An Orkney tour brings you to Skara Brae and the Ring of Brodgar. Among 11 tours compared, prices start at $157 with free cancellation, and the top tour scores 4.8 from 87 reviews. The price includes a visit to Skara Brae and its ancient village.
Price from
Per person$157
Today's lowest Orkney day tour price across all 11 tours
Average rating
All 11 tours49
759 verified reviews across 11 tours
Your day
Shortest to longest55–8h
Shortest: Meets the Scrabster
Longest: Orkney Private Full Day
Choose your tour
Day tours on the islands run five to eight hours and start at $157 per person. For a day trip to Orkney from the mainland, one tour meets the Scrabster ferry in Stromness; the ferry fare is extra. Tours of three to eight days start in Inverness or Edinburgh and spend two nights on Orkney.
★ 4.8 · 87 reviews
★ 4.9 · 275 reviews
★ 4.8 · 223 reviews
★ 4.9 · 25 reviews
★ 4.8 · 22 reviews
★ 4.8 · 21 reviews
★ 5.0 · 15 reviews
★ 4.4 · 5 reviews
★ 4.9 · 30 reviews
★ 5.0 · 50 reviews
★ 5.0 · 6 reviews
Still deciding?
Eleven Orkney guided tours, four kinds of trip. Three days from Inverness, with two nights in Kirkwall. A shared day on West Mainland, starting in Kirkwall. A day tour that meets the Scrabster ferry at Stromness. Or five private hours with an islander. Pick one and we will point at a listing.
See it before you pay for it
Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness are the Orkney tourist attractions nearly every tour here stops at. What differs is how long each listing gives you at them, so read that before you pay.
Timed listings give it one hour to an hour and a half.
On most day tours, a stop of 15 to 20 minutes.
Built by prisoners of war; an extra fee on two day tours.
Six tours stop at the Yesnaby cliffs.
Side by side
All three are priced per person, and the two day tours cost the same. Both give Skara Brae a guided visit; the ferry day also includes its entry fee. Our top pick adds the cairn of Maeshowe and two nights in Kirkwall, with the ferry crossing from Gills Bay on the route.
Swipe the table sideways →
| Orkney: West Mainland Group Day Tour | TOP PICKFrom Inverness: 3-Day Orkney Islands & Skara Brae Tour | Orkney Day Trip: Meets the Scrabster - Stromness Ferry | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per person | $157 | $654 | $157 |
| How long, as listed | 6 hours | 3 days | 5.5 hours |
| Cost per hour | $26.17 per person | – | $28.55 per person |
| Starts from | Stand 5, Kirkwall Travel Centre | Bus stop by Inverness Cathedral | Stromness ferry terminal car park |
| Group size | Up to 14 guests | Up to 16 people | Up to 14 people |
| Skara Brae | 85-minute guided tour; entry fee not stated | Day 2 visit; entry fee not stated | 1.5-hour guided tour; entry fee included |
| Maeshowe | Not in the listing | Day 2, the cairn; ticket not stated | Not in the listing |
| Ferry crossing | None needed; stays on the Mainland | From Gills Bay on the route; fare not stated | Meets the Scrabster ferry; fare not included |
| Nights on Orkney | None, back the same day | Two in Kirkwall, en suite rooms | None, back for the return ferry |
| Rating | 4.9 · 275 | 4.8 · 87 | 4.8 · 223 |
| Check dates | Book this one→ | Check dates |
Free cancellation
Verdict
Our top pick crosses from Gills Bay by ferry and gives you two nights in Kirkwall, in small en suite guesthouses and B&Bs. Day 2 covers Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar, the Stones of Stenness and the cairn of Maeshowe, which no day tour here visits. It costs $654 per person, rated 4.8 from 87 reviews.
Check dates and availability→Before you book
Among Orkney day tours from Kirkwall, the West Mainland group tour starts at Stand 5 of the Travel Centre and can drop you at the cruise port if required. Of the Orkney day tours from Stromness, the group one meets the Scrabster ferry and returns in time for the sailing back; the ferry fare is not included, and the cruise port is 15 miles away. Our top pick starts by Inverness Cathedral.
Two-minute check
Three things decide it: one day on the islands or several, a shared group or your own, and the kind of trip you picture. Answer three questions and we will point at one listing, with what its price covers.
How long can you give Orkney?Day tours run 5 to 8 hours; multi-day tours start on the mainland
A shared group, or just your party?Shared groups here take 7 to 16; private tours are yours alone
Which trip sounds like yours?This answer picks your listing and shows what its price covers
You’ll get the one that fits your answers, and the thing about it that catches people out.
What travellers say
Six of the eleven, from a day off the ferry to three days from Inverness, in travellers’ own words. Ratings and review counts are the live figures, and each card says what its price covers.
★★★★★
Based on 759
verified reviews
Three days from Inverness
$654 per person · 87 reviews
★★★★★
North via Gills Bay and the ferry, two nights in Kirkwall, and a full day for Skara Brae, Brodgar, Stenness and Maeshowe. Rated 4.8. “Well-organised trip visiting many sights, including the amazing neolithic archaeology.” — Margaret Elizabeth, United Kingdom
A day on West Mainland
$157 per person · 275 reviews
★★★★★
Six hours from the Kirkwall Travel Centre: Stenness, Brodgar, the Yesnaby cliffs and 85 minutes guided at Skara Brae. Drop-off at the cruise port if required. Rated 4.9. “It was such a good introduction to Orkneys” — Julie, United Kingdom
Off the ferry at Stromness
$157 per person · 223 reviews
★★★★★
5.5 hours from the ferry terminal in Stromness, back in time for the return sailing. Skara Brae and Skaill House entry is in the price; the ferry fare is not. Rated 4.8. “Was a great way to see the key sites without the stress of self driving” — Mandy, Australia
Private with an islander
$1,316 per group of up to 3 · 50 reviews
★★★★★
Pickup in Kirkwall and a route set to your interests: Skara Brae, Brodgar, Stenness, Yesnaby and Unstan. The Italian Chapel is an extra fee. Rated 5.0. “Fascinating tour of the relics and mysteries from 5000 years ago on these islands.” — bryn, United States
Beaches and cliffs
$225 per person · 21 reviews
★★★★★
Six hours from Kirkwall: Waukmill Bay, Stromness, Yesnaby, the Bay of Skaill and the Brough of Birsay, with Brodgar and Stenness as optional stops. Rated 4.8. “Everything organized perfectly, lots of information.” — Emmerich, Austria
Five days from Edinburgh
$1,257 per person · 22 reviews
★★★★★
Two nights in Kirkwall on a five-day loop: the Italian Chapel, the Churchill Barriers, Maeshowe, Skara Brae and St Magnus Cathedral. Rated 4.8. “Wonderful opportunity to explore and experience Scotland with a well informed tour guide” — Wiki Kahuwhariki, New Zealand
What it really costs
Ten of the eleven are priced per person, from $157 for a day on West Mainland to $2,314 for eight days from Edinburgh. The tour with an islander is priced per group of up to 3.
Swipe sideways →
| What you book | Price | What you get | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
| A shared day tour | $157–$225 per person | Neolithic sites or the coast, groups of 7 to 14 | 5.5–6 hours |
| A private day | $212–$249 per person | Private: your party only, pickup included | 6–8 hours |
| Private hours with an islander | $1,316 per group of up to 3 | A route set to your interests, pickup in Kirkwall | 5 hours |
| Three days from Inverness | $654–$779 per person | Ferry crossing on the route; two nights on Orkney | 2.5–3 days |
| Five days from Edinburgh | $1,257–$1,294 per person | The far north both ways; two nights in Kirkwall | 5 days |
| Eight days from Edinburgh | $2,314 per person | North Coast 500 too; Orkney on days 2–4 | 7.5 days |
The honest answer
Worth it if you want two nights on the islands, Maeshowe as well as Skara Brae, and no driving of your own. At $654 per person it costs about four times a day tour, and much of the three days is road and ferry.
Three days from Inverness, hour by hour
The listing asks you to book at least 14 days in advance and to bring one bag of up to 20 kg. Children under 5 are not carried.
The meeting point is the bus stop by Inverness Cathedral on Ardross Street, 15 minutes before departure. The group travels in a 16-seat mini-coach.
Up the northeast coast to John o' Groats, then on to Gills Bay, where you board the ferry and cross the Pentland Firth.
A stop at the Italian Chapel, then the first of two nights in Kirkwall, in a small, locally owned guesthouse or B&B.
The 5,000-year-old village of Skara Brae, the stone circle at Brodgar and the standing stones of Stenness, all part of the UNESCO-listed Heart of Neolithic Orkney.
The cairn of Maeshowe, where in the 12th century Vikings left one of the largest collections of Norse runic inscriptions. Back to Kirkwall for the second night.
A ferry back to the mainland and a drive through Caithness and Sutherland, with the story of the Highland clearances on the way.
The listing gives the arrival back in Inverness as early evening.
Best time of day
The hour to plan is the one before you start. Our top pick meets at the bus stop by Inverness Cathedral on Ardross Street, and the far north tour opposite the Victorian Market; both ask you to be there 15 minutes early. On that far north tour and on the eight-day tour, late arrivals get no money back. On Orkney, the ferry day trip waits in the Stromness Ferry Terminal car park, and the West Mainland tour leaves from Stand 5 at the Kirkwall Travel Centre.
On the ground
Skara Brae: stone furniture about 5,000 years old.
On one tour only, five days from Edinburgh.
Maeshowe on three multi-day tours; Unstan on two private ones.
A tidal island; three tours reach it when the tide allows.
What it's like
Eleven listings here cross to Orkney or start on it. Six are day tours on the islands; five are multi-day tours that begin in Inverness or Edinburgh and spend two nights on Orkney. Most of them plan the day around the same Neolithic sites on the West Mainland.
Skara Brae is the stone village by the Bay of Skaill, discovered in 1850 and described in one listing as Northern Europe’s best-preserved Neolithic village. On the ferry day trip the entry fee for Skara Brae and Skaill House is part of the tour price; the other listings do not say whether entry is covered.
The Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness are the stone circles. The West Mainland listing dates the henge at Brodgar back 4,500 years and calls Stenness one of the oldest stone circles in the UK. On the beaches and cliffs tour, both are optional stops at the end of the day.
Between the sites, the tours turn to the coast. Yesnaby’s cliffs are on five of the day tours and on the three-day far north tour from Inverness. The beaches and cliffs tour adds Waukmill Bay, the Bay of Skaill and the Brough of Birsay, a tidal island. The West Mainland tour drives past Scapa Flow, the main British naval base in both World Wars.
From Inverness, the two three-day tours cross the Pentland Firth by ferry; the three from Edinburgh take five or eight, with Glen Coe on the way. Three of them stop at Maeshowe, the chambered cairn where Vikings left Norse runic inscriptions. No day tour here names it.
Our top pick is the three-day tour from Inverness with Skara Brae: $654 per person, rated 4.8 from 87 reviews. It meets by Inverness Cathedral on Ardross Street and boards the ferry at Gills Bay. On the top pick, both nights are in Kirkwall, in small guesthouses and B&Bs with en suite rooms. Day two is Skara Brae, Brodgar, Stenness and Maeshowe.
For an Orkney tourist with one day, tours start from $157 per person and last five to eight hours. The West Mainland tour leaves from the Kirkwall Travel Centre, and the ferry day trip meets the boat from Scrabster in Stromness. Three private tours pick you up: the cruise ship tour, the full-day tour and the five-hour tour with an islander.
While you're on Orkney
Already on Orkney, or coming over on the ferry for the day? These three cover the West Mainland in five and a half to six hours, in groups of up to 14, or 7 on the beaches and cliffs tour.
Practical
Most of the day is set by the listing you book: where it starts, which sites it stops at, what the price covers and how you reach the islands.
Six hours from Stand 5 at the Kirkwall Travel Centre, up to 14 guests, with 85 minutes guided at Skara Brae. It can finish at the cruise port if required.
Five and a half hours from the Stromness Ferry Terminal car park, timed to the ferry from Scrabster and back. The ferry fare is paid separately.
Six hours from Kirkwall with up to seven people: Waukmill Bay, Yesnaby, the Bay of Skaill and the Brough of Birsay, with Brodgar and Stenness as options.
The cruise ship tour runs six hours, the private full day eight, the islander’s tour five. Pickup comes with each of the three.
The five-hour private tour with an islander costs $1,316 per group of up to three people, with pickup in Kirkwall.
The ferry day trip pays your entry to Skara Brae and Skaill House. The other listings do not say whether entry is in the price.
On the route of three multi-day tours: our top pick from Inverness and two of the five-day tours from Edinburgh. No listing says whether the ticket is covered.
Built by Italian prisoners of war during the Second World War. On the ferry day trip and the five-hour private tour, the visit is optional and costs extra.
Named by one listing, the five-day Far North tour from Edinburgh. The barriers were built to protect the British fleet from submarines.
A tidal island on the beaches and cliffs tour, the private full day and the far north tour from Inverness, which crosses if the tide allows.
Tours start from $157 per person. Our top pick, three days from Inverness with Skara Brae, is $654 per person.
Shown on each of the eleven listings. On some multi-day tours the window is longer, so check it on the listing you book.
Our top pick and the five-day Orkney and Northern Coast tour ask you to book at least 14 days in advance.
Up to 7 on the beaches and cliffs tour, 14 on the West Mainland tour and the ferry day trip, 16 on the multi-day tours. Three tours are private.
The two Inverness tours and two from Edinburgh take children from 5 years; the five-day Far North tour from 3.
The ferry day trip meets the boat in Stromness and brings you back in time for the return sailing. The fare is not in the tour price.
Our top pick drives the coast from Inverness by John o’ Groats and boards the ferry at Gills Bay to cross the Pentland Firth.
Our top pick meets at the bus stop by Inverness Cathedral on Ardross Street, the far north tour opposite the Victorian Market. Both ask you to come 15 minutes early.
The five-day Far North tour meets at Parliament Square on the Royal Mile. The other two listings from Edinburgh give no street address.
The West Mainland tour leaves from Stand 5 at the Kirkwall Travel Centre. The private full day offers five pickup points, from Kirkwall to the ferry terminal in Stromness.
Best time
Plan by length rather than by month: a day on the islands, three days from Inverness, or five to eight from Edinburgh. The multi-day tours spend two nights on Orkney.
5 – 8 hours
Six tours, starting in Kirkwall, at the ferry in Stromness, or with pickup on the private tours. The ferry day trip meets the sailing from Scrabster and gets you back for the return boat.
2.5 – 3 days
Our top pick: meet by Inverness Cathedral 15 minutes early, cross from Gills Bay, spend day two at Skara Brae, Brodgar, Stenness and Maeshowe, and arrive back in Inverness in the early evening.
5 days
Two tours, each with Maeshowe on the route and two nights in Kirkwall. The five-day Far North tour from Edinburgh adds the Churchill Barriers; the Northern Coast tour returns by Ullapool and the Cairngorms.
7.5 – 8 days
Orkney fills days two to four: Kirkwall, the Italian Chapel, Brodgar, Skara Brae and Stromness. The rest of the week runs the North Coast 500, Glen Coe and Oban back to Edinburgh.
Worth knowing
Two tours cost $157 per person. The West Mainland tour starts in Kirkwall. The ferry day trip starts in Stromness and pays your entry to Skara Brae, but the ferry fare is paid separately.
The five-hour private tour is priced per group. Its $1,316 per group covers up to three people, so split it by your party before you compare it with the per-person prices.
Maeshowe is on the multi-day routes. Three of them stop at the chambered cairn; no day tour here names it, and no listing says whether its ticket is in the price.
The long tours want notice. Our top pick and the five-day Northern Coast tour ask you to book at least 14 days in advance. On the far north tour and the eight-day tour, late arrivals get no money back.
Meals are not in the listings. No listing here says breakfast, lunch or dinner is in the price. The top pick’s guesthouses are a 20 to 30 minute walk from pubs and restaurants.
Coming off a cruise ship? The cruise ship tour picks you up, and the beaches and cliffs guide can collect you from the ship. The ferry day trip starts 15 miles from the cruise port and does not suit you.
A longer trip
Go deeper
Common questions
Five tours do it. Two leave from Inverness for three days, and three from Edinburgh for five or eight days. Each spends two nights on Orkney, and our top pick, three days from Inverness with Skara Brae, costs $654 per person. The ferry crossing is part of the route, but the listings do not say whether the fare is covered.
The ferry day trip is built for that. It meets the Scrabster–Stromness ferry, spends five and a half hours on the West Mainland with Yesnaby, Skara Brae, Brodgar and Stenness, and gets you back in time for the return sailing. It costs $157 per person; the ferry fare is paid separately.
Three listings suit a port day. The cruise ship tour is private, runs six hours and picks you up. The beaches and cliffs guide can collect you from your ship, and the West Mainland tour can finish at the cruise port if required. The ferry day trip starts in Stromness, 15 miles from the cruise port, so it does not suit cruise passengers.
Four day tours stop at both: the West Mainland tour from Kirkwall, the ferry day trip from Stromness, the private full day and the five-hour private tour. Time at Skara Brae runs from an hour to an hour and a half, and at Brodgar from 30 to 45 minutes.
On the ferry day trip, the entry fee for Skara Brae and Skaill House is part of the tour price. The other listings that visit Skara Brae do not say whether entry is covered, so check before you book. The private full day asks for your names and ages for discounts at some sites.
Three multi-day tours: our top pick from Inverness and two five-day tours from Edinburgh. Maeshowe is the chambered cairn where Vikings left Norse runic inscriptions in the 12th century. No day tour here names it, and no listing says whether its ticket is covered.
Four of the five name Kirkwall for the nights on Orkney. Our top pick and the five-day Northern Coast tour use small, locally owned guesthouses and B&Bs with en suite rooms. On the five-day Far North tour, travellers on their own can choose a single room. The listings do not say that meals are covered.
Free cancellation shows on each of the eleven listings here. On some multi-day tours the window is longer, so check it on the listing before you book.
One PDF · no account needed
One PDF: which tour fits the days you have, where each one starts, and which sites it stops at. Built from the listings and the same live prices as this page.
The plan is on its way. If it isn't there in a minute, look in Promotions.
Why trust this page
Prices, ratings, durations, meeting points and stops are read off the live listings, and updated with the page.
Eleven listings are on this page: six day tours on Orkney and five multi-day tours from Inverness and Edinburgh. Our top pick is three days from Inverness with Skara Brae. Nobody pays to be featured.
Entry is in the price on one listing, the ferry day trip, for Skara Brae and Skaill House. For Maeshowe, the ferry and meals, no listing says so, and we do not claim it.
The multi-day tours begin in Inverness or Edinburgh, not on Orkney, and we say so beside each one. The group day tours start in Kirkwall or at the ferry in Stromness.
The answer
Our top pick meets by Inverness Cathedral, boards the ferry at Gills Bay and spends day two at Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar, the Stones of Stenness and Maeshowe, with both nights in Kirkwall. It costs $654 per person and is rated 4.8 from 87 reviews. Book at least 14 days ahead.
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From Inverness: 3-Day Orkney Islands & Skara Brae Tour
★ 4.8 · 87 reviews · Free cancellation
