Isle of Skye day tours leave Inverness for twelve hours or Portree for eight, and come back the same night. How much of the day you spend on the island depends on which of the two you start from.
The most-reviewed day tour to the island, from Union Street at 7:45am. An hour at Eilean Donan, long enough to go in on a ticket bought at the door, then about three hours of stops from the Storr viewpoint to Sligachan.
From $98 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
The one shared day that starts on the island: 9am from the Portree coach park, twelve people at most, all eight hours on Skye. The Fairy Pools come first, then Lealt Falls, Kilt Rock, the Quiraing and the Storr. Snacks and water are included.
From $134 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
The lowest per-person fare for a day on Skye, from Railway Terrace at 8am. Its longest stop is Eilean Donan, at an hour and 25 minutes. The island gets about an hour and twenty: Portree, the Storr viewpoint and Kilt Rock.
From $94 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Twelve hours from 25 Union Street, sixteen people at most. Both long stops are on Skye: an hour and a half in Portree and an hour and a half on the Fairy Pools path. The castle is a photo stop, and under-threes are not taken.
From $107 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
The Inverness day that reaches Dunvegan Castle, with an hour and 45 minutes there after an hour and a quarter at the Fairy Pools. Castle entry is a fare option you pick when you book. Twelve and a half hours from 7:30am.
From $117 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
A driver who gives live commentary, rather than a separate guide, and up to 32 on board. Twelve hours from Union Street, with 45 minutes in Portree and an hour and a quarter on the Fairy Pools walk. The castle is a quick photo stop.
From $162 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Seven to eight hours with pickup anywhere on Skye, parking fees paid, soft drinks and water aboard. Two hours at the Storr, an hour at the Quiraing and a stop at the Staffin fossil museum. Aged 16 and over; no refunds or changes.
From $398 per person
Non-refundable: this fare cannot be cancelled or changed once booked.
A private day with hotel pickup around Inverness, for a party of four to seven aged ten and over. An hour at Eilean Donan, then Sligachan, the Fairy Glen, the Quiraing and Kilt Rock, and an hour in Portree.
From $486 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Dunvegan Castle and Gardens tickets are in this fare. Pickup from the port or your Portree hotel, forty minutes at the Quiraing and an hour and a half at the Storr. Read the refund terms at checkout before you pay.
From $532 per person
The listing gives two different refund terms: read the cancellation terms at checkout before you pay.
The longest time on Skye of any day from Inverness: about six and a half hours, with close to two at the Storr and as long again at the Fairy Pools. Pickup in Inverness or on the way, for your party only.
From $744 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
One fare buys the vehicle for up to three people, with a kilted guide and pickup from your Inverness accommodation. Nine hours, the shortest day from the city: half an hour at Eilean Donan, an hour in Portree, then the Storr.
From $1,062 per group, up to 3
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
The most-reviewed day tour to Skye leaves Union Street at 7:45am for $98. You get an hour at the castle, time enough to go in, then Portree, the Storr and the Quiraing.
See this tourA day tour takes you to Skye and back without a night away. You start either in Inverness, on the mainland, or in Portree, on the island itself, and the two are very different days.
From Inverness you spend twelve to twelve and a half hours on the road and at stops. The drive runs past Loch Ness and west to Kyle of Lochalsh, where you cross the Skye Bridge. Every day tour from the city also stops at Eilean Donan, the castle on the mainland at Dornie, just before the bridge. So the island itself gets between an hour and twenty minutes and about four hours of the shared day.
From Portree the whole day is on Skye. The shared day runs eight hours from the coach park, and the private days six and a half to eight. You lose nothing to the mainland, but you have to be sleeping on the island to join.
You keep your bed in Inverness or Portree. There is no room to reserve, no bag to carry and no single supplement if you travel alone.
The shared days from Inverness cost $94 to $162 a person, and the day from Portree $134. The cheapest 3-day tour costs $245.
Cancel up to a day ahead on any shared day tour and you get your money back. Most of the longer tours need three, six or 21 days' notice, or refund nothing at all.
Each Inverness day is built around one long stop. Some give Eilean Donan an hour or more, some walk to the Fairy Pools, and one reaches Dunvegan Castle. Choose by that stop and you will not be disappointed.
Here is how one day compares with the shortest multi-day tour, using the operators' own figures. Shared fares only; the private days are compared on their own page.
| A day tour | A 3-day tour | |
|---|---|---|
| How long | 6.5 to 12.5 hours | Three days, two nights |
| Time on Skye | 1 h 20 to 4 h of stops from Inverness; all day from Portree | A full touring day, plus evenings in Portree on most |
| Fare, per person | $94 to $162 from Inverness; $134 from Portree | $245 to $761 |
| Where it starts | Inverness or Portree | Edinburgh, Glasgow or Inverness |
| Rooms | None needed | In the fare on most; an option or yours on some |
| Refund window | 24 hours on every shared day | 24 hours to 21 days |
If you are coming from Edinburgh or Glasgow, the question answers itself: no day tour leaves either city. The Isle of Skye 3-day tours start from $245 and give you a night or two on the island.
Twelve and a half hours from Union Street for $117: an hour and a quarter on the Fairy Pools path, then an hour and 45 minutes at the castle.
Check availabilityEvery day tour side by side, with the multi-day tours, is in our guide to choosing an Isle of Skye tour.
Not sure one day is enough? Compare every tour side by side on Isle of Skye Day Tours.