The Orkney Insider
The Orkney Trip-Planning Guide
Everything you need to plan a trip to Orkney, in the order you’ll need it — pulled together from our most detailed guides. Work through the five steps below.
Step 1
When to go
Orkney is a year-round destination, but the season you pick shapes everything — daylight, ferries, wildlife, and what’s open. Start here to match your trip to the right time of year.
Step 2
Getting there & around
Half the planning for Orkney is logistics: the flight or ferry in, and how you’ll move between the sights and the outer isles once you arrive.
Step 3
Where to stay
From Kirkwall’s cathedral streets to a croft on an outer isle, where you base yourself defines the trip. Browse by area, or start with the overview.
Step 4
What to see & do
Neolithic wonders, sea cliffs, wildlife and wartime history — Orkney packs a lot in. Line up the highlights and things to book ahead.
Step 5
Build your itinerary
Tie it together into a day-by-day plan. Whether you’ve a single day or a full week, these plans do the heavy lifting.
One money-saving tip
Booking.com’s Genius programme is free to join and gives many members 10–20% off selected stays, sometimes with free breakfast or a room upgrade. If you’re booking Orkney accommodation through Booking.com anyway, sign in first so any member price applies — see how Genius works. (That’s an affiliate link — it costs you nothing extra.)
The Orkney Insider
Planning a trip to Orkney?
Get the free trip-planning guide — best times to visit, ferry & flight tips, and where to stay — plus occasional seasonal notes worth catching.