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AMAZING 3 Day Isle of Skye Tour with Rabbies | Review!

Categories Scotland , U.K

When looking for a small group tour around Scotland, Rabbies is the answer! I have just come back from a 3 day Isle of Skye tour with Rabbies Tours which I loved so much!

Visiting the mysterious Isle of Skye known for its fairies and giants had been on my bucket list to visit for so long!

In 2018 I went on a 3 day Lake District Tour from London with Rabbies which I really enjoyed, I’ve recommended Rabbies to travellers ever since and as soon as it finished I knew I had to visit Scotland with Rabbies next as they are the pros in Scotland tours!

Isle of Skye Tour

It took me 4 years but last week I caught the train from Manchester where I live up to Edinburgh.

I did the Isle of Skye tour from Edinburgh (although they also run an Isle of Skye tour from Glasgow which is handy) so I explored Edinburgh for the afternoon, stayed overnight and got up bright and early to start the 3 day tour around Scotland!

We stopped at plenty of places on the way from Edinburgh to Skye and then we saw the best places to visit in the Isle of Skye with Rabbies!

Here’s why I loved my Rabbies Skye tour along with my full Rabbies review so you know why you should book with Rabbies and what to expect when you book an Isle of Skye tour with Rabbies !

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Isle of Skye Tour from Edinburgh

When looking for the best Isle of Skye Tours from Edinburgh you’ll find Rabbies highly recommended and I hope after reading this Rabbies review you’ll see why! But first…

Why go on a guided tour to the Isle of Skye?

Visiting the Isle of Skye is one of the best things to do in Scotland but many people wonder ‘how to get to the Isle of Skye?’ as it is so far up North in Scotland and Skye doesn’t have an airport.

If you have limited time in Scotland, driving yourself to the Isle of Skye can be time consuming, expensive and a bit worrying if you can’t confident driving in windy roads in the UK! And that’s why an Isle of Skye tour from Edinburgh, or Glasgow, is a great option!

During my 3 day 2 night Isle of Skye tour, we spent both nights on the Isle of Skye but we did spend only 1 full day on the island.

This may not seem like a lot of time but it takes 5 hours to drive from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye passing through so many amazing and popular places like Glencoe and Loch Ness so it makes sense to spend a full day seeing Scotland on the way to Skye and seeing even more on the way back.

If you do feel like 1 day in Skye is not enough, you can look into Rabbies 4 day Isle of Skye tour here !

Plus, Edinburgh is a great place to start the tour because it’s such a brilliant and popular city and you don’t want to rush through here either!

On my tour, there were people from Singapore and Malaysia who were on a UK trip visiting London and Edinburgh and wanted to see more of Scotland on a tour as well as Edinburgh city so this was so perfect and easy for them!

3 Day Isle of Skye Itinerary

To give you some wanderlust and excitement I’ll show you where I visited on my 3 day Isle of Skye itinerary with Rabbies.

Do note that your tour might go to slightly different places or in a different order because as I mention below, one of the great things about Rabbies guides is that they can and will amend the tour based on the weather, guest preferences etc to give guests the best trip possible!

View the whole tour, availability and price on Rabbies website here along with other tours they offer!

Pre-Departure Day

The tour starts at 8:30 am so you will most likely need to stay in Edinburgh the night before. I stayed in Motel One Princess Hotel which is a budget-friendly hotel across the road from Edinburgh Waverly Train Station and the meeting point for Rabbies Tours.

Check rates and availability for hotels in Edinburgh for the night before your trip here!

Edinburgh is a great city, it’s so beautiful, safe and you can see a lot in just a few hours.

With a day or half a day in Edinburgh, things to do in Edinburgh include visiting Edinburgh Castle , seeing the Royal Mile , walking up Arthurs Seat , going to the West End and seeing Edinburgh New Town .

The tour started at 8:30 am. I went to Rabbies Cafe which is next to the impressive Balmoral Hotel and the train station. I checked in with a staff member there and headed 100m up the road with my suitcase to meet my guide Michael and fellow passengers who were from France, Singapore and Malaysia.

We got out of Edinburgh straight away and straight away Michael started the guided tour where he told us a bit about Edinburgh as we drove before telling us what to expect from the rest of the day and 3 days.

We headed to the Scottish Highlands which took about 2 hours. Our first stop was Loch Lubnaig where we got to take in our first Loch with a little walk around (Michael had said in the bus we were not allowed to use the word Lake on the trip, we had to say Loch!), and had a coffee and bathroom break at Cabin cafe.

Next, we headed into the mountain pass of Glencoe and Michael told us in-depth information and stories from the Massacre of Glencoe in 1692 which I had no idea about and it really made me look at the scenery and what was their home differently. It’s reasons like this that I love a guided tour!

We had a fair few stops to take photos of the many lochs we were passing and to breathe in the fresh highland air including a stop at the Five Sisters of Kintail viewpoint and to see some deer!

Our lunch stop was in Fort William . One of the things I love about Rabbies tours is that meals are not in set restaurants and cafes. This means you can choose your food preference from various options within a town and choose your budget. There’s nothing worse than being on a budget on a tour not being able to afford anything in a restaurant where you have to visit as a group!

Ben Nevis , the highest mountain in Scotland was our view after our Fort William lunch stop. We then pushed on North towards Skye stopping at Eilean Donan Castle before crossing the bridge to Skye.

Eilean Donan Castle is the most photographed castle in Scotland, which is pretty impressive and so cool that the Isle of Skye tour with Rabbies visits it!

Like with food, extra activities that cost money are not pushed upon passengers, in fact, Rabbies seem to not include many paid attractions within their tours to keep them budget-friendly.

At the Castle, we could go in if we wanted to but none of our group did so we took photos from the outside and viewpoint instead and used their toilets!

The town of Portree was our base on the Isle of Skye which is the main town on the island and it’s a lovely harbour town.

Accommodation is not included in the tour price because again, Rabbies want you to make their tours fit your budget so you can choose your accommodation.

Portree has hostels, guest houses, B&B’s and fancier hotels, so it’s up to you whether you spend £20.00 on a hostel dorm room, £70.00 on a guest house or £150.00 on a hotel. (These are rough prices FYI and will change seasonally but you get the idea!)

Search for a range of accommodation in Portree here!

Rabbies can help you book your accommodation but if you plan to visit in the summer high season, I would check accommodation prices and availability in Portree before booking the tour and if you book the tour, book accommodation straight away!

This was our full day on Isle visiting fairylands, learning about giants’ tales and seeing some really iconic places in Skye!

We woke up to awful rain and wind so when Michael picked us up at 9:00 am he changed our itinerary to suit the weather and his positive spirits kept us positive when we were wondering what on earth we’d see in Skye in weather like this!

We visited the famous fairy pools first, we couldn’t access them as they were flooded so we instead drove to the miniature fairy pools .

Driving through Skye even in the pouring rain was a total pleasure, this island really is beautiful so I kicked back in my seat and enjoyed the views with a coffee through the large and clear bus windows as we drove up to Trumpan Church right on the North-Eastern tip of the Isle.

We had lunch back in Portree town as there are the most food options here and it’s the middle point when driving between the East and West of Skye.

Portree has some nice cafes, restaurants and fish and chip shops. I warmed up with some soup at Nourish Cafe which was a great option and I recommend it!

Thankfully, the weather cleared and eased for us in the afternoon, the weather forecast did predict this and that’s why Michael held back on showing us the more popular natural wonders of Skye until the afternoon.

We drove up the East Coast having so many photo stops and opportunities to walk around starting at Bride’s Veil Falls and the Old Man of Storr viewpoint . I believe in the summer passengers can walk around The Storr but with the weather conditions we had, it was not possible.

Rigg Viewpoint was next which is a stunning spot and a couple actually got engaged here on my tour! Michael helped the man find the perfect spot and opportunity in the day and on the edge of the coast was really it!

We went waterfall hunting next to Lealt Falls and Mealt Falls . Mealt Falls is the waterfall I’d see a lot on Instagram so I was really happy to see it in real life and it turns out this viewpoint is also for Kilt Rock and Michael told us tales of giants who lived in the area and that Kilt Rock is named as it is because it looks like a literal Giant Kilt embedded into the rock!

Our final stops of the day before the sun went down was the impressive mountain pass of the Quiraing which we were able to take a good walk along, and Fairy Glen.

I had heard so many fairy names before coming to Skye – Fairy Pools, Fairy Bridge, Fairy Glen, so it was amazing to see these places myself and hear the stories from Michael who was so passionate about it too.

Fairy Glen was one of my favourite spots and it was truly beautiful as the sun started to set.

I got dropped off at my accommodation in Portree at 6:00 pm and went out for dinner.

Rabbies say that restaurants in Portee book up fast, especially in the summer months so it’s best to book a table in advance, and in the summer, advance means way before the tour starts.

I got a delicious pizza from Caberfiedh Bar and Restaurant on day 1 and went towards the harbour and got fish and chips on day 2 because I can’t go on a British holiday by sea and not eat fish and chips!

At 9:00 am we left the Isle of Skye passing by Eilean Donan Castle on the way for a toilet and refreshment break and the opportunity to go in.

This final day of the tour did involve a lot more driving and longer drives than we had on days 1 and 2 where we had stopped more regularly but it was ok because our main focus of the day was the ever so famous Loch Ness and we arrived in the town of Fort Augustus at the base of Loch Ness at lunchtime.

I was really happy as we got to spend nearly 2 hours here having the opportunity to get some lunch in the many cafes and also go out on a 50-minute boat cruise in search of the Loch Ness Monster of course!

This was the only activity I paid extra for on the tour and although at £18.00 for 50 minutes, it is quite pricey, it was a really great trip and the guide on the boat told so many interesting stories and really uncovered the myth around Nessie!

After a few more short stops, we reached Edinburgh at about 6:30 pm. I got some dinner near the station and because I was going straight home I booked an 8:00 pm train out of Edinburgh back down to Manchester which was perfect for me!

Best things about Rabbies Tours!

Having gone on 2 Rabbies Tours in England and in Scotland I can see that although the locations and the guides change, all of their tours have a lot of similarities which are what make Rabbies so great for guided group tours in the UK and afar!

Small group tours

Rabbies only run tours in 16 seater coaches and there are a few reasons for this…

Firstly, having a smaller bus allows access to smaller roads and country lanes that bigger coaches can’t access. This is such an important thing when travelling places like the Isle of Skye, Lake District, Cotswolds, etc because there are so many small one-way roads!

Secondly, smaller groups make it easier to get to know one another and much less intimating for solo travellers than being in a big group.

Lastly, as Rabbies say, you can’t stop at a local cafe with 30 guests because it’s too overwhelming, with that number you can only stop for breaks at designated tourist facilities which is not the best way to do it!

Storytelling guides

One of the best things about guided tours is learning about where you are visiting and Rabbies tour guides know so many facts and historic information but they also know so many stories and tales, and they love to tell them to their guests!

Within the first few hours of my Isle of Skye tour from Edinburgh, I felt like I’d learned so much about Scotland and the history there that I had no idea of and by the time I finished the 3 day tour I was full of stories and facts which I told my family when I got home!

For travellers coming from overseas especially, having a friendly and approachable Rabbies guide who gives so much information really enhances the tour! Where ever I travel I love to know more about a place than just seeing it and that can be hard when travelling independently but this is a huge bonus to group guided tours.

Flexible itineraries

Each tour has a set itinerary but the guides use their experience and initiative to give the best possible experience to passengers.

As I mentioned above, it was so wet in the morning when I was in Skye but we saw that the weather looked clearer later on so our guide changed our itinerary so we saw the ‘iconic’ Skye spots later on with better weather.

We also missed out on 1-2 places because the rain and wind were too dangerous for us to drive there but I’d rather miss a place than the guide taking us and putting us at risk because they have to stick to the itinerary!

Supporting the local community

Rabbies try to go to the local cafes and shops so we are giving back to the local community.

For lunch and dinner, passengers are able to go where ever they want within a town which means business and money gets spread around rather than always going to the same places.

Guaranted departures

This is a huge positive to Rabbies over other tour companies – they offer guaranteed departures! There are no minimum numbers on tours for them to go ahead, if you book it, you go on it!

On my Isle of Isle Tour and my Lake District tour, there were only about 9-10 of us, not a full coach and actually, this was really nice as we had even more space on the coach and free time. In summer you can expect a full coach, especially to popular places like Skye but in the winter months, it’s more likely to be half a coach which can be really beneficial!

I hope this helps you make a decision on booking the best Isle of Skye tour around and what to expect from a Rabbies Isle of Skye tour!

This post is in collaboration with Rabbies Tours but all opinions are my own and from my genuine experience on the tour like all the other passengers.

• For more of my posts you might like see:
• A 3 Day Tour to the Lake District from London with Rabbie’s Tours!
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Questions re. Rabbies Tours - Edinburgh Forum

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Their website states they don't pick you up at your hotel.

You can have them choose your accommodations, but they still want you to meet them at a "Centralized Meeting Spot".

Additionally, the FAQ page said the accommodations they choose usually don't accept credit cards...expect to pay the host with cash.

Hmmm....that sounds like B & B. I want a hotel.

I could book a hotel in Edinburgh on my own...but this 5 day tour includes 2 nights in Oban and 2 nights in Plockton.

Suggestions? Feedback?

I exchange emails with one of their staff members but their reply usually takes 48 hours.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g186501-d12239862-Reviews-Perle_Oban_Hotel-Oban_Argyll_and_Bute_Scotland.html

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g186501-d277045-Reviews-Best_Western_Muthu_Queens_Oban_Hotel-Oban_Argyll_and_Bute_Scotland.html

This is the specific tour....

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g186525-d11446975-5_Day_Iona_Mull_and_the_Isle_of_Skye_Small_Group_Tour_from_Edinburgh-Edinburgh_Sco.html

Yes, they pick you up at a central location on day 1 so the bus can leave on time and the driver isn't driving over his time limit as it's usually just one driver per tour.

While on your tour you will be dropped off and picked up at you hotel or b&b.

The b&bs I have stayed in while with rabbies and other tours have been amazing, definitely not your average b&bs but they have hotel options available or you can book you own as long as it's not too far out the way.

If taking a b&b it will usually always be cash but not sure about hotels as we always choose b&b option.

With up to1 6 passengers staying at different hotels it would be impractical to go round picking people up.

Who not just book your own hotels in the places you visit? For example there are 3 small hotels in Plockton and all take card payments. Same story in Oban.

In previous I meant to say 16 passengers

My understanding is that they will book what ever you are prepared to pay for so if you want a hotel they will book it. Note that unless you are paying a lot for special hotels there is not going to be much difference between a B&B and a hotel, you get a room and breakfast and then you are back on the road. The B&B's I've stayed at recently all took cards so that would be something to just check before you go.

Thank you everyone for your helpful replies.

I very much appreciate all that was shared with me!

Just checked my email and Rabbies responded.

I can ask specific quests by using the email address [email protected]

Rabbies have a cafe that does early breakfasts at the foot of Waterloo Place and that's where their minibuses depart from. And their USP is that you can go with their accommodation suggestions or you can ask them to book you a more up-market hotel. They'll do the leg-work. They won't go miles away from their stated destination though. Ask them.

Thank you RudyardK

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Rabbie's Tours   Reviews

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A wonderful way to explore Devon and Cornwall

We loved our small group only 8 this trip in a comfortable 15 seater. Our driver Samuel was informative, on time and helpful if we needed any assistance. The audio system in the bus was very clear. Accomodation made by Rabbie's was excellent. Loved seeing places a little off the beaten track along with some of the hot tourist spots.

Date of experience : 15 April 2024

Our Scotland tour from Edinburgh to St. Andrew’s, Kingdom of Fife.

We truly loved our tour with Rabbie’s. Our driver Ally was wonderful. Shared so many historical stories, pointing out many things we may have missed without his knowledge of the land. He was easy to understand, a good driver, and was very accommodating to the whole group. He even shared some fun family stories with us. I would highly recommend this tour and company to anyone wanting to get a close up and more personal tour experience.

Date of experience : 19 April 2024

Great South Wales tour!

We really didn't know what to expect from the tour but it surpassed our expectations in every way. From the places we visited to the very comfortable bus, and of course our tour guide and driver Alan Cribb who made every day a delightful experience. (you should clone that guy). We would recommend Rabbie's to any of our friends who are coming to the UK and are looking to book tours. Keep up the good work and thank you for a very pleasant experience.

Date of experience : 16 April 2024

Lake District Tour

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our day trip. Our friendly driver/tourguide Rob was a pleasant and knowledgeable and at times humorous person. He had a calm and steady voice which made us feel relaxed and entertained throughout the journey. I was impressed by the abundant information and historical facts given although he had just joined this Company. He showed his dedication and sincerity in performing his duties. Keep up the good work and I'll definitely book a trip with Rabbie's again wherever it's available.

The 4 day Isle of Mull tour

I took the 4 day Isle of Mull tour and was very grateful for the free afternoon and evening built into this tour. I also loved the fact that we spent every night in the same town, rather than packing and unpacking. Peter was a great guide. I felt safe because he was such a skilled driver. Over and above that, he anticipated our interests and accommodated them whenever he could. A fantastic tour,

Excellent one day adventure into the highlands…

Excellent one day adventure into the highlands! Jim S. was a fabulous guide, providing interesting information and witty banter along the journey (plus an added bonus - professional photography skills if you want him to take a photo of you!). Typical cold and rainy highland weather didn’t put a damper on the trip. Highly recommend!

We had a great experience on this trip

We had a great experience on this trip. It's a long day (~14 hr) and most of it is in the van, but there are several stops, so you're not stuck in the van the entire time. I'm not sure the Loch Ness boat ride was worth it, and that time might have been better spent exploring the small village, because once you are off the boat - you only have about 15 minutes until it's time to go. Probably our favorite excursion during our 2 week UK visit.

Date of experience : 05 April 2024

Great Devon-Cornwall trip

Our driver-guide Jack was just great - very informative and entertaining at the same time! And we always felt safe during the trip. The places we visited were well chosen. We especially enjoyed the Minack Theatre.

Date of experience : 04 April 2024

Just Excellent

It was such a great tour, a whole new experience. We got to learn more about not just the sites visited but Aberdeen and Scotland as a whole. Chris was a fantastic host and his driving was excellent. I did this tour because my mum came to visit, she loved it so much she said when she comes with my dad they will do it together. I am happy I was part of it and will be recommending this to friends.

It was a lovely experience

It was a lovely experience. JP (our driver) was fun, knowledgeable and caring. He truly loves this land and he cares about your experience! Lovely tour we will definitely repeat next time we come back to Scotland

Date of experience : 20 April 2024

Kev was a great guide

Kev was a great guide - relaxed but organised with plenty of interesting stories and local tips to share. I liked the mix of cultural and natural locations we visited and felt this tour gave us a good amount of time at each location, which isn't always the case. I appreciated his attention to our tastes - he supported me in finding coffee and cake each day 🥰 and dropping me off in Ullapool as we swung through on the way back instead of Inverness.

Super Small Group Day Tour from Bristol

Places visited were fascinating. Tour guide (Iggy) was wonderful, knowledgeable and extremely helpful. Length of time at/between stops was just right. And, the weather was perfect (I know Rabbie's wasn't responsible for that - or were they? In any event, I highly recommend this tour and this company. Many thanks to them for a great experience!

Date of experience : 18 April 2024

Amazing experience!!

My partner and I just finished our three day tour of the Isle of Skye and it was honestly amazing, we were very sad to leave! Our tour guide Simon really made the tour fantastic and went above and beyond to show our group amazing stops on all three day with lots of jokes and historical stories. A very very special thanks to him (I apologize if this request keeps happening ha) but I really wanted to hike the Old Man of Storr and it was very stormy the second day so he volunteered to take the two of us early in the morning the next day and it was spectacular!!! Very much our favourite part of the tour and the trip so far. Our tour bus had people from all over the world and it was such a great experience to chat with them and hear about their travels. I would 100% recommend this tour to anyone interested in Scotland and Rabbies on a whole.

Date of experience : 21 April 2024

Wonderful day tour!

We had the most wonderful day to Wales, Snowdonia & Chester with Shara as our guide! She was fun, personable & gave us a nice insight to the areas we visited. Conwy castle was absolutely beautiful & the highlight of the tour!

First class tour to Loch Ness with Cameron

We went on a tour to Loch Ness with Cameron and it was excellent. He made the long journey interesting and we learnt so much. The tour itself was a long day but we saw so much it was a great introduction and I would visit some of the places again with more time. The tour felt personal and I would highly recommend.

Date of experience : 17 April 2024

Our tour guide was peerless!

Our tour guide was absolutely fantastic. Graeme demonstrated a "safety first" ethos throughout the tour and made a point of looking out for everyone's comfort and well being. His comprehensive knowledge of history, geology, flora and fauna of Scotland and Skye and talent for communication was magnificent. The tour duration was good, the vehicle was spotless and the smaller tour size made for a more personalized experience. Highly recommended!

It was pretty good actually.

This was a good but not great tour. I feel that more could’ve been done with exploring Devon than dumping everyone into Exeter for a few hours. Also, some sections of the tour were a bit long and could’ve used a trim down. Our guide was pretty good but I just wish he could’ve talked about Devon a bit more and given some more highlights about St Ives. He didn’t really capture the history of where we were visiting. Other than that, anyone reading this review, please, please consider this tour for your vacation itinerary as Devon and Cornwall are very lovely places.

Wonderful guide made the tour magical

The wonderful guide, Kylie, made the tour very special with her many stories and vast knowledge of the various site. She is a highly competent driver and made sure we saw every highland coo along the way. I like that the itinerary was adapted to fit the season, the weather, and the specific tour, which made it an absolutely perfect experience of the Isle of Skye.

Great day out.

Great day out and our driver Bruce gave very interesting information as we went. Bus was new, clean and had big unobstructed views. It was a long day but the Highlands were very picturesque and definitely worth it.

A Must-Do Tour to Isle of Skye

This was such an incredible experience. A must-see. Alec was an amazing, funny and knowledgeable guide. Wasn’t a single dull moment. Excellent value for the money and an unforgettable experience! Thank you!

The Ultimate Rabbie’s Tour Review: 3 Day North Wales Tour

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Despite living in the UK for seven years, there was still one country I hadn’t made it to.

I’ve seen the beauty of England , explored the landscapes in Scotland, and discovered the history of Northern Ireland.

Still on my to-do list.

Oh, and something else I hadn’t done?

Taking a guided Rabbies Wales tour.

We’ve explored the UK all self-guided, so having someone drive us around and tell us all the insider secrets was a foreign concept.

Luckily, thanks to Rabbie’s Tours , I was able to check both exploring Wales and having a stress free tour off my bucketlist.

In this Rabbie’s Tours review, I’m going to dig deep into our thoughts on Wales tours with Rabbie’s and our specific experiences on the 3 Day Snowdonia, North Wales , and Chester tour that departs from Manchester.

Did we enjoy ourselves?

Did we see lots of sheep?

Do I have some tips on making the most of your Rabbie’s tour?

Are we absolutely exhausted, but in the best way possible?

Yes to all of the above.

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Who are Rabbie’s Tours?

Rabbie’s Tours were started in 1993 by Robin Worsnop and are a small group guided tours company that operated in the UK and Europe.

Their ethos is based on small groups (no more than 16), supporting local communities, and ensuring that you see the “off the beaten path” or the scenic routes rather than just the touristy attractions and highways.

Oh, and the name is a nod to a nickname for Scottish poet Robert Burns, and rhymes with “abbeys” – a point they are quick to point out on their website lest you get confused with the other pronunciation you might be thinking of…

Where do Rabbie’s Tours operate?

One of the reasons I really wanted to share Rabbie’s Tours with you is where they operate – not only do they have fantastic UK tours departing from London, Edinburgh, and Manchester, but they also operate in Ireland and have some amazing European tour options.

What’s Included?

When you pay for a Rabbie’s tour, you are paying for the expertise of your fantastic storytelling guide (and trust us, they’ve got alllll the stories), as well as transportation throughout the duration of your tour through all of your stops.

The basic fee doesn’t include accommodation, as Rabbie’s wants to give you the option to book your own and do the tour on more of a budget (or more of a splurge) if you want to.

However, you can have them book your accommodation for you after telling them what fanciness level of accommodation you would like, and that costs nothing extra besides the money you pay to the hotel, hostel, or B and B.

The attraction fees also aren’t included to give you the ultimate flexibility.

At first, this sounds a bit stingy, but it’s not.

Firstly, depending on the tour, many of the places you go to will have a variety of attractions or, as is the case with North Wales, many places we enjoyed just walking around and there weren’t things we needed to pay to enter.

If Rabbies included in the tour price entrances for various things that they essentially made mandatory for you to do, you would have way less freedom and likely be spending more than you would if you just decided on your own what you wanted to do.

Food costs also aren’t included, and you will have plenty of stops to get something to eat, as they factor in lunch stops and making sure you’re not driving straight through the day with nothing to eat.

Who can take a Rabbie’s tour?

Anyone over the age of 5 can take a Rabbie’s tour, though those under the age of 18 do need to be accompanied by an adult.

Who Should Take a Guided Tour?

One of the questions we asked ourselves throughout the tour was what kind of traveler would appreciate a guided tour with Rabbie’s.

Not everyone has the same needs, and it would be dishonest to suggest that a Rabbie’s tour is suitable for everyone in the whole world.

After all, if you wanted to spend as much time as you wanted in each stop and have full control of your schedule, of course a guided tour by its very nature wouldn’t be for you.

However, we’ve come up with a list of who we think would enjoy a Rabbie’s tour and get the most out of it.

You’re probably a good fit for a Rabbie tour if…

• You like the idea of not having to worry about transportation while traveling and spend your time enjoying the sites
• You want to decide what you do in each town/city, but appreciate traveling with others
• You want to pack in as much as possible of the area you choose
• You aren’t from the area and prefer local guides and recommendations
• You like the idea of taking the scenic route and not just sticking to the main tourist towns

Rabbie’s 3-Day Snowdonia, North Wales and Chester Tour Review

Rabbie’s operate 1, 3, and even longer day tours from various cities across the UK, Ireland, and Europe, but for those interested in the 3-Day Snowdonia, North Wales and Chester tour, I want to really dig into our experience and our top tips for enjoying this tour.

The pacing and types of things we saw will also give you an insight into how many of the other tours work logistically.

The departure area for this tour is outside Manchester Piccadilly Station.

We actually ended up taking the train from London up to Manchester that morning, which takes about 2 hours.

If you book it ahead, the cost of that particular train is manageable so don’t let it stop you from taking this tour even if you’re London-based.

We showed up to the meeting point about 15 minutes before departure and met our tour guide, Charlie, who was super friendly and chatty.

This was a relief to me, as we were going to be spending lots of hours in the Rabbie’s van together and the fact that he seemed excited and ready to be there and show us Wales helped set the tone in a positive way.

We had 9 on our tour, and Rabbie’s takes a maximum of 16.

The Rabbie’s bus was incredibly comfortable, with air conditioning and USB charging sockets behind every seat (for which we were all really grateful – you are on the road all day with nowhere else to charge it!).

The first stop for us was a seaside town in Wales called Conwy, which we got to after fighting the bank holiday traffic.

We did have a harder time on the first and final days with more traffic than would usually be on a tour due to the holiday weekend, but Charlie handled it with good nature and of course Rabbie’s can’t control the traffic or accidents or other things that might go wrong on the roads, but will make every effort to keep the tour on track.

Charlie even stayed out later with us on the final day after checking we were all happy with it so that we could fully appreciate the towns we were going to.

When we got to Conwy, we were impressed with a medieval walled town on the Welsh coast that was the perfect spot to grab lunch (we got fish and chips from The Archway, would recommend!) and go for a bit of a wander around town.

Read more about my thoughts on the best things to do in Conwy here.

You can see Conwy castle, but we chose to walk the walls for some amazing views, stroll along the coastline, and then sit on a bench enjoying our lunch near the town center.

As with many of the places we explored on this tour, Conwy was very walkable and able to be explored on foot.

It also has some seriously stunning views, and the sun was out for us which just makes everything in the UK look ten times better.

When we had had time to grab lunch and explore a bit, it was back to the bus and onto our next stop.

Every time Charlie would drop us off somewhere, he would tell us exactly where he would be and at what time to pick us back up – he went above and beyond to make sure that he got as close as possible to dropping us off near the sights.

As we journeyed further into Wales, Charlie would tell us about the history of Wales and the stories behind some of its most famous legends.

He would also play music, where appropriate, that reflected the locals and were either by Welsh singers or had some important part in Welsh history (sometimes that history was very medieval, and sometimes it had to do with rugby!)

We were able to get out and stretch our legs for a minute at this beautiful lake, though it wasn’t an official stop on the tour and just an example of how each tour and tour guide is different and unique.

Then, it was on to Llanberis to see the Llanberis Slate Museum , which is completely free.

You don’t have to go in the Slate Museum – there is also a nice area to walk around outside, but we chose to go in the museum to learn more about Welsh history.

Slate mining was a huge industry for Wales for years, and the Llanberis Slate Museum is on the site of the mine that has been preserved.

As you wander around the rooms, you are taken back to a time when many families in the area would have had fathers, brothers, cousins, grandfathers, etc who worked at the slate mine.

There is also a room dedicated to remembering the day the slate mine closed for good – hundreds of people suddenly without work and needing to figure out what to do, and the local area shocked by a closure of what had become such a part of the fabric of their community.

Top Tip for Rabbie’s Tours : When you’re exploring museums like the Slate Museum, keep track of the time you have. Due to the jam packed schedules, you’re never going to have enough time to read every plaque in every room or explore every single inch of a town, but you can get an overview and dig deeper into a few chosen areas. We were still getting used to being on a guided tour during this bit and I know my husband could have spent more hours in the Slate Museum – we should have paced ourselves a bit better so we could see more of it.

From Llanberis it was back on the bus to the third stop of the day, Beddgelert.

This part of Snowdonia is quite frankly just one of the most beautiful, and we got ice creams while walking along the river and enjoying the beautiful views from the bridge.

In the late afternoon, we continued our drive through Snowdonia and enjoyed gorgeous views from the bus windows.

That’s another fantastic thing about the Rabbie’s buses – you aren’t stuck looking out of tiny windows – they are massive, so you can really appreciate what you’re driving by and the entire bus was spotlessly clean and the windows were too, so you didn’t have any grit or grime in between you and the awesome views.

Our day ended in Aberystwyth, a seaside town that we instantly became enchanted with.

We had the B&B option and we stayed at a lovely B & B just a minute or two’s walk away from the sea.

As we had a long day of exploring, we decided to grab some dinner at a local pub and enjoyed a beautiful sunset.

Then, it was back to fall asleep instantly from a busy day of sightseeing and in preparation for a full Day 2!

If Rabbie’s books your accommodation, your driver will drop you off and pick you up everyday, and they will if you book your own as long as it’s somewhat central.

If it’s not, they may give you a meeting spot that they are going to use to pick you up.

Charlie started the day by picking us up around 9am after we had enjoyed breakfast at the B & B, and then we continued our tour further south into a quaint town called New Quay.

The weather was overcast here, but one of the most magical moments happened for us in New Quay – we saw dolphins off in the distance!

As we had already eaten breakfast and it wasn’t quite lunch time, we used our time in New Quay to sit down by the water and people watch.

There were also some shops on the high street to explore, but overall it was very manageable and we only needed about an hour here which is what we got.

From New Quay, we drove to my favorite stop on the tour, Laugharne.

This beautiful town on an estuary has lots of links to poet Dylan Thomas, but you don’t have to be familiar with the poet to appreciate how gorgeous it is.

We chose to go up in the castle, where you got stunning views of the estuary, but you can also appreciate the views from a walking path in front of the castle.

After exploring the castle, it was time to grab a quick bite to eat from a local cafe right across from the parking lot, and then back on the bus!

The third stop of the day was Newton House , a National Trust property in Wales that has a rich history for its use in World War II and also its private ownership days.

You could walk around the outside grounds for free so you didn’t need to pay entrance if you didn’t want to, but most people on our tour did as much of the attraction here was the house itself.

We didn’t know this before we went, but Charlie was sure to tell us after that Newton House has been voted as one of the most haunted in Wales!

That night, we watched the “Most Haunted” television program that had featured it!

After exploring the house and the beautiful gardens and deer park, we made the walk up to the castle nearby that had far reaching views of the national park.

We timed this just right as we had to book it there and then book it back in order to make it back to the bus on time, but it was worth it.

Top Tip for Rabbie’s Tours: Don’t spend too long deciding what to do when you get to a new stop – get out and start exploring and decide as you go. If you spend too long discussing with your traveling companions what, exactly, to do, you’ll miss out on time. We would make sure to go out and make our way to something interesting ASAP and then, as we did that first activity, talked about what we might do next.

Once we had finished with Newton House, it was on the bus again back to Aberwystwyth for the night.

We had a bit more energy today, so we finished up with another stroll along the seaside, an exploration through a park made from castle ruins, and finished off with some pizza and milkshakes at a restaurant near the boardwalk.

Day 3 was the highlight for Guy, who loves any and all castles, as we started off after breakfast and a drive at Harlech Castle, one of the most famous castles in Wales.

Again, you didn’t have to pay for entrance and could have walked around the high street, but we wanted to see the castle and the views Charlie told us about.

And we weren’t disappointed.

Harlech was picturesque – gorgeous views from the castle out to the sea and the mountains in the distance.

It was everything you would have wanted out of an authentic Welsh castle, and we took some time to explore the ruins and read more information about its history.

The great thing about Harlech Castle was actually that it was a manageable size and there wasn’t too much to read.

Enough so that you got a feel for the place, but not so much that you left feeling like you didn’t get to see it.

From Harlech, we had a journey ahead of us as we needed to get to Chester for our final stop of the tour, but we needed somewhere to eat along the way, and it was also a very busy day of traffic due to everyone returning back from their holiday weekend.

Charlie made sure to choose somewhere that was going to have places open to eat on the Bank Holiday Monday and would help us get in the best position for making it back to Manchester on time, so we ended up in a town called Bala which is famous for Bala Lake.

We had about an hour to eat lunch here, and didn’t venture out to see the lake, but instead enjoyed some sandwiches and cake at one of the cafes.

We appreciated Charlie doing research on the route to account for changes and things that might be closed.

There were plenty of places open, but not too many people that we couldn’t get in somewhere quickly.

Then, it was back on the bus to make our way from Wales to England!

Top Tip for Taking a Rabbie’s Tour: Your largest suitcase will go in the back of the van, but you can keep a backpack or purse in the van with you. Make sure to pack anything you’ll need to access during the day, like water bottles, charges, cameras and any medication in the front with you. If you do need access to something in the back, make sure to leave extra time when you get back to a stop to speak to your guide, as otherwise you’ll hold the tour up with them rooting around in the back for your stuff.

The final, final stop of the 3-Day tour was in Chester.

This picturesque city in England is much bigger than any of the other places we stopped, and of course, as it the nature of Rabbie’s tours, we weren’t meant to explore every nook and cranny but to see the highlights and get a feel for it.

For us, this meant having a walk around the city walls and through the high street.

You can also head to Chester Cathedral, grab a bite to eat along the river, or do some shopping.

After the beautiful Welsh views, coming back to England was surprisingly disappointing.

Chester was nice, but nowhere near as nice as sitting in New Quay watching the dolphins play!

Chester is a great “in between” stop to give you a break, however, in between leaving Wales and getting back to Manchester.

After some time wandering around Chester, we ended the tour by having our final drive back to Manchester, where Charlie dropped us off in the same place that we got on.

The 3 days flew by fast, and we saw so much that at the end of it our heads were spinning and we were trying to recount all of the places we had been.

We had some quick goodbyes to our tour mates and then headed into the station to catch our train, which I had booked about two hours after the scheduled ending time of the tour to give us time in case we hit traffic (which we did) and to give us time to catch our breath and not run to the train.

Overall Rabbie’s Tour Review: 3 Day North Wales, Snowdonia and Chester Tour

Would I recommend a tour with Rabbie’s?

Now that I’ve traveled with them, absolutely.

Their guides are top notch, their vans are incredibly clean and comfy, and if you want to see as much as possible of a wide area in a short period of time, taking a guided tour with them is your best bet.

If, say, you were only interested in going to Chester and exploring it in depth or you wanted to spend the weekend in Aberwystwyth, a Rabbie’s tour isn’t for you as you are hopping from place to place so much that the purpose isn’t to settle yourself in one particular town and find out everything about it.

Specifically, if you want to see North and coastal Wales, I think this is an absolutely fantastic way to do it.

If you are a visitor and don’t have your own car in the UK (or live far away in the UK and don’t want to take it), it’s a great way to not have to worry about public transportation (which, while existent in North Wales, is certainly not going to give you the freedom of using public transportation somewhere like London).

Furthermore, many of the towns we saw didn’t need a whole day in them – we could see the main sights and get a feel for the place and then feel confident we had seen enough to move on.

Rabbie’s dedication to supporting local communities and taking you off the beaten path was truly a great way to feel like you were getting an authentic tour with real insight, and due to their connections with the accommodation, restaurants and attractions in local areas, we were always greeted with a warm welcome.

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1 thought on “The Ultimate Rabbie’s Tour Review: 3 Day North Wales Tour”

When did you go on this 3 day tour.. it seems in 2021 they have changed the stops for their 3 day tour now.

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