Quiraing, Isle of Skye
I could’ve spend each day moving from one city to another in Scotland and rent a car, but I didn’t. There were several things considered and that was why I didn’t rent a car in UK:
- The price of gasoline is high
- Me and my friends are not familiar with the road (although we could probably rent a GPS) and the driving regulation in UK
- If #2 do happen, we will waste more time correcting our road
- There are tour agents have interesting packages at reasonable price.
Having those considerations, we decided to explore Scotland using package tour. Some of providers that I reviewed are listed below. We chose the 3 days-2 nights because that’s the only days left to explore Scotland. We have another one day to explore Glasgow and Edinburgh. So the following link associated with the tour agent are specific for 3 days-2 nights Tour of Isle of Skye and the Highlands. But, these tour agents also provide various kind of packages. Just click on their website and explore the options they offer.
- Scottish Tour (link here: http://www.scottishtours.co.uk/tourpage.asp?id=173)
- Skye Scenic Tour (link here: http://www.skyescenictours.com/tours/3-day-west-highland-and-isle-of-skye)
- Mac Backpacker (link here: http://macbackpackers.com/tour/3_day_loch_ness_and_skye)
- Heart of Scotland Tours (link here: https://www.heartofscotlandtours.co.uk/misty_isle.php)
- Timberbush Tour (link here: http://www.timberbush-tours.co.uk/our-tours/from-glasgow/three-day/skye-the-highlands-loch-ness-tour1/)
- Highland Experience (Link here: http://www.highlandexperience.com/tours/edinburgh/Skye-Tour.htm)
- Haggis Adventures (link here: http://www.haggisadventures.com/trips/scotland/skye-high-tour)
Tour comparison as per 11 October 2015 (Note: price may change overtime and there are more providers than these. These are just some providers that i got.
What should be considered when choosing the tour provider?
- The departure days. Since the tour is 3 days and 2 nights, they don’t depart daily. There are tours that depart every Tuesday and Friday, and some offer tour that depart every Wednesday and Saturday. Since our flight from London to Glasgow was on Thursday, so we picked tour that depart every Tuesday and Friday. This narrow the option down to only few agents.
- Itinerary and Tour style. Although most of the tour provide similar itinerary, some providers offer unique experience or places to be visited. In the table above I did not detail the attraction. And, based on their website and detail itinerary you will able to tell if the itinerary and tour style suits you. Some targets young adventurer with more activities, and some targets young-adult and seniors. It will help to also check out their photo to determine which one suit you.
- Review on Tripadvisor (and other travel blog). It has been my routine in arranging trip to check other traveler’s review in Tripadvisor (and other travel blog) as well as Lonely Planet. So far, it has never disappointed me.
- Price. The above price is listed on October 11th 2015, the day I write this blog. (It was cheaper when I travelled back in May, but not much of difference). Although the accommodation is not included in the tour price, they help arranging and booking the stay as per our preference. You can choose between hostel, B&B, and hotel. All in all, there’s not much difference in between provider in term of pricing. That’s why I put price as the last point. The most important thing is the suitability of the tour with your overall itinerary and the places you want to visit (and what they offer).
Happy Traveling !! 🙂
