Loch Ness Cruise and Urquhart Castle visit from Inverness
Recommended by 93% of travelers
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Inverness, Scotland
- 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Witness the mythical splendor of Loch Ness and the ruins of Urquhart Castle conveniently, without the hassle of having to rent a car, on this coach and boat trip from Inverness. Take a leisurely boat ride to Urquhart Castle—keeping your eyes peeled for the famed Loch Ness monster—where you’ll learn about the site’s bloody history and enjoy scenic views of the Scottish countryside.
- Perfect for travelers who want to see a lot in one day
- See Loch Ness from both land and water, something many travelers miss out on
- Travel from Inverness in the comfort of an air-conditioned coach
- Go beyond the guidebooks with facts and insights from your guide
What's Included
- Expert guide
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Loch Ness boat cruise
- Restroom on board
- WiFi on board
- Admission Fee - Urquhart Castle entrance
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- D&E ToursBUS, Station, 1 Farraline Park, Inverness IV1 1NH, UK
Bus departs from Stance Number 7 at Inverness Bus Station Please note if arriving by cruise ship, Invergordon Cruise Terminal is approx. 25 miles (45 mins) from Inverness Bus Station. Public transport is very limited, so you’ll need to arrange your own transport and allow plenty of time to reach us.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Your journey to Loch Ness begins with pickup from Inverness Bus Station. Enjoy colorful and historic commentary from your guide on the ride to Dochgarroch Lock. From here, board the cruise ship and take a promenade along the deck as you cross the mysterious and majestic Loch Ness. Enjoy sweeping views of the lake and the surrounding hills, and keep an eye out for the mythical Loch Ness monster, Nessie.
You’ll soon arrive at the storied ruins of Urquhart Castle. Disembark and take an hour to independently explore the medieval site with a graphic and grisly past. Before or after you tour the ruins, head to the visitor center to learn about the historic figures that inhabited or invaded this site such as King Edward I in the 13th century and MacDonald Lord of the Isles during the 15th and 16th centuries. Hear about the rise and fall of the fortress, and the key role it played in the Scottish fight for independence. Don’t leave without checking out some authentic medieval artifacts and snapping lovely photos of Loch Ness from the veranda. Grab a tasty snack and drink at the cafe (own expense) before boarding the coach for the return to Inverness.
Your tour concludes at the starting point in Inverness by late afternoon.
You’ll soon arrive at the storied ruins of Urquhart Castle. Disembark and take an hour to independently explore the medieval site with a graphic and grisly past. Before or after you tour the ruins, head to the visitor center to learn about the historic figures that inhabited or invaded this site such as King Edward I in the 13th century and MacDonald Lord of the Isles during the 15th and 16th centuries. Hear about the rise and fall of the fortress, and the key role it played in the Scottish fight for independence. Don’t leave without checking out some authentic medieval artifacts and snapping lovely photos of Loch Ness from the veranda. Grab a tasty snack and drink at the cafe (own expense) before boarding the coach for the return to Inverness.
Your tour concludes at the starting point in Inverness by late afternoon.
1
Loch Ness
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
2
Urquhart Castle
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Please note that guide dogs are the only service animals allowed.
- If booking for an infant, you will required to book a seat for them and provide a car seat
- This tour departs from Inverness bus station
- Please note that this tour is operated by D&E coaches.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 47 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Cindy_A
We loved this tour! Kieran our guide was very friendly and informative. Loch Ness is beautiful! A once in a lifetime experience!
Reviews
4.7
based on 629 reviews
Stephanie_K, Jun 2026
Excellent excursion! Very well organized and our coach driver/guide Atis was very knowledgeable and entertaining.
annemarie_W, Jun 2026
We thoroughly enjoyed the tour. The bus driver was very nice and gave us some wonderful tips of things to see in Inverness we otherwise wouldn't have discovered. Also enjoyed the Coo's. The timings all ran smooth, the cruise and castle were great. Would absolutely recommend.
Robert_S, May 2026
An opportunity to cruise on Loch Ness with convenient start and finish in central Inverness. Everything was well organised and ran perfectly to time.
Sherri_M, May 2026
Our bus driver was excellent, giving pieces of history all along the way. When we got to the ferry, he made sure we were settled and knew where to meet up. Beautiful views and a beautiful day!
Amanda_C, May 2026
We loved Elidh! She was very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. She was nice and Approachable and made the whole experience wonderful!
gr9vnsj494, May 2026
The tour itself is nice. Definitely recommended. The coach driver we had, alas, had a sour and sarcastic disposition and spoke non-stop.
Steven_B, May 2026
Good tour only complaint is time at castle could have been longer. Our driver was entertaining and informational.
David_M, May 2026
This was a well organised trip in a comfortable coach and, especially boat. Loch Ness and Urquhart castle didn’t disappoint, but for me the highlight was the quirky, amusing and informative commentary from the coach driver
Deborah_C, May 2026
We were confused about the Urquart Castle part of the trip, but enjoyed it. I appreciated the commentary along the way re The Loch Ness sightings and history as well as interesting things to see along the shoreline.
Scott, May 2026
Our tour host Kieran was amazing! Not only was he an excellent driver, his knowledge of Inverness and surrounding area was great! Our tour boat host was also excellent! We learned so much about Loch Ness!
Marcelo_N, May 2026
There was an accident in the road and because the bus couldn’t get us ar the castle ruins they didn’t allow us to disembark from the boat to the castle. That was VERY disappointing, b/c we could have walked the ruins and go back by boat! I was very disappointed with the tour due to not being flexible and letting us experience the castle.
Amy_M, May 2026
Absolutely wonderful experience, bus tour to bus tour, with the boat ride and castle tour perfect!!!
Susan_H, May 2026
The driver Kiernan was so amazing. Entertained us the entire ride and we even stopped to pet some highland coos. Thank you, Kieran!
Vineet_G, May 2026
Short tour to the lovely loch ness and castle. The bus operator was nice and friendly and gave information along the way
Sarah_A, May 2026
Booked this 1/2 day tour hoping it would be enough time. It did not disappoint! We learned so much
From our driver on the way to our boat cruise and back from the castle. Our boat tour guide was great and had lots of interesting facts as well as funny stories. The scenery was spectacular. It was a bit chilly on the boat so pack a sweater and wear good sturdy shoes!
bsallen, May 2026
Cruise ship passengers must find a way to Inverness. There is a bus from the cruise port direct to this meeting location but not well promoted!
Mark_B, May 2026
From start to finish we had the best day our coach driver with his hilarious dad jokes and amazing knowledge was just brilliant then on the boat with Jamie being our guide he was also brilliant the castle was beautiful and every staff member was so polite and kind our only down side is we never saw Nessie but will defo be back to find her again
Lauren_E, May 2026
Definitely good value for money. The driver guide, Kieran, was very welcoming and lovely with lots of knowledge on the coach trip. The boat trip was lovely but the host was a bit over the top and it would have been nice to just enjoy the scenery of the Loch Ness at times without the host constantly saying random jokes. It was lovely to get free time to explore the castle too and we got a bonus trip to see some highland cows so very worth it!
Tina_J, Apr 2026
Really interesting driver/guide on our trip. Visited Urquat Castle by boat on Loch Ness. Interesting and fun commentary on the boat. Well worth the money
LysaJohn_B, Apr 2026
Don’t miss the castle - it’s well worth the visit! The boat cruise was scenic and relaxing. The highlight was the friendly and energetic crew!
Morgan_D, Mar 2026
This was the perfect way to explore Loch Ness!! I thoroughly enjoyed the boat tour and it helped that the weather was fantastic. Urquhart castle was a must and it was the perfect amount of time to explore. And the museum was a fun way to end the experience!
Henriette_C, Mar 2026
perfectly planned tour from start to end.
Great driver/guide full of interesting storys of Inverness and the Highlands.
A entertaining sail on the Loch Ness to the ruins of urquhart Castle and a visit af the Loch Ness experience center. all with plenty time to enjoy and explore the stops.
and at the end an added visit to some highland cows, an unexpected but fantastic bonus.
Anthony_E, Mar 2026
Boat ride was safe and fun.. castle was ruinously good.. loch ness experience was informative.. gift shops at both castle and experience were great
David_B, Mar 2026
The day was beautiful, the bus amazingly clean and comfortable, the locations of the tour was breathtaking, really enjoyed the cruise on Loch Ness, the Driver very friendly and very knowledgeable. 5* tour
Tania_C, Mar 2026
To visit Loch Ness was on my bucket list and this trip didn’t disappoint. The views from the boat were amazing even in the cold weather. The visit to Urquhart Castle was a great photo opportunity too. Lots of commentaries and information was really interesting, not just about Loch Ness but on the surrounding villages. I loved visiting the highland cows, an added bonus.
Helen_D, Feb 2026
It was easy to find the coach at us station. I was met by John, the driver and tour guide. John very friendly and so knowledgeable about the area - lots of great stories. We were so lucky to have great weather and there were lots of opportunities to take photos.
Victoria_M, Feb 2026
This was a fantastic trip condensed into just over 4 hours. Got to do and see everything we wanted to do in the area. We even had a bonus stop to get up close to some Highland Cows! I didn’t realise the Loch Ness Centre experience was part of our tour but this was an excellent addition! I would definitely recommend this tour!
Natasha_T, Feb 2026
Our tour guide was amazing. Really interesting facts, very helpful and just a pleasure! The boat tour, castle visit and ness experience were also really interesting.
stacey_g, Jan 2026
We absolutely loved our Inverness tour. Every part of it was brilliant, but for me the standout was the Loch Ness Museum, made even better by our fantastic tour guide, Linda. She was engaging, knowledgeable and brought the whole experience to life. Without doubt the best part of our trip so far, by a mile. Highly recommend.
DunYing_Y, Jan 2026
Very informative. Very friendly staff. Beautiful views all around. Couldn't go to the castle due to snow but they arranged a refund promptly.
From $77.41
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Loch Ness Cruise and Urquhart Castle visit from Inverness
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