Multi-day Tours in Scotland

A multi-day trip in Scotland is a short break with your accommodation and activities all included. You also get daily breakfast and some attraction entrance tickets included as part of your package. 

If you book with Nordic Visitor, a dedicated travel consultant will make all of the arrangements on your behalf. This leaves you free to enjoy a seamless travel experience.

Multi-day tours from Edinburgh are perfect if you’d like to combine learning from a local guide on handpicked excursions with time to explore independently.

Edinburgh is brimming with exciting things to see and do, so you’re sure to find plenty to entice you in the buzzing capital. In fact, there’s too much for you to do in just one day. For instance, you could visit a variety of museums, art galleries, historic landmarks, restaurants and theatres.

If you can, we recommend spending a few days here. That way you’ll be able to enjoy more of these popular things to do in Edinburgh:

• • Explore Edinburgh Castle, perched atop a long-extinct volcano
• • Take a walking tour of the Royal Mile, in the UNESCO-listed Old Town
• • Learn about the country’s history on a visit to the National Museum of Scotland
• • Sample Scottish gin or whisky on an expert-led tasting experience
• • Glimpse masterpieces at the Scottish National Gallery and Portrait Gallery
• • Visit the city’s well-known Outlander and Harry Potter filming locations
• • Attend one of these famous Scottish festivals in the heart of the city
• • Head up Calton Hill to photograph its Athenian columns and watch the sunset
   

Absolutely! In fact, your multi-day package may include one or more excursions to the Scottish Highlands or into the countryside around Edinburgh. On these small group tours, you’ll head out of Edinburgh in a comfortable minibus to explore Scotland.

So sit back, relax and let your guide do the driving while you soak up the stunning scenery and visit some of the country’s top spots. You’ll wind your way through the picturesque landscape, explore delightful towns and villages, and perhaps even visit some whisky distilleries.

Although you can reach plenty of beautiful places on day trips from Edinburgh, there’s still much more left for you to discover further afield. For example, you could head to the Isle of Skye, Fort William or the Cairngorms National Park.

If your trip doesn’t already include an outing to the Highlands, you can ask your local travel expert about customising your itinerary. Or to explore the country in greater depth, we’d recommend a Scottish self-drive tour, small group trip, or privately guided package.

What's more, both Edinburgh and the Highlands come highly recommended by top publications as one of the best places to visit in Northern Europe this year. 

Most of the best day trips from Edinburgh will take you north to the Scottish Highlands or to the coastline. Below are just some of the top locations you can visit on a guided excursion from Edinburgh.

Highland Perthshire
If you’d like to pack a lot into one day, but don’t want to spend all of your time travelling, then we recommend heading to Perthshire. This region is around 1 hour north of Edinburgh and perfectly captures the charm of the Highlands.

Soon you could be exploring the Victorian spa town of Pitlochry, the 18th-century village of Dunkeld and towering pine forests at the Hermitage. While you’re in Perthshire, you could tour Dewar’s Aberfeldy Whisky Distillery, making sure to sample a dram ("glass") or two during your visit.

West Highlands
Or choose the West Highlands if it’s rugged scenery you’re after. Here deep lochs, craggy peaks and dramatic valleys are waiting for you.

In fact, the landscapes of Glen Coe and Loch Ness form the ultimate scenic backdrop as your guide shares the region’s history with you. You’ll also discover some of the country’s most well-known castles along the way.

St Andrews and Fife
Venture northeast from Edinburgh and you’ll come to the Kingdom of Fife. This area of Scotland is renowned for its picturesque coastline dotted with fishing villages.

Fife is also home to the town of St Andrews, famous because Scotland’s oldest university (established in 1413) is found here. And if you’re a fan of golf, you’ll have heard of the town’s “Old Course”, which is perhaps the most iconic in the world.

Or if you’d like to go beyond what you can see in a day, why not explore the country on a themed itinerary? For instance, you could opt for one of these Scotland whisky tours, Outlander travel packages or castle trips.

Around 3 to 4 days should be enough time for soaking up the sights and enjoying the top-notch foodie scene in Edinburgh. That said, you’ll be able to see and do even more on your Scottish city break if you’re able to extend your stay to around 1 week.

This will let you take an even deeper dive into the city’s top attractions. And it’ll give you time to explore the beautiful countryside surrounding the city or to take day trips into the Scottish Highlands. You can add extra nights to your trip when you book online or by speaking to your dedicated travel consultant.

No matter how long you’re planning to stay, the city's UNESCO-listed medieval Old Town and 18th-century New Town are must-visit spots.

In the Old Town, surrounding Edinburgh Castle, you’ll find the cobbled streets of Grassmarket lined with cosy cafés, independent shops and traditional pubs. Meanwhile, the New Town is home to Georgian townhouses, leafy avenues, Princes Street (a popular shopping area) and a number of trendy restaurants and bars.

With 3-4 days you’ll have time to delve further into the capital’s culture as you visit its finest museums and art galleries. For example, you could head to the Scottish National Gallery or Holyrood Palace, one of The Crown filming locations. You might even like to take in a show at one of the city’s many theatres.

If you have 5-7 days in Edinburgh, you could get to know the city even better by checking out some lesser-visited spots as well as the popular attractions.

These are just a few more places you could venture to in Edinburgh:

• • Stockbridge – known for its independent boutiques and stylish cafés
• • Leith – best for local seafood restaurants located along a thriving waterfront district
• • Portobello – ideal for blowing the cobwebs away on a beach walk
• • Royal Botanic Gardens – home to ornate Victorian glasshouses, lily ponds, palm trees and more
• • Dean Village – perfect for riverside strolls, with its quaint buildings providing a photo-worthy backdrop
   

What’s more, you could add a couple of day trips to your itinerary. This will let you make the most of your time in the capital city, and give you the opportunity to explore Scotland’s gorgeous lochs, valleys and countryside towns.

You might also like to check out the Scottish Borders or head south to England to visit Alnwick Castle (a filming location for the popular TV series Downtown Abbey).

Or, if you’d prefer something a little closer, why not take advantage of frequent public transport links to Stirling? From here, you can explore Scotland’s storied past at Stirling Castle – undoubtedly one of the best castles in Scotland.

Deciding when to travel to Scotland depends on where you’d like to go and what you want to do on your trip. And it’s worth bearing in mind that the Scottish weather is changeable, so you can’t always rely on a clear forecast.

That said, Scotland is a great place to visit year-round because its temperate climate means you’ll rarely experience extremes of either hot or cold.

If you’d like to explore on a Scottish summer tour, you’ll need to visit between April and September. At this time of year, you can make the most of mild temperatures and see the country’s natural landscapes at their most vibrant. Think lush forests, wildflower meadows and valleys carpeted with purple blooming heather.

Or for a different travel experience, check out these Scotland winter travel packages. The winter months – November to March – are ideal for enjoying crisp mornings, admiring frosted landscapes, and soaking up the festive atmosphere. Plus, if you venture to the Highlands you could glimpse snow-dusted mountains.

If you’re looking for an unforgettable way to celebrate the festive season, then opt for our exclusive New Year multi-day trip. It’s packed with special events, guided excursions, and opportunities to sample the delicious local cuisine. Or arrive a little earlier and you could celebrate Christmas in Scotland.

In December and early January, Edinburgh is draped in festive lights and dotted with bustling Christmas markets. And on the run-up to NYE, you’ll find the city is bursting with anticipation for its world-famous Hogmanay party.

Read these handy blogs to find out more about the best time to visit Scotland and which season appeals to you the most:

• • Summer in Scotland guide: what to do and where to go
• • Scotland in winter: what to do and where to go
• • Why you should spend next spring or autumn in Scotland

For the Scots, Hogmanay (or New Year’s Eve) is one of the most celebrated dates in the calendar. So if you’re visiting Scotland in late December, you’ll want to join in with the local festivities.

Choose our New Year multi-day tour and you can celebrate by dancing the night away in opulent surroundings at a Hogmanay ball in Edinburgh. The dress code? Think ballgowns and black tie.

On NYE the capital also plays host to the country’s biggest Hogmanay street party. On 30 December, you can follow a torchlight procession down the Royal Mile, complete with pipers and drummers.

Then on New Year’s Eve itself, join locals and visitors alike to watch the city’s castle lit up by a spectacular firework display. Round the night off with a chorus of the iconic anthem Auld Lang Syne, in the country where it originated.

Make sure to check out this guide to celebrating Hogmanay in Scotland. 

Yes, it’s best to book any day tours in Scotland well in advance of your trip. This way you won’t miss out if your preferred activities are fully booked once you arrive.

If you’ve chosen a Nordic Visitor city break with excursions included, your dedicated travel consultant will make all of your trip arrangements. So you can relax and enjoy a smooth travel experience knowing that bookings for your day tours, excursions and accommodation are taken care of.

Of course, you can tailor your trip by choosing from a range of handpicked optional extras when you book online.

For example, you could enjoy a whisky-tasting experience, have afternoon tea at Edinburgh Castle, or take a ghostly tour of Edinburgh’s city vaults. Or if you have more time, why not add another day trip to your itinerary, such as a Harry Potter or Outlander-themed tour?

You might also like to streamline your travel arrangements by asking your dedicated travel consultant to arrange airport transfers for you.

If you have something specific in mind, don’t hesitate to ask your travel expert. They’ll use their insider knowledge to answer your questions and make your trip to Scotland extra special.

Yes, you can select the start date that suits you from a range of seasonal Scottish itineraries.

To travel in spring, summer or autumn, choose a multi-day tour with arrival dates between April and October. On the other hand, if you’d like to visit during the winter months, pick a departure from November to March.

It’s worth noting that our New Year and Christmas multi-day trips are the exceptions. These packages have exclusive departure dates, so make sure you book well in advance as spaces on these special festive itineraries are limited.

We recommend checking flight availability before booking your trip. That said, it’s best to wait until after your travel consultant has confirmed your itinerary to purchase your flights.

Once your tour arrangements are finalised, you can go ahead and make your travel plans for getting to and from Scotland.

The Scottish weather is known for being changeable, so you’ll need to be prepared for both dry and wet weather no matter when you’re travelling.

Here are some ideas on what to pack for your time spent sightseeing in the city: