Private Tour
Half Day Private Tour with Puffins, Ponies and Past Shetland
Overview
Available languages
4 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Join us for a private guided tour to Shetland's scenic south Mainland. Departing Lerwick we visit the island's former capital, Scalloway, before heading to Sumburgh at the southern tip of the islands. Here we visit the prehistoric settlement of Jarlshof before concluding our tour with a visit to Sumburgh Head.
Additional Info
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Not recommended for travelers with walking dificulties
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Admission to Jarlshof
Private transportation
Services of our driver and a tour guide
Air-conditioned vehicle
Visit to Carol's Ponies
Fuel surcharge
Admission to Sumburgh Head Lighthouse Exhibition
Parking Fees
Lunch
Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
Scalloway
Travel time from Lerwick- 15 minutes. We start with a short photo stop at a viewpoint overlooking the ancient fishing village of Scalloway before continuing into the village for a photostop at Scalloway Castle (exterior only) and the Shetland Bus Memorial.
Scalloway
Travel time from Scalloway- 5 minutes. We stop at Carol’s Ponies, you have a chance to meet, learn about and photograph these wonderful animals. Originating in Shetland the breed was a packing pony and are now found all over the world, used as popular riding ponies for children and a companion to horses. Carol the stud owner will explain all in her talk about these beautiful creatures, remember they have teeth and may assume fingers for carrots! So please do not feed the ponies
Options
Puffins, Ponies & Past Shetland - Half Day Private Tour
Pickup included
15 Seater
Transit
Pickup included
Reviews
38 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great day!!!!!
April C,
Aug 27, 2025
- Viator
5.00Our guide Danny was excellent. He was just the right mix of fun facts and local history. He was extremely flexible and made us love the Shetland Islands!!! Really the perfect day!!!! Recommend Danny and this tour 100%!!!!
Fabulous day in Lerwick
Elise B,
Aug 27, 2025
- Viator
5.00Communication was excellent concerning where to meet our guide and driver. Mandy was so kind, knowledgeable and interesting with all her explanations and history. Circumstances required some juggling of our itinerary and Mandy and Jez (our driver) guided us seamlessly with alternate plans and some extras. One couple on our tour didn't make it in time and we all voted to move forward without them. When they later found their way to the pier, Mandy and Jez kindly backtracked to pick them up and made an extra stop or two to catch them up on what they missed. The tour went over the scheduled time and we were all delighted. I feel confident speaking for all 14 participants when I say we loved our day in Lerwick with Mandy and Jez.
Great trip. Highly recommended!
John M,
Aug 24, 2025
- Tripadvisor
5.00We are a group of six adults that did this tour on a cruise stop. We had a great time and really enjoyed the day. We had missed the puffins on some prior ports. On this tour we were not disappointed. Lots of puffins and some lovely close up photos. The ponies were cute and we also had a couple of stops at ancient sites of the Shetland civilization. Our guide was knowledgeable and we thought the tour was good value. One of the members of our party left a jacket in the van and the tour organization shipped it home at no charge. Highly recommend.
Great tour of Lerwick
Carolyn h,
Aug 2, 2025
- Viator
5.00Danny was friendly, knowledgeable and provided us with an amazing tour of the beautiful island of Lerwick. This tour was the perfect way to see so much the island in a short amount of time. I’d definitely recommend this tour!
Puffins and Ponies! A Great Day!
Lea L,
Jul 16, 2025
- Viator
5.00We had a wonderful day touring the island of Shetland with Neville. He was a wealth of knowledge about the island and had photos and maps and other information to show us along the way. We started the day with the ponies. Carol at Carol’s Ponies was the sweetest woman. She spent time talking to us about the ponies, their names, sizes, ages, etc. She was willing to answer any questions that we had. Along the way to the lighthouse to see the puffins, Neville took us to Jarlahof to see the prehistoric and Norse settlement. This was extremely interesting and was so beautiful. The puffins at the lighthouse were so awesome. My 19 year old son has always wanted to see puffins in the wild, and this day definitely did not disappoint. We were able to watch them up close (without disturbing them) and got amazing photos. They are truly the most adorable things. I would definitely recommend this tour for someone looking to get a tour of the island in a day and for anyone who loves puffins and ponies!
Beautiful island tour
Brenda S,
Jul 4, 2025
- Viator
5.00Danny was a great tour guide. He was very knowledgeable about the island. We were a group of 6 in a private tour of the island. We saw the Shetland ponies, the puffins nesting among the hillside at the lighthouse and foghorn station. And took a tour of ancient Viking village ruins. Dress warmly as the island is very windy chilly even with the sunny skies. Danny also directed us to the local cafe/restaurants for some delicious fish n chips. Would highly recommend doing the private tour.
Our cruise was delayed...
megan b,
Jul 3, 2025
- Viator
5.00Our cruise was delayed reaching port due to weather and our guide and driver were able to still give us a great tour avoiding the larger groups from the ship. She also was very knowledgeable and sincere in teaching us about Shetland. Best tour I’ve had so far.
Must do!!!
Don B,
Jun 30, 2025
- Viator
5.00What an awesome time!!! Jacqueline and Sam were a fantastic team showing us everything Lerwick had to offer. One of our all time favorite tours, and we have done a lot of them!
Interesting Day
Sandra Z,
Jun 26, 2025
- Viator
5.00Shirley was a great guide. We saw a bit of Lewrick as we drove out of town. We stopped to see Shetland ponies and learned interesting facts about them. It was raining but we still got a tour of Jarlshof prehistoric site. At the lighthouse we saw lots of puffins and lots of other birds. It was nice to get a hot drink there as well. We got a special musical treat on the way back to our ship, but I’ll let it be a surprise for you.
Ponies, history, beauty and PUFFINS!!!!
X836TJkimberlyh,
Jun 26, 2025
- Tripadvisor
5.00Danny was a terrific guide. What a beautiful island--very charming! The ponies and history were great, but the puffins were the highlight for us!!!
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