Classic Scotland & Ireland - Private

On a private tour with Nordic Visitor, you can sit back and enjoy a curated itinerary, led by two personal driver-guides. One guide will take you around Scotland and one Ireland.

Your guides will be experts in Scottish and Irish history and culture. They’ll share their local knowledge and stories with you, and take you to hidden gems across each country. They will also be happy to tailor your journey to your unique needs and interests along the way.

Your experience will also begin and end with private airport transfers.

Depending on availability and on the size of your travelling party, we can offer a range of vehicles, such as premium executive cars, 4-wheel drives and touring vans.

During the booking process, you'll be able to book a group up to 7 people. Should you have 8 people in your travelling group, please contact us.

Your Scottish experience begins the moment you land at Edinburgh Airport. Make your way to the arrivals hall, where a driver will be waiting to greet you. From there, you’ll enjoy a comfortable ride in a private vehicle to your accommodation in the city.

You’ll also have a private transfer to Edinburgh Airport when you travel to Ireland and from Dublin Airport to your accommodation upon arrival in Ireland.

On the day of your departure from Ireland, a private car will pick you up from your accommodation in Dublin. Your driver will then take you straight to the airport in time to catch your flight home.

You will travel between Scotland and Ireland by plane. Your flight is included in the price of the tour package.

The direct flight takes approximately 1 hour. We’ll pre-book you a standard seat. Please note that baggage allowance per person is one 25kg checked bag and one 7kg carry-on bag.

We will aim to book your flight for around midday, but in some cases you may be booked onto a morning or evening flight. Your personal travel consultant will choose the best time possible in line with your travel plans.

A private transfer to Glasgow Airport and to your hotel in Dublin in line with your flight times are also included. These drivers will be different from your private guides.

Scotland and Ireland are beautiful all year long. That said, it’s good to be aware that the summer is the high travelling season, with July and August being peak months.

This means many of the highlights, such as Edinburgh, Dublin, the Isle of Skye and the Ring of Kerry will be extremely popular and might have limited availability. This could impact your booking of attractions, accommodation, restaurants, excursions and more.

For a more relaxing experience, we recommend booking your tour, plus any extra excursions, activities or entrance tickets, well in advance. You also might prefer to arrive during the shoulder season, which is during April–June and September–October.

If you do wish to travel in July or August, we will be happy to help you plan your trip to make it as smooth as possible.

During your Scotland and Ireland tour, you’ll stay in accommodation hand-picked by our local travel experts. We’ve partnered with local businesses and selected hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses based on excellent ratings, comfort and our personal experience.

For this package, you can choose from single or double rooms. Twin, triple and family rooms are not commonly available in Scotland and Ireland. Please also note that local room types are based on European standard sizes, which means they are smaller than in North America.

For example, a double room often consists of 2 single beds pushed together. And single rooms are often smaller than the standard double.

Due to the historic nature of the properties we usually select, most of the rooms are only accessible by stairs. Lifts are not common in Scottish and Irish hotels. Please let us know as soon as possible if you are not able to walk up stairs.

Travelling with your kids? No problem! Just let your travel consultant know during the booking process. We’ll arrange any cots needed at your accommodation.

If you need multiple rooms, please note that we can't guarantee family rooms or interconnecting rooms at all accommodation. You may even have rooms on different floors.

If you'd like us to arrange for a car seat to be provided for your trip, please let us know ahead of time. This will incur a small extra cost.

Summer in Scotland and Ireland might be warmer than you expect! While temperatures are unlikely to reach higher than 20°C (68 °F), heatwaves can be humid. This means it can feel hotter than it is, especially in cities like Dublin and Edinburgh.

That said, the weather is also very changeable, so you’ll want to come prepared for anything. Rain is always a possibility, and when the sun sets a warm jumper or jacket is a must. We’ve prepared a useful packing guide for Scotland and Ireland to help you decide what to bring with you.

Please note that sightseeing is dependent on weather and road conditions. This means that your itinerary might need to be altered if these conditions are not favourable during your visit. If something unexpected occurs, you can call our 24/7 helpline to speak directly with a Nordic Visitor staff member.

Whatever time of year you’re in Ireland and Scotland, you’re likely to see lots of different types of weather. As you’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors it’s a good idea to come prepared for a combination of weather conditions.

Here is a recommended packing list for a summer trip:

• A warm jumper or fleece
• A waterproof jacket
• Good walking shoes or boots (especially if you intend to hike and go on nature walks)
• Light scarf or thin sweater
• Reusable water bottle
• Sunglasses, sunscreen and a sunhat

In some areas of Scotland, such as the Highlands and islands, you might notice small, pesky insects called midges. They’re most active on summer evenings and tend to swarm near still water. You can avoid bites by wearing long-sleeves and trousers and by packing an insect repellent.

For more information, check this packing list suggestion.

There are limited laundry facilities in Ireland and Scotland’s countryside. You will find some laundrettes in the cities like Dublin and Edinburgh. Some hotels do offer dry cleaning for an additional cost.

Your breakfast is included at all your accommodation in Scotland and Ireland. For the rest of your food, your spending money will depend on the standard of restaurants you decide to go to.

In Scotland, we recommend budgeting between £15–£20 per person for each day’s lunch. Dinners at casual restaurants might cost between £20–£25 in Scotland. You can expect to pay a similar range in Euros for Ireland.

Meanwhile at upscale restaurants, you can expect to pay £40–£50 (€40–€50) or more. This does not include the cost of alcoholic beverages.

If you enjoy your experience with your guide, it’s a nice idea to give them a tip.

Yes, you can customise this tour online. During the booking process, you can easily add extra nights to your itinerary as well as optional day trips, excursions and upgrades.

By booking with Nordic Visitor, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that there’s always someone there for you throughout your trip.

For support and advice during the day, you can ask your guide or call our office. And if anything unexpected happens outside working hours, you can reach us on our 24/7 helpline.

The Edinburgh-based travel expert on call will handle any unforeseen situations for you, such as unusual weather or events.

If you’re arriving from Canada, the United States, Australia or the European Union, you won’t need a visa to visit Scotland. The same is true for Ireland, which you can also enter visa-free if you are a citizen of the UK.

Visiting from another country? You can find the complete list of countries whose nationals require a visa to enter each country on the website of the UK government and the website of Ireland’s Citizens Information Board.

Your passport must also be valid for at least 6 months after the date of your departure (the end of your tour). It’s a good idea to check your passport expiry date early in case you need to renew it.

It’s best to book as soon as you can to secure your preferred travel dates. Once you have picked your tour, check the availability calendar to see which months are open for booking. Then, select the date you want and complete your booking. 

Nordic Visitor offers 10–20% deposits so you can reserve your trip as early as it’s convenient for you. The remaining balance is due 30 days before you travel. 

Many tours are also open for the following year if you like to plan well ahead. And if you have any questions or need advice, you can always contact us. 

After booking your tour package online, you will be contacted within 2 business days by your own dedicated travel consultant. They will be your point of contact for all your travel needs before, during and even after your trip. 

At that time, they’ll confirm the availability of your tour. Then the booking process starts, which may take a few weeks. Once this is done, your travel consultant will provide you with all the details of your trip. You will also receive more information about what to expect during your trip.

No need! Nordic Visitor is already working on offsetting the estimated carbon footprint of your package. We’ve partnered with an environmental fund in Iceland to carbon offset all our tours.

Carbon offsetting your international flights is not included, but we highly recommend you look into possibilities with your airline or directly through a local environment fund. 

You can get in touch with our Scotland and Ireland travel experts ahead of your trip if you have any questions. The live chat option is useful for getting a quick reply as someone answers live every day during office opening hours.

Once you’ve booked, we’ll provide you with travel guides packed full of local tips and top attractions for your visit. You can also check out our online Scotland Travel Guide and Ireland Travel Guide where we’ve compiled useful information about topics, including:

• Which credit cards are widely accepted in Ireland and and card payment in Scotland
• What kind of electric adapters or converters you’ll need
• The native languages of Ireland and Scotland that you might hear alongside English
• As well as tipping, local news sources and other useful information

After you have booked your tour, it will only take a few days to confirm its availability. But it may take a few weeks to create your itinerary and book everything. Once your trip details are finalised, we’ll send you e-copies of your travel documents.

Upon your arrival in Scotland, you’ll receive a welcome bag with hard copies of your itinerary, attraction and tour vouchers, the Nordic Visitor Scotland and Ireland Travel Guides and more.

So when do you check in? And what can you expect upon landing in Scotland?

After picking up your luggage, make your way to the arrivals hall, where the driver of your private transfer will be waiting for you. They’ll welcome you to the country and take you straight to your accommodation in Edinburgh.

Check-in times vary between hotels and guesthouses, but it normally starts between 2–4 PM.

You are welcome to request an early check-in for an additional fee. Although this isn’t always available, you’ll be able to store your luggage at the hotel if you have to wait. Please contact your travel consultant well in advance of your arrival if you’d like an early check-in.

When you depart may depend on the time of your return flight. Check out early if you’re heading to the airport for a morning flight. On the other hand, if you’re flying home later in the day, you might like to enjoy a leisurely day or visit one more attraction.

You will need to check out from your room, but will be able to store your luggage at the hotel reception. Simply return later to collect your bags before catching public transport or a taxi to the airport.

All packages starting in Scotland are billed in British Pounds (GBP), the local currency.

Prices displayed in other currencies are indicative only and based on the daily exchange rate. This means conversions from GBP to other currencies will fluctuate from day to day.