
3-Day North Coast 500 Small-Group Tour from Inverness
Traveler rating
4.9/5
Based on 33 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is 3-Day North Coast 500 Small-Group Tour from Inverness worth booking?
3-Day North Coast 500 Small-Group Tour from Inverness is a 72-hour experience in Inverness, United Kingdom, from $546 per person. It scores 66 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Solid Choice”, based on a 4.9/5 rating across 33 reviews. This booking is non-refundable, so pick your date carefully. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 66 / 100
- Rating
- 4.9/5 (33)
- Duration
- 72 hours
- From
- $546 per person
Scotland's 'Route 66' is a rollercoaster road of ruined castles, pristine beaches, dramatic cliffs, and charming villages. On this 3-day small-group tour from Inverness, you explore all of it in the comfort of a luxury, 16 seat mini-coach. You clamber through scattered boulders and spot a beach so white it makes you reach for your sunglasses. You ramble along cliffs and find a village so small you try to pack it in your suitcase. And you travel along tumbling roads and see castles so ancient you rub your eyes in disbelief. This is the North Coast 500. And over every horizon, you find something surprising.
What you get
About this experience
Scotland's 'Route 66' is a rollercoaster road of ruined castles, pristine beaches, dramatic cliffs, and charming villages. On this 3-day small-group tour from Inverness, you explore all of it in the comfort of a luxury, 16 seat mini-coach. You clamber through scattered boulders and spot a beach so white it makes you reach for your sunglasses. You ramble along cliffs and find a village so small you try to pack it in your suitcase. And you travel along tumbling roads and see castles so ancient you rub your eyes in disbelief. This is the North Coast 500. And over every horizon, you find something surprising.
What's included
Included
- Professional and friendly driver guide
- Transport by air-conditioned mini-coach
- Small-group tour (16 passenger max)
- 2 nights en-suite accommodation with breakfast
Not included
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Refreshments and meals (pre-booking evening meals after 7pm is highly recommended)
Where it starts and ends
Meeting point
Inverness
Please meet your Rabbie's guide at the bus stop next to Inverness Cathedral, Ardross Street, Inverness, IV3 5NS. Please arrive 15 minutes before the tour departs.
Hotel pickup
No pickup: everyone meets at the start point.
Ends at
Please meet your Rabbie's guide at the bus stop next to Inverness Cathedral, Ardross Street, Inverness, IV3 5NS. Please arrive 15 minutes before the tour departs.
Options you can book
B&B Single Occupancy Room
Stay in an en-suite single room (1 x single bed) guesthouse accommodation. Mandatory for single travellers.
Hotel Double Room
Stay in a double en-suite room (1 x double bed) hotel accommodation.
Hotel Single Occupancy Room
Stay in an en-suite single room (1 x single bed) hotel accommodation. Mandatory for single travellers.
Hotel Twin Room
Stay in an en-suite twin room (2 x single beds) hotel accommodation.
B&B Twin Room
Stay in an en-suite twin room (2 x single beds) guesthouse accommodation.
B&B Double Room
Stay in an en-suite double room (1 x double bed) guesthouse accommodation.
Before you book
- Cancellation
- If you cancel at least 21 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.<br>If you cancel within 21 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.
- Languages
- en
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Mon, Thu
- Group size
- Up to 8 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Rabbies Trail Burners
Know before you go
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- All Inverness tours will depart from the bus stop next to Inverness Cathedral, Ardross Street, IV3 5NS
- We apologise, but we cannot accommodate children under 5 years old on our tours. Children under 18 need to be accompanied by an adult. Please note that if this policy is not followed, we will have to refuse travel without issuing a refund. Thank you for understanding
- Luggage Allowance:You're restricted to 20kg (44lbs) of luggage per person. This should be one piece of luggage similar to an airline carry-on bag (approximately 55cm x 45cm x 25cm / 22in x 17in x 10in) plus one small bag for onboard personal items.
- During winter months (Nov-March), tour may not go to Applecross due to bad weather on high route and daylight hours.
- Booking three or more people? We can accommodate up to 8 guests in a group, please add each required room to your basket separately
Photos






What travelers are saying
Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 33 traveler reviews. Written by us, not quoted from reviewers.
The guide
9 mentionsTravelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
Photo opportunities
6 mentionsThe views and photo stops come up again and again.
Knowledge and storytelling
4 mentionsReviewers describe the commentary as informative rather than scripted.
Organization
2 mentionsPickup, timing, and logistics are described as running smoothly.
Food and drink
2 mentionsThe tastings and food stops are a highlight for most reviewers.
Traveler reviews
33 verified traveler reviews for 3-Day North Coast 500 Small-Group Tour from Inverness. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Excellent tour!
We did the one day tour out of Inverness for the 500 (me with my older parents) -didn’t see that as an option to choose on here to review. We had Emily as our tour guide and driver. She was AMAZING! She gave an amazing narration on the whole drive and was super approachable and kind - you can ask her anything. I do a lot of travel for work and like to add on some time to adventure in the new places I am visiting. So I do lots of one day tours. This one was superb. Would highly recommend to anyone. You will learn a lot and can take a break from driving!
via Tripadvisor
Wonderful tour
If you don't want to, or can't, drive around the NC500 yourself this is a great option. My only regret is that the tour isn't a day longer as it would have been nice to spend a little longer at some of the stops. Our guide Mick was excellent. I even enjoyed our first day, driving up to Ullapool, when the weather was horrendous and the cloud was so low you couldn't see any of the views. On the plus side the heavy rain made the flow of water at Corrieshalloch Gorge and Smoo Cave very impressive. My only warning about the tour would be that for anyone with limited mobility seeing some of the sights may prove difficult, or impossible. Quite often there was a walk along rough paths or steps due to the parking being a little way from the point of interest. This was particularly the case for Smoo Cave and Castle Sinclair/Grinigoe Castle. This was my first Rabbie's tour and I'd happily recommend the company to anyone. I'm now looking at the other multiday tours the company run in Scotland and Ireland!
via Tripadvisor
3 Day North Coast tour with Rabbies is good—but long.
The Rabbies 3 day tour of the North Coast 500 was enjoyable and our driver, Camille, was fantastic. The scenery on the first day was stunning, good on the 2nd day, and just so so on the 3rd down the east coast. The tiny single track roads made for challenging driving and parking and Camille was a total pro. Clearly she has worked very hard on her driving skills and on the music and information shared during the trip. With a very small group, we could spread out in the 16 person van. With many more participants, the trip would have felt very tight and claustrophobic on small roads. The 4 rating is based primarily on the structure of the trip with days ending at 6pm when all shops were closed. That timing plus locations of B&Bs in particular, outside of the centers of town were less preferable. Our hotel and the onsite restaurant in Ullapool was fine. The lunch stop in Wick was not good (industrial wharf area for a brief lunch stop) and the location of the hotel in Thurso was ok but out from town. Thurso did not seem like a great stop. Entry to a couple of stops was not included in the tour cost, which was surprising. Overall, the trip provided sights as advertised and we are glad we took it, with the suggestions here. It is a lot of driving/sitting on a bus. We might suggest the shorter tour to Applecross and back to Inverness as a better alternative.
via Tripadvisor
Once in a lifetime tour!
Beautiful country, with history & geological knowledge sprinkled in along the tour. Eilidh was a wonderful guide and very sensitive to the varying needs of the travelers in her care. She has a great love for this part of the world and it shows in how much she delights in sharing it. Also a terrific playlist!! Rabbie’s tours are always equal parts beautiful sights and well informed guides! This was my first overnight experience with Rabbie’s and it went very smoothly. I booked the tour thru Viator and am curious about the hotel choices they made on my behalf but overall it was ok. Of the 16 people on the bus we were booked in 3-4 different hotels each night. Some made res on their own, some thru Rabbie’s and others thru agents. The quality of the hotels were not always similar. So if you are picky about your accommodations I’d advise do your own research.
via Viator
Fabulous tour!
What a wonderful tour! Liam was a terrific driver and guide. The scenery was absolutely beautiful and the towns were picturesque with friendly people and delicious food at every stop. Highly recommend!
via Tripadvisor
Good to know
- Duration
- 72 hours
- Free cancellation
- Non-refundable
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Mon, Thu
- Price range
- $546 to $745
- Hotel pickup
- No pickup, meet at start point
- Booked in 30 days
- 12
- Verdict
- Solid Choice
Who runs this experience
Operated by Rabbies Trail Burners, who run 61 experiences we rank across 6 cities, with an average Outty Ranking of 70.1 and 9 in the 90+ Club.
See everything Rabbies Trail Burners runsWhy this scores 66
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
3-Day North Coast 500 Small-Group Tour from Inverness: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Inverness.
How much does 3-Day North Coast 500 Small-Group Tour from Inverness cost?
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Prices start at $546 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Inverness usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does 3-Day North Coast 500 Small-Group Tour from Inverness take?
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Plan for about 72 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Inverness is not rushed.
Is 3-Day North Coast 500 Small-Group Tour from Inverness worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 66 out of 100, which we label "Solid Choice". That score blends traveler sentiment (4.9/5 across 33 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable most popular in Inverness, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule 3-Day North Coast 500 Small-Group Tour from Inverness?
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No. This experience is sold on a non-refundable basis, so only book a date you are confident about. Similar experiences in the city do offer free cancellation if flexibility matters more than price.
Is 3-Day North Coast 500 Small-Group Tour from Inverness suitable for kids and families?
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Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 72-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book 3-Day North Coast 500 Small-Group Tour from Inverness?
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Around 12 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Inverness can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
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Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Inverness and add a light layer if any part of the 72-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does 3-Day North Coast 500 Small-Group Tour from Inverness start and how do I get there?
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The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Inverness within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Inverness?
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On Outty we rank every Inverness experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include The Ultimate Isle of Skye Day Tour from Inverness, Isle of Skye and Eilean Donan Castle Day Tour from Inverness, Loch Ness, Outlander & Urquhart Castle from Inverness. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Inverness?
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Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Inverness?
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Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
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Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
What is included in 3-Day North Coast 500 Small-Group Tour from Inverness?
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Included: Professional and friendly driver guide; Transport by air-conditioned mini-coach; Small-group tour (16 passenger max); and 2 nights en-suite accommodation with breakfast. Not included: Gratuities; Hotel pickup and drop-off; and Refreshments and meals (pre-booking evening meals after 7pm is highly recommended). Always check the voucher for the final list before you travel.
Where is the meeting point for 3-Day North Coast 500 Small-Group Tour from Inverness?
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Please meet your Rabbie's guide at the bus stop next to Inverness Cathedral, Ardross Street, Inverness, IV3 5NS. Please arrive 15 minutes before the tour departs. Hotel pickup is not included, so plan your own transport and arrive 15 minutes early.
What languages is 3-Day North Coast 500 Small-Group Tour from Inverness offered in?
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It runs in English. Pick your language when choosing a date and time, as not every departure runs in every language.
Will I get instant confirmation and a mobile ticket for 3-Day North Coast 500 Small-Group Tour from Inverness?
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Confirmation is sent by the operator after booking, usually within 48 hours; if it is not confirmed you are not charged. Mobile tickets are accepted, so you can show the voucher on your phone.
What happens to 3-Day North Coast 500 Small-Group Tour from Inverness if the weather is bad?
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It generally runs rain or shine, so dress for the forecast in Inverness. Standard cancellation terms apply.
What do travelers say about 3-Day North Coast 500 Small-Group Tour from Inverness?
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Across 33 reviews averaging 4.9 out of 5, recurring themes include the guide, photo opportunities, knowledge and storytelling. Travelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
What booking options are available for 3-Day North Coast 500 Small-Group Tour from Inverness?
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There are 6 options to choose from, including B&B Single Occupancy Room, Hotel Double Room, Hotel Single Occupancy Room, Hotel Twin Room. Prices and start times differ by option, so compare them on the booking screen.
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