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TranslateOur ‘Orkney Highlights Tour’ takes you on a journey through time, giving you a real sense of life ‘on the edge’, from experiencing how our Neolithic ancestors lived and survived over 5000 years ago, through the ‘invasion’ of the Vikings, documented in the 13th Century Orkneyinga Sagas and how they still influence Orkney’s culture today to the global importance played by Scapa Flow during two World Wars, the moving stories of which tell of innovation and tragedy and are forever preserved in the fabric of our amazing Islands and their people.
GoOrkney Small Group Tours
Depending on the date of your visit, you will be offered a variety of small group tour options ranging from 3 to 5.5 hours in duration. These include visits to some or all of the key sites listed below. Please check the tour description on our booking page to see which itineraries are available on your chosen date.
We are proud to welcome guests from many cruise lines and especially enjoy serving the Regal, Emerald and Majestic Princess, AIDA, MSC Preziosa, Tui Cruise ship Mein Schiff 3, Holland & American cruise ships MS Rotterdam, MS Nieuw Statendam and MS Borealis, Norwegian Dawn, Azamara, Oceania Marina and Serena, and of course, Viking Jupiter and Saturn – regular and much-welcomed callers to Orkney
New for 2025, we are delighted to offer a multilingual guide available on selected Highlight Tour dates, providing tours in English, German, and French. Please email us at info@goorkney.com for further details.
Our small group intineraries have been designed around the cruise ship schedule, maximises guests time in Orkney and guarantees a timely return to ship. You will be met and welcomed by your GoOrkney guide at the ship’s arrival point.
From here, the tour will start and head west, hugging the coastline of Scapa Flow where you will hear about the Royal Oak Tragedy, learn about the ‘Scuttling’ of the German fleet in 1919 and how Scapa Flow remains economically important for Orkney today.
On to ‘Yesnaby’, to view our stunning Atlantic coastline with stunning cliffs, geology, wildlife and fauna and where you may, if you’re lucky find the rare ‘Primula Scotica’. On a clear day you may also catch a glimpse of ‘The Old Man of Hoy’ and Britain’s highest vertical cliffs.
Step back 5000 years now as we enter the ‘Heart of Neolithic Orkney’ and our UNESCO World Heritage Sites, home to some of the best-preserved Neolithic structures in the world. You will visit Skara Brae, a world-renowned Neolithic village dating to 3100bc, buried and preserved in sand for thousands of years before being uncovered by a storm in 1850. You will be amazed at the condition of the houses that make up this completely original village with stone furniture, beds and implements exactly as they were left. A nearby modern visitor centre and replica Neolithic house adds to the experience and enables you to fully immerse yourself in our Neolithic history.
Your Neolithic experience continues as we take a short drive to our next stop where you will be guided around two stunning henge monuments, the Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness, set in a natural amphitheatre and amongst the oldest in Europe.
We now travel south, passing other Neolithic sites and learning about our Viking heritage and Wartime history. We will take in panoramic views of Scapa Flow and visit the World War 2 sea defences, the ‘Churchill Barriers’, an incredible engineering achievement, built by Italian prisoners of war in response to the tragic sinking of HMS Royal Oak in 1939. We then visit and marvel at the splendour of the ‘Italian Chapel’, where you will not fail to be moved by this masterpiece built and beautifully decorated by the Italian prisoners and affectionately named ‘The Miracle of Camp 60’.
Then back to our Capital City and Royal Burgh of Kirkwall where our 4.5hrs tour ends outside St Magnus Cathedral. On our 5.5hrs tour you will be guided around the stunning red and yellow sandstone St Magnus Cathedral. Known as ‘The light of the North’ and built in the 12th Century, this magnificent monument honouring our Viking Earl, St Magnus has been beautifully preserved and is still in use today.
It will then be time for us to bid you all farewell. We can either return you to where you started the tour or we can drop you off at the Kirkwall Travel Centre from where you can take a leisurely stroll through the historic streets of Kirkwall and enjoy the unique abundance of shops and businesses selling local food, drink, garments and of course stunning jewellery. For cruise ship passengers there is a regular free shuttle service between Hatston Pier and the Travel Centre.
Due to schedule limitations on certain dates, we offer a 3.5 hr tour which includes all the Neolithic sites detailed above but excludes the Italian Chapel and the Churchill Barriers. Please check the tour description on our booking page to see which itineraries are available on your chosen date.
The tour and the services of a professional driver-guide.
Meals, drinks and refreshments, apart from chilled bottled water, are not included in your ticket price. We believe in giving you the choice to suit your budget. Alternatively feel free to bring your own packed lunch for day tours.
With the luxury of a Bespoke Tour, we can include coffee and/or lunch stops in your itinerary, but this would be at your own cost.
We operate Bespoke tours and our Corporate service all year round.
Our Highlights Tours are only available on specific days from May to September. Please check the availability calendar.
Please contact us directly if you have an unusual or complicated agenda, we will try to accommodate your request if we can.
For cruise ship customers, we provide a pier side pickup and drop off service. Your GoOrkney guide or driver will be at the Pier to greet you and holding a GoOrkney name board. At the time of booking, please let us know which ship you are arriving on.
Kirkwall Pier (Anchorage): After you disembark from the tender boat, your guide/driver will meet you as you come up the pier and take you to your vehicle. If you miss each other, the Meet & Greet Staff on the pier will help and direct you to us. Please allow sufficient time for tendering.
Hatston Pier: On arrival to the pier, after you disembark from the ship, please let the Meet & Greet Staff on the pier know you are on a private GoOrkney tour. Your Guide will be called onto the pier to pick you up.
On request, we also provide a pick up service from the Travel Centre, West Castle St, Kirkwall, KW15 1GU. At the time of booking, please let us know if you require pick up from the Travel Centre. Map details are available on the following link: https://www.bing.com/local?lid=YN1029x11914293144776059141&id=YN1029x11914293144776059141&q=Visit+Scotland&name=Visit+Scotland&cp=58.98310470581055%7e-2.96174693107605&ppois=58.98310470581055_-2.96174693107605_Visit+Scotland
Yes. We offer personal pick-ups for all our private tours. If you require to change your pick-up point after booking please contact us directly and we will be happy to help you.
Our ‘Highlights Tour’ is offered on a book now, per seat basis and on dates where Cruise Ships are visiting Orkney. These tours are not exclusive to Cruise Ship passengers and can be booked online up 12 hours before the tour. Please contact us directly to confirm last minute availability
Yes, Private Tours can be arranged on any day where the calendar shows availability, including ‘Highlights Tours’ dates. Please contact us for our latest availability.
Sorry, no. All seats are allocated on a first come, first served basis. Please be assured that all seats have ample leg room and visibility.
We want you to enjoy the very best Orkney has to offer and we believe the best way to do this is to get you off the bus as often as we can. We ensure this with a mixture of photo stops and comfort breaks.
The tour have been timed to ensure you maximise your time in Orkney and see as much as possible in the given time. As such, there is no lunch stop however you can pick up on-the-go refreshments, payable at the time
The weather in Orkney is changeable, even in summer. Please wear sensible footwear as the ground we visit is often uneven and may be slippery. Layering of clothes is recommended and another sensible precaution is to carry light waterproof clothing. If prepared, you will have a great time, no matter the weather.
We do not offer refunds due to bad weather.
Highlights tour: limited to one small rucksack or bag per person.
Bespoke and Corporate: additional luggage can be facilitated by prior arrangement. Please advise at time of booking.
Unfortunately our vehicles are not equipped for wheelchair users who require to remain seated in their wheelchair when boarding, alighting from or travelling in the vehicle.
Our small group Highlights Tours are usually run using a 15 seater vehicle which has no additional storage space, so we are generally unable to accommodate larger mobility aids. Additionally, due to the height and the need to step up into our vehicles, they are not ideal for anyone who has restricted mobility. We kindly ask that guests are able to get in and out of the vehicle by themselves with no or minimal assistance. If you are a wheelchair user, have limited mobility or require assistance in any way, please contact us prior to booking to avoid the potential for disappointment on the day of the tour.
Many of the sites visited on the small group Highlights tours require a degree of walking on uneven and non paved ground, for instance Skara Brae has a walk of up to 500m from the Visitor centre to the site, and whilst our guides will of course try to accommodate the needs of all our guests, they have a schedule to keep and need to consider the guest experience for everyone on the tour.
Our 7 seater vehicles, mainly used for private exclusive use tours, are equipped with wide side access doors, can accommodate a folding wheelchair and may be accessible for wheelchair users who, with minimal assistance are able to transfer themselves to and from a vehicle seat.
GoOrkney maintains insurance meeting all statutory requirements, we strongly recommend that passengers hold comprehensive and suitable travel, medical and cancellation insurance to cover their period of travel.
