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→ The stone village
Skara Brae tour: nine ways to reach the village
Nine of the eleven listings on this site stop at Skara Brae. This Skara Brae tour guide lines them up: how long each one gives you in the village, which one has the entry fee in the price, where each starts and what it costs, from $157 per person.
Quick answer
The short answer. If you are already on Orkney, a day-long Skara Brae tour is the simple way in. The $157 West Mainland day gives 85 guided minutes in the village and has the most reviews here, 275 at 4.9. Coming over on the ferry from Scrabster? The $157 day gives 1.5 guided hours, and it is the one listing that puts the entry fee in the price. Starting in Inverness or Edinburgh, a multi-day tour spends a full day on the West Mainland.
Skara Brae tours at a glance
- Listings that stop here
- 9 of 11four day tours, five multi-day
- Price
- From $157per person, day tour
- Time in the village
- 1 to 1.5 hourson the four day tours
- Guided visit
- 3 day tours85 minutes, 1.5 hours or 1 hour
- Entry fee in the price
- One listingthe ferry day, with Skaill House
- Village found
- 1850per two listings
- Age
- 5,000 yearsper the 3-day tour listing
- Heritage status
- UNESCO-listedHeart of Neolithic Orkney
- Day tours start
- Kirkwall or Stromnesstwo private tours collect you
- Multi-day tours start
- Inverness or Edinburghtwo nights on Orkney
- Reviews
- 723across the nine listings
- Cancellation
- Free cancellationreserve now, pay later
The village
What the listings tell you about Skara Brae
A 5,000-year-old village of ten houses, found in 1850 under the dunes.
Every Skara Brae tour on this site describes the village in a few lines. The 3-day listing from Inverness calls it «the 5,000-year-old village of Skara Brae». The West Mainland day calls it the «best-preserved Neolithic Village in Northern Europe» and says it was discovered in 1850. Another 3-day listing adds that it lay «hidden beneath sand dunes until its discovery in 1850», and the 8-day listing says it consists of ten houses.
It belongs to what the listings call the UNESCO-listed Heart of Neolithic Orkney, with the Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness. Every listing that stops here pairs the village with at least one of the two stone circles.
Tour by tour
How long each Skara Brae tour spends in the village
Times as each listing gives them. The multi-day tours name the village but give no minutes.
- West Mainland day, $157, 6 hours
A guided tour of Skara Brae for 85 minutes, then time on your own at the 400-year-old Skaill House or the visitor centre. Brodgar, Stenness and Yesnaby on the same day.
- Ferry day, $157, 5.5 hours
A guided tour of 1.5 hours at Skara Brae and Skaill House, entry fee included. Brodgar for 30 minutes, Stenness for 15, and Yesnaby.
- Private full day, $212 per person, 8 hours
A visit of 1.5 hours at Skara Brae, then Stenness, Brodgar, Unstan, the Italian Chapel and the Broch of Gurness.
- Private five hours, $1,316 per group of up to 3
A guided hour at Skara Brae, 45 minutes at Brodgar and 20 at Stenness, plus Unstan and Yesnaby. The Italian Chapel is an option at extra fee.
- 3-day tours from Inverness, $654 and $779
Skara Brae on day 2, with Brodgar and Stenness. The $654 tour adds the cairn of Maeshowe; the other adds Yesnaby and the Brough of Birsay.
- Tours from Edinburgh, 5 or 8 days
Skara Brae on day 3 of all three. The two 5-day tours add Maeshowe, Brodgar and Stenness; the 8-day tour adds Brodgar and Stromness.
Tickets
Is the Skara Brae entry fee in the price?
One listing puts the entry fee in the price. The rest are silent.
On one listing, yes. The $157 ferry day lists «Skara Brae and Skaill House (entry fee included)». That is the only Skara Brae tour here that says so in writing.
The other eight do not say whether the ticket is in the price. The private full day asks for your names and ages «for discounts to some of the sites», but does not say who pays. If the entry fee matters to your budget, ask through the booking page before you pay, or pick the ferry day.
The same goes for Maeshowe: three multi-day routes include it, and none says whether its ticket is in the price.
Every trip, current fare
Skara Brae tour prices, side by side
All nine listings that stop at the village. Per person, except the private five hours: a group of up to three.
| Tour | Price | Price is for | Length | At Skara Brae | What the price covers | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Mainland day | $157 | per person | 6 h | 85 min, guided | Guided day from Kirkwall, up to 14 guests. Entry fee not stated | 4.9 · 275 |
| Ferry day | $157 | per person | 5.5 h | 1.5 h, guided | Skara Brae and Skaill House entry fee. Ferry fares not included | 4.8 · 223 |
| Private full day | $212 | per person | 8 h | 1.5 h | Private group, pickup at one of five points. Entry fee not stated | 4.4 · 5 |
| Private five hours | $1,316 | per group, up to 3 | 5 h | 1 h, guided | Private group, pickup in Kirkwall. Entry fee not stated | 5.0 · 50 |
| 3-day from Inverness, our top pick | $654 | per person | 3 days | Day 2 | Two nights in Kirkwall, en suite guesthouse or B&B rooms, Maeshowe | 4.8 · 87 |
| 3-day far north from Inverness | $779 | per person | 2.5 days | Day 2 | Two nights on Orkney, Yesnaby, the Brough of Birsay | 4.9 · 25 |
| 5-day far north from Edinburgh | $1,257 | per person | 5 days | Day 3 | Two nights in Kirkwall, Maeshowe, Churchill Barriers | 4.8 · 22 |
| 5-day northern coast, from Edinburgh | $1,294 | per person | 5 days | Day 3 | Two nights in Kirkwall, en suite guesthouse or B&B rooms, Maeshowe | 4.9 · 30 |
| 8-day north coast, from Edinburgh | $2,314 | per person | 7.5 days | Day 3 | Two nights on Orkney, Brodgar, Stromness | 5.0 · 6 |
Inside the village
Houses, passages, stones and the shore
Inside a house, the covered passages, a stone circle, and the sea.
Inside a house
A stone dresser with two shelves stands against the curved dry-stone wall, with stone boxes set into the sandy floor and a strip of grass along the top.
The passages
A dark, roofed passage runs between sunken houses under thick grass banks, with visitors on the path above and grey sea on the horizon.
Sand and surf
Low waves break on pale sand, and long ledges of dark, layered rock run through the blue and green water beyond.
The stones
Three tall, thin standing stones rise from close-mown grass, with a low farm shed, a fence and two walkers far behind.
Skaill House and the bay
Skaill House, the Bay of Skaill and the village
Skaill House on two day tours; the Bay of Skaill on the beaches day.
Two listings pair the village with Skaill House. On the West Mainland day you get time on your own after the guided visit, and the listing suggests the «400-year-old Skaill House» or the visitor centre. On the ferry day, Skara Brae and Skaill House share the 1.5 hours and the entry fee.
The $225 beaches and cliffs day, limited to 7 participants, stops at the Bay of Skaill between Yesnaby and the Brough of Birsay. Its listing does not name Skara Brae as a stop, so do not book it for the village; book it for the coast.
Where they start
Where each Skara Brae tour meets you
Meeting points as the listings give them.
- Kirkwall Travel Centre, Stand 5
The West Mainland day starts and ends here, or drops you at the cruise port if required.
- Stromness Ferry Terminal car park
The ferry day meets the Scrabster to Stromness ferry. Not for cruise passengers: the cruise port is 15 miles away.
- Your pickup point in Kirkwall
The private five hours collects you in Kirkwall. The private full day offers five points: two hotels in Kirkwall, Hatston, Stand 4 at the Travel Centre, and Stromness Ferry Terminal.
- Inverness
Near Inverness Cathedral on Ardross Street, or opposite the Victorian Market. Be there 15 minutes early.
- Edinburgh
The 5- and 8-day tours start in Edinburgh; one meets on Parliament Square, Royal Mile.
One day or several
A day on Orkney, or a few days from the mainland
Day tours give the village more time; multi-day tours give more of Orkney.
A day-long Skara Brae tour gives the village the most time: 85 minutes to 1.5 hours, with a guide on three of the four. Tali from the United States, on a 3-day tour, wrote: «We loved all the historic Neolithic spots, especially Skara Brae (of course).» Glenys from Canada, on the other 3-day tour from Inverness, put it plainly: «The range of sites was great but we were disappointed in the lack of time at Skara Brae».
So if the village is the reason you are going, a day tour on the islands gives it the longest stay. A multi-day Skara Brae tour gives you the rest: the ferry crossing is part of the route, two nights on Orkney, and Maeshowe on three of the five. Mandy from Australia, on the ferry day: «Was a great way to see the key sites without the stress of self driving…»
Before you book
Five things to check before you pay
A few minutes on the listing saves surprises on the day.
- The entry fee
Only the ferry day puts Skara Brae in the price. On the others, the listing does not say.
- Your ferry ticket
The ferry day does not include ferry fares. The multi-day tours cross by ferry, but no listing says the ticket is in the price.
- Food
No listing says meals are included. Pam from the United Kingdom, on the ferry day: «Take a packed lunch as it gets very busy to find food.»
- Who the price is for
The private five hours costs $1,316 for a group of up to three. The other prices here are per person.
- Cancellation
All nine listings offer free cancellation; the window is longer on some multi-day tours, so check the listing before you pay.
Our verdict
Our verdict on a Skara Brae tour
On Orkney for a day? Book the $157 West Mainland day: 85 guided minutes in the village, 275 reviews at 4.9. Off the Scrabster ferry? The $157 day, with 1.5 hours and the entry fee in the price. Starting in Inverness, our top pick is the $654 3-day tour: Skara Brae and Maeshowe on day 2, two nights in Kirkwall, 87 reviews at 4.8.
Book direct
Skara Brae tours to book
Our top pick from Inverness, the West Mainland day, the ferry day and the private five hours, priced for a group of up to three.
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→ 
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
Skara Brae tour: questions, answered
Does a Skara Brae tour include the entry ticket?
On one listing: the $157 ferry day says «Skara Brae and Skaill House (entry fee included)». The other eight do not say whether the ticket is in the price, so ask through the booking page before you pay.
How long do you spend at Skara Brae?
On the day tours, 85 minutes on the West Mainland day, 1.5 hours on the ferry day and the private full day, and one hour on the private five hours. The multi-day tours give no minutes.
Can you see the Ring of Brodgar and Skara Brae in one day?
Yes. All four day tours that stop at the village also stop at the Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness: the West Mainland day, the ferry day, the private full day and the private five hours.
Can I visit Skara Brae on a day off the Scrabster ferry?
Yes. The $157 ferry day meets the Scrabster to Stromness ferry, runs 5.5 hours with 1.5 hours at the village, and returns in time for the ferry back. Ferry fares are not included.
Which tours visit Maeshowe as well as Skara Brae?
Three multi-day tours: the $654 3-day tour from Inverness and the two 5-day tours from Edinburgh. None says whether the Maeshowe ticket is in the price, and no day tour here names Maeshowe.
Can I see Skara Brae on a tour from Edinburgh?
Yes. All three tours from Edinburgh visit the village on day 3: two 5-day tours at $1,257 and $1,294, and an 8-day tour at $2,314. Each spends two nights on Orkney.
Go deeper
More guides to Orkney
West Mainland
West Mainland
The west of the main island: stone circles, the village and the cliffs.
From the ferryFrom the ferry
The day tour that meets the ferry from Scrabster at Stromness.
From InvernessFrom Inverness
The three-day tours from Inverness, and what each day covers.
What you seeWhat you see
The Neolithic sites, chapels and coast that the tours stop at.
Tours comparedTours compared
Every tour on the islands bookable here, side by side: length, start point, sites and what the price covers.
