Scotland's Shetland Islands

6 days
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Small Group Tour
Discover the many charms of the Shetland Islands on a small group tour featuring dramatic coastlines, towering sea cliffs, wildlife spotting and history galore. Lerwick is a charming town that plays host to the Shetland Museum, filled with historic buildings and offering a unique and captivating Scottish experience that will leave a lasting impression. Privat...
26%
$2,668
From$1,976
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Overview

Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy

Highlights

    • Lerwick, a charming town filled with historic buildings, makes for the perfect base for your trip. Unpack once in your guesthouse, settle in and enjoy a warm, cosy welcome back at the end of each day.
    • Tour the Shetland Museum which celebrates the local history with engaging interactive exhibits and world renowned collections of historic artifacts and documents.
    • Keep a lookout for puffins on a private minibus trip to Hermaness Nature Reserve and Muckle Flugga Lighthouse, the most northerly point in the United Kingdom.
    • Take a private minibus tour to Eshaness and be captivated by the crashing waves, dramatic sea cliffs and history that makes this destination a Shetland Islands ‘must visit’.
    • Rest, relax and enjoy the overnight ferries plentiful eating options and snooze in a comfortable ‘sleeping pod’ that reclines 70 degrees for a good night’s rest.

What's this trip about?

    Discover the many charms of the Shetland Islands on a small group tour featuring dramatic coastlines, towering sea cliffs, wildlife spotting and history galore. Lerwick is a charming town that plays host to the Shetland Museum, filled with historic buildings and offering a unique and captivating Scottish experience that will leave a lasting impression. Private minibus adventures will take you to the rugged landscapes of Eshaness and Muckle Flugga, the most northerly inhabited point in the United Kingdom to spot local wildlife like puffins, seals and otters. Add in a quaint town of warm-hearted locals and atmospheric pubs to enjoy at the end of each day and this trip has it all. Come and experience the magic of the Northern Scottish Isles.

Details

Itinerary focusOperator does not provide
Group sizeIntimate group - max of 12 people
Age range15 years and up
Flights and transportN/A
Start CityAberdeen
End CityAberdeen

Travel Themes

  • High Adventure

Destinations

  • Europe
  • United Kingdom

Attractions

  • Shetland Islands

Trip includes

    • Lerwick - Leader led Walking Tour
    • Lerwick - Shetland Museum Tour
    • Sumburgh - Jarlshof and Sumburgh Head Hike
    • Shetland - Hermaness Nature Reserve and Muckle Flugga private trip
    • Lerwick - Overnight Ferry Lerwick to Aberdeen
    • Eshaness - Coastal Hike

Popular Trips

Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1 Aberdeen to Lerwick

Welcome to Aberdeen! Meet your leader and the rest of your group in the late afternoon at Aberdeen Ferry Terminal, a designated space where passengers can wait comfortably and grab some refreshments or a light meal before boarding the overnight ferry to Lerwick in Sh...

Day 2 Lerwick

After you disembark the ferry at around 8 am, you’ll jump in a taxi to the guest house, where you can drop off your luggage before taking a walking tour of Lerwick, Shetland’s main town. This afternoon is yours to discover Lerwick your way, perhaps by raising a glass ...

Day 3 Sumburgh

After breakfast this morning, you’ll go on a short walk to the Shetland Museum, where your guide will take you for a tour that celebrates the local history through engaging interactive exhibits and world renowned collections of historic artifacts and documents. You mi...

Day 4 Muckle Flugga

After breakfast, you’ll take a trip to Hermaness Nature Reserve and Muckle Flugga, home to the Muckle Flugga Lighthouse and the most northerly inhabited island in the United Kingdom. Perched on jagged rocks rising out of the sea just off the coast of Unst, the lightho...

Day 5 Eshness

Today, travel via private minibus to Eshaness for an enjoyable coastal hike. Eshaness has it all – crashing waves, dramatic sea cliffs and history galore. While you’re enjoying the scenic views, keep an eye out for the seabirds, seals and otters that call this area ho...

Day 6 Lerwick to Aberdeen

On your arrival in Aberdeen at approximately 7am, your Shetland Islands adventure will come to an end. If you would like to spend some time in Aberdeen, we will be happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability).

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Dates & Availability

Price From $1,976
Price per day$329
Last Updated: 3/12/2024
Start Date
Finish Date
Base Price
Availability
19 May 2024
24 May 2024
$2,285
2 spots left
09 Jun 2024
14 Jun 2024
$2,140
3 spots left
23 Jun 2024
28 Jun 2024
$2,160
10 spots left
14 Jul 2024
19 Jul 2024
$2,160
8 spots left
21 Jul 2024
26 Jul 2024
$2,052
10 spots left
04 Aug 2024
09 Aug 2024
$2,205
5 spots left
11 Aug 2024
16 Aug 2024
$2,052
11 spots left
18 Aug 2024
23 Aug 2024
$1,976
10 spots left
25 Aug 2024
30 Aug 2024
$2,080
9 spots left
08 Sep 2024
13 Sep 2024
$2,225
4 spots left

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Intrepid Travel.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Tour Operator

Intrepid Travel

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The Intrepid Travel Experience

If you’re looking for adventure, you’ve come to the right place. For the past 25 years, we’ve been taking small groups of travelers on unforgettable trips around the world. What makes them unforgettable? Take a look for yourself and discover the Intrepid experience.

Our travelers have three styles of tour to choose from: Basix, Original and Comfort. Each has a different level of inclusions and accommodation, but all have unforgettable real life experiences as part of the package. Travellers can also choose themed trips, such as Family, Sailing or Food, to suit their interests.

Our group size has an average of just ten travellers, which allows us to get off the beaten track, use local accommodation and transport, and really get to know the culture. It also ensures we are contributing to the local economy; by choosing local suppliers we were able to keep AUD 60 million in local economies in 2012. We’re also working hard to reduce our carbon footprint and were the first in our sector to introduce carbon offset trips. This, along with our many corporate sustainability activities, has meant we’re one of the travel industry’s leaders in responsible travel.

Why Intrepid?

  •   Small groups - average of 10 people per trip
  •   Sustainability - pioneers for the industry
  •   Local leaders - authentic perspectives
  •   Local transport - get close and personal
  •   Local accommodation - experience real living
  •   Intrepid travelers - like-minded companions 

History

Intrepid Travel has come a long way since its beginnings in 1989. From two university friends, a typewriter and a kitchen desk, it is now a proud member of The Intrepid Group, taking over 100,000 travelers every year.

Intrepid Travel is part of The Intrepid Group of companies, alongside leading small group adventure companies Peregrine, Urban Adventures and PEAK DMC.

Despite growing into a global business with over 1,000 staff based all over the world and over 800 different trips across every continent, we’ve remained devoted to the same grassroots values and responsible travel philosophies that we had at the very beginning.

 

Values

On every trip we operate and in every interaction we have with a client, supplier or local, we live our core values everyday:

  • Integrity – Doing the right thing
  • Responsible – Think global, act local
  • Growth – Stakeholders in our own success
  • Innovation – Thriving on new ideas and embracing change
  • Fun – It’s engrained into who we are and what we do
  • Passion – We are inspired by the work we do and the trips we offer

 

Why we love this operator
They’re very committed to sustainable and responsible tourism and contribute to important initiatives like climate action.
What they’re known for
Small group tours for active and adventurous travelers at a range of different price points and service levels.

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Logistics

Accommodation

Guesthouse (3 nights),Overnight Ferry sleeping pod (2 nights),

Transportation & Flights

Private vehicle,Overnight Ferry,Taxi and On foot,

Transportation & flights

Private vehicle,Overnight Ferry,Taxi and On foot
Guides
All Intrepid group trips in Europe are accompanied by one of our local European group leaders. ’Local’ in this context means a leader who is European or lives in Europe. The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced leader however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your leader is new to a particular region or training other group leaders. Your leader takes care of logistics, will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. At Intrepid we also aim to support local guides in the individual cities or locations we travel to. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your leader can recommend an optional local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is compulsory on all our trips for those travelling internationally. We require that at a minimum you are covered for medical expenses including emergency repatriation. If you are travelling within your home country or region please confirm before travel that you are entitled to access the public medical system easily should an accident occur. We strongly recommend all travellers have a policy that also covers personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage or personal effects. For international trips, you will not be permitted to join the group until evidence of travel insurance and the insurance company's 24-hour emergency contact number has been sighted by your group leader or local representative. If you have credit card insurance your group leader or local representative will require details of the participating insurer/underwriter, the level of coverage, policy number, and emergency contact number rather than the bank's name and your credit card details. Please contact your bank for these details prior to arriving in-country. For travellers who reside within the European Union, Switzerland or USA the requirement to purchase travel insurance cannot be compulsory. However the purchase of travel insurance is still highly recommended, and travellers from these regions who decline travel insurance when travelling outside of their home region must sign a Travel Insurance Waiver Form at the Group Meeting, recognizing personal responsibility for emergency medical and repatriation costs should they arise. For assistance with travel insurance or other services, please visit the link below: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/booking-resources/our-services
Visa requirements
PASSPORT You’ll need a valid passport to travel internationally and most countries require your passport to have a minimum of 6 months validity, so remember to check the expiry date. We need your passport information to get everything ready for your trip so it’s important that the information on your booking matches your passport exactly. Please take care to provide the correct details. We recommend carrying a copy of the photo page of your passport while travelling and leaving a copy at home with family or friends. VISAS & ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Many countries require a visa and obtaining the correct visa for your trip and any countries you may transit through is your responsibility. We recommend you check your visa requirements as soon as you have booked your trip. This will ensure you have time to prepare your documents and for your visa application to be processed. You can check the entry requirements for your nationality on your government's foreign travel advisories, consular websites or on our page here:  www.intrepidtravel.com/visa-entry-requirements From November 2023, people travelling to the UK will need to get an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). An ETA is a digital permission to travel. Please follow the link for more information: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/electronic-travel-authorisation-eta
Health & Safety
Most national governments provide regularly updated foreign travel advice on safety issues involved with international travel. We recommend that you check your government's advice for their latest travel information before departure and ensure that your travel insurance covers you for all destinations and activities on your trip. Please refer to our website's safety page for links to major travel advisories and updates on safety issues affecting our trips here: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/travel-alerts We strongly recommend the use of a neck wallet or money belt while travelling, for the safe-keeping of your passport, flight tickets, cash and other valuable items. Leave your jewellery at home - you won't need it while travelling. Many of our hotels have safety deposit boxes, which is the most secure way of storing your valuables. A lock is recommended for securing your luggage. Your group leader or local representative will accompany you on all included activities, however, during your trip you'll have some free time to pursue your own interests or relax and take it easy. While your group leader or local representative will assist you with the available options in a given location, please note that any optional activities you undertake are not part of your Intrepid itinerary, and Intrepid makes no representations about the safety of the activity or the standard of the operators running them. Please use your own good judgement when selecting an activity in your free time. Please also note that your group leader or local representative has the authority to amend or cancel any part of the trip itinerary if it's deemed necessary due to safety concerns. Intrepid's operational safety policies can be viewed on our website at the link below. We recommend that you take a moment to read through this information before travelling, and would appreciate any feedback on how safety is being managed on our trips. https://www.intrepidtravel.com/safety-guidelines FIRE PRECAUTIONS: Please be aware that local laws governing tourism facilities in this region differ from those in your home country and not all the accommodation which we use has a fire exit, fire extinguishers or smoke alarms. TRAFFIC AND DRIVING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD: Depending on where you come from please note that drivers in this part of the world may drive on the opposite side of the road from what you are used to. Look both ways before crossing any road. Traffic can be a little more chaotic than you might be used to at home. Be aware! PETTY THEFT AND PERSONAL SAFETY While travelling there is always the risk of pick-pocketing and petty theft, particularly in the more touristy cities. We recommend that you exercise caution when walking alone at night and encourage you to walk together and only on main, well-lit thoroughfares. Be particularly vigilant on public transport. Simple measures like carrying your day pack on your front, not hanging your bag over the back of your chair or on the floor and wearing a money belt will reduce any chance that your valuables should go missing.
Age Requirements
15 years and up
Additional Information
Finish point Aberdeen Array Aberdeen UNITED KINGDOM
Trip ID
intrepid-BWSL

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