--- title: "Kirkwall Cruise Port" url: https://cruisello.com/destinations/british-isles-western-france/kirkwall description: "Viking roots beneath Orkney's wide skies" --- # Kirkwall πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ Β· United Kingdom Β· British Isles & Western France > "Viking roots beneath Orkney's wide skies" ## At a Glance - **Avg. Ships/Day:** 1 - **Avg. Time in Port:** 9.5h - **Visiting Sailings:** 131 - **Cruise Lines:** 8 ## Peak Season Busiest months: Jun (46 sailings), May (22 sailings), Jul (19 sailings) ## About Kirkwall Kirkwall is the capital of Orkney, a group of islands off Scotland's north coast that were part of Norway until 1468. The town is small and walkable, with stone buildings clustered around a harbour. St. Magnus Cathedral, built from red and yellow sandstone starting in 1137, dominates the centre and is still in use. Ships either dock at Hatston Terminal with a shuttle into town, or anchor in Kirkwall Bay with tenders. The main excursion is Skara Brae, a 5,000-year-old Neolithic village preserved under sand dunes on the west coast. The Ring of Brodgar, a stone circle older than Stonehenge, is nearby. The Highland Park distillery on the edge of Kirkwall does tours and tastings. Orkney's landscape is treeless, windswept, and green, with seabirds everywhere. The local food leans on seafood and beef from the island's farms. ## Quick Facts - **Currency:** GBP (British Pound) - **Language:** English - **Timezone:** Europe/London (UTC) - **Tipping:** 10-15% optional at restaurants ## Location Coordinates: 58.9886, -2.9648 - [Open in Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/cruise+terminal+Kirkwall/@58.98863,-2.96484,13z) - [Open in Apple Maps](https://maps.apple.com/?q=cruise%20terminal%20Kirkwall&ll=58.98863,-2.96484&z=13) ## Things to Do in Kirkwall Top-rated shore excursions that fit a typical ~10h port call. Prices are starting prices per person. | Tour | Rating | Duration | Fits Port Day | From | Provider | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [Semi Private Tour - Orkney and Kirkwall](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/447ca416-bf4e-4d48-9fbe-789130f21700.md?via=markdown) | 4.6β˜… (112) | 6h | βœ“ | €234 | Viator | | [Scapa Tours](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/e9ddec8a-702f-42f3-9f1c-763dd68bfeae.md?via=markdown) | 3.8β˜… (21) | 6h | βœ“ | €1,126 | Viator | | [Private Half-Day Tour in Kirkwall: Ancient Orkney Heritage](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/ddedd148-89e5-4e6c-841c-3ca888c2ed61.md?via=markdown) | 5β˜… (5) | 4h | βœ“ | €1,064 | Viator | | [From Kirkwall - Orkney Mainland Private Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/4d2af3a7-760c-4c79-98d2-cf42931861a9.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (63) | 7h | – | €458 | Viator | | [Kirkwall Private Walking Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/a5f67e32-1910-4ccd-a4e1-25ba6a8cd4b0.md?via=markdown) | 5β˜… (4) | 4h | βœ“ | €187 | Viator | | [Shore Excursion Kirkwall Small Group Highlights of Orkney](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/a063247d-ad37-455a-982e-b22e1d23d7ba.md?via=markdown) | 4.8β˜… (6) | 6h | βœ“ | €285 | Viator | | [Orkney Private Tour for 8 people, Skara Brae & Ring of Brodgar](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/c51a19e6-f02b-4f8b-b22e-30df7fbba932.md?via=markdown) | 5β˜… (2) | 6h | βœ“ | €229 | Viator | | [Private Full Day Tour in Orkney](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/3fc2cc40-e61f-45da-9928-a00c4cf116fe.md?via=markdown) | 4.5β˜… (11) | 8h | – | €192 | Viator | | [Bespoke Private Guided Tours](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/76f325b4-ea4b-468b-93ff-965329a902ab.md?via=markdown) | 5β˜… (6) | 8h | – | €204 | Viator | | [Orkney Island Tour with Expert Guide](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/ad347ec6-f162-4362-bfac-97ac58eb1ee6.md?via=markdown) | 3.6β˜… (7) | 7h | – | €262 | Viator | | [Orkney Heritage Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/b86baeeb-7f3e-445e-8777-511ed4c77d25.md?via=markdown) | 5β˜… (1) | 6h | βœ“ | €192 | Viator | | [Orkney Island Discovery Tour with Experienced Local Guide](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/934f8fa5-d299-4239-8ecb-ed992138b376.md?via=markdown) | 5β˜… (3) | 7h | – | €262 | Viator | Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews. ## Nearby Ports - [Scrabster](https://cruisello.com/destinations/british-isles-western-france/scrabster.md): 29 nm - [Invergordon](https://cruisello.com/destinations/british-isles-western-france/invergordon.md): 87 nm - [Lerwick](https://cruisello.com/destinations/british-isles-western-france/lerwick.md): 89 nm ## Cruise Lines Serving This Port - [AIDA Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/aida-cruises.md) - [Celebrity Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/celebrity-cruises.md) - [Costa Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/costa-cruises.md) - [Holland America Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/holland-america-line.md) - [MSC Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/msc-cruises.md) - [Norwegian Cruise Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/norwegian-cruise-line.md) - [Princess Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/princess-cruises.md) - [TUI Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/tui-cruises.md) ## Cheapest Available Sailing **[View this cruise β†’](https://cruisello.com/cruises/fjords-viking-havens-hamburg-orkney~AIDA-AIDABELLA-20280421-7.md)** - **Price:** €945 per person (€1,890 total for 2 guests) - **Cruise Line:** [AIDA Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/aida-cruises.md) - **Ship:** [AIDAbella](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/aida-cruises/aidabella.md) - **Duration:** 7 nights - **Departure:** 2028-04-21 - **Itinerary:** Fjords & Viking Havens – Hamburg & Orkney ## Featured Cruises from Kirkwall Prices are per person, two sharing, in the fare's own currency. | Cruise | Ship | Line | Departure | Nights | Price | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [Mystic Highlands & Isles – Edinburgh, Orkney & Belfast](https://cruisello.com/cruises/mystic-highlands-isles-edinburgh-orkney-belfast~MSC-PREZIOSA-20270425-10.md) | MSC Preziosa | MSC Cruises | 2027-04-25 | 10 | €1,319 | | [Basalt & Glacial Drift – Heimaey & Γ…lesund](https://cruisello.com/cruises/basalt-glacial-drift-heimaey-alesund~HAL-ZUIDERDAM-20270529-14.md) | Zuiderdam | Holland America Line | 2027-05-29 | 14 | €1,809 | | [Highland Bastion – Skye, Orkney & Cork](https://cruisello.com/cruises/highland-bastion-skye-orkney-cork~AIDA-AIDABELLA-20270627-14.md) | AIDAbella | AIDA Cruises | 2027-06-27 | 14 | €2,030 | ## Browse Cruises - [All cruises visiting Kirkwall](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md?stopoverPorts=kirkwall) (131 sailings) ## Browse - [British Isles & Western France cruises](https://cruisello.com/destinations/british-isles-western-france.md) - [All Destinations](https://cruisello.com/destinations.md) - [All Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md)