Shetland Hop on Hop Off Bus Tour from Lerwick
3
Shetland Hop on Hop Off Bus Tour from Lerwick
By Robertson's Tours & Holidays
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About
See Shetland's beauty from the roadside with the opportunity to jump off at the places of interest which suit you most.
With four departures every Sunday, you'll have the chance to spend the day how you want to.
Be it soaking up the rays on Sound Beach, discovering history in Scalloway Museum, taking a hike on Burra or exploring the exposed Tingwall Valley, you choose where you want to hop off to make the most of your visit to Shetland.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-107, max of 39 per group
Duration: 1h 35m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
- All Day Unlimited Travel on your selected date
What's not included- Gratuities
- Start:
- Esplanade, Lerwick, Shetland ZE1, UKBus Stop, Esplanade, Lerwick- opposite Thule Bar.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Wheelchair accessible
- Pushchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 440087P10- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travellers can participate
- 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 39 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- 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: 440087P10
From
£16.50
per adult
Select date and travellers
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- TravelingMomGrandma0 contributionsInformative and Lots of PoniesThis was very informative on the history of the Shetland Ponies. Carol provided about 10 ponies to show and discuss with our tour. The ponies were well-behaved and allowed to be petted.Written 30 July 2024
- 902erwinw0 contributionsSave your money!This company is a hoax, do yourself a favour and save your money, this is a complete joke. Unreliable company…………………!!!Written 24 July 2024
- Susan N0 contributionsExcellent tour with Jackie of Lerwick puffins ponies and historyHad an amazing experience visiting Lerwick as well as Carols Ponies and the new foal “Taylor Swift” and on to see puffins and an archeological site. Tour guide Jackie was so knowledgeable and told very interesting historical information.Written 21 July 2024
- rachelbZ1590CX0 contributionsWonderful private tour of ShetlandWe hired Robertsons for a private one day tour of Shetland from our cruise ship. Our driver and guide David, was fantastic, he was so friendly and we felt comfortable from the start. We are archaeologists and there were specific things we wanted to see. We were taken on a totally bespoke tour and we were able to see them all. The timings were perfect and David was so knowledgeable about Shetland, giving us interesting facts and anecdotes about the places we passed and visited, even pointing out puffins and stopping at a beach where we could see seals. Thank you David for making our day so special.Written 14 July 2024
- DQOT0 contributionsShetland Expectations SurpassedWe took this private tour in Shetland rather than any of the ones offered by the cruise line. As a fan of the TV series Shetland, I wanted to see locations used in the series. Our driver was early, so before we met our guide, he took us to one of the most iconic locations, the Lodberrie, home to the main character. once we met our guide, we had a beautiful day, visiting the ponies, searching for puffins on the cliffs at the lighthouse and learning about the Shetland Buses from WWII. It was a spectacular day and one of the main highlights of our cruise.Written 12 May 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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3.0
13 reviews
Excellent
2
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5
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1
Susan M
Jervis Bay, Australia15 contributions
The bus was swamped with passengers from cruise ship and not a lot of communication from the company so people quite confused and upset.
Not a tour or true hop on hop off experience I.e no commentary or advice about the stops just a bus driver taking you on a scenic drive around the area.
Drive was very pretty and was good to see the countryside but that’s it. A cheaper option than the ship options.
Not a tour or true hop on hop off experience I.e no commentary or advice about the stops just a bus driver taking you on a scenic drive around the area.
Drive was very pretty and was good to see the countryside but that’s it. A cheaper option than the ship options.
Written 29 April 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.
Hi Susan,
Thanks a lot for taking the time to post a review of your experience.
I'm pleased to hear you enjoyed the scenery.
Indeed, this isn't intended to be the typical Hop On, Hop Off service you find in major cities as Shetland simply doesn't see the number of visitors to make that viable. The idea of this service is to bridge the gap between the limited local bus services which aren't designed to deal with the influx of visitors on cruise ship days and more expensive shore excursion tours.
This is the first time a service like this has run in Shetland and we're hopeful it will be a success this year, enabling us to invest in audio and an extended timetable in future years. The day of your visit was the first day of operation when a cruise ship was in port and we saw a far higher demand than we ever imagined, so I apoligise for the overcrowding and lack of communication. Based on advance sales, we expected no more than 30 people on each trip.
Thanks again for travelling with us and for your review.
The Robertsons Team
Written 2 May 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mike d
Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada6 contributions
Loved seeing the island but this isn't a typical hop on hop off. They wouldn't be able to afford putting on this service if it's was a full fledged hop on hop off. Great way to see a portion of the island. We were able to get quick photo ops of highlights. It's basically a quick way for cruise ship tourists to get a taste of the island. There wasn't any audio on the trip either.
Written 1 May 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.
Hi Mike,
Thanks a lot for taking the time to post a review of your experience.
I'm delighted to hear you enjoyed seeing Shetland.
You're quite right to say it isn't a typical Hop On, Hop Off service like you find in major cities as, like you say, it simply wouldn't be viable to have a bus running more frequently. The idea of this service is to bridge the gap between the limited local bus services which aren't designed to deal with the influx of visitors on cruise ship days and more expensive shore excursion tours.
This is the first time a service like this has run in Shetland and we're hopeful it will be a success this year, enabling us to invest in audio and an extended timetable in future years.
Thanks again for travelling with us and for your review.
The Robertsons Team
Written 2 May 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sharon C
Letchworth Garden City, UK29 contributions
Jun 2024 • Family
We appreciate this is a new venture and the intention is to install audio, so we won't mention that side of it. The driver was friendly and did his very best to point out places of interest, but as you can see from the photos we couldn't see a thing! Our suggestion would be to limit the passengers to seated only, let on those who have pre booked first, lay on a mini bus to work at opposite ends picking up the stragglers, so you always have a big one and small one working at opposite ends. Contact the harbour master to find out how many cruise ships are due in port and have 2 queues, one for pre paid. We had to sit on a small sideways seat because it was full of people paying on the day and we had to wait 20 minutes whilst those passengers paid as they got on. Didn't see anything sadly and we didn't dare get off as we would have had to wait 1 hour 50 minutes until we were picked up. It would have been worth it if we could have seen out the windows.
Written 5 June 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.
Elaine L
East Kilbride, Scotland14 contributions
Apr 2024 • Couples
Do not waste your time or money!
This didn't even deserve a rating of 1!
My husband and I went on this 'tour' on Sunday April 28th 2024 and we could have spent our £30 on anything else and it would have been a better use of our money! Also, it's a couple hours of our lives we'll never get back... It was shambolic even trying to get on the bus despite having pre-paid and booked in advance. There were people literally elbowing their way in to try and get into the bus with or without having booked in advance.
We were not cruise passengers but it was obvious that the rest all were. There was a lot of loud comments throughout the whole journey between the cruise passengers which was quite ignorant of them as the 'tour'was horrendous enough without having to listen to their 'commentary'. Admittedly, it did not specify that there was going to be a commentary but even a few words from the driver telling us where we were would have been helpful. Some young boys got on at one point and were standing as the seats were full and were given into trouble by the driver for being near the entrance to the bus which from a safety point is understandable but once the boys got off a woman in her 60s? then stood down next to the driver and continued to chat for a long time before we arrived back in Lerwick.
I understand that this 'tour' is in its infancy but it would appear that not much research was done beforehand. It was easy money for the bus company and it was just an ordinary single decker service bus.
Very disappointing 😞
This didn't even deserve a rating of 1!
My husband and I went on this 'tour' on Sunday April 28th 2024 and we could have spent our £30 on anything else and it would have been a better use of our money! Also, it's a couple hours of our lives we'll never get back... It was shambolic even trying to get on the bus despite having pre-paid and booked in advance. There were people literally elbowing their way in to try and get into the bus with or without having booked in advance.
We were not cruise passengers but it was obvious that the rest all were. There was a lot of loud comments throughout the whole journey between the cruise passengers which was quite ignorant of them as the 'tour'was horrendous enough without having to listen to their 'commentary'. Admittedly, it did not specify that there was going to be a commentary but even a few words from the driver telling us where we were would have been helpful. Some young boys got on at one point and were standing as the seats were full and were given into trouble by the driver for being near the entrance to the bus which from a safety point is understandable but once the boys got off a woman in her 60s? then stood down next to the driver and continued to chat for a long time before we arrived back in Lerwick.
I understand that this 'tour' is in its infancy but it would appear that not much research was done beforehand. It was easy money for the bus company and it was just an ordinary single decker service bus.
Very disappointing 😞
Written 30 May 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.
Good Evening,
Thank you for travelling with us and taking the time to review your experience.
I'm very sorry and disappointed that you didn't enjoy your trip.
Indeed, 28th April was an extremely chaotic day- in fact, the busiest we have ever experienced and this was only the 3rd week that this trip has operated.
We put on an additional bus to cover the pre booked passengers, but on the day sales far exceeded anything we could have ever predicted. I can only assume this was because Regal Princess changed her itinerary to call in Lerwick at very short notice.
I'm sorry your driver couldn't tell you more- because, as I have said, we laid on an extra bus, we had to source an extra driver at short notice and he had only recently moved to Shetland. The week after your trip, he undertook training with a local tour guide and now has a very good knowledge of the area. It would have been great if this could have happened a week earlier, but the unfortunate reality of island life is that everyone is busy all the time!
To respond to your comments on it being a single decker service bus, this is correct. There are no double decker buses in Shetland for the reason that they aren't suited to our weather. Shetland experiences extremely high winds and it would not be safe to operate a double decker bus the vast majority of the year and there is nowhere on the island to safely store one.
I do thoroughly disagree with your comments that this is "easy money" for us, it's anything but! This is the first time anyone has launched a commercial bus service in Shetland and the time and effort spent doing so behind the scenes is not insignificant.
Alas, I'm sorry your trip did not live upto you're expectations and hope the rest of your cruise was enjoyable.
Robertson's
Written 1 June 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
PhilipLeic
Leicester, UK1,649 contributions
Apr 2024 • Couples
There was so much wrong with this tour! Firstly we had booked in advance and had a barcode ticket to scan ready. We were booked on the 1030am service. We waited at a series of bus stops as indicated on our ticket along with about 100 others off our cruise ship. There was no indication where the bus would stop and as we were there early we waited where we thought the front of the queue would be. The bus pulled in at the opposite end (back) of the stops. It was a single deck bus with not many seats on it. People who had not booked started to board by paying the driver. Immediately I could see with others that pre-booked ticket holders would not get on. I rushed to the driver to point this out who did not seem bothered. He said there would be another bus coming soon. I asked him to announce this as people were pushing to get on, he did. Eventually we got on but many did not. We started the tour but there were no maps or commentary. After about 10-15 minutes the bus stopped at a scenic spot. We had to ask the driver was this stop one and would he wait if we got off to take a photo? He said yes but no proper announcement. We continued to another stop and he did announce there was a museum to visit. We continued to another stop and about 10 people were waiting to get onto our full bus. (Who had got off a previous bus). They got on and had to stand up as no seats, by now packed bus. We continued again with no commentary or direction what was hapenning. We arrived back at Lerwick. This was the worst HOHO tour I have ever done. It is more of a scenic drive. I dread to think what would have hapenned if we got off! It needs a map of stops, some commentary and care by the driver who seemed totally fed up and with zero customer interaction. Also consideration of who has pre paid v those who just turn up and proper direction of where you get on/off. Absolute shambles!
Written 22 May 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.
Good Afternoon,
Thank you for travelling with us and taking the time to post a review.
I'm disappointed to hear that you did not enjoy your experience.
I assume you travelled some weeks ago from your comment about how busy it was and that there were 2 buses running- on this date we saw an extremely high number of passengers, the likes of which we've never encountered before,due to a last minute change to a cruise itinerary by the Regal Princess. We laid on an extra bus to try to cope with the demand which covered all prebooked passengers.
I would contest othert aspects of your feedback though as we do not operate a 1030 trip and we do provide maps on our website, at bus stops, from pier staff and the driver. Nowhere do we advertise that the we offer commentary so it seems a little unfair that you criticise something that wasn't sold.
Ultimately, this service is provided to bridge a gap between local buses which can't cope with the demand from cruise ship passengers and shore excursion tours which cost a minimum of 3 times what you paid.
I hope that the rest of your cruise was enjoyable.
Kind Regards
Robertsons
Written 27 May 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Vicky F
3 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
This was excellent. I was a bit concerned reading the reviews about crowding, so opted to purchase tickets in advance online. The service turned out to be very quiet, the driver was friendly and patient and gave a good commentary on what we were passing, which was interesting and enjoyable. The service stops a couple of times to let you take photos and we opted to get out for a longer stop a couple of times too. The bus was punctual each time when we reboarded. We visited Scalloway Museum, which is excellent, just be aware that it is only open on Sunday afternoons. We made a whole day hopping on and off this service, completing our day with seal viewings in the harbour at Hamnavoe, where the bus stops for 10 minutes to let you take pictures! I hope this service takes off and continues. The journey is stunning and the driver's commitment to helping you get the most of it makes this well worth doing.
Written 14 July 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.
Good Afternoon,
Thank you so much for taking the time to post this lovely review.
We're delighted to hear you enjoyed your day exploring Shetland and will be sure to share your kind words with the driver.
Thanks again,
Robertsons
Written 18 July 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mary E
Dayton, NV5 contributions
Apr 2024 • Couples
When our destination was changed from the Orkney Islands to the Shetland Islands, we booked this but it did not live up to our expectations. It was basically a quick bus ride past a few sights and into the countryside with no narration or history provided. Getting off would entail waiting 1-2 hours for a following bus. Also, being Sunday, there were very few shops or restaurants open. The only positive were some views and a two minute stop to photograph a couple Shetland ponies.
Written 4 May 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.
Hi Mary,
Thanks a lot for taking the time to post a review of your experience.
I'm very disappointed to read that you did not enjoy your trip.
The idea of this service is to bridge the gap between the limited local bus services which aren't designed to deal with the influx of visitors on cruise ship days and the far more expensive shore excursion tours.
I would like to clarify that we do not advertise any form of commentary/ narration when booking. The timetable is also clearly available to see on Viator, as well as being available at all bus stops, on the bus and from pier staff.
This is the first time a service like this has run in Shetland and we're hopeful it will be a success this year, enabling us to invest in audio and an extended timetable in future years.
Thanks again for travelling with us and I hope the rest of your cruise was enjoyable.
The Robertsons Team
Written 6 May 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
mholla525842
21 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
My wife and I took this trip on a rather misty Sunday morning, but our driver made it a memorable experience. He was at pains to ensure that despite the weather he showed us some of the brilliant and diverse scenery that Shetland has to offer. As neither of us can drive we were shown places that would otherwise be inaccessible to us. The added bonus of the tour was the running commentary that he gave with a certain amount of humour included. Because of the weather we did not alight at any of the stops except for a ten minute stop at Hamnavoe, which gave us an opportunity to see the village. All in all, a brilliant morning in Shetland
Written 16 June 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.
Karen M
Santa Clarita, CA9 contributions
The bus tour was just awful. It’s advertised as hop on hop off but he never stops! Also he doesn’t tell you what you are seeing or where we are just drives around the island The driver did stop to pick up some locals who had to stand as the bus was full. This made my view on my sightseeing tour a view of teenagers standing in front of me. Once they got off saw some sheep and a couple of ponies that’s it save your money.
Written 28 April 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.
Hi Karen,
Thanks a lot for taking the time to post a review of your experience.
I'm very disappointed to hear that you did not enjoy your trip.
The idea of this service is to bridge the gap between the limited local bus services which aren't designed to deal with the influx of visitors on cruise ship days and more expensive shore excursion tours.
This is the first time a service like this has run in Shetland and we're hopeful it will be a success this year, enabling us to invest in audio and an extended timetable in future years.
I'm sorry that your view was blocked by other passengers standing in front of you. On the day of your visit, we saw a far greater demand than we'd ever imagined or experienced before. We laid on a 2nd bus but even that filled up- to put it in context, in previous weeks, there had been no more than 10 passengers on the bus at one point.
Thanks again for travelling with us and for your review. I hope the rest of your cruise was enjoyable.
The Robertsons Team
Written 2 May 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Brenda R
Fairhope, AL116 contributions
Apr 2024 • Couples
Not hop on hop off. Just a ride through the countryside with no commentary, no look on the left side to see this or that. Nothing. When I asked te driver how long it would be before another bus came by to get me he said about 2 and a half hours. 😳. Nope! We just rode. BIG disappointment.
Written 28 April 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.
Good Afternoon,
Thanks a lot for taking the time to post a review of your experience.
I'm very disappointed to hear that you did not enjoy your trip.
The idea of this service is to bridge the gap between the limited local bus services which aren't designed to deal with the influx of visitors on cruise ship days and more expensive shore excursion tours.
To clarify, we do not advertise this service as having any sort of commentary. Timetables are available onboard the bus, at all bus stops and from pier staff. Departure times/ frequencies are also clealy displayed in the product description section of the Viator listing.
This is the first time a service like this has run in Shetland and we're hopeful it will be a success this year, enabling us to invest in audio and an extended timetable in future years.
Thanks again for travelling with us and for your review.
The Robertsons Team
Written 2 May 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Just found out our Princess Regal cruise has been changed to a stop in Lerwick (from Orkney) on Friday, May 10. Any chance that a HOHO bus could run that day in addition to your usual Sunday only schedule? TIA
Pj from California
Written 30 March 2024
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.