Orkney Day Trip
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Scotland
- 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
If you’re pushed for time but still want to make the most of your trip to Orkney, then book this tour to discover its major highlights. Learn about Orkney’s neolithic history, and visit the ruins of Skara Brae, the Standing Stones of Stenness, the Yesnaby Cliffs, and much more. With round-trip transit from the Stromness Ferry Terminal—and just a guide and small group for company—you’re ensured a personal and hassle-free experience.
- Take the stress out of planning with a predetermined itinerary
- Explore remote Orkney without having to hire a car
- This tour is ideal for first-time or time-pressed visitors
- Enjoy a personalized approach on this small-group tour
What's Included
- Bottled water
- Admission Fee - Skara Brae / Skaill House
- Lunch
- Gratuities
- Ferry Fares
- Admission Fee - Italian Chapel (optional stop instead of Free Time in Kirkwall)£4.00 per person
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Stromness Ferry Terminal Car ParkFerry Rd Stromness, Stromness, Orkney KW16, UK
Meet Orkney Travel minibus at Stromness Travel Centre
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.10:30 am
Itinerary
1
Yesnaby Cliffs
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Skara Brae
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Ring of Brodgar
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Standing Stones of Stenness
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Kirkwall
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Scapa Flow (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- THIS TOUR IS NOT SUITABLE FOR CRUISE SHIP GUESTS DUE TO LOCATION OF STARTING POINT
- Please note: The seats in our vehicle are between 48cm and 51cm wide. While there is generous legroom, the seat width may feel restrictive for some guests. If you think this may affect your comfort, you're welcome to purchase an additional seat. Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns – we're happy to help.
- Lunch is available at Skara Brae café and Kirkwall, however, we do suggest you bring some lunch with you to give you more time at the sites.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 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
Reviews
5.0
based on 146 reviews
Rebecca_V, Jan 2026
Excellent visit! This tour allowed us to get around without needing to rent a car. We enjoyed all of the sites and got a unique look at Scotland's very early history.
Marilyn_S, Oct 2025
Iain was excellent. His knowledge of the history of the area was extensive and made our tour so interesting. We enjoyed the sites of Orkney and loved the area.
Curtis_C, Sep 2025
Very accommodating and friendly, changed pick-up to the cruise ship for ease. Enjoyed the experience and the stories of culture and history.
Janice_G, Sep 2025
We enjoyed the whole experience. We were met as we came off the ferry by Rachel who was very informative for the whole trip. We loved all the places we visited. However we only realised afterwards that we never got a bottle of water as promised. A small thing but something we expected as we hadn’t brought any of our own. We were delivered back to the ferry in plenty of time. On the whole we would certainly recommend this tour.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Hello. Thank you for the lovely review. Rachel is an excellent guide. We apologise for you not receiving a bottle of water. We actually keep bottles of water in the boot of the vehicle and hand them out on request, this is to reduce plastic waste. We will make this more clear in the future.
Jan_M, Aug 2025
Fantastic day tour of main sites. Easy connection with ferry from Scrabster. Tour leader Rachel is very knowledgeable and friendly and made the day very special.
Alison_S, Aug 2025
Lots of walking so wear decent shoes!
Our tour guide Iain was very knowledgeable and friendly. Would definitely recommend this tour.
Rhean_C, Aug 2025
Despite the weather being so bad we couldn’t visit skara brae we had a blast and learned so much! We were lucky even to get to go near skara brae and take a peek even though we couldn’t enter.
Timothy_G, Aug 2025
Dukey was an awesome guide. Very knowledgeable and gave us a great history of the Neolithic people that once occupied Orkney.
Tanya_Q, Aug 2025
It was a great tour. Guide Rachel, looked after all of us and she had the knowledge to make this very informative.
Gregory_L, Aug 2025
Had a fantastic day trip overall taking in the sights in Orkney. I thought I had booked a private van for my family so was a little taken back when we arrived and there was a group. The A/C in the van didn't work so it was a bit stuffy, although it was during a heat wave so probably not an issue typically. The guide was informative and entertaining, although probably could have shared less about his personal life.
Nadia_C, Jul 2025
Well coordinated with the ferry arrival/ departure- very smooth. Rebecca was our guide and she was so welcoming, kind, and clearly loved her job and sharing the wonderful sites. She had a wonderful depth and breadth of knowledge. Would have enjoyed more time learning from her.
Jill_O, Jul 2025
We arrived in Kirkwall but discovered this tour started in Stromness. So learn from our mistake. Because we were at the cruise terminal with two ships there were no taxis. We walked to the local bus station and met the tour in Skara brae with 30 minutes to spare before the tour moved on. Our tour guide went out of his way to show us as much as possible and was very accommodating of our logistical mishap. We really enjoyed the orkney islands and can't wait to go back. Bring snacks and water, most of the tour is in the countryside.
Dianne_M, Jul 2025
Great tour, very interesting and informative. Our tour guide Iain was very knowledgeable and made the tour interesting.
sara_k, Jun 2025
Dougie went above and beyond by picking us up at our cruise ship when we realized we wouldn’t make it to the meeting point. He is a great historian and we loved the cairns, Neolithic villages, amazing Italian chapel and huge stones. Don’t miss this tour when you go to Orkney!!
Karolyn_M, Jun 2025
We had a very good day with our guide, Dougie. Lots of information in a day. Only thing that would have made it better was if the weather had been a bit less windy.
Brent_B, Jun 2025
Our driver was great. He was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot about the islands history. We also enjoyed the smaller van groups.
Nina_S, Apr 2025
First, there were only 4 of us in the van and Doogie was our driver/guide. He is so knowledgeable and responds to all questions quickly. He really took care of us on the tour.
PatSlattery, Feb 2025
Wonderful small group tour with a very good guide who imparted a wealth of knowledge into a single day
Philip_S, Nov 2024
This was an amazing tour! Garry was so knowledgable about the Orkney Islands, and he took me to some amazing sites, like Skara Brae, Ring of Brodgar, and Stones of Stennes, and he gave me some free time in Kirkwall to explore and have lunch. Plus, we went to a few other lesser known sites that were just as spectacular. I was the only one on the tour, and I was pleased that Garry ran the tour with only one person. Most other tour operators would have cancelled. He is very professional and customer focused. I highly recommend this tour to anyone who is visiting Orkney!
Jennifer_B, Oct 2024
Wonderful day tour in Orkney. Got lucky with great weather and a small group. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and I enjoyed learning about the history of each of the places.
Paul_D, Oct 2024
Great tour and operator who was informative and knowledgeable.
Weather was rainy and windy but we wet still able to see all that was advertised.
Antony_L, Sep 2024
The tour guide was excellent and very informative. The tour covered a vast and varied history of the island. A wonderful place to visit. Highly recommend.
Elizabeth_K, Sep 2024
Skara Brea and the Stone circles were incredible. There are so many complex layers of history! We loved seeing a small corner of this beautiful part of the world
Fiona_B, Aug 2024
Dougie was wonderful at adding anecdotes and history of the island, so I felt like I was getting a true locals experience.
Jessica_K, Aug 2024
The entire trip was amazing. Dougie was a phenomenal driver and tour guide. Unfortunately the only downside was that we had the unfortunate day of terrible luck and the weather resulted in the closure of skara brae.
Lance_R, Aug 2024
All of it was good driver very good people that no show should be made made to pay for their tickets and driver should ask or at booking tickets it should ask if you have got historic passes etc that way driver gets a tip for well deserved trip
David_G, Aug 2024
Skara Brae headligns the tour but really its an overall total experience. The tour was a small group which facilitated interaction and access.
Rose_R, Aug 2024
The trip was excellent and our driver Dougie was very informative, it was obvious that he was very passionate about his job and Orkney in general.
Vicki_E, Aug 2024
Great information from our guide , relaxed journey, didn't rush us, so we could enjoy each site. Got us back in time to catch last ferry back.
Mathias_L, Jul 2024
I can highly recommend going on this tour. It says “half day trip” - but including the ferry out from Scrabster 08:45 and return 18:15 we are taking about a full day trip. And just the ferry ride past Hoy is worth it all.
Our local guide Rachel was great! She picked us up at the Stromness ferry terminal upon arrival. In her comfortable mini van she took us around the main attractions on the mainland. Rachel had a great knowledge about the history of Orkney and the sites - but also about every day life for the local inhabitants. We went to the Skara Brae Neolithic village, then off to the Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness. From there to Kirkwall where you can opt for an hour on your own around town - or continuing with the tour to the Italian Chapel. Then finishing the tour driving a long the Scara Bay Area before heading back to Stromness and the ferry return to the mainland.
This is a great way to spend some time on Orkney if you have just one day there. It definitely gave me an appetite to return in the future.
Well organized, Rachel our guide was very professional and down to earth. Great sightings and scenery. This tour has does it. Book it.
//Mathias (from Denmark)
From $163.38
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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