Our 3-day Orkney tour from Inverness takes in the best the island has to offer! See Neolithic sights such as Skara Brae, the Standing Stones of Stenness, and other iconic landmarks like the Italian Chapel and HMS Tern.
Day 1 - Inverness to Orkney Our small group 3-day Orkney tour departs from Inverness at 8am and we begin our journey north, passing through the stunning scenery of the Black Isle and travelling past places like Loch Fleet and Carn Liath on our way to Gills Bay. There will be a short stop in Golspie where you will have the opportunity to buy some lunch to have on the ferry. After this, we will have a short stop at the Helmsdale Clearance to take photos of the Emigrants Statue. We continue to Gills Bay to catch the ferry to Orkney before arriving at St Margaret's Hope shortly after. Welcome to Orkney! We head to our first landmark on the islands, the Italian Chapel, here you can choose to enter for a small fee, or simply enjoy it as a photo stop. From there, and before your arrival at Kirkwall, we could enjoy a couple of different activities depending on weather and availability. We could head onwards to Inganess Beach, marked by the wreck of the Juniata, a World War 2 blockship, or visit St Magnus Cathedral and have a short tour of Kirkwall. There could also be the opportunity for a visit to the Scapa Distillery for a tour and tasting*. Then we will arrive in Kirkwall where you will check in to your accommodation for the evening. Kirkwall is the capital of Orkney and originally got its name from the Norse word Kirkjuvagr which means “Church Bay” which then changed to Kirkwaa and then Kirkwall. This is where you will stay for both nights of our 3-day Orkney tour. Orkney has a fascinating Viking history which you will learn about from your Driver-Guide throughout the tour! Day 2 - Exploring Orkney After an island breakfast, we will depart Kirkwall and head to the Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn, a Neolithic tomb that gives us a glimpse into the lives of some of Scotland's earliest agricultural communities. From there, we continue on to Skara Brae, Europe's best-preserved Neolithic village. Next, we head to the seaside town of Stromness for a lunch stop, where you can enjoy views over the marina, before we begin our journey to the Stones of Stenness, four standing stones that are potentially some of the oldest in the country. They, along with Skara Brae, are part of the "Heart of Neolithic Orkney" and have World Heritage Site status. We get an insightful glimpse at Orkney's military history at our next stop, the HMS Tern, an airfield set up by the Royal Navy during WWII. After this, we journey towards the Broch of Gurness, an amazingly preserved village from the Iron Age. Explore the site and also learn about the countless artefacts on display that were discovered at the site. We then return to Kirkwall for your second night stay. Day 3 - Return to Inverness After a great night's sleep, we get ready to leave Kirkwall and head back to the ferry terminal at St Margaret's Hope for the short crossing to Gills Bay. We head to John O'Groats for lunch, the most northerly point on mainland Britain. A range of wildlife can usually be seen here such as Atlantic puffins, seals, a variety of birds and possibly even an orca! Take photos of the iconic sign post and the colourful buildings before we continue to Castle Sinclair Girnigoe dramatically situated on a cliff's edge. Should the weather not be on our side, we will instead continue onwards to Wick. To end our 3-day Orkney tour, we will start our homeward journey back to Inverness, once again enjoying the beautiful north Highland scenery, with comfort stops at Dunbeath Harbour and Golspie on the way. The price of our 3 day Orkney tour from Inverness does not include accommodation but we reserve it for you. Approximate costs are per person per night: Youth Hostel: £25-35, Bed & Breakfast: £55 - 75 (shared), £65 - £115 (solo), Hotel: £75+ (Low Season) £90+ (High Season). Single supplement may apply. Please be advised, most accommodation providers only accept cash payments, and will not accept debit/credit cards as methods of payment. Please note: Luggage is restricted to one piece per person.
Your 3 day tour from Inverness departs at 08:00 hrs from Railway Terrace, Inverness. Check-in opens 15 minutes prior to the stated departure time and closes 5 minutes prior to the stated departure time. We recommend that all passengers arrive in this window as tours must depart on schedule.
No, accommodation is not included in the tour price, as we prefer to let you choose the type of accommodation you want, depending on your budget. The tour price includes the services of a friendly, knowledgeable and experienced Driver-Guide and transportation on one of our luxury modern air-conditioned coaches. Accommodation is payable to the provider upon check-in. We recommend that you prepare £75 per person per night in cash to cover the cost of your accommodation. Please note that many Bed and Breakfasts do not have card machines and do require guests to pay in cash. Accommodation rates do vary between providers and seasons. For this reason we are only able to give you an estimated rate until a booking has been made. Estimated rates are as follows: Youth Hostel: £20.00 - £30.00 per person per night B&B: £45.00 - £75.00 per person per night Hotel: From £75.00+ per person per night All hotels require credit card information in order to secure a booking. If you wish us to reserve a hotel room for you, we will contact you for your budget and credit card details. Please note a single room supplement may apply.
Single supplements may be charged, especially during high season. Please contact our Reservations Team for more information.
Hostels are budget accommodation. Many hostels have kitchen facilities where customers can prepare their own food. B&B's are privately owned Guesthouses. Guests are given breakfast (continental or full, depending on the B&B) but cannot prepare their own food. Hotels are the most expensive choice of accommodation. Rooms come with a full breakfast (unless stated) and guests are unable to prepare their own food.
Double means one double bed which sleeps two. Twin means two single beds, where you share a room but not a bed. Ensuite rooms have a private bathroom/toilet/shower within the room. Standard rooms have communal facilities that are shared with other guests.
Yes, you are free to make your own arrangements. We offer a discounted rate for customers who book their own accommodation! Simply advise us at the time of booking that you will be reserving your own accommodation, and inform us at your earliest convenience of the name and address of the Guesthouse once it has been booked. We kindly ask that your accommodation provider is located in central Kirkwall, otherwise your Driver-Guide will be unable to drop you off and collect you.
Luggage is restricted to one medium sized suitcase per person. For guidance: a medium sized suitcase is considered 60-69cm high and roughly 45cm in width. If you have more luggage than this, you can store your surplus bags with Unbaggaged. Unbaggaged will collect your bags at a time and place convenient to you! They then store them at a secure central location, and return them to you, again, wherever and whenever you like! We've negotiated 10% off all bookings for our passengers with code TIMBER10. Book here
No, optional extras are not included in the 3 day tour price. This is to allow our guests the freedom to choose which attractions they would like to visit.
No, you don't need to worry about pre-booking any of the optional extras. All the optional extras can be booked on the day and your Driver-Guide will advise you of how to book. If you have any questions about this please contact our Reservations Team on +44 (0) 131 226 6066.
Yes, all of our tours are in English. Your tour will be taken by an experienced, knowledgeable and friendly English-speaking Driver-Guide. If you require a written translation of your tour, just let us know at the time of booking and we'll arrange one for you. Written translations are available for this tour in the following languages: French German Spanish Portuguese Italian Russian Chinese (Mandarin)
As you’ll be spending two days on and off the coach with the opportunity for walks, we recommend bringing warm and/or waterproof clothing, comfortable walking shoes and some sun-block or a hat for sunny days.And don’t forget your camera to capture all of the lovely scenery and wildlife you’ll encounter on your tour!Accommodation is payable to the provider upon check-in. We recommend that you prepare £75 per person per night in cash to cover the cost of your accommodation.
We welcome children over 4 years old on our tours, and children aged between 4-16yrs are eligible for the concessionary rate. We regret we are not able to carry children under the age of 4.