Our top pick3 days
3 daysFrom Inverness: 3-Day Orkney Islands & Skara Brae Tour
★ 4.8 · 87 reviews
- Three days, Two nights in Kirkwall
- Maeshowe and Skara Brae visits
- En suite guesthouse and B&B rooms
- Free cancellation
$654
Check availability→ Small groups
Orkney small group tours: sizes, stops and prices
Of the eleven tours on this site, eight are Orkney small group tours with a stated cap of 7, 14 or 16 people, and three are private. This guide sorts them by group size and shows what a small group changes on the day: minutes at Skara Brae, guided time at the stones, and the price, from $157 per person.
Quick answer
The short answer. Of the Orkney small group tours that last one day, book the West Mainland day at $157: up to 14 guests, 275 reviews at 4.9 and an 85-minute guided visit to Skara Brae. Coming over on the boat from Scrabster? The ferry day costs the same $157, also caps the group at 14 and includes Skara Brae entry; the ferry fare is yours to pay. The smallest shared group, seven people, is the $225 beaches and cliffs day. For three days, take our top pick: $654 from Inverness, two nights in Kirkwall, sixteen seats.
Orkney small group tours at a glance
- Tours with a group cap
- 8 of 11the other 3 are private
- Smallest shared group
- 7 peoplebeaches, cliffs and stones day
- One-day tours
- Up to 14West Mainland day and ferry day
- Multi-day tours
- Up to 16all five, from Inverness or Edinburgh
- Price
- From $157per person
- Private, whole group
- $1,316up to 3 people, 5 hours
- Skara Brae
- 85 to 90 minuteson the two 14-person days
- Skara Brae entry
- Ferry day onlywith Skaill House
- Nights on Orkney
- 2on each multi-day tour
- Reviews
- 759across all eleven tours
- Cancellation
- Free cancellationon all eleven
Group sizes
Seven, fourteen or sixteen: the three group sizes
Each listing states its cap. Here is what the number means in practice.
Orkney small group tours on this site come in three sizes, and each listing states its own cap. The beaches, cliffs and stones day from Kirkwall is limited to 7 participants and runs in a seven-seat vehicle. The West Mainland day takes a maximum of 14 guests, and the ferry day from Stromness is limited to 14 participants. All five multi-day tours, from Inverness or Edinburgh, are limited to 16, and our top pick names a 16-seat mini-coach.
A cap is a ceiling, not a head count. Dianne from the United Kingdom booked the West Mainland day and wrote: «Excellent- only the two of us so adapted to suit our tastes/requirements.» On a busy date you share the day with up to 13 others; on a quiet one, the group can be smaller.
The other three tours are private, and they get their own section below.
Every tour, current fare
Orkney small group tours and private tours, priced
All eleven tours, sorted by group size. Prices are per person, except the Odyssey, which is for the whole group. No listing says meals are included.
| Tour | Group | Price | Price is for | Length | What the price covers | Where it starts | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaches, cliffs and stones | Up to 7 | $225 | per person | 6 hours | Guide and seven-seat vehicle; Brodgar and Stenness are optional stops | Hatston, Kirkwall; the guide can collect you from your cruise ship | 4.8 · 21 |
| West Mainland day | Up to 14 | $157 | per person | 6 hours | Guide and transport; 85-minute guided visit to Skara Brae | Stand 5, Kirkwall Travel Centre; cruise port drop-off if required | 4.9 · 275 |
| Ferry day | Up to 14 | $157 | per person | 5.5 hours | Guide, transport, Skara Brae and Skaill House entry; ferry fare extra | Stromness Ferry Terminal car park | 4.8 · 223 |
| Three days from Inverness, our top pick | Up to 16 | $654 | per person | 3 days | Guide, 16-seat mini-coach, two nights in en suite guesthouses or B&Bs in Kirkwall | Ardross Street, by Inverness Cathedral | 4.8 · 87 |
| Three days with the Far North | Up to 16 | $779 | per person | 2.5 days | Guide, transport, two nights on Orkney; ferry crossing on the route | Opposite the Victorian Market, Inverness | 4.9 · 25 |
| Five days with the Far North | Up to 16 | $1,257 | per person | 5 days | Guide, transport, four nights, two of them in Kirkwall; single room option | Parliament Square, Royal Mile, Edinburgh | 4.8 · 22 |
| Five days with the North Coast | Up to 16 | $1,294 | per person | 5 days | Guide, transport, four nights, two in Kirkwall in en suite guesthouses or B&Bs | Edinburgh | 4.9 · 30 |
| Eight days with the North Coast 500 | Up to 16 | $2,314 | per person | 7.5 days | Guide, transport, nights along the route, two of them on Orkney | Edinburgh | 5.0 · 6 |
| Cruise day, private | Private | $249 | per person | 6 hours | Private guide, fully electric vehicle, pick-up and drop-off | Pick-up included; the place is set on booking | 5.0 · 15 |
| Private full day | Private | $212 | per person | 8 hours | Private guide; pickup from five points | Five points in Kirkwall, Hatston or Stromness | 4.4 · 5 |
| Private Odyssey | Private, up to 3 | $1,316 | per group, up to 3 | 5 hours | Private guide and vehicle; Italian Chapel at extra fee | Pickup in Kirkwall | 5.0 · 50 |
On the day
What a small group changes at the sites
Stop times come straight from the listings. They show where Orkney small group tours spend their minutes.
- Longer at Skara Brae
The two 14-person days give the village the most time: an 85-minute guided visit on the West Mainland day, 1.5 hours on the ferry day. The private full day also allows 1.5 hours, the Odyssey one hour.
- A guide at the stones
Both 14-person days walk the Ring of Brodgar as a guided tour, 40 or 30 minutes, then stop for 15 minutes at the Stones of Stenness for photographs.
- More stops, shorter stays
The 7-person day covers beaches, cliffs and stones with about ten minutes at each stop. Brodgar and Stenness come at the end as optional 30-minute visits.
- Room in the vehicle
The West Mainland listing gives seat widths of 48 to 51 cm and lets you book an extra seat if you want more space.
- Access
The 7-person day is listed as suitable for people with mobility issues, the private cruise day as wheelchair accessible, and the Odyssey adapts to your physical abilities.
At the sites
What a small group sees on the ground
Three places that Orkney small group tours stop at, as they look on an ordinary visit.
The sunken houses
A dark, stone-lined passage drops between turf-covered walls, while three visitors stand on the path above with the sea behind them.
Stones and sky
Two standing stones rise from dark heather under towering cloud, a gull perched on the taller one and a lone walker with a rucksack on the ridge to the left.
On the cliffs
Pale, lichen-spotted rock ledges step down towards a deep blue sea, where waves break white around a low red reef.
Multi-day
Sixteen seats from Inverness or Edinburgh
Two nights on Orkney, sixteen seats at most, and a crossing on every route.
All five multi-day Orkney small group tours start on the Scottish mainland, are limited to 16 participants and spend two nights on the islands. The ferry crossing is part of each route, but no listing says whether the fare is in the price. Two leave from Inverness for three days; three leave from Edinburgh for five or eight days.
Our top pick, the $654 three-day tour from Inverness, names a 16-seat mini-coach, two nights in small, locally owned guesthouses and B&Bs in Kirkwall with en suite rooms, and a visit to Maeshowe, which no day tour on this site includes. Kirsty from Canada praised «the great instructions when we left the mini bus each time». One honest note: Glenys from Canada wrote that «we were disappointed in the lack of time at Skara Brae». If the village matters most, the 14-person day tours give it 85 to 90 minutes.
On the three-day Far North tour, Sandra from Austria found that «The group was nice and diverse, everybody was so communicative and easy to talk to.»
Before you book
Six things to check before you pay
A few minutes on the listing saves surprises at the meeting point.
- The ferry fare
The ferry day meets the Scrabster to Stromness boat, and its listing says ferry fares are not included. On multi-day tours the crossing is on the route; the listings do not say whether the fare is in the price.
- Site tickets
Skara Brae and Skaill House entry is included on the ferry day. The other listings do not say whether entry fees are in the price, Maeshowe among them.
- Luggage
Our top pick allows 20 kg in one bag; the Far North tour from Inverness, the five-day Far North tour and the eight-day tour allow 15 kg.
- Age
Children must be at least 5 on both Inverness tours, the five-day North Coast tour and the eight-day tour, and at least 3 on the five-day Far North tour.
- Booking ahead
Our top pick and the five-day North Coast tour must be booked at least 14 days in advance.
- Cancellation
All eleven offer free cancellation, but the window is longer on some multi-day tours, so check the date on the listing before you pay.
Private
Private tours: the smallest group of all
When even seven feels like a crowd, three tours here take only your party.
Private tours are the far end of the scale rather than Orkney small group tours. The $1,316 Odyssey is priced for the whole group of up to three people: five hours, pickup in Kirkwall, and a pace set by you. Shared by three, that is about $439 each; for a couple, it compares with $314 for two seats on the West Mainland day. It holds 50 reviews at 5.0. Karen Knight from Canada: «We had a fantastic day! So much better than a big bus tour!!!»
The other two private tours are priced per person. The $212 full day runs eight hours with pickup from five points; the $249 cruise day runs six hours in a fully electric vehicle, with pick-up and drop-off included. Go private for a route of your own, a slow pace or a wheelchair; otherwise a shared group of 7 to 14 costs less.
Book direct
Orkney small group tours to book
Our top pick from Inverness, the two 14-person days and the 7-person day. All four are priced per person.
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→ 
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→ Our verdict
Our verdict on group size
Of all the Orkney small group tours here, book the West Mainland day at $157 for one day: up to 14 guests, 275 reviews at 4.9 and 85 guided minutes at Skara Brae. Off the Scrabster boat, the $157 ferry day, with Skara Brae entry in the price. For the smallest shared group, the $225 7-person day. For time on the islands, our top pick at $654: three days, two nights in Kirkwall.
Common questions
Orkney small group tours: questions, answered
How big are Orkney small group tours?
It depends on the tour. The beaches, cliffs and stones day is limited to 7, the West Mainland day and the ferry day to 14, and all five multi-day tours to 16. Three private tours take only your party; the Odyssey is priced for up to three people.
Are Skara Brae tickets included in the tour?
On one tour: the $157 ferry day includes Skara Brae and Skaill House entry, though not the ferry fare. The other listings do not say whether the entry fee is in the price.
How long do Orkney small group tours spend at Skara Brae?
85 minutes, guided, on the West Mainland day; 1.5 hours on the ferry day and the private full day; one hour on the private Odyssey. The multi-day tours visit the village but do not give a time.
Are meals included on Orkney small group tours?
No listing says so. Pam from the United Kingdom, on the ferry day, advised: «Take a packed lunch as it gets very busy to find food.» Our top pick says its Kirkwall guesthouses are a 20 to 30 minute walk from pubs and restaurants.
What is the luggage allowance on the multi-day tours?
20 kg in one bag on our top pick from Inverness; 15 kg on the Far North tour from Inverness, the five-day Far North tour and the eight-day tour. The five-day North Coast listing gives no figure.
Can I cancel if my plans change?
Yes. All eleven tours offer free cancellation. The window is longer on some multi-day tours, so check the date on the listing before you pay.
Go deeper
More guides to Orkney
Day tours
Day tours
The one-day tours on the islands, compared by start, hours and stops.
Private toursPrivate tours
Private tours with island guides: hours, sites and price for your group.
From InvernessFrom Inverness
The three-day tours from Inverness, and what each day covers.
From EdinburghFrom Edinburgh
The five- and eight-day tours from Edinburgh that cross to Orkney.
Skara BraeSkara Brae
The stone village by the bay, and which tours give you time inside.
