Orkney Day Trip
Overview
Available languages
5 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
This is an excellent way to see some of what Orkney has to offer in a single day. Hop on the ferry in Scrabster that departs at 8.45am, visit Orkney and return in the same day. (Please note ferry fares are not included. Ferry fares are £22.65 each way for an adult, £20.39 each way for 60+, please see Northlink Ferries website for more information.)
Take in Orkney's beautiful scenery and visit some fantastic sites, that includes standing stones, a Neolithic village and dramatic cliff's.
The Orkney Travel Day Trip departs from Stromness Travel Centre where the Northlink Ferry arrives from Scrabster. The tour returns to Stromness Travel Centre at 4pm in plenty of time for the 4.45pm ferry back to Scrabster.
THIS TOUR IS NOT SUITABLE IF YOU ARE ARRIVING ON A CRUISE SHIP IN KIRKWALL, PLEASE LOOK AT THE WEST MAINLAND TOUR INSTEAD. (The starting point is in Stromness which is 15 miles from the cruise port in Kirkwall.)
Additional Info
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
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.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Bottled water
Skara Brae / Skaill House
Lunch
Gratuities
Ferry Fares
Italian Chapel (optional stop instead of Free Time in Kirkwall)
What To Expect
Yesnaby Cliffs
Photo Stop at the dramatic Cliff's of Yesnaby
Skara Brae
Guided Tour of 5,000 year old village Skara Brae. Free time to explore Skaill House, visitor centre or have a bite to eat.
Options
Orkney Travel Day Trip
Reviews
141 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Best tour operator for Orkney
JakesSurrey1,
Oct 27, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great experience - the guide was exemplary. Wonderful knowledge of local history and made the trip truly enjoyable inspite of the heavy winds. The Orkney tours team were exceptional in getting us booked to an alternate ferry when our ferry got cancelled due to heavy winds - thanks a ton for your thoughtfulness. Highly recommend this team and Orkney is a must wind island - worth getting a guide to explore.
A must do Orkney tour
Marilyn S,
Oct 21, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Iain 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.
Great value
yvonnehS5259FF,
Oct 12, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Chris was a very friendly and knowledgeable guide. I got a lot of value from his knowledge that I would have missed driving myself around.
Fabulous Orkney tour!
PatinSD2020,
Oct 7, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The tour was wonderful! Iain was very knowledgeable and you could tell he has a deep passion for Orkney's history. Everything was well paced, fascinating, and very enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this tour for an introduction to Orkney.
A wonderful day on Orkney.
annemN987LR,
Oct 3, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Myself, wife & daughter shared a mini bus with one other person. Maureen our guide was excellent, friendly and informative.We enjoyed the history and geology of the island. In particular her anecdotes of her life on the island about local events gave a more personal touch. Thanks to Maureen we saw as many sights that we could comfortably fit in in one day. Important that we kept to time and Maureen did that.
A memorable experience
Curtis C,
Sep 24, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Very accommodating and friendly, changed pick-up to the cruise ship for ease. Enjoyed the experience and the stories of culture and history.
Great trip
Janice G,
Sep 23, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00We 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.
Wonderfully Windy !!
801graemel,
Sep 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great experience. Our Guide Rachel was incredibly knowledgeable, welcoming and engaging. Also a great driver . The return ferry was cancelled due to being stuck at Scrabster because of high winds. Orkney Travel handled the situation with ease and managed to find us an alternative route back to Thurso that evening. Well done !! Highly recommended!
Surpriseingly breathtaking…………..
Popps7,
Sep 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00It was windy but dry and sunny and we would not have missed it for anything. It was an absolute brilliant tour and made exceptional by our tour guide Doogie. At all points on the tour the history and symbolism of the sites was explained in a clear and consise manner for all to understand. Throughout the day he made sure that everyone on the group was enjoying themselves and encouraged questions and observations. Orkney is a beautiful and interesting place which was conveyed enthusiastically by Doopie. We thoroughly enjoyed our short visit to the island and thank you for sharing it with us.
Just book it!
cathrynp226,
Sep 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Absolutely fantastic tour, well worth the money. Our tour guide Ron was very knowledgeable with an obvious love for Orkney, its people and history. And the minibus was very comfy! Would highly recommend - you won't be disappointed 😊
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Operated by Orkney Travel