4-Day Islay Whisky Tour from Edinburgh: Five Distilleries
Five distillery tours and tastings across four days on Scotland's whisky island
A 4-day tour from Edinburgh to Islay with minibus transport, return ferries, and visits to five working distilleries (Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Bruichladdich, Kilchoman and Bunnahabhain) each with its own tour and tasting. Three nights of B&B accommodation at The Bowmore House or Island Bear are included, along with a professional guide and all transport on the island. Minimum age is 18.
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3 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Day 1: Travel to Islay and distillery visit
- Visit Inveraray village
- Ferry to Islay with whisky tasting
- Tour and cask tasting at Bunnahabhain
Day 2: Islay distilleries tour day 1
- Tour and tasting at Kilchoman Distillery
- Warehouse tasting at Bruichladdich Distillery
- Tasting session at Bowmore Distillery
Day 3: Islay distilleries tour day 2
- Tour and tasting at Lagavulin Distillery
- Five-dram tasting and lunch at Ardbeg Distillery
- Tour and tasting at Laphroaig Distillery
Day 4: Return to Edinburgh
- Ferry back to Scottish Mainland
What’s included
- Minibus transport from Edinburgh with a professional guide.
- return ferries to and from Islay.
- entry and guided tours at Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Bruichladdich, Kilchoman and Bunnahabhain distilleries.
- tastings at each distillery including a 5-dram tasting at Ardbeg, warehouse cask tasting at Bruichladdich, and exclusive tastings at Laphroaig and Kilchoman.
- cask tasting at Bunnahabhain.
- three nights B&B accommodation at The Bowmore House or Island Bear.
- all transport between distilleries on Islay.
Next departure: 22 Mar 2027
Information
Four days on Islay with visits to Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Bruichladdich, Kilchoman and Bunnahabhain distilleries, plus tastings and B&B accommodation included.
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The experience
The tour leaves Edinburgh and travels through the south-west Highlands to Inveraray on Loch Fyne before boarding a two-hour ferry to Islay. On the crossing you'll see the islands of Gigha and Jura and West Loch Tarbert, and the on-board bar stocks Islay whisky if you want to start early. Your first stop is Bunnahabhain Distillery, where you tour part of the production areas and taste cask-strength expressions before heading to your accommodation.
Days two and three are built around the distilleries. Kilchoman Distillery leads you through malting, production and maturation with expert guides, then you taste their whisky and learn how peat shapes the flavour. At Bruichladdich, you get warehouse access: a rare setup where you sample whisky straight from the cask, including rare samples you won't find elsewhere. Bowmore offers a tasting of their range, and Lagavulin and Ardbeg round out the southern coast, with a 5-dram tasting at Ardbeg and time for lunch on your own. Laphroaig closes the distillery run with a full tour of their production process and a tasting of their peat-smoked single malts. The guide is with you throughout, and the minibus holds a maximum of 16 people.
Your final morning is the return ferry to the Scottish mainland. All transport between distilleries, both ferries, three nights' accommodation and entry to each distillery are arranged. You only pay separately for meals beyond breakfast and any drinks outside the included tastings.
Top questions
What's the difference between the distilleries on this tour?
Each distillery on Islay has its own character. Ardbeg and Laphroaig are known for heavily peated, smoky whiskies; Bruichladdich uses unpeated barley and sits on the western shore; Kilchoman is independently operated and younger than the others; Bunnahabhain produces both peated and unpeated styles. The tour visits all five so you taste across the range.
Do I need to be an experienced whisky drinker to join?
No. The guides at each distillery explain the production process and flavour profiles as they go, so you learn as you taste. The tour suits all levels, from beginners to enthusiasts.
Is lunch included in the tour?
Breakfast is included as part of your B&B accommodation, but lunch and dinner are on your own expense. At Ardbeg there is time to eat, and the island has cafes and restaurants, though options are limited outside the main village of Bowmore.
How many people travel together on the minibus?
The minibus holds a maximum of 16 guests, so it's a small group throughout the four days.
What happens if I can't drink alcohol?
You can still join the distillery tours and learn the production process. At tasting sessions, staff can offer soft alternatives, though the tour is built around whisky tastings as the main experience.
Do I need to book accommodation separately?
No. Three nights at either The Bowmore House or Island Bear are included in the tour price. You'll stay at the same place each night, so no packing and moving around.
Operated by Scottish Routes Limited. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated 5 days ago
4-Day Islay Whisky Tour from Edinburgh: Five Distilleries
4d · EN
from £ 1,095 per person
≈ US$ 1,473 in your currency
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