Details
Important
Before you decide to travel with GEEO, it is important that you read all of the program information on this page. Our programs are quite adventurous, and we find that travelers who review the full trip details are happier with their experiences.
Trip Notes & Expectations
ACCOMMODATION
Our program fees are based on double-occupancy accommodation (see "Single Travelers" below if you do not have a travel companion and would be interested in a private room). Our accommodations are chosen to provide a safe, conveniently located place to sleep. While you may be pleasantly surprised, please don't expect luxury, as we prioritize keeping our programs affordable.
Air Conditioning: Some accommodations in Europe do not have air conditioning units in the rooms, but nearly all hotels will provide a standing or desk fan to use in 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.
Single/Private Rooms: Single room accommodations in European hotels are often smaller, and may not be to the same service level as double-occupancy rooms.
Laundry Availability: Many accommodations, particularly in remote Highland areas, have limited or no laundry facilities. We recommend packing one extra day's clothing beyond what you normally would, or plan to hand-wash items in your room.
TRANSPORTATION
This program involves extensive coach/bus travel between destinations with drive times of two to six hours. Our vehicles are designed for European road conditions and may feel compact, especially for larger travelers. We recommend bringing comfort items like neck pillows and dressing in layers for varying vehicle temperatures.
ACTIVITY LEVEL & PACE
This trip includes light walking and optional moderate hiking that is suitable for most fitness levels.
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.
ITINERARY FLEXIBILITY
While we strive to include all activities listed in our itinerary, weather conditions, local circumstances, or operational requirements may necessitate changes to scheduled activities, timing, or duration of visits. Some excursions may be shorter than anticipated, and alternative activities may be substituted when original plans cannot be executed. We appreciate travelers' flexibility and understanding as we work to provide the best possible experience within these constraints.
GROUP LEADER
All GEEO/G Adventures trips are led by a Chief Experience Officer (CEO), whose role is to take the hassle out of travel and help you get the most from your trip. They’ll share information about the places you visit, suggest activities and restaurants, and introduce you to our local friends. While not traditional guides, CEOs have broad knowledge of the region’s history, culture, and daily life. On some excursions, local guides are used for deeper insight—giving you the best of both worlds.
PROGRAM DETAILS
Single Travelers
Traveling solo? You’re in good company—about half of our participants do the same.
Shared room by default. The program fee covers one person in a twin room. We’ll pair you with a roommate of the same gender if you don’t have a travel companion.
Want a private room? Most trips offer a
“My Own Room” (single-supplement) upgrade. Check the price in the
Extra Services section, then email travel@geeo.org to reserve it. You pay the single-supplement only if you request it.
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
For absolute emergencies after office hours, please contact +441858378000
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, North America only: 1 888 800 4100
Calls from UK: 0344 272 0000
Calls from Germany: 0800 365 1000
Calls from Australia: 1300 796 618
Calls from New Zealand: 0800 333 307
Outside North America, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and the UK: +1 416 260 0999
Packing List
See our blog post of
staff recommended gear to help you pack for your upcoming travels. You must be able to carry your own luggage—up stairs, on and off of transport, and during 15 to 20 minute walks. Bring
one small or medium backpack or rolling bag (22-30lb) and
one daypack for daily items. Space is limited on transportation, so oversized bags cannot travel.
As you prepare your packing list, we recommend checking average weather conditions for your destination on a site like
Weather Spark for the time of year you will be traveling.
SuggestedOptionalDocuments
- 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 (or use your phone)
- Toiletries – important: some hotels do not give you soap and shampoo
- Camera (or use your phone)
- 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
- Travel pillow
- Light weight silk sleep sheet
- Money belt
- Phone/tablet for internet – most hotels have WiFi
- Chargers for electronics as well as converters/adapters, if needed
- AirTags or Tile trackers
- Packing cubes
- Earplugs
- 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
- Passport (with photocopies)
- Any entry visas or vaccination certificates required
- Travel insurance ID card
- Flight itinerary/boarding pass(es)
- USD/EUR cash
- Credit/debit card
- G Adventures vouchers
- GEEO Classroom action plans for your group – this is sent a few days before departure
: Laundry facilities are sometimes offered by the hotels. You can also use a local laundromat if need be.
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. Laundry facilities are offered by some of our hotels for a charge. You can also use a local laundromat, if necessary.
Passports and Visas
Travelers are responsible for securing all required travel documents and meeting the entry requirements for every country on their itinerary, including applicable transit/layover countries.
PASSPORT
All travelers must have a passport valid for
at least 6 months beyond your trip dates with enough blank pages for stamps.
Need to apply or renew? Start here.
ENTRY/VISA REQUIREMENTS
Visa rules change frequently—always verify the latest requirements on the
U.S. State Department Country Information Pages. Non-U.S. passport holders should verify requirements with your country's official government resources. Use the tool below to see entry requirements for your specific itinerary.
Entry information below is provided by Sherpa, a third-party service and trusted G Adventures partner. You must search each of your destination countries separately; “Add connection” solely searches transit visa requirements. Additional fees apply if you choose to purchase any services through Sherpa.
Money Exchange
Currency: The local currency in Scotland is the
British pound (GBP). For current exchange rates, visit
www.xe.com.
Credit/Debit Cards: Credit cards (especially Visa and Mastercard) are accepted at many hotels, shops, and restaurants, but not everywhere. Some vendors may also charge an international transaction fee, so check with your bank before you travel.
Cash: For small purchases, tipping, or places that don’t take cards, we recommend using ATMs to withdraw local currency while traveling. If you bring U.S. dollars to exchange, the bills must be new, unmarked, and in excellent condition—damaged or older notes are often rejected.
Emergency Funds: Bring
at least $200 USD (or the equivalent in local currency) in cash for emergencies in case of ATM or card issues. Always carry more rather than less to avoid feeling short of funds while traveling.
See the Estimated Trip Costs section at the bottom of this page for budgeting guidance.
For more advice, see our post,
Smart Travel Finances: Your Guide to Money, ATMs, Fees, and Safety Abroad
Tipping
Tipping is optional but appreciated and goes a long way for the people who look after you on the trip. If you are happy with the service, use these ballpark amounts and adjust as you see fit:
- Service providers/Waiters:
£1-2 GBP for snacks or
10% of the bill.
- Local guides and drivers:
£3-5 GBP per person per day.
- G Adventures tour leader (CEO):
£30-40 GBP per person per week.
(We suggest pooling contributions in an envelope and presenting it as a group)
Tipping Kitty: On some trips, your CEO may suggest a
“tipping kitty” where everyone contributes at the start of the tour, and the CEO uses that pooled amount to tip service providers for the group as a whole (not including your CEO). If your CEO doesn’t mention it and you’d like to use a kitty, we recommend asking about it early in the trip. Your CEO will advise the suggested amount and preferred currency for the kitty.
Flights
Wait for official trip confirmation via email from GEEO before booking your flights. Prices tend to be lowest 90–120 days out, but that window varies by route and year. Neither GEEO nor G Adventures bear responsibility for any flights purchased before the trip is confirmed.
This program
begins in Edinburgh and
ends in Glasgow. Check the itinerary for the required arrival date. Aim to arrive no later than mid-afternoon for the 6 p.m. Day-1 welcome meeting, and consider arriving a day or two early to buffer flight delays and see more of Edinburgh. You can depart from Glasgow at any time on the final day of the trip, or stay later to see more of the city.
Plugs and Converters
The UK uses
Type G outlets with three square prongs, and the voltage is
220-240V. To use your electronics safely, you’ll need to consider:
1.
Adapter (plug shape)
Adapts your U.S. plug to fit another type of socket. See our recommended
all-in-one travel adapter in our Gear Recommendations post.
2.
Converter / transformer (voltage)
Steps the outlet voltage down to 120V for U.S. appliances that can’t handle higher voltage.
How to know which you need: Look at the fine print on the plug or power brick. An
“Input 100-240 V” means the device is dual-voltage and works worldwide with only an adapter—phones, laptops, and most camera chargers fall into this category. If the label shows
“Input 120 V” (hair dryers, curling irons, some shavers), it could be damaged on high voltage. Pack both an adapter and a travel voltage converter. Converters are inexpensive and sold online or in the travel aisle of many stores.
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 might think. A day out in the hills can be fascinating: It can feature cloud cover, wind, and rain one moment, and then you can have warm temperatures and bright sunshine in equal measure.
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.
Jesse's Tips
GEEO's founder Jesse Weisz went on this trip in the summer of 2022. Here are his tips.
- Most of the museums and galleries are free of charge! No reservations necessary.
- 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.
- You probably know this, but the weather changes throughout the day. Short sleeves at some times, rain coats, fleece, and umbrellas at other times.
- 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.
- You will want to walk around throughout the old town, the most unmissable part of the city.
- There are great views of the old town from Princess Street near the national gallery.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
