Orkney tours from Inverness: three days, two nights on the islands

Both Orkney tours from Inverness follow the same shape. Day one is the drive north along the Highland coast to John o' Groats and the crossing of the Pentland Firth. Day two is spent on Orkney, among the Neolithic sites of the West Mainland. Day three crosses back and works down the mainland coast to reach Inverness by early evening. Both are small-group trips limited to 16 people, both are led by a live guide in English, and both start in the centre of Inverness, so you need no car of your own to reach the islands.

The differences are in the detail. The $654 trip crosses from Gills Bay, spends both nights in Kirkwall, and on day two adds Maeshowe, the chambered cairn where Vikings carved their runes in the 12th century. The $779 trip gives that time to the coast instead: the sea stacks of Yesnaby, the tidal Brough of Birsay, and on the way home Duncansby Head, the harbour at Lybster and the cathedral town of Dornoch.

Both Orkney tours from Inverness spend two nights on the islands. The $654 trip says the most about the rooms: small, locally owned guesthouses and B&Bs, all en suite, with both nights in Kirkwall. The listing is open that B&Bs usually sit on the edge of town, so allow a 20 to 30 minute walk to pubs and restaurants, and there are no lifts.

The $779 listing says only that you reach your accommodation by late afternoon on day one; it does not name the town or the type of room. Reviewers on that trip liked where they stayed. Sandra from Austria: «The accommodations were just perfect, right in the middle of Kirkwall.» On the $654 trip, Emily from Australia was more mixed: «The accommodation wasn’t fabulous but in a great position in the township of Kirkwall.»

The ferry crossing is part of the route on both Orkney tours from Inverness: the $654 trip boards at Gills Bay, and both cross the Pentland Firth on day one and back on day three. What neither listing says is whether the ferry fare is in the price. It is the one question worth asking through the booking page before you pay.

The same goes for the sites. The $654 trip visits Skara Brae and goes to Maeshowe, but the listing does not say whether entry to either is covered; the $779 trip visits Skara Brae and the Italian Chapel, with no word on entry fees either. On this site, the trip that states a Skara Brae entry fee in its price is the $157 day that meets the Scrabster to Stromness ferry, and that is one day on the islands, not a trip from Inverness. Meals are not mentioned in either listing, so plan to pay for your own food.

The $654 trip holds 4.8 across 87 reviews, the $779 trip 4.9 across 25. Most of the reviews we read praise the guide first and the range of sites second. Margaret Elizabeth from the United Kingdom, on the $654 trip: «Well-organised trip visiting many sights, including the amazing neolithic archaeology.» Tali from the United States, on the $779 trip: «The second day of the tour was the best. We loved all the historic Neolithic spots, especially Skara Brae (of course).»

One honest note. Glenys from Canada, on the $654 trip: «The range of sites was great but we were disappointed in the lack of time at Skara Brae». Day two on both trips fits several sites into one day, so the plan sets the time at each.

Book the $654 trip if you want one answer: it is our top pick, rated 4.8 by 87 reviewers, the lower of the two prices, it adds Maeshowe to Skara Brae, Brodgar and Stenness, and all its rooms are en suite. Pay $125 more for the $779 trip if you would rather see more coast, from the Yesnaby Cliffs to Duncansby Head, and like its 4.9 from 25 reviews.