Depart from John O'Groats on the ferry. Shortest sea crossing, only 40 mins to Orkney Islands. Look out for wildlife on the way even orcas if you are lucky and puffins. Luxury coach awaits you on Orkney. Enjoy a guided tour of the islands.
An amazing 5000 year old stoneage village older than the pyramids part of Orkney's World Heritage Site. Only discovered 150 years ago. Entry payable by card at site.
See the beautiful Italian Chapel, built by Italian prisoners of war using basic materials.
Visit the town of Kirkwall with its magnificent Cathedral. See also shops, harbour and museum.
See the mystical Ring of Brodgar, an impressive stone circle.
Small group of standing stones.
Drive round Scapa Flow, home to the Grand Fleet during the wars. See the block ships as you cross the Churchill Barriers.
Orkney Islands Day Trip From John O'Groats
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Tour Information
Key Details
- Mobile Voucher Accepted
- Hotel pickup Available
- Instant Confirmation
- Lowest Price Guaranteed
- Duration: 10 Hrs
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Language:
English
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Departure Time :
08:45 AM
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Return Details :
Arrive 8.30am to John O'Groats. Go straight down to the harbour ready to board the ferry to Orkney - MV Pentland Venture. Your Guide will meet you on-board your MAXI DAY TOUR coach when you arrive on .. read more
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Cancellation Policy : This activity is non-refundable Tours booked using discount coupon codes will be non refundable.
Overview
Explore the Orkney Islands on this day trip from John O'Groats. Take the ferry and island hop across the Churchill Barriers to visit Kirkwall, home to the magnificent Viking cathedral of St Magnus. Free time for lunch in Stromness. Visit Ring of Brodgar and Standing Stones. Step back 5,000 years as you enter the stoneage village of Skara Brae and on your way home drop by the Italian Chapel.Know More about this tour
Itinerary:
Depart from John O'Groats on the ferry. Shortest sea crossing, only 40 mins to Orkney Islands. Look out for wildlife on the way even orcas if you are lucky and puffins. Luxury coach awaits you on Orkney. Enjoy a guided tour of the islands.
An amazing 5000 year old stoneage village older than the pyramids part of Orkney's World Heritage Site. Only discovered 150 years ago. Entry payable by card at site.
See the beautiful Italian Chapel, built by Italian prisoners of war using basic materials.
Visit the town of Kirkwall with its magnificent Cathedral. See also shops, harbour and museum.
See the mystical Ring of Brodgar, an impressive stone circle.
Small group of standing stones.
Drive round Scapa Flow, home to the Grand Fleet during the wars. See the block ships as you cross the Churchill Barriers.
Inclusions
- Ferry crossing
- English speaking guide
- Transport by coach
- Entrance fee to Skara Brae (stoneage village)
Exclusions
- Optional gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop off
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Entrance fee to Italian chapel
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Sorry no dogs on tour
Tour returns 6.15pm to John O'Groats
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitised between use
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
Traveler Reviews
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Absolutely fantastic 😊 our original trip was cancelled due to bad weather but it was very easy to reschedule - an email was sent out the day before. We were with Ann, and she gave an incredibly knowledgeable (and funny) tour around the islands. We particularly enjoyed the local anecdotes. Plenty of time to stop at every site with extra to see the local wildlife. The sites were incredibly busy due to the cruise ships being in port at the same time, but it was all very well managed. Tip 1 - sit on the left hand side of the bus for the best views. Tip 2 - if you go on a Sunday, a lot of the shops will be closed so bring a snack/lunch etc.
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Darren, the driver and guide was amazing. He was funny, had a brilliant historical knowledge of the Orkney’s. Darren gave a running commentary of all the history of the islands for the entire 7hrs we were on the coach. Before each stop, he gave us information about the location and gave helpful advice on where to eat and what to see so we could maximise our time. We were lucky to have such a fine, warm, sunny day to view the orkneys at their best. We learnt so much about the role the Orkneys had in the world wars that we hadn’t known previously. We knew a lot about the ancient ruins and surprised to learn about more recent history. We had a fantastic experience thanks to Darren!
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ferry looked like it had seen better days. had to get a taxi too and from Thurso as no buses. need to buget 100 pounds stirling. sops over crowded as three bus loads. should look at sending buses to differeny sites at different times. Cockney bus driver sense of humour annoying. too much free time in towns
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The day was packed full of interesting things sites on a few islands. Darren our bus driver was interesting and amusing. I’d recommend this trip to anybody wanting to see lots in a day.
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Murray (if I spell it correctly) is the most competent and entertaining guide I’ve ever met. Almost an artist.
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Hadrian’s Wall. Angela’s commentary was very informative. And enjoyed the playlist that was chosen for each area we visited I appreciate her great driving skills!
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Will our Driver was a wonderful host and delivered a very light commentary on the tour. The tour itself is an excellent concentrated expedition throughout the islands. The highlight was the Ring of Broadgan. A spiritual power pack. I wish I could have spent more time there. The tour is thrilling with enough autonomy to do your own thing. Highly recommended. Thanks Will and MAXI Tours. I'll be back.
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Darren, our driver, was incredibly informative and funny despite milking some terrible jokes 🤣🤣 we had done this tour many years ago with young kids. It was so nice to come back unencumbered. The Sunbean in Kirkwall did a great Brazilian coffee and a fabulous local steak pie
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We had a FANTASTIC tour to Orkney with this tour. Everything worked liked clockwork. Clear advice on parking at John O Groats and getting to the ferry, the ferry was great with outside and inside decks. Coaches were there waiting to pick us up on arrival. The coach was great but the guide was just AWESOME. Darren - should be a pro comedian - absolutely hilarious jokes all the way around, but also gave great detail about the history, current life and geography of the Orkney Islands. Honestly, I am not sure this could have been any better. We say Scapa Flow, Kirkwall, Stromness, the Italian Chapel and the major pre-history sites (Scara Brae etc). Plenty of time to browse around Kirkwall and Stromness and get some lunch. The tour ended about 5.30, so it's a FULL day. We got back home tired but thrilled with all that we had seen and heard. Absolutely recommended. James Legg and Family
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This was an excellent day trip. The ferry and the coach ran smoothly, and our driver/guide on the coach, Murray, was very knowledgeable and taught us so much! So many interesting stops. We are so glad we did this.
