Details

Frequently Asked Questions

Please click here to go to our general FAQ, which has essential information that applies to all of our programs.

Resources to Learn & Teach about Scotland

Visit our recommended reading page to see the list of books GEEO recommends reading before your program (this is not required reading). We also have lesson plans and Pinterest boards that may be useful for you as you learn about your destination and prepare to bring lessons back to your classroom.

Terms and Conditions

It is very important for you to visit our Terms and Conditions page before signing up for this program.

Cancellation policy

All cancellations must be submitted to GEEO in written form by emailing your request for cancellation to travel@geeo.org. If you do not receive a confirmation that we have received your written cancellation request, please call us at 1-877-600-0105. Verbal cancellation requests will not be honored.

• If you cancel 60 days or more prior to departure, all your program fee payments will be refunded besides your $350 deposit which is kept on file for future use
• If you cancel between 30 and 59 days prior to departure, you will receive a 50% refund and your deposit is kept on file for future use
• If you cancel within 30 days of departure, you will receive no refund, but your deposit is kept on file for future use

Group Leader Description

All GEEO/G Adventures group trips are accompanied by one of G Adventure's group leaders, which they refer to as Chief Experience Officers (CEO). The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. They will provide information on the places you are traveling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues, and introduce you to our local friends. Our itineraries often have plenty of free time to explore on your own. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the countries visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. We also use local guides where we think more specific knowledge will add to the enjoyment of the places we are visiting – we think it’s the best of both worlds.

Fitness Level

This trip includes light walking and optional moderate hiking that is suitable for most fitness levels.

Single Travelers

Half of the people that travel with GEEO are traveling by themselves, so please don’t worry if you have no one who can join you on your trip. Our pricing is based on double occupancy or, in other words, two people to a room. You never have to pay for a single room unless you want one. GEEO can find you a roommate of the same gender. Most of our trips have a "My Own Room" option, also known as a "Single Supplement," which is an extra fee that will allow you to have a room to yourself. If you want to room alone, please email travel@geeo.org. To see the price for the "My Own Room" option, please click here where you can look up your trip in the extra services spreadsheet. Please be aware that single room accommodations in European hotels are often smaller, and may not be to the same service level as double-occupancy rooms.

About Accommodation

On this trip you can expect to stay in small family-run hotels or pensions (with the exception of the start and finish hotels, which are often larger city hotels), which will vary a little in standard and facilities: some may not have elevators, air-conditioning or English-speaking staff, but most importantly all are locally-run, with some traditional character, and in excellent central locations to give you maximum time for exploring the sights. You can expect to find clean, safe, simple accommodation in convenient locations. Note that most accommodation in Europe does not have air conditioning units in rooms. Air conditioning is not routinely installed in European homes and workplaces. However, nearly all hotels will provide a standing or desk fan for your room on hot nights. If you do not already have one in your room, please ask your tour leader to organize one for you with reception.

Joining Instructions

Please note that Day 1 is an arrival day, and no activities have been planned. Upon arrival to the city on Day 1, or earlier if you have booked pre-accommodation with us, please make your way to the joining hotel. Please note: Check-in time will be in the afternoon. Once you arrive at the hotel, look for a note at reception from your tour leader. This note will give the details of your Welcome Meeting on Day 1, usually between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., at which you will get a chance to meet your tour leader and other travelers, as well as learn more about how the tour will run. If you don’t see a note, please ask reception for details! If you miss the Welcome Meeting, your tour leader will leave a note at reception for you with any information you may need and with instructions for the next morning. If you arrive by air, take the Airport bus 100 or the tram from Edinburgh Airport to Waverly Station. Depending on where you get off you will have a 6 to 10-minute walk to your hotel by walking across South Bridge. Waverly is a big station, so we recommend asking for directions to South Bridge often. Alternatively, you could take Airport bus 100 to Princes Street (Stop PF). Then catch bus 29 towards Gorebridge and get off at the South Bridge stop. Your hotel is a one-minute walk from there. By taxi you can expect to pay £30-40 GBP depending on the traffic.

Emergency Contacts

Should you need to contact G Adventures during a situation of dire need, it is best to first call their local G Adventures office. If for any reason you do not receive an immediate answer, please leave a detailed message and contact information, so they may return your call and assist you as soon as possible. EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS G Adventures UK office (8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.) +44 (0) 2072439878 If you are unable for any reason to contact the local office, please call the numbers listed below, which will connect you directly with the 24-hour Sales team, who will happily assist you. Toll-free, from calls within North America only: 1 888 800 4100 Calls from within UK: 0344 272 0000 Calls from within Germany: 0800 365 1000 Calls from within Australia: 1 300 796 618 Calls from within New Zealand: 0800 333 307 Outside North America, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and the UK: +1 416 260 0999 For absolute emergencies after office hours please contact +44 7817 262559. If for any reason you do not receive an immediate answer, please leave a detailed message and contact information, and your call will be returned as soon as possible.

Packing List

Please read this article on GEEO's blog for our staff's suggestions on the best gear to pack for your upcoming travels. You must be prepared to carry your own bags and be comfortable carrying them up and down stairs, on and off transportation, and to hotels. As a rule, we try not to have to walk more than 15-20 minutes with your bags, which is why we recommend keeping the weight of your bags between 22-30 lb. Most travelers carry a backpack or rolling bag of small to medium size. No XXL bags please! A daypack is also essential for carrying everyday items. Health & Safety (Required!)

• N95/KN95 Face masks (At least three per week)
• Hand sanitizer
• Pen (Please bring your own pen for filling out documents.)
• Quick Covid Test/Antigen Tests (At least 5, and for longer trips, 3 per week of travel)

Suggested Checklist

• Raincoat/waterproof shell jacket
• Umbrella
• Light fleece top
• Personal clothing for mild to warm weather (50's and 70's F) that fluctuates throughout the day – we recommend packing 7 outfits so you don't have to do laundry
• Sturdy walking, hiking, or running shoes. (Waterproof is best and I would bring a second pair of shoes too)
• Daypack
• Sunblock
• Sunglasses
• Sun hat
• Water bottle
• Watch or alarm clock
• Toiletries – Important: some hotels do not give you soap and shampoo
• Camera
• Insect repellent
• First-aid kit, including lip salve, Aspirin, bandaids, anti-histamine, Dramamine, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, electrolyte powder, insect repellent, extra prescription drugs you may be taking

Optional Checklist

• Travel pillow
• Money belt
• Phone/Tablet for internet – most hotels have WiFi
• Chargers for electronics as well converters/adapters, if needed
• AirTags or Tile trackers
• Packing cubes
• Ear Plugs
• Snacks – packing a few granola bars is a good idea; you can buy snacks when you get there too, so don't go crazy here
• Ziplock bags
• Reading/writing material
• Hand sanitizer/baby wipes

Document Checklist

• Passport (with photocopies)
• Travel insurance (with photocopies)
• Airline tickets (with photocopies)
• EUR/USD cash
• Credit or debit card
• G Adventures vouchers, pre-departure information, and dossier
• Any entry visas or vaccination certificates required
• GEEO Classroom action plans for your group – this is sent 10-30 days before departure

Laundry

We recommend bringing enough clothes so you don't have to do laundry during the trip. You won't be sweating much, so it should be pretty easy.

Passports and Visas

All visitors to the EU (European Union) and EEC (European Economic Community) countries require a valid passport (with a minimum 6 months validity). Please see our general FAQ for information on obtaining a passport. As with all of our trips, we try to provide the most accurate information we can, but governments sometimes change visa rules. It is your responsibility to double-check the information we provide below by searching here. Americans do not need a visa for travel to Scotland (UK). Non-American participants should check with their government or nearest British Embassy to find out if they need a visa.

Money Exchange

Scotland uses the British Pound (£). As currency exchange rates fluctuate, we ask that you refer to the following website for daily exchange rates: www.xe.com. ATMs are also widely available that distribute the local currency, and this is what we recommend as your primary source of cash while traveling. Please make sure you bring at least $200 USD in cash as emergency money just in case you have trouble with the ATMs or lose your bank card. Major credit cards are accepted in most shops but they may charge a 2-4% transaction fee. Visa and MasterCard are useful for cash advances in an emergency situation. Please note: If you are carrying U.S. Dollars, they should be in good condition (i.e., not torn, wrinkled, or marked on in any way) and printed recently.

Tipping

While conventions can vary from country to country, tipping is customary in Europe. A general rule is 10% of the bill for wait staff, and a smaller amount (£1) for other service providers. Tipping is an expected - though not compulsory - component of your tour program, and an expression of satisfaction with the persons who have assisted you on your tour. Although it may not be customary to you, it is of considerable significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels. There are several times during the trip where there is an opportunity to tip the local guides. You may do this individually, or your tour leader will offer to collect the money and tip as a group. Recommendations for tipping local guides would range from £2-4 per day, depending on the quality and length of the service; ask your tour leader for specific recommendations based on the circumstances and culture. At the end of each trip, if you felt your G Adventures tour leader did an outstanding job, tipping is expected and appreciated. The precise amount is a personal preference, however, 35-45 USD per person, per week can be used as a guideline.

Flights

We find the best prices for flights are often available 60 days before departure, but of course this varies greatly from route to route and year to year. We advise that you wait until this trip is confirmed before booking non-refundable and non-changeable flights. GEEO and G Adventures bear no responsibility for any flights purchased before the trip is confirmed. Your trip begins in Edinburgh and ends in Glasgow. Please double-check our itinerary for the date by which you must arrive in Edinburgh. You can arrive at any time of the day you choose, but we strongly urge you to arrive by 6:00 p.m. on Day 1 for our group meeting. You can depart from Glasgow at any time on the final day of the trip.

Plugs and Converters

There are two components to provide external power to your device: adapters and transformers. The adapter is the plug, adapting the prongs on a standard U.S. two to three-pronged power cord to match the prongs required by the local outlets. The transformer changes the local voltage to that required by your device. Scotland uses a British-style Type G plug with three square prongs. Their voltage is 220-240 Volts. U.S. outlets are 120V. Most new devices (phones and laptops) can handle the different voltage rates, but some devices only work on the U.S. standard of 120V. Check your device to see what voltage range it handles. Most transformer blocks will have an "Input" line that defines their voltage capacity. For example, "Input: 100-240V" means that it will work on voltages from 100V to 240V. If your transformer can't handle the different voltage, you'll need to purchase a voltage converter. You can find world regional voltage converters power packs at various vendors.

Jesse's Tips

GEEO's founder Jesse Weisz went on this trip in the summer of 2022. Here are his tips.

1. Most of the museums and galleries are free of charge! No reservations necessary.
2. They take credit cards nearly everywhere. If you don’t have one already, get a credit with no international transaction fees like a capital one card. I would take out no more than 100 to 150 pounds from the ATM, mostly for tipping your guide and your driver.
3. You probably know this, but the weather changes throughout the day. Short sleeves at some times, rain coats, fleece, and umbrellas at other times.
4. One good way to get an overview of the city is through one of the hop on hop off bus companies. I got the combo ticket for the City Sightseeing Edinburg, Majestic Tour, and, Edinburg Tour for 20 Pounds. It lets you use all three tourist bus routes. If you have less time I would just get one of the 10 Pound tour busses or instead just go around by foot if you are a good walker.
5. You will want to walk around throughout the old town, the most unmissable part of the city.
6. There are great views of the old town from Princess Street near the national gallery.
7. Our group had already done the royal mile walk so we skipped it on the morning of day 2, but I imagine not all of you will have time to go there before the trip starts. We all had tickets for the 11 AM castle tour. That took about 1.5-2 hours to see. For future years, we are recommending purchasing 9 AM tickets to the castle on Day 2.10. There is no need to do a three bridges tour. We go to a lookout point on our way to Inverness.
8. The suggested tip for the guide is 35 pounds per person. G Adventures does not have a tipping guideline for the driver. My suggestion is 20 pounds per person.
9. It costs about 10 pounds to get a SIM card with 7 to 16 GB of data on it. I recommend getting one from Vodaphone as they have good coverage. You can pick one up at a convenience store, supermarket, or better yet go into a mobile phone store do they can help you figure it out. I would get one if you are spending time in the UK before or after our trip. You will need a paper clip to pop open the sim tray on your phone.
10. I would bring two pairs of shoes, one of them ideally waterproof. I would bring two pairs of pants, one of them ideally quick-dry material. I did not wear shorts in Scotland, but I did in London for the few days I spent there before the trip. I did not at any point need my down jacket. A light fleece and a waterproof shell was all I needed.
11. The hotels all have duvets, but no separate top sheet. The rooms are a good temperature, but not cool enough to use the provided duvets. I recommend asking at the front desk for a top sheet and they will give you one. Or bring a silk sleep sheet like I did.

Expectations

Before you decide on traveling with GEEO, it is important that you read all of the information about the program you are considering. Remember, our programs are quite adventurous.

• The purpose of the accommodation is to provide a safe, well-located place for you to sleep. Sometimes you will be pleasantly surprised, but do not expect luxury as we are trying to keep these trips as inexpensive as possible.
• Please make sure you have thoroughly read the itinerary and can handle the group activities, which sometimes include day hikes with your daypacks.
• We recommend always carrying snacks. Meals can sometimes be far apart.
• Please make sure you understand the role of your tour leader on this trip as they are not the traditional “guide” you may be expecting. While our trips are educational, they aren’t study/lecture trips. We want you to learn through exploring, and much of your experience will be based on how active you choose to be in acquiring knowledge and interacting with locals.

Hopefully this is the kind of adventure you are interested in!

Itinerary Disclaimer

While it is our intention to adhere to the routes described on our website, there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the itinerary and on occasion it may be necessary, or desirable, to make alterations. The itinerary is brief, as we never know exactly where our journey will take us. Due to our style of travel and the regions we visit, travel can be unpredictable. The information on our website is a general guide to the tour and region, and any mention of specific destinations or wildlife is by no means a guarantee that they will be visited or encountered. Additionally, any travel times listed are approximations only and subject to vary due to local circumstances.

Weather

We’d be lying if we said that Scottish summers are all warmth and sunshine, they’re not. But they’re also not wet and cold like people think. There is a reason why we have a saying here that goes, “Don’t like the weather? Wait 5 minutes.” A day out in the hills can be fascinating. It can feature cloud cover, wind, and rain. But in equal measure, you can have high temperatures and bright sunshine. June, July and August are normally the warmest months in Scotland, with average maximum temperatures ranging from approximately 15°C (59°F) to 17°C (63 °F). Scotland's high latitude means that they enjoy lovely long summer days and often an extended twilight. In the north of the country, Lerwick in Shetland has about four hours more daylight at midsummer than London. At this time of year, there is actually no complete darkness in the far north of Scotland.