Rated 4.930 reviews
5 daysScotland: Orkney and Northern Coast 5-Day Tour
★ 4.9 · 30 reviews
- Five days, Two nights in Kirkwall
- Maeshowe, Skara Brae and Brodgar
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
$1,294
Check availability→ Five or eight days from Edinburgh
Orkney tour from Edinburgh: five days or eight
Three tours on this site leave Edinburgh, drive north through the Highlands, cross to the islands by ferry and spend two nights in Kirkwall. This Orkney tour from Edinburgh guide lines them up day by day: the route, where you sleep, which Neolithic sites you see and what the price covers. Five days cost $1,257 or $1,294 per person; eight days, $2,314.
Quick answer
The short answer. Every Orkney tour from Edinburgh here takes the same shape: a long first day north, a ferry, two nights in Kirkwall, then a different road home. For the most reviews of the three, take the five-day Northern Coast tour at $1,294 (30 reviews at 4.9) with en suite rooms in Kirkwall. For the most stops on Orkney itself, including the Churchill Barriers and St Magnus Cathedral, the five-day Far North tour at $1,257. With eight days, the North Coast 500 and Skye tour at $2,314.
Orkney tour from Edinburgh at a glance
- Tours from Edinburgh
- 3two of five days, one of eight
- Price per person
- $1,257 to $2,314set by the length
- Nights on Orkney
- 2 on every tourin Kirkwall
- Way across
- Ferrypart of every route
- Group size
- Up to 16on all three
- Guide
- Live, in Englishon all three
- Maeshowe
- Two of the threeboth five-day tours
- Skara Brae
- All threewith the Ring of Brodgar
- Churchill Barriers
- One tourthe five-day Far North
- Meals
- Not statedon any of the three
- Reviews
- 58across the three tours
- Cancellation
- Free cancellationdeadline on each listing
The shape of the trip
How the days are laid out
North on day one, the ferry on day two, two nights in Kirkwall, then home by another road.
An Orkney tour from Edinburgh is mostly a road trip with the islands in the middle. Kirkwall is a long way north of the capital, so the first day is spent getting into the Highlands, and each tour stops the night in Inverness or along the way before the crossing. The ferry comes on day two. Then you have two nights in Kirkwall, and the full day between them is the one built around Skara Brae and the stone circles.
The way home is where the three split. Both five-day tours ferry back on day four: the Far North tour heads to Inverness and returns through Culloden, the Cairngorm Mountains and Pitlochry; the Northern Coast tour runs along the top of Scotland past Ben Loyal and Ben Hope to a night in Ullapool. The eight-day tour leaves Orkney on day four as well, then keeps going: the North Coast 500, Skye, a steam train, Glen Coe and Oban.
Every tour, current fare
Orkney tour from Edinburgh prices, side by side
The three tours from Edinburgh and our top pick from Inverness. All prices are per person; none of the listings says that meals or the ferry fare are in the price.
| Tour | Price | Price is for | Length | What the price covers | Where it starts | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Far North, five days | $1,257 | per person | 5 days | Guided tour in English, up to 16, two nights in Kirkwall, Single, Double or Twin rooms | Parliament Square, Royal Mile, Edinburgh | 4.8 · 22 |
| Northern Coast, five days | $1,294 | per person | 5 days | Guided tour in English, up to 16, two nights in Kirkwall in en suite guesthouses and B&Bs | Edinburgh; meeting point varies with the option booked | 4.9 · 30 |
| North Coast 500 and Skye, eight days | $2,314 | per person | 7.5 days | Guided tour in English, up to 16, two nights on Orkney, steam train in season | Edinburgh; no street address on the listing | 5.0 · 6 |
| From Inverness, our top pick | $654 | per person | 3 days | Guided tour in English, up to 16, two nights in Kirkwall in en suite guesthouses and B&Bs | Inverness, by the cathedral | 4.8 · 87 |
Day by day
The five-day Far North tour, $1,257
Rated 4.8 across 22 reviews. It has the longest list of Orkney stops of the three.
- Day 1: Edinburgh to Inverness
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, Glen Coe, Fort William and the Great Glen, then Loch Ness. The night is in Inverness.
- Day 2: north and across
Past the Moray and Cromarty Firths to the ferry. On Orkney, the Italian Chapel and the Churchill Barriers, built to keep submarines away from the fleet. Night in Kirkwall.
- Day 3: the Neolithic day
Maeshowe chambered cairn, Skara Brae, the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar, then St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall. A second night in Kirkwall.
- Day 4: back to the mainland
The day starts with the ferry back, then the drive south to Inverness for the night.
- Day 5: home through the Cairngorms
Culloden, the Cairngorm Mountains and Pitlochry on the way back to Edinburgh.
Day by day
The five-day Northern Coast tour, $1,294
Rated 4.9 across 30 reviews, the most of the three. It is the one with the north coast road.
- Day 1: Edinburgh to Inverness
Past Stirling Castle, then Doune Castle, Callander, Rannoch Moor, Glen Coe and Loch Ness. The night is in Inverness.
- Day 2: Black Isle and the ferry
The Black Isle, past Dunrobin Castle, then the ferry near John o’ Groats across the Pentland Firth. The Italian Chapel, then Kirkwall, home for two nights.
- Day 3: Orkney’s ancient sites
Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar, the Stones of Stenness and Maeshowe, all on one day.
- Day 4: the top of Scotland
Ferry back, then Ben Loyal, Ben Hope, Assynt and Ardvreck Castle. The night is in Ullapool.
- Day 5: south to Edinburgh
Corrieshalloch Gorge, Clava Cairns, Culloden and the Cairngorms. Back in Edinburgh around 19:00.
Day by day
The eight-day North Coast 500 and Skye tour, $2,314
Rated 5.0 across 6 reviews. Orkney is days two to four of eight.
- Day 1: north through Perthshire
Dunkeld, the Highland Folk Museum, Culloden and Clava Cairns.
- Day 2: to Orkney
Dunrobin Castle and a distillery, then the ferry and the night in Kirkwall.
- Day 3: a day on Orkney
The Italian Chapel, built in WWII from two Nissen huts, the Ring of Brodgar, Skara Brae with its ten houses, and Stromness.
- Day 4: the North Coast 500
The ferry back, then Smoo Cave, Sango Sands and Knockan Crag.
- Day 5: west to Skye
Corrieshalloch Gorge and Eilean Donan, then on to Skye.
- Day 6: the steam train
Mallaig to Fort William by steam train, available April to October, then Glen Coe.
- Day 7: Oban
A day at leisure in Oban.
- Day 8: back to Edinburgh
Kilchurn Castle, the Falls of Dochart and the Kelpies. Back in Edinburgh at 5pm.
Along the way
Chapels, causeways and the road north
Three things you pass on an Orkney tour from Edinburgh, as the tours run them.
Inside the chapel
A painted vault and a white altar between two small stained-glass windows, framed by a black wrought-iron screen. All three tours stop at the Italian Chapel.
Blocks against the sea
Waves break on a long bank of concrete blocks beside a two-lane road on a causeway. The Churchill Barriers are on the five-day Far North tour.
The first day north
Mist hangs over pine forest, with orange and yellow autumn trees mirrored in calm water below. Day one is spent driving through the Highlands.
On the islands
What your two days on Orkney cover
Skara Brae, Brodgar and the chapel on all three; Maeshowe on two; the barriers on one.
On every Orkney tour from Edinburgh you get the same core: the Italian Chapel, Skara Brae and the Ring of Brodgar. The differences sit around that core. Both five-day tours take you to Maeshowe, the chambered cairn; the eight-day tour does not name it. The Stones of Stenness are on both five-day tours, but are not named on the eight-day one.
The five-day Far North tour is the only one with the Churchill Barriers and the only Edinburgh tour that names St Magnus Cathedral. The eight-day tour is the only one with Stromness. M from the United States, on the Far North tour: «The itinerary was a perfect pace, we really got enough time to see everything without being rushed.»
Before you book
Six things to check before you pay
Ten minutes on the listing makes your Orkney tour from Edinburgh easier on the first morning.
- The ferry fare
The crossing is on every route, but no listing says the fare is in the price. Check before you pay.
- Meals
None of the three listings says meals are included. Plan to buy your own.
- Luggage
15 kg on the Far North and eight-day tours; the Far North bag is 55 by 40 by 20 cm. The Northern Coast listing gives no limit.
- Age
From 3 years on the Far North tour, from 5 on the other two.
- Booking ahead
The Northern Coast tour asks you to book at least 14 days in advance.
- Where you sleep
Rooms can be spread out. Elizabeth Anne from Australia, on the Far North tour: «The small group were spread over a range of B and Bs and hotels.»
Rooms, ferry and meals
What the price says, and what it leaves out
Two nights in Kirkwall on every tour; meals and the ferry fare are not stated.
Each Orkney tour from Edinburgh builds the nights into the route. The Northern Coast listing is the clearest on rooms: small, locally owned guesthouses and B&Bs in Kirkwall, every room en suite. The Far North listing offers Single, Double and Twin rooms, and if you travel alone you choose the Single Room option. The eight-day listing names Kirkwall as the first night on Orkney. Alice from the United Kingdom, on the eight-day tour: «The route was efficiently planned, the bus comfortable and well designed and the accommodation was immaculately clean, well-maintained and friendly.»
Two costs are worth planning for. No listing says whether the ferry ticket is in the price, and none says meals are, so budget for food each day.
Our verdict
Our verdict for those leaving Edinburgh
Book the five-day Northern Coast tour at $1,294 if you want one Orkney tour from Edinburgh: 30 reviewers rate it 4.9, and it has Maeshowe and en suite rooms in Kirkwall. For more of Orkney, the Far North tour at $1,257 adds the Churchill Barriers and St Magnus Cathedral. With eight days, the $2,314 tour adds the North Coast 500 and Skye.
Book direct
Orkney tour from Edinburgh: three to book
The Northern Coast tour, the Far North tour and the eight-day North Coast 500 and Skye tour. All three are priced per person.
Italian Chapel and Churchill Barriers5 days
5 daysFrom Edinburgh: Orkney and The Far North 5-Day Tour
★ 4.8 · 22 reviews
- Five days, Two nights in Kirkwall
- Italian Chapel and Churchill Barriers
- Maeshowe and Skara Brae visits
- Free cancellation
$1,257
Check availability→ 
Skara Brae and Ring of Brodgar7.5 days
7.5 daysFrom Edinburgh: 8-Day Skye, Orkney & North Coast 500 Tour
★ 5.0 · 6 reviews
- 7.5 days, Orkney by ferry on day 2
- Skara Brae and Ring of Brodgar
- Limited to 16 participants
- Free cancellation
$2,314
Check availability→ Common questions
Orkney tour from Edinburgh: questions, answered
Can you get from Edinburgh to Orkney on a tour?
Yes. Three tours on this site start in Edinburgh: two of five days, at $1,257 and $1,294 per person, and one of eight days at $2,314. Each crosses by ferry and spends two nights on Orkney, in Kirkwall.
Is the ferry included in Orkney tours from Edinburgh?
The crossing is part of every route, but none of the three listings says plainly that the ferry fare is in the price. Check the booking page before you pay.
Where do you stay on Orkney?
In Kirkwall, for two nights on all three tours. The Northern Coast tour uses small, locally owned guesthouses and B&Bs with en suite rooms. The other two listings do not say what kind of lodging it is.
Are meals included?
None of the three listings says so. Budget for your own breakfasts, lunches and dinners unless the booking page tells you otherwise.
What is the luggage allowance?
15 kg on the Far North and eight-day tours; the Far North tour also gives a bag size of 55 by 40 by 20 cm. The Northern Coast listing does not give a limit, so ask before you pack.
Can solo travellers book these tours?
Yes. On the Far North tour you choose the Single Room option when you book. The other two listings say nothing about single rooms.
Your options
Not starting in Edinburgh?
If your Orkney tour from Edinburgh does not fit the calendar, two shorter routes are on this site. Our top pick is the three-day tour from Inverness at $654, with two nights in Kirkwall and Maeshowe on the second day. If you reach the islands on your own, the day tours on Orkney start from $157 per person. Wiki Kahuwhariki from New Zealand, on the Far North tour: «Wonderful opportunity to explore and experience Scotland with a well informed tour guide…»
Go deeper
More guides to Orkney
From Inverness
From Inverness
The three-day tours from Inverness, and what each day covers.
Getting thereGetting there
Ferries and roads to the islands, and where each tour picks you up.
What you seeWhat you see
The Neolithic sites, chapels and coast that the tours stop at.
Skara BraeSkara Brae
The stone village by the bay, and which tours give you time inside.
