Orkney Tours & Day Trips: The 15 Best

1.Orkney Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 142 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $165Our pick

Travel around Orkney’s mainland in a small group of up to eight with guides such as Rachel, Iain, or Dougie. Visit Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar, Stenness, Yesnaby Cliffs, and Kirkwall, with local stories along the way. Bring lunch, wear sturdy shoes, and meet at Stromness Ferry Terminal at 10:30 a.m.

“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.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.5-Day Orkney & Northern Coast Tour from Edinburgh Incl Admissions

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 132 reviews · 5 days (approx.) · from $1,454

Travel from Edinburgh to Orkney and back in a 16-seat Mercedes mini-coach with a driver-guide. You’ll cross the Pentland Firth, see Skara Brae, Maeshowe, the Ring of Brodgar, Culloden, and Clava Cairns, with four nights of accommodation and breakfast included.

“I went into this tour with no expectations. Martin and Allan the tour guides did a fantastic job showing off Orkney and the Highlands.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Orkney West Mainland Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 131 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $165

Travel from Kirkwall in a small group of up to 14 with local guides such as George, Rachel, Garry, and Ron. Visit Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar, Stenness, Yesnaby Cliffs, Birsay, and Kirbuster Farm Museum. Entry to Skara Brae and Skaill House is included, while lunch is your responsibility.

“Tour was excellent and our Guide Rachael was knowledgeable and thoroughly engaging. Would highly recommend this tour.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Orkney Travel Highlights Tour – 5-6 hours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 112 reviews · 6 hours (approx.)

Spend about six hours touring Orkney in a private vehicle with a local guide such as Chris, Dougie, Garry, or Ron. You’ll visit Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar, the Stones of Stenness, the Italian Chapel, Yesnaby Cliffs, and Scapa Flow, with pickup anywhere in Orkney.

“This was a wonderful experience as given us by our tour guide Dougie. He was extremely knowledgeable, amiable, patient, and an excellent and safe driver. I cannot imagine how anyone could have given us us a better Orkney tour.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Semi Private Tour – Orkney and Kirkwall

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 85 reviews · 6 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $229

Spend about 6.5 hours touring Orkney from Kirkwall Pier with a professional English-speaking guide and no more than 15 people. Visit the Standing Stones of Stenness, Broch of Gurness, Italian Chapel, Ring of Brodgar, St. Magnus Cathedral, and Kirkwall. Guides such as Michael, Iain, Lorraine, Chris, and Ewan bring local history to life, though clear audio can vary by vehicle.

“We loved our itinerary and our Guide Michael was very informed and enjoyed . Kept us well entertained along with all the history”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.8 Day Isle of Skye, Orkney & North Coast 500 tour from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 80 reviews · 8 days (approx.)

Travel from Edinburgh in a small group of up to 16, with seven B&B nights, breakfasts, ferries, and the Jacobite Steam Train included. You’ll see Skara Brae, Culloden, Skye, Orkney, Smoo Cave, Glencoe, and the North Coast 500. Guides such as Steve, Rich, and Ali have been praised for safe driving, local stories, music, and practical dining advice.

“Packed itinerary showcasing the best of the Scottish Highlands. As a couple, we were part of a group of 14 travelling on a small, comfortable coach. Our driver/guide, Rich, was extremely knowledgeable, and mixed factual narrative with funny stories about family and friends. He really made all the daily journeys thoroughly enjoyable, and helped us all get to know each other as the days passed. The overnight accommodation was generally good overall, and Rich always recommended good places to eat in every location we stayed. In summary, this tour was an excellent overview of the Scottish Highlands, and we would definitely recommend it (particularly if you are lucky enough to…”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.3-Day Orkney Explorer Small-Group Tour from Inverness

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 76 reviews · 3 days (approx.) · from $690

Travel from Inverness to Orkney in a 16-seat Mercedes mini-coach, with two nights in Kirkwall. Your driver-guide handles the ferry, roads, and timing while you visit Skara Brae, Maeshowe, the Ring of Brodgar, the Italian Chapel, and Stenness. Guides such as Helen, James, Amy, Stewart, and Shauna have made this route especially memorable for past groups.

“The age of the places and things we saw. 5000 years old graffiti in runes. So much history. Our guide Seana was a wealth of in formation and filled our heads with amazing stories.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Orkney Mainland Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 57 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $451

Spend about seven hours touring Orkney Mainland with a private driver-guide such as Chris, Leslie, Ewan, Marlene, or Davey. Visit Scapa Flow, Unstan Chambered Cairn, the Stones of Stenness, Ring of Brodgar, Skara Brae, Skaill House, and the Italian Chapel. Pickup and drop-off are included, and the day can be adjusted around your interests.

“Take this tour! Chris was friendly, gracious, and quite knowledgeable. I was really looking forward to this, and Chris made it even better than I had expected.”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Historic Orkney Private Odyssey Tour by a native Islander

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 56 reviews · 5 hours (approx.)

Spend about five hours touring Orkney with native Islander Calum in a private, air-conditioned vehicle. Visit the Italian Chapel, Unstan Chambered Cairn, Skara Brae, Yesnaby Cliffs, Ring of Brodgar, and possibly Kirkwall. Pickup is available across Orkney, including Hatston Pier. Entry fees are extra.

“Wonderful full day. Callum was fantastic. Very nice young man, very knowledgeable, took the time to explain everything to us and answered all of our questions. He even had a little gift for us from his wife. Really enjoyed our day on this private tour with him.”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Orkney Mainland Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 40 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $322

Spend about seven hours touring Orkney Mainland in a private luxury electric vehicle with Paul from JP Orkney. Visit the Italian Chapel, Scapa Flow, Stenness, the Ring of Brodgar, Skara Brae, and Brough of Birsay. Pickup can be arranged across Mainland, with time to buy lunch along the way.

“Our family was so fortunate to take this tour with Paul. We booked it well in advance as we knew he was good per his reviews. It did not disappoint. Paul was so personable, knowledgeable and engaging. We learned so much at each of his stops, and thoroughly enjoyed each one. He made us feel so comfortable and by the end of the day he felt like part of our family. Orkney is a beautiful part of Scotland and Paul is very proud to show it off!”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.8-Day Orkney Skye and Highlands Tour from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 23 reviews · 8 days (approx.) · from $2,164

Travel from Edinburgh through Loch Lomond, Glencoe, Skye, Loch Ness, and Orkney on an eight-day small-group tour. You’ll stay seven nights in B&Bs, cross by ferry, visit Skara Brae and Maeshowe, and hear local stories from guides such as Brodie, Kenny, and Jim Donovan. Expect long days, changing accommodation quality, and a maximum group of 35.

“Had a great time. Saw so many wonderful places with really good your guides/drivers. B&B's were very nice and will look to use this type of accomodation again in the future. Highly recommend this trip!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.5-Day Orkney and Highlands Tour from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 23 reviews · 5 days (approx.) · from $1,305

Travel from Edinburgh through Loch Lomond, Glencoe, Inverness, and the Orkney Islands on a five-day guided tour. Visit Maeshowe, Skara Brae, the Italian Chapel, Culloden, and Dunrobin Castle, with four nights of accommodation and breakfast included. Guides such as Iain, Stefan, and Fergie are known for strong storytelling and helpful local advice.

“Our five day tour of Orkney couldn’t have been better. Our guide, Stefan went above and beyond his responsibilities. He was the most wonderful tour guide I’ve ever experienced. He was so knowledgeable so informative, so generous with his information and his goodwill. he added discretionary stops to our bus ride to show us beautiful and unusual sites. He told us very thoroughly the background of the events, the etymology of the words the history of the and any useful information, all the while, pointing out birds flying by and facts about climate and terrain. He had a translation of the Orkney saga and had me read relevant passages as…”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.5 Day Orkney Islands and North Coast 500 Tour from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · 5 days (approx.) · from $928

Travel in a small group of up to 16 with guides Calum and Karen from Edinburgh through the Cairngorms, Orkney, and the North Coast 500. You’ll see Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar, Culloden, Glencoe, and Loch Ness, with ferries included and optional paid visits along the way.

“An absolutely wonderful experience from start to finish. The tour operator - Scotland's Wild - did a great job in every detail. We greatly appreciated both the planned itinerary and the opportunities to make changes as needed. The guides - Calum and Karen - were great company and really enhanced the trip with their knowledge of Scottish geography, history and lore. I particularly valued the many stops at ancient archaeological sites, especially on Orkney, and every stop on every day added a lot to the overall enjoyment of the trip.”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.3-Day Orkney Islands Tour from Inverness

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 11 reviews · 3 days (approx.) · from $726

Spend three days crossing from Inverness to Orkney, visiting Skara Brae, Maeshowe, the Ring of Brodgar, St Magnus Cathedral, the Italian Chapel, and Dunrobin Castle. A local driver-guide, two nights in Kirkwall-area accommodation, ferry travel, breakfasts, and key entrance fees are included. Guides such as Iain and Mark have been praised for humor and local insight.

“Great tour guide, Mark. Kirkwall hotel not good. My VISA card was hacked.”

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Historic Orkney Showcase Private Tour By a native Islander

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews

Spend about seven hours with Calum, a fifth-generation Orcadian guide, on a private tour for up to four people. Visit St Magnus Cathedral, Skara Brae, Maeshowe, Orkney’s stone circles, Scapa Flow, and Yesnaby Cliffs, with a flexible route and local insight throughout.

“My husband and I spent a wonderful day with Calum exploring Orkney. Our tour included learning some of the history of Orkney, experiencing nature, feasting at a scenic restaurant and even learning a “peedie” bit of the Orkney language. CalRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review