8 days tour

Scotland Rail Express - 8 Days

Scotland Rail Express - 8 Days

This tour includes:

Guide

Services of your Expat Explore tour leader, who will be on hand with advice and tips to ensure that you get the most from your trip

Transport

All rail travel throughout your tour with reserved seat selection Standard Class Rail Any public transport used as part of the tour (excludes free days)

Accommodation

7 nightsโ€™ accommodation in twin rooms with private en-suite facilities Single travelers have the option to pay a single supplement to ensure a private room We use a variety of hotels in each of the destinations on this tour, hotels are selected closer to departure. Once booked, a confirmed list of hotels will be sent to you along with your Tour Leader announcement, 3-5 days prior to departure.

Others

17 Experiences! Edinburgh walking tour with your tour leader Welcome dinner in Edinburgh with your group Train over the Firth of Forth to Pitlochry Included Pitlochry lunch Pitlochry orientation walk Whisky distillery tour and tasting Train to Inverness through Cairngorms Included Inverness lunch Inverness orientation tour Loch Ness drive by road transport Loch Ness sightseeing cruise Fort Augustus orientation and free time Fort Augustus lunch Fort William orientation and free evening Train from Fort William to Glasgow Glasgow orientation tour Glasgow farewell dinner All taxes and fees included

Meals

7 breakfasts, 3 lunches & 2 dinners *Vegetarian options available for all meals on request *Option to exclude pork and/or beef *Jain and Kosher are not available for this tour.

Not included:

Flights

You will be responsible for booking your own international and/or domestic flights. We additionally recommend you do not book your airfare until your place on the tour is confirmed. Please make sure to check the times that your tour will start and end before booking your flights.

Optional

Optional excursions are not included in the tour cost. All optional excursions are booked on tour and paid in cash to your tour leader, unless stated otherwise. Please note, certain optional excursions are subject to availability and could change as a result. Some optional excursions need to be pre-booked, please contact us to find out more

Others

Arrival and departure airport transfers are not included in the tour cost. Please contact us for a link to Welcome Pickups Pre and post-tour accommodation is not included in the tour cost. Please contact us for a link to booking.com. Single supplement (Optional). Please contact our Travel Experts for a quote. Tipping.

Insurance

When you sign up for an Expat Explore tour, you are required to secure adequate travel insurance cover for the duration of your trip. If you cannot provide Expat Explore with proof of adequate travel insurance prior to the start of your tour, you will not be permitted to embark on day one. The requirements include the following coverage: Trip Interruption Trip Delay Medical Expenses Quarantine Expenses and Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation The insurance must also cover medical costs and a medically imposed quarantine if the insured or someone the insured has come into contact with, tests positive for COVID-19. Before you book your tour, youโ€™re welcome to obtain a quote with Tour Radarโ€™s insurance partner, Cover Genius.

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Scotland Rail Express - 8 Days

  • Day 1 Day 1: Start Of Tour In Edinburgh
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 1: Start Of Tour In Edinburgh

      Welcome to the start of your Scotland rail vacation. Where better to start than the capital of Scotland? Edinburgh is a beautiful city known affectionately as Auld Reekie (Old Smoky) due to the coal smoke and smell that used to linger over the city in the 18th and 19th centuries. While the smoke cleared, the name stuck! Arrive in the city and meet your tour leader and travel companions in the afternoon. This evening, join your tour leader for an orientation tour. Look forward to visiting the famous Calton Hill which offers magnificent views of the city and Arthurโ€™s Seat. Later, enjoy a welcome dinner at an Italian restaurant in the heart of the city.

  • Day 2 Day 2: Edinburgh: Free Day
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 2: Edinburgh: Free Day

      Edinburgh is such an amazing city and today you have the whole day to explore. Discover famous sights such as the Royal Mile, Grassmarket, George IV Bridge, St Gilesโ€™ Cathedral and Greyfriars Bobby. Or even take a hike out to Arthurโ€™s seat. You have the option to join your tour leader on a brilliant optional excursion this morning, where you dive into Edinburgh and explore the main highlights around the city. Visit Calton Hill, Princes Street Gardens and enjoy a couple of hours to discover Edinburgh Castle. This evening, choose to join your tour leader for a truly Scottish evening of great food, dancing, singing, bagpipes and haggis!

  • Day 3 Day 3: Edinburgh - Pitlochry
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 3: Edinburgh - Pitlochry

      Today, hop aboard for the first rail journey of this trip! Heading north into Perthshire on the Highland Main Line, enjoy the views and look out for the famous Forth Bridge while crossing the Firth of Forth. Later arrive at the Victorian town of Pitlochry. Enjoy an orientation tour of this small but charming town, which was much favoured by Queen Victoria, Robert Louis Stevenson and Alexander MacKenzie, the second Prime Minister of Canada. Then, sit down for an included lunch. Pitlochry is on the banks of the River Tummel, which you will see when visiting the Dam and Salmon Ladder, before arriving at the Blair Athol distillery for a tour and Scotch whisky tasting.

  • Day 4 Day 4: Pitlochry - Inverness
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 4: Pitlochry - Inverness

      Today itโ€™s time to set out on the second rail journey of the tour. En route to Inverness, travel through the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, the largest national park in the UK. Be prepared for spectacular views of mountain passes, hilltops and heathland, and look out for the viaducts at Culloden and Tomatin. Arrive in Inverness and head out on an orientation tour of the city. Inverness means the Mouth of the River Ness and is considered to be the Gateway to the Highlands. See highlights including Inverness Castle and St Andrewโ€™s Cathedral! This afternoon, choose to visit Brodie Castle in the Scottish Highlands before an included dinner in Inverness tonight.

  • Day 5 Day 5: Inverness - Loch Ness - Fort Augustus - Fort William
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 5: Inverness - Loch Ness - Fort Augustus - Fort William

      No trains today - instead, the group will be riding on road transport to Fort William along the entire length of Loch Ness, the largest body of water by volume in the UK, and home to the mythical Loch Ness monster! Arrive in Fort Augustus and enjoy an included lunch. Next, jump on board a Loch Ness cruise where you can try and spot Nessie! Afterwards, enjoy an orientation tour of Fort Augustus before continuing on by bus to Fort William. Located in the shadow of Ben Nevis, the UKโ€™s largest mountain, the group will spend two nights in Fort William. Your tour leader will orientate you around Fort William before a free evening tonight.

  • Day 6 Day 6: Fort William: Free Day
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 6: Fort William: Free Day

      Enjoy an entire free day at your leisure today. Fort William has wonderful outdoor activities on offer, from hiking Ben Nevis, to cycling and mountain biking. Join the highly-recommended optional Jacobite Steam Train excursion from Fort William to Mallaig, which has been described as one of the greatest railway journeys in the world! You may know this train better as the Hogwarts Express, and when you ride over the 21 arches of the engineering wonder of the Glenfinnan Viaduct you will be transported back to that famous scene in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. *Please note that The Jacobite Steam Train does not operate between mid-November to mid-May. Outside these dates, we will travel on Scotrailโ€™s scheduled service.

  • Day 7 Day 7: Fort William - Glasgow
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 7: Fort William - Glasgow

      Itโ€™s time for the final train journey as a group and itโ€™s definitely a memorable way to finish off a week of wonderful railway trips! Take the West Highland Line south to Glasgow. This journey is the highlight of the day, with fantastic views of the moors, mountains and lochs. Keep an eye out for Loch Treig, Laidon, Tulla, Lomond, Long and Gare before arriving in Glasgow. The route between Tulloch and Rannoch stations is not connected by roads, so the train will pass through true wilderness! On arrival into Glasgow, check into the hotel and then take an orientation walking tour with your tour leader before enjoying a farewell dinner together. This is the time to celebrate the great times youโ€™ve had this past week.

  • Day 8 Day 8: End Of Tour In Glasgow
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 8: End Of Tour In Glasgow

      Today marks the end of this Scotland rail tour. Enjoy a hearty breakfast and allow yourself enough time to enjoy more sightseeing in Glasgow before you continue with your travels. From Glasgow, you can easily return back to Edinburgh, or both Glasgow and Edinburgh airports are within easy reach. Be sure to swap contact details with your new travel friends. We hope you enjoyed your scenic train journey through Scotland!

+5
Experience Style

Experience Style

Mixed

There will be challenging activities such as hiking, biking, canyoning and trekking, but youโ€™re also going to have other means of transportation and relaxed moments to just chill.

Accomodation level

Accomodation level

Medium

This accommodation includes essential services like a hot shower, electricity, and a nice and comfy bed.

Experience Type

Experience Type

Small Group

Youโ€™ll be accompanied by a small group of travelers just like you.

Physical Rating

Physical Rating

Basic

Almost everyone is fit for these activities. Every hike or physical exercise last less than 30 minutes, such as paragliding and horseback riding. Please ask about specific conditions.

Age range

Age range

Min: 10 / Max: 80

Minors from 10 to 17 years must be accompained by an adult during the experience.

Select a country to define if the visa is required

Who talk about us:

Best cities to travel to