confirms the final sum.

Video

Driving in Ireland: the mistakes visitors make

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Wicklow and Newgrange in private

Closer to Dublin, a private Wicklow day runs 8 hours. It follows the south Dublin coast, stops for coffee at Avoca handweavers, takes a short guided walk at the Sally Gap with views of Lough Tay, breaks for lunch in a traditional pub and finishes with a one-hour guided hike at Glendalough. It starts from $795 for the group and holds 5.0 from 9 reviews. It is a fine choice for walkers who want more than the short strolls of a coach stop.

A private Newgrange day also runs 8 hours, with 3 hours at Newgrange, then the Hill of Slane, Monasterboice for 30 minutes and the ruins of Mellifont Abbey. Its guides speak English and French, and it starts from $772.

Read the Newgrange ticket note before booking. On this private trip, tickets to Newgrange are booked separately, online, up to one month in advance. Access to the tomb is by guided tour only, so without a ticket you see the valley but not the chamber.⁴

Private or small group?

Between a full coach and a private car sits a middle option. Small-group day trips from Dublin travel in a minibus with fewer seats, which brings some of the flexibility of a private trip at a shared price. The Newgrange tour with entry included, for example, leaves in a small white minibus from the Molly Malone statue.

Small groups suit couples and solo travelers who want a calmer day but cannot justify a private price. Private trips suit families, groups of friends, travelers with mobility needs and anyone celebrating a special occasion. Shared tours can be sociable, too, with plenty of chances to chat at the stops.

The coach tours have their own strengths: low prices and a long record of reviews to judge them by. If you are traveling alone on a budget, a well-rated coach tour is usually the smart choice, and the money saved can pay for a second trip.

Questions to ask before you book

Check with the operator what the price includes: the vehicle, the driver-guide, entry tickets, parking and tolls. On the listings here, extras such as a lunch in Doolin carry an extra fee, and Newgrange tickets are booked separately.

Agree the pickup time and place in writing, and share any access needs in advance. If someone in your group uses a wheelchair or has trouble with steps, the driver can plan stops with shorter walks and closer parking, but only if they know beforehand. Ask whether child seats are available if you travel with young children.

Finally, tell the guide what you care about. A private day is at its best when the route bends to your interests, whether that means more castles, more coastline, a long lunch or an early return to the city.

Is a private trip worth it?

For a couple, the numbers usually favor a shared tour. For a larger group, the private price spread over everyone looks far less steep, and the day is better in other ways: no fixed meeting point, no waiting and a guide who answers your questions, not those of a full coach. A private car also turns the drive itself into part of the experience, with stops wherever the view demands one.

It is also worth it when the day is unusual. A trip that combines sights no single coach tour covers, such as the Causeway with the rope bridge, or a Wicklow day built around a proper hike, is exactly what private guiding is for. It also suits photographers, who can wait for the light instead of a departure time.

All four private listings on this page return your payment if plans fall through at least 24 hours before pickup, and payment can wait, so you can hold a date while your group decides.

Plan your west