Loch Ness Cruise And Urquhart Castle Visit From Inverness

The cruise was relaxing and scenic. The castle was very interesting to visit, and the weather was fantastic.

My husband and I had a wonderful time on this tour!! The guides and tour were wonderful. One of our guides, Jamie, was wonderful and very helpful. Gave us great advice and tips for our trip. Would highly recommend this trip when and if you go!!

Beautiful nature. Very knowledgeable guide that shared what life is like in the highlands. As well as a quick stop with George the highland bull!

They do a great job sharing the facts and history of both Loch Ness and the castle. I highly recommend this tour

We had a lovely day, every aspect of it was wonderful. Our driver Malcolm was friendly enough, but needs to seek training in comparing or just stick to driving. His accent (not Scotish) made understanding what he was waffling on about difficult. The PA wasn’t great, and tbh, he spent a great deal of time complaining about how poor the Inverness Council are, complaining about the look of the council buildings, the poor condition of the town, lack of money, business support and welfare for citizens. I almost had to ask him if he needed counseling, as he was very animated and passionate about his feelings. It kinda left us scratching our heads, perplexed, at the end of the tour, as we’d had a wonderful river cruise, perfect weather and were on a high from such a great morning, to come crashing back down listening to Malcolm’s woes….. bit disappointing tbh.

Very enjoyable cruise. Tour guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining. Weather was drizzly, but still nice. Castle was fun to walk around in. They gave us plenty of time to explore.

Excellent trip. Value for money A brilliant driver and guide on the coach. It's lovely to approach Urquhart castle from Loch Ness, it gives a completely different perspective Thank you

Great relaxing experience cruising on Loch Ness and wonderful to visit Urquart Castle and learn about the history

A beautiful, scenic cruise on a lovely boat. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and really friendly.

Very informative boat ride. Enough time to explore the Castle. Tour bus driver was entertaining and full of knowledge.

Nice cruise with amazing views. Urquhart Castle and its history was interesting. We didn’t find Nessie though 😝

We did the 3.5 hr Lochness Cruise with Castle visit. We met at the Inverness bus station for a quick informative ride to the boat. We anticipated that we would be on the boat to AND FROM the castle- but it is bus to boat, boat to castle, and then back on the bus for about an hour back to the station. Not a huge deal but would have liked to know that in advance. These busses are SO CRAMPED and uncomfortable. Unless you are 5'3 and a size 6 expect to be very cramped. I am 5'5' and my knees were smooshed into the seat in front of me and my boyfriend is 6'3" and had to have one knee in the aisle and the other diagonal into my seat to even sit there- not to mention that these seats are def not made for anyone who isn't quite petite in the hips! Luckily it was only an hour but we might have skipped the castle in favor of the round trip on the boat had we known. We got very lucky with weather and enjoyed the boat, the loch, the castle and the tour guides- so no dings on any of that- just the comfort level and actual itinerary should be more transparent.

Great way to experience the Loch from a different perspective! Sailing up to Uraquhart castle was an unbelievable view and then exploring the castle was amazing! The guided bus tour was also informative and takes you into parts of the landscape that aren’t common and was amazing with the autumn color change!

The boat ride on Loch Ness and the view of the castle are both very good. They should know that they will not be walking through the castle. The driver of the bus was extremely rude and condescending. He made people uncomfortable. And throughout the ride to the boat, he had his headset on and gave his opinion on politics, the use of today, construction in Scotland, the workforce… Everything was negative. I didn’t pay to hear his opinion about anything. He was better behaved on the ride back. But honestly, he was scary.

Another wonderful experience. The pick up and trip went smooth as silk. Loved the cruise on the Loch. Our guide was engaging and fun. Just the right amount of time too.

We had a wonderful cruise down Loch Ness. The views were amazing and the visit to Urquhart Castle was such a cool experience. We learned a lot from the audio guide that plays during the tour and all of the staff were very knowledgeable about any questions we had. I would take this cruise again as well as recommend it to anyone looking for a fun outing near Inverness.

The whole trip was very well run. Our bus driver was very informative and friendly. The crew on the boat were very nice and had a good sense of humor. While rainy, we still enjoyed the time at the castle exploring. An added bonus was our stop by a small field with two very friendly Hairy Coos! The bus driver/guide even brought food for us to feed them. Great tour and worth the $.

This tour is a great way to fit a lot into half a day, combining transportation, a small bus tour, a cruise on Loch Ness, and a visit to Urquhart Castle. The cruise was fantastic! We had beautiful weather, and the guide was funny, knowledgeable, and shared lots of interesting information during the short trip. The onboard sound system was excellent, even on the top deck, so we could hear everything clearly while taking in the breathtaking scenery. Enjoying a whiskey hot chocolate on board was an added treat! Urquhart Castle was amazing, and I'm so glad we had the opportunity to visit. I would highly recommend taking the 10 minutes to watch the introductory film at the visitor centre. It really brings the castle's history to life. Unfortunately, the bus driver was the reason for our overall three-star rating. He was unpleasant and cranky, and his commentary was dominated by negative opinions about the government, politics, and the state of the world. Most concerning were his sexist remarks when we passed children playing sports. He questioned why girls would want to play, suggesting they might mess up their faces and jeopardize their chances of finding a husband. This was completely unacceptable and made the atmosphere extremely uncomfortable. The negative commentary continued throughout the entire drive back, spoiling what should have been an enjoyable end to the day. The cruise and Urquhart Castle were both five-star highlights, and the itinerary itself is excellent. However, the bus driver's behaviour significantly detracted from the overall experience, which is why I have rated the tour 3 stars rather than five. With a more professional and respectful driver, this would easily have been a five-star day.

I would have liked if the boat portion of the tour was longer. The castle ruins were cool, I would have preferred there to be less people.

The temptation tour was a super fun way to get out on Loch Ness and explore some castle ruins! One of the highlights of our trip so far!

Well organized, well narrated. Definitely wear warm clothes and bundle up even if the sun is shining as it's best to see Loch views from the upper, outside deck. Time at Uquhart Castle was too short by 15-30 minutes. I had no time to see the film. Our bus guide was a hoot.

Really funny and informative driver/guide. Right amount of time spent at the castle. As a bonus, on the way back, the driver took us to see two lovely hairy cows in the village close to the castle.

Such a great tour and our guide, Kieran, was so knowledgeable and kind. He provided a local perspective - an insider’s view of living in Inverness. It was a really special way to spend a morning in the Highlands.

Double check tour operator (avoid D&E). Boat experience - great! Castle experience - rushed. Coach experience - ugh, poor. Driver condescending, telling why come to ruins if you don’t watch film. (Nowadays you can catch a video anywhere. Enjoy the ruins!) told us to not stop at gift shop. He was more worried about timing of departure. Nonstop negative chatter about Scotland/UK/Government. Even Scottish friends we travelled with said he should watch what he says. Recommend tour, not guide.

This was such an awesome tour. We loved the bus ride, the boat cruise, the castle, EVERYTHING!

Absolutely incredible experience! Our driver and guide, Atis, was amazing. We loved his sense of humor and really appreciated all the information, history, and stories he shared with us throughout the drive. We’ve been on lots of tours, but this was by far our favorite and we truly think Atis is what made it so special. Highly recommend!

We had an excellent bus driver, who shared his knowledge of the area with us. He even stopped so we could take pictures of Highland (hairy) cows (coos). The cruise of loch ness is a must do. The views and the history of the area are amazing. The Urquahart Castle ruins and it views are also incredible.

My son and me really enjoyed this trip. The ride on the bus gave us a good look around the lake. The boat crossed in typical scottish wether. The visit to the castle was worthwile. Also the company on the trip was lovely.

Great experience! Highly recommend the tour.

This package included a delightful bus driver/tour guide, beautiful cruise of the loch, and an opportunity to explore the castle. I enjoyed the bus drive the most. He took a different route back to show us the most of the area, including feeding some coos!

The whole experience was great! Our bus guide and driver was great! Nice clean boat and the guide on the boat was excellent. The views were nice and we loved Urquhart castle. I think I may have seen Nessie, lol!

Great boat ride on Loch Ness and self-tour of the castle. Bus driver was informative and funny. All-around great experience.

This was worth the money and the time. The Loch Ness cruise was great and we were given lots of history and information during the cruise. Make sure you're dressed appropriately for the weather. It rained and the sun came out during the cruise! We had plenty of time at the castle to investigate and photograph everything. Our bus driver was fun and gave us lots of information as we drove.

Unbelievable experience. Do not miss out. All of the tour guides were wonderful and informative.

Beautiful views of Loch Ness. One hour is the minimum to see Urquhart Castle, and don’t miss the film at the visitor centre.

Had a fantastic tour of Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle! Our bus drive Atis was an absolute blast, his narration was a highlight of the tour. Provided more insight about the Inverness area than Google ever could 😊 And now I know what the real ‘Rolling Stones’ are however you’ll have to go with Atis to find out for yourself,,,,

The trip itself was very enjoyable, and we were able to see many wonderful sights and learn a great deal about the area and its history. Our driver even went out of his way to stop at a location where we could see Highland cows and get out to take photos, which was a lovely and memorable part of the tour. My only concern was that our driver was quite vocal about his personal views regarding the struggles of local Highland farmers and the government’s role in those issues. At times, the conversation became quite political. We booked this tour to experience the local sights, learn about the area’s history and culture, and enjoy a break from the issues and concerns we have at home. While we appreciated hearing about local life, we would have preferred the tour to remain more focused on the history, scenery, and attractions rather than political views. Overall, we enjoyed the tour and appreciated the opportunity to see and learn more about the area.

Great trip! Our bus driver was very friendly and informative . Our boat trip on the Lochness was beautiful , the commentator was very funny, we did not find Nessie, but maybe next time .., also loved the castle

Nice boat trip on Loch Ness, good view of the ruins. Fine day to do somethimg different. ….:::…,……ok

We Thoroughly enjoyed our tour of Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle. Wonderful trip upon Loch Ness and loved our visit to Urquhart Castle. Spectacular scenic views and we are so lucky to have to had blue sky on the day. All staff were helpful throughout. Recommend this tour.

Totally awesome visit through Jacobite. Everything ran smoothly. Everyone was courteous and nice. Absolutely loved it. Thank you.

Apparently, we were supposed to have an hour boat cruise, but it was only a half hour. Personally, it didn’t bother me although our driver said we should’ve had an hour. He compensated by stopping by the Highland cows. He gave us carrots to feed them.

Good tour . Driver / guide made it great. Would have liked more time at irquat castle. The boat took long to get there slow to cast off, but the rode was joy.

First rate experience for me to see Loch Ness and Urquhart castle. Excellent tour guide and driver for both bus and boat. Very enjoyable.

Well worth booking with Viator. The trip ran strictly on time and appreciate their timekeeping even though we nearly missed the trip ourselves. The bus trip was comfortable and was the boat, and very informative. Enjoyed our trip very much.

Disappointed in our cranky bus driver- he sure didn’t exude the friendly Scottish spirit. Even though we had a non rainy day, the boat ride was somewhat uncomfortable (very windy) unless you happened to get a seat inside. I had pictured a leisurely cruise but this was a boat on a mission. We were allowed 1 hour to tour the castle grounds and visitor center- I felt that was not enough time.

Wonderful experience learning about Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle. This was one of the highlights of our trip to the Scottish Highlands.

Very good and educational tour. Bus driver was very informative as was the guide on the boat. Very impressed with Urquhart Castle and the whole experience. Highly recommended.

It was great! A really nice experience. The cruise was informative, although I did wish there was a human guide, and the views were amazing. The trip to Urquhart castle was the perfect lenght and well integrated into the cruise. The location that the cruise was starting from was a bit far away from the city center, so you had to take a half hour ride and the bus only comes like hourly. Nevertheless it was worth it for the better overall experience, compared to the cruise options starting from more accessible locations. Overall would reccomend!