The Complete Loch Ness Experience Small-Group Day Tour from Inverness
5
The Complete Loch Ness Experience Small-Group Day Tour from Inverness
By Rabbie's
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About
Discover Scotland’s most famous loch and its surrounding Highlands on this full-day tour to Loch Ness, finding your way easily with round-trip transfer from Inverness by luxury coach. Be immersed in Scottish nature on a relaxed hike from Invermoriston, soak up picture-perfect views of Loch Ness, or take an optional cruise for a closer glimpse of lakeside sights such as Urquhart Castle, benefiting from the personalized attention and insights of your small-group guide throughout.
from per adult
£89.19
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 5-99, max of 16 per group
Duration: 7h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
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Highlights
- See the famous Loch Ness and more Highland highlights on a full-day tour
- Round-trip transfer from Inverness ensures a hassle-free trip
- Be immersed in Scottish nature on a relaxed Highlands hike
- Benefit from personalized attention and insights from your small-group guide
- Jacobite Cruise on Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle included in the tour price
- Transport in a 16-seat Mercedes luxury mini-coach
- Small group (16 people max) for a more personal experience
- Professional and friendly driver guide
- Entry/Admission - Loch Ness
What's not included- Entrance fees unless specified
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Start:
- 1 Ardross St, Inverness IV3, UKPlease meet your Rabbie's guide at the bus stop next to Inverness Cathedral, Ardross Street, Inverness, IV3 5NS. Please arrive 15 minutes before the tour departs.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 2250P65- Most travellers can participate
- All Inverness tours will depart from the bus stop next to Inverness Cathedral, Ardross Street, IV3 5NS
- We apologise, but we cannot accommodate children under 5 years old on our tours. Please note that if this policy is not followed, we will have to refuse travel without issuing a refund. Thank you for understanding.
- Luggage Allowance: You're restricted to 14kg (31lbs) of luggage per person on our tours. This should be one piece of luggage similar to an airline carry-on bag (approximately 55cm x 45cm x 25cm / 22in x 17in x 10in) plus a small bag for onboard personal items.
- Jacobite Cruise on Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle included in the tour price
- In order to retain the integrity of the tour and try to ensure that all our customers have the best possible experience, we do cap bookings from any one party to 8 passengers.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- What is the departure point for the Complete Loch Ness Experience Small-Group Day Tour?
- The tour departs from the Bus stop near Inverness CathedralAnswered Apr 2023
- Is parking available near the departure point for the Complete Loch Ness Experience Small-Group Day Tour?
- Parking can be difficult to find in the center of town. It is highly recommended that you take advantage of the excellent public transportation that is available.Answered Jun 2021
- How early should I arrive for the Complete Loch Ness Experience Small-Group Day Tour?
- Check-in closes 15 minutes before your departure time. The tour departs on time, so please do not arrive late.Answered Jun 2021
- Can I bring luggage with me on the Complete Loch Ness Experience Small-Group Day Tour?
- You may bring up to 14kg (31lbs) of luggage per person. This should be one piece of luggage similar to an airline carry-on bag (approximately 55cm x 45cm x 25cm / 22in x 17in x 10in) and a small bag for onboard personal items.Answered Jun 2021
The tour operator has provided the following answers to customers’ questions.- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 2250P65
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Itinerary
- 1 Ardross St, Inverness IV3, UKPlease meet your Rabbie's guide at the bus stop next to Inverness Cathedral, Ardross Street, Inverness, IV3 5NS. Please arrive 15 minutes before the tour departs.
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- tiagoj8130 contributionsVery Almost a 5*. Duncan Was Great!Amazing. Duncan, our tour guide, was highly knowledgeable and demonstrated a clear love of Scotland. He shared his culture and history with all of us, treating us to what felt like an intimate discovery of the Cairns, Culloden, and, of course, the spectacular Glen Affric. The latter was, by far, the highlight of our stay (drawing only with the boat trip across the beautiful Loch Ness itself). The day starts off at a slower, comfortable pace. You get to experience the Cairns before moving on to the historic epicentre, Culloden Battlefield. The history on display here is very interesting and formative. However, the information centre itself was a bit confusing, and the service was slow (20 minutes for a coffee really bites into your leisure/discovery time). We then stop for lunch at the quaint Beauly before heading into the nature-led leg of the tour. Once that starts, it's genuinely heavenly. I've been fortunate to travel quite a bit, especially in the UK, and Glen Affric is easily one of the most beautiful vistas in the country (alongside the likes of Padstow, Fowey via Megavissey, Loch Ness and, I suspect, Glen Coe) This is one of those tours that makes you feel like you understand more of the area you've visited and leaves you nostalgic as soon as it ends.Written 8 September 2024
- gone2bigsur0 contributionsAwesome countrysideAmy was our guide and driver. She is very knowledgeable and I learned so much. Lunch at applecross cafe was amazing. I splurged and had the beef cheeks. The little village of applecross was charming. It was a clear day so you could see Skye and the outer Hebrides.Written 6 September 2024
- gone2bigsur0 contributionsRabbies InvernessThoroughly enjoyed this tour with Dave as our guide/driver. Dave tells great stories and jokes. We were lucky with sunshine most of the day.Written 6 September 2024
- W3198VYsvetlanag0 contributionsSpectacular Isle of Skye. Some issues with the driver.The route was planned very well. We got lucky with the sunny weather, and the views were stunning! Isle of Skye was the highlight of our trip to Scotland. However, it wasn't easy to understand the driver's heavy accent even for native English speakers. I'd suggest encouraging the guides to speak not too fast to make it easier to understand them. Also, Alec spent a little bit too much time complaining about unprofessional drivers which was, ironically, unprofessional to my mind.Written 6 September 2024
- Renée M0 contributionsWonderful tour to ancient sites and the waterfallsWonderful tour with Sheana and Nick, our guide could tell lots of interesting stories and knew the sites we were visiting very well!! The sites are great to visit!Written 30 August 2024
- Z6441VOtg0 contributionsLooking into Scotland’s PastColin was our incredible tour guide. He was knowledgeable, entertaining, intuitive and just an all around great guy. Couldn’t recommend the tour or him more.Written 28 August 2024
- Y6997ONmichaelb0 contributionsHighly worthwhile and recommended!This was a wonderful way to see the Highlands and learn a lot about Scotland, its history, culture and people. Our driver/guide Seana was simply superb, ably captaining our comfortable touring van, keeping us entertained with history, tales and engaging conversation about the areas we were seeing and the three days flew by. I most enjoyed the more remote, western side of the peninsula with its pristine beaches, mountain vistas, and of course, many, many sheep. Overall, this was a terrific way to get a feel for the Scotland Highlands in a short period of time. Highly worthwhile and recommended!Written 24 August 2024
- senecag20240 contributionsGreat tour, wonderful guide!Rabbie’s Tours was wonderful! Our guide (Aileigh?) not sure of the spelling - was great. She was very knowledgeable about the Highlands and about the Isle of Skye.Written 23 August 2024
- 487annikan0 contributionsWindy and wonderfulExcellent tour with a friendly, knowledgeable guide with the most wonderful accent. Saw everything that was on my list and the weather only added to the atmosphere (-bring an umbrella if you can, though it *will* break from the wind). I much preferred this to a tour by another company I did to Skye, which was underwhelming. But you really felt alive on Orkney, the wind was wonderful. It helped that the bus was a 16 seater, which makes for a much more personal experience. If you are into stone age civilizations this is your playground. Then there is all the other island specific farming etc going on, which is just delightful to witness and if you are lucky you will hear the melodious Orkney accent when listening to locals. Breakfast in our BnB in Kirkwall was great and for dinner we had takeaway which was excellent, and there are supermarkets everywhere, so go get your sustenance there if no spots are available. The restaurants will be full and they do tell you to make reservations, so make sure you do if you want a proper restaurant experience and you will be dropped of there. Accomodation was spread out over town and you were picked up there in the morning. We also made plenty of refreshment stops. It depends on the people in your group, whether a trip is quite successfull, but for the most part the people were getting along and bonding over the course of days. (Even though some people are never happy, or overly excited - which both was quite draining after a while, get it together people....). I would not neccessarily recommend this for children though. You can bring them, but it might be a little much having to sit still for long periods of time, which in turn bugs the other passengers, so think about that. However, I wish all islanders the strength to deal with all the cruiseship bs going on and wish they were not overrun with tourists, which was especially a problem in Kirkwall. We were lucky, and it was fairly quiet but on leaving there were two massive ships coming in which is ridiulous. The poor locals. They were friendly and helpful everywhere, but I would totally understand if some were fed up with the backpacking sardines squished into the little towns.Written 22 August 2024
- BeckyA4910 contributionsSkye in a dayHelen and Nick were incredible tour guides! Our stops were informative and the tour was handled in a timely fashion. Skye is a must see and this tour was fabulous!Written 14 August 2024
- Steffi03040 contributionsFantastic experienceWe had a fantastic time during our Isle of Skye trip with Helen. It's a long day tour but we enjoyed it from start to finish. Helen was extremely considerate about taking breaks and stopping for toilets regularly. She was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining, and a very skillful and safe driver. We learned so much about the Highlands, their history, culture, and nature. Highly recommended!Written 13 August 2024
- Jackie W0 contributionsDo itGuide was fantastic, with great historical knowledge, a tale or two and very witty. The tour was well put together and great value for money.Written 12 August 2024
- Syko19690 contributionsEpic views on an epic tour.This has got to be one of the best tours I've ever been on. Our driver, guide, historian, thesbian, Ryan, was truly epic. This tour lasted over 12 hours and was made more enjoyable by him. The views of The Isle of Skye are out of this world. The roads are not for the faint hearted though! Lol.Written 6 August 2024
- Quest247014039500 contributionsWonderfull dayWonderful day - great job, Kev! We had a good time on Isle of Skye. Kev, our driver and guide had lots of stories, facts and also funnies about all spots on this journey and more. Very recommendable...Written 6 August 2024
- Dmgarcia06250 contributionsWell worth the day!So glad we did this! Our family of 4 (including 2 teenagers) really enjoyed the experience, stories, music and the comfort of the van. Amy was awesome!! She told stories, played Scottish music and showed us many wonderful things about the Scottish highlands.Written 1 August 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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5.0
147 reviews
Excellent
134
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7
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3
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Herts
Royston, UK35 contributions
Liam is an experienced driver with excellent knowledge and a pleading manner. Tour lasted for 7 hours with plenty of short or longer breaks to take in scenery or to eat/drink. You do travel the whole 50 miles circumference of the lake and the optional but chargeable extra of a 70 minute cruise on the lake is well worth it if the weather conditions are good.
Written 20 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beatriz F
London, UK37 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
We loved our day out. We had Helen as a guide and she was amazing, on this tour you see a lot more of the loch Ness and the surrounding area. We learned a lot with Helen about the place and nessie's story. If you are coming to Inverness do book this tour, you won't regret it.
Written 5 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beth E
15 contributions
Dec 2021 • Friends
What a fantastic day out. Our guide Helen was an absolute joy, very educational and passionate about what she does. We felt that we were in very safe hands desbite the icey roads. You see much more than one would expect of these tours taking a tour around the whole of the outside of Loch ness, seeing many different sites along the way. The optional boat tour isnt a necessity but worth doing I'd you fancy it just to say you've been on Loch ness.
You won't find yourself travelling for any more than 25 minutes at a time so it's not too bad for any one with travel sickness and you get plenty of fresh air. If your going in winter be sure to wrap up warm because you will spend alot of time outside.
A lunch time slot is given in a small village with shows and a range of different restaurants where you can go off on your own.
You won't find yourself travelling for any more than 25 minutes at a time so it's not too bad for any one with travel sickness and you get plenty of fresh air. If your going in winter be sure to wrap up warm because you will spend alot of time outside.
A lunch time slot is given in a small village with shows and a range of different restaurants where you can go off on your own.
Written 3 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Keith B
Kent, UK35 contributions
We booked this tour so we could get a flavour of the Highlands. Our driver Amy T was entertaining and fun to talk to. Her knowledge and experience of the area made the trip worth every penny. In addition to the commentary about the area Amy gave out hints and tips to get the best out of each and every stop. One thing we would recommend is taking a picnic instead of trying to eat at a local establishment due to the queue times to get served. That way you can maximize your enjoyment of the area. Overall this was the best tour for us. We would take another tour like this the next time we visit.
Written 11 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elina Michaelidou
London, UK709 contributions
Jun 2019
We went on the Complete Loch Ness tour and although the places we visited were amazing I was disappointed by the short amount of time that we had at each place. I could easily spend double the time we did at Urquhart Castle and I would have liked more time to grasp the beautiful sceneries we were shown (for this reason we only had a quick snack for lunch). The same was true for all stops. We even skipped one stop due to bad weather (no visibility). I would definitely recommend increasing the total time of the tour and increasing the time at each stop, as the tour covers many interesting places (not easily reached with public transport) and it’s a good alternative to those who don't have a car.
Written 2 April 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback, I am glad that you thought the places that you visited were amazing. We are sorry that you were disappointed by the short amount of time that we had at each stop.
Our Loch Ness tour covers a lot of miles in a day and the majority of the roads it covers are not motorways, it is a longer day and to see the whole route we have lots of shorter stops such as at Urquhart Castle, if you have longer, we also have longer tours such as our 2 day tours and longer tours which are able to travel at a more leisurely pace with longer stops.
We believe small groups tours make all the difference and yes public transport will take you to Urquhart Castle, however if you would like a friendly and knowledgeable guide to bring it all to life, we believe our tours are the best choice. Thank you for taking the time to send on your feedback it helps us to keep getting better.
Written 10 April 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
carolime
London, UK34 contributions
We had a lovely day visiting Loch Ness and environs with Kev. His love for his culture really shown through as he delivered anecdotes and groan-worthy jokes (which we all secretly loved!). This tour is an excellent way to get up close and personal with one of the most famous bodies of water in the world - even though Nessie eluded us this time. Cheers for a great tour, Kev!
Written 13 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sydly
Southampton, UK50 contributions
We found the tour very interesting & a good mix of visiting villages & exploring the Loch Ness area. The tour takes you around the whole Loch with a few stops along the way with ample time to take pictures as well as a stop for lunch. There's an add-on option for a cruise on Loch Ness which is well worth it especially on a nice day.
Seana was out guide for the day, very engaging & lots of interesting facts & tales of the Loch.
Highly recommended.
Seana was out guide for the day, very engaging & lots of interesting facts & tales of the Loch.
Highly recommended.
Written 23 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
clare58
Ossett, UK15 contributions
Mar 2024 • Couples
Where to start! I had read reviews and wasn’t too bothered about the ‘whinge bag’ ones so as most of them were great we decided to book as we were visiting Scotland for my birthday. So glad we did as it was fantastic! We were blessed with Helen as our guide, she was a total joy. She engaged the whole group and kept us entertained the full day. Her knowledge was so captivating and she was always happy to answer questions and even played us some perfect songs along our journey. Colin had joined us as a transfer to Rabbies and their banter was rather funny 🤣 He was absolutely great too and I think secretly enjoyed the ‘training tour’ as much as we did. Helen gave us tips on where to eat, what NOT to buy and the best places to go when we stopped at our destinations. We would 100% book another tour (even the same one tbh) as it was worth every penny! We were with a real great group of people from all over the world, 2 who got to see the snow for the first time and build a snowman ⛄️ fantastic memories made 😊
Written 3 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Terry T
Salisbury, UK50 contributions
Sept 2020
Had a fantastic day driving around and stopping off at various great viewpoints in and around Loch Ness on Tuesday Sept 8th. Our driver Jim was excellent, very informative, amusing, good company and accommodating for the 8 of us on the trip. The seven hours flew past and all in all a perfect way to view Loch Ness if you don’t have your own transport.
Written 11 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Raquel_144
London, UK235 contributions
We did this tour with Rabbie's on 3/12/21 after another company cancelled the original tour.
Our tour guide was fantastic, funny, very lay back and relax. Although we did not see Nessy, we had a fantastic time.
Great day trips with a company that thinks about their customers first. 5 star
Our tour guide was fantastic, funny, very lay back and relax. Although we did not see Nessy, we had a fantastic time.
Great day trips with a company that thinks about their customers first. 5 star
Written 4 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How much time is spent travelling in the bus?
Written 26 July 2021
About 3 or 4 hours actual travelling time. But there are plenty of stops and breaks for coffee and lunch etc
Written 29 July 2021
We are 9 passengers...can we hire small bus to loch ness for us only?many thanks
Written 18 July 2021
I think you just check or call the tour company directly.
Written 19 July 2021
What does one do if some do not take the optional tour of the castle? What is the cost of this optional tour of the castle?
Written 18 April 2019
Those who choose the castle and cruise will get a partial cruise and are dropped off at the castle . Those who don’t want to see the castle get the complete cruise around Loch Ness. The bus picks those doing just the cruise up at the starting point then drives to the castle for the rest of the guests . I would reccommend doing both, as the partial cruise is enough time on the Loch , and the castle is worth seeing . You should be aware that the castle is actually ruins , not a complete castle. It would not be suitable for those with mobility problems due to a lot of walking up hills . The history of it is very interesting.
Written 20 August 2019
TracyrntlcTraveler
Plymouth, Massachusetts
Hi, how far is Inverness Bus Station (Stance 7) from the cruise port?
Written 30 March 2019
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