About this trip
Five days exploring the Orkney Islands, based in Kirkwall after departing from Inverness. This is a trip built around Neolithic history and windswept island landscapes, with a small group and a local guide who knows the stories behind the stones.
You'll spend your days visiting ancient sites and museums rather than covering huge distances, with time built in for the odd whisky tasting in a local pub. It's a slower, culture-focused way to see a part of Scotland most visitors never reach.
What you'll do
- Explore the Neolithic village of Skara Brae, older than Stonehenge
- Visit the Scapa Flow Museum on the Island of Hoy
- Base yourself in the town of Kirkwall for the trip
- Travel by land and sea between Orkney's sites
- Whisky tastings at local pubs along the way
- Easy-paced sightseeing rather than an active or physically demanding trip
- Twin-share accommodation — solo travellers are paired with a same-gender roommate unless you pay a single supplement
- Bring warm, waterproof layers, as Orkney can be cold and exposed even outside winter
Worth it if you want deep Orkney history with a standout guide and flexible pacing. Think twice if you dislike too much unstructured free time or slow pre-trip customer support.
- Guide Rhys was genuinely knowledgeable, proactive and made the pace work well for the group.
- Two free afternoons in three days on the main island leaves too much dead time without guidance on what to actually do.
- Getting answers from Intrepid pre-trip is slow and frustratingly reliant on bots rather than human support.
- The itinerary covers serious history well but misses folk music pub experiences and some nearby islands like Hoy and Rousay.
Distilled from real traveller reviews on TourRadar — we don't edit out the bad bits.
The same-vibe trips, side by side — price, value per day, and how each is moving. Only we can lay two operators' trips out honestly.
Sorted by fit — never by who paid. Price moves and availability come from our own daily tracking.
Departing in Aug is cheapest — from £1,230, about 53% below the priciest month (Jul).
Getting there
Opens Trip.com, pre-filled — one-way so you can book your return whenever. Prices & booking shown there.
Where to stay
A night before your tour in Inverness · 17 Aug – 18 Aug
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