Rated 4.9275 reviews
6 hOrkney: West Mainland Group Day Tour
★ 4.9 · 275 reviews
- Six hours, Skara Brae guided tour, 85 minutes
- Limited to 14 guests
- Cheapest here
- Free cancellation
$157$26.17 / hour
Check availability→ One day on the islands
Orkney day trip: six tours by start, hours and price
Six tours on this site fit an Orkney day trip: two shared days from Kirkwall and the Stromness ferry, a coast day for up to seven, and three private tours. This guide compares where each starts, how long it runs, what it stops at and what the price covers, from $157 per person.
Quick answer
The short answer. For a first Orkney day trip, the West Mainland day from Kirkwall at $157 per person is the most reviewed day here: 275 reviews at 4.9 and 85 guided minutes at Skara Brae. Coming over on the ferry from Scrabster? The $157 ferry day meets you at Stromness and includes Skara Brae entry; the ferry fare is extra. Off a cruise ship, the $249 private day includes pick-up. A private guide for up to three costs $1,316 per group.
Orkney day trip at a glance
- Day tours here
- 6 of 11the other five are multi-day
- Price
- From $157per person
- Length
- 5 to 8 hoursas each listing gives it
- Shared starts
- Kirkwall and StromnessTravel Centre and ferry terminal
- Private tours
- 3 of the 6one priced per group of up to 3
- Shared groups
- Up to 14 gueststhe coast day: up to 7
- Skara Brae entry
- Ferry day onlywith Skaill House
- Ferry fare
- Not includedon the ferry day
- Meals
- In no pricenone of the six lists food
- Off a cruise ship
- Pick-up on the private daythe coast day can collect you
- Reviews
- 589across the six day tours
- Cancellation
- Free cancellationon all six
Meeting points
Where each Orkney day trip starts
Kirkwall, Stromness or your door: three ways the day begins.
The two shared days start in different towns. The West Mainland day leaves from Stand 5 at the Kirkwall Travel Centre and finishes there, or at the cruise port if required. The ferry day starts in the car park of the Stromness Ferry Terminal: it meets the arriving ferry and gets you back in time for the sailing home.
The coast day starts at Hatston, on the edge of Kirkwall. The three private tours come to you. The full-day private tour offers five pick-up points: two hotels in Kirkwall, Hatston, Stand 4 at the Travel Centre and the Stromness Ferry Terminal. The five-hour tour picks up in Kirkwall, and the cruise ship day includes pick-up and drop-off.
Each day tour, current fare
Orkney day trip prices, side by side
Six one-day tours and what each price covers. None of the six lists meals in the price.
| Tour | Price | Price is for | Length | What the price covers | Where it starts | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Mainland day | $157 | per person | 6 hours | Guided drive for up to 14; 85 guided minutes at Skara Brae | Stand 5, Kirkwall Travel Centre | 4.9 · 275 |
| Ferry day | $157 | per person | 5.5 hours | Guide for up to 14; Skara Brae and Skaill House entry. Ferry fare extra | Stromness Ferry Terminal car park | 4.8 · 223 |
| Private full day | $212 | per person | 8 hours | Private guide, pick-up at one of five points, nine stops on the plan | Kirkwall, Hatston or Stromness | 4.4 · 5 |
| Beaches and cliffs | $225 | per person | 6 hours | Shared guided coast tour for up to 7 people | Hatston, Kirkwall, or your cruise ship | 4.8 · 21 |
| Cruise ship day | $249 | per person | 6 hours | Private guide, pick-up and drop-off, fully electric vehicle | Pick-up; place on the booking page | 5.0 · 15 |
| Private five hours | $1,316 | per group, up to 3 | 5 hours | Private guide and vehicle; Italian Chapel at extra fee | Pick-up in Kirkwall | 5.0 · 50 |
Stop by stop
What each day covers, in order
Stop lengths as each listing gives them.
- West Mainland day, $157
Scapa Flow from the road, a photo stop at Stenness, 40 guided minutes at the Ring of Brodgar, Yesnaby, 85 guided minutes at Skara Brae, then the Earl’s Palace at Birsay and Kirbuster Farm Museum.
- Ferry day, $157
Yesnaby, 1.5 guided hours at Skara Brae and Skaill House with entry paid, 30 minutes at Brodgar, a photo stop at Stenness, then Kirkwall or the Italian Chapel at an extra fee.
- Beaches and cliffs, $225
Scapa Beach, the sand of Waukmill Bay, Stromness with views of Hoy, Yesnaby, the Bay of Skaill and the tidal Brough of Birsay. Brodgar and Stenness come last, marked optional.
- Cruise ship day, $249
No fixed route: 5,000 years of island history, from Neolithic monuments and Viking heritage to the wartime past, shaped around your interests.
- Private full day, $212
Skara Brae for 1.5 hours, Stenness, Brodgar, a step inside Unstan Cairn, the Italian Chapel, the Broch of Gurness above Eynhallow Sound, the Brough of Birsay at low tide, Yesnaby and Scapa Flow.
- Private five hours, $1,316
Guided time at Skara Brae (one hour), the Ring of Brodgar (45 minutes) and Stenness (20 minutes), plus Scapa, Unstan and Yesnaby. The Italian Chapel and 30 minutes in Kirkwall are options.
Tickets
Which day tours include the Skara Brae ticket
One listing says so in writing. The others leave it open.
Only the ferry day says it in writing: Skara Brae and Skaill House are listed with the entry fee included. On any other Orkney day trip here, the listing does not say whether the Skara Brae ticket is in the price, so check the inclusions on the booking page before you pay.
The full-day private tour asks for your names and ages when you book, for discounts at some of the sites; it does not say who pays. The Italian Chapel is marked optional, at an extra fee, on the ferry day and on the five-hour private tour. Maeshowe is on none of the six day tours: it appears only on three multi-day tours that start in Inverness or Edinburgh.
On the day
Stones, cliffs and a tidal shore
The kind of ground the day tours cover.
Standing stones
Three tall grey stones rise from mown grass under a broken sky, with a low white building and a strip of water on the horizon.
Rock ledges
Flat, layered rock ledges edged with grass drop to a dark blue sea, with white surf breaking around a low reef.
Across the shore
A green, flat-topped island sits across a wide shore of grey boulders, with a blue lobster creel in the foreground.
Roofless walls
Tall walls of thin flat stones stand open to the sky, with square window gaps and a stone pillar in the corner.
By ferry from Scrabster
Coming over for the day on the ferry
One tour meets the boat at Stromness and sees you back onto it.
If you are staying on the Scottish mainland, the ferry day is built for you. This Orkney day trip meets the Scrabster to Stromness ferry, runs 5.5 hours, and returns you in time for the ferry back. The ferry fare is not included: you buy that crossing yourself, and the $157 covers the tour on the island, with Skara Brae entry. Groups are capped at 14 and commentary is in English.
223 reviewers give it 4.8. Mandy from Australia: «Was a great way to see the key sites without the stress of self driving». Pam from the United Kingdom adds a practical tip: «Take a packed lunch as it gets very busy to find food.»
Group size
How many people share your day
From a private car to a group of 14, as each listing states.
- Up to 14 guests
The West Mainland day and the ferry day, both shared.
- Up to 7 people
The beaches and cliffs day, shared. Its listing calls it suitable for people with mobility issues.
- Private, priced per person
The cruise ship day ($249) and the full day ($212).
- Private, priced per group
The five-hour tour is $1,316 for a group of up to three, with more by arrangement.
From a cruise ship
A day ashore from Kirkwall
Three day tours work around a ship. One does not.
For an Orkney day trip off a ship, the cruise ship day is the one written for passengers: a private six-hour tour with pick-up and drop-off in the price, in a fully electric vehicle, wheelchair accessible and shaped around what you want to see. It costs $249 per person and is rated 5.0 across 15 reviews.
The beaches and cliffs guide writes that he can collect you directly from your cruise ship on arrival. Emmerich from Austria: «Everything organized perfectly, lots of information.» The West Mainland day can drop you at the cruise port at the end. The ferry day is not for ship passengers: its own listing says the cruise port is 15 miles from the starting point.
Before you book
Five things to check before you pay
A minute on the listing saves a surprise.
- The ferry fare
On the ferry day it is extra. Book the crossing from Scrabster yourself, to match the tour.
- Skara Brae entry
Written as included only on the ferry day. On the others, check the inclusions.
- Food
None of the six lists a meal. One ferry-day reviewer says to take a packed lunch.
- Seat width
The West Mainland day gives seats 48 to 51 cm wide and lets you buy an extra seat.
- Cancellation
All six day tours offer free cancellation. Check the deadline on the booking page.
Our verdict
Our verdict on the six day tours
For a first Orkney day trip, book the West Mainland day at $157: 275 reviews at 4.9, more than any other tour here, with Stenness, Brodgar, Yesnaby and 85 guided minutes at Skara Brae. Arriving by ferry, take the $157 ferry day, Skara Brae entry included. Off a ship, the $249 private day with pick-up. Private, for up to three, the $1,316 five-hour tour, rated 5.0 across 50 reviews.
Book direct
Book your Orkney day trip
All six one-day tours. Five are priced per person; the five-hour private tour is priced per group of up to three.
Lowest price here223 reviews
5.5 hOrkney Day Trip: Meets the Scrabster - Stromness Ferry
★ 4.8 · 223 reviews
- 5.5 hours, Meets the Scrabster–Stromness ferry
- Skara Brae entry fee included
- Likely to sell out
- Free cancellation
$157$28.55 / hour
Check availability→ 
Yesnaby Cliffs and Bay of Skaill6 h
6 hOrkney Beaches and Cliffs with Neolithic Stones
★ 4.8 · 21 reviews
- Six hours, Limited to 7 participants
- Yesnaby Cliffs and Bay of Skaill
- Cruise ship collection possible
- Free cancellation
$225$37.50 / hour
Check availability→ 
Likely to sell out6 h
6 hCruise Ship Orkney Day Tour
★ 5.0 · 15 reviews
- Six hours, Pick-up and drop-off included
- Fully electric vehicle
- Likely to sell out
- Free cancellation
$249$41.50 / hour
Check availability→ 
Skara Brae visit, 1.5 hours8 h
8 hOrkney Private Full Day Tour
★ 4.4 · 5 reviews
- Eight hours, Five pickup location options
- Skara Brae visit, 1.5 hours
- Longest tour here
- Free cancellation
$212$26.50 / hour
Check availability→ 
Rated 5.050 reviews
5 hHistoric Orkney Private Odyssey by a Native Islander 5h
★ 5.0 · 50 reviews
- Five hours, Private group, up to 3 people
- Pickup in Kirkwall
- Skara Brae guided tour, 1 hour
- Free cancellation
$1,316per group, up to 3 people
Check availability→ Common questions
Orkney day trip: questions, answered
Can I visit Orkney for the day on the ferry from Scrabster?
Yes. The ferry day meets the Scrabster to Stromness ferry, runs 5.5 hours and returns you in time for the ferry back. It costs $157 per person with Skara Brae entry; the ferry fare is not included.
Can you visit Orkney for a day from Inverness?
Not on a tour bookable here: none of the six day tours starts in Inverness. The two tours that leave Inverness last three days, with two nights on the islands, at $654 and $779 per person. Both drive north past John o’ Groats, and the ferry crossing is part of the route.
Are Skara Brae tickets included on the day tours?
On the ferry day, yes: the listing gives Skara Brae and Skaill House with the entry fee included. The West Mainland day and the two private tours that stop there do not say, so check the inclusions before you pay.
Can you see the Ring of Brodgar and Skara Brae in one day?
Yes. Four day tours stop at both: the West Mainland day and the ferry day, both $157 per person, the full-day private tour at $212 per person and the five-hour private tour at $1,316 per group.
How long do you spend at Skara Brae?
85 guided minutes on the West Mainland day, 1.5 hours on the ferry day and on the full-day private tour, and one guided hour on the five-hour private tour. The cruise ship day does not publish a route.
Is there an Orkney day trip that picks up at the cruise port?
The cruise ship day ($249 per person) includes pick-up and drop-off, and the beaches and cliffs guide can collect you from your ship. The ferry day is not meant for cruise passengers.
More time?
When one day is not enough
An Orkney day trip fits Skara Brae and the stone circles into five to eight hours. With three days, our top pick is the $654 three-day tour from Inverness, which adds Maeshowe and two nights in Kirkwall to Skara Brae, Brodgar and Stenness; 87 reviewers rate it 4.8. It starts and ends in Inverness, and the ferry crossing is part of the route.
Go deeper
More guides to Orkney
From the ferry
From the ferry
The day tour that meets the ferry from Scrabster at Stromness.
From a cruise shipFrom a cruise ship
Tours that mention ships calling at Kirkwall, and what fits a port day.
Private toursPrivate tours
Private tours with island guides: hours, sites and price for your group.
Skara BraeSkara Brae
The stone village by the bay, and which tours give you time inside.
From InvernessFrom Inverness
The three-day tours from Inverness, and what each day covers.
