Edinburgh: Privately Guided Day Tour of Glasgow in Luxury Minivan
Description
Beginning at one of Glasgow's oldest and most impressive structures, Glasgow Cathedral, you’ll embark on a journey through the very best of Glasgow. Moving into what’s left of medieval Glasgow, you’ll hear stories from your private, local guide about the significance of Trongate and how it shaped the city. From here, you’ll venture into the city centre through George Square and to the water’s edge to see the Finnieston Crane - an icon from Glasgow’s shipbuilding legacy. Next, you’ll get to discover the iconic buildings of the West End, including Glasgow University and the People's Palace at Glasgow Green before visiting one of the city’s oldest quarters: the Merchant City. Avoid the stresses of travel as you step away from fixed itineraries and crowded buses and sit back and relax on a private tour which includes; • A Private Day Tour tailored to your preferences • An Expert Local Guide • A Door-to-Door Service • Travel in a Luxurious, Mercedes-Benz V-Class Premium Minivan
Tour Options
Itinerary
One of the most impressive sights in Glasgow, the Cathedral is simply awe-inspiring. Sitting on the original site where St. Mungo built his first church in 614 A.D., it’s safe to say there’s an extremely ancient history in this city. In fact, many people believe Edinburgh is an older city, but St. Margaret’s Cathedral in Edinburgh is actually younger than the Glasgow Cathedral you see today, which was built in the 12th Century.
On your tour, you’ll also get to experience what’s left of Medieval Glasgow. As you head along High Street, one of Glasgow’s oldest streets, you can marvel at the ancient buildings - and perhaps catch sight of the famous Tollbooth Steeple where the city’s witches, thieves and murders were hanged.
Right at the heart of Glasgow, George Square is somewhere you absolutely have to see. Throughout the square, you’ll find many statues of famous Scottish politicians, literalists, military personnel and royalty. Perhaps the most notable part of George Square is the Glasgow City Chambers. On a weekday, you are allowed to go inside and marvel at the 3-storey marble staircase - which we believe rivals The Vatican’s two-storey staircase. The architecture around the square is actually very similar to America, and that’s why it’s been used by major Hollywood films such as Fast & Furious and World War Z.
As you travel out of the city centre, you’ll spot the Finnieston Crane dramatically silhouetted against the River Clyde. It’s an icon for the Scottish shipbuilding industry - although it was never used to build ships. It was actually used for lifting extremely large items onto ships - like locomotives and steam trains. Around the Finnieston area, you’ll get to witness ‘Modern Glasgow’ with the SECC and The Hydro, a central place for music and arts.
Built in 1901, Kelvingrove Art Gallery is not only a sensational building architecturally, but also with its wealth of information and history. Here you can learn all about the fascinating history of Glasgow, from its creation, to its Merchant history, the Industrial Revolution and the rise of communism known as ‘Red Clyde’. There’s also the famous ‘floating heads’, a real-live spitfire, an Egyptian exhibit, and an extensive art gallery - and even a live organ recital if you catch it at the right time.
Being driven through the West End is a great way to see all the sights. It’s an affluent area with many stunning buildings and plenty of stories to tell. Your guide will point them out as you go, such as the ancient, gothic-style University of Glasgow which was founded in 1451. The University is actually the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world!
Get your picture taken by the Doulton Fountain with the beautiful backdrop of the People’s Palace or Glasgow Green Park. This Victorian structure was the largest Terracotta fountain ever constructed in the world at the time, and on top, you’ll see a statue of Queen Victoria proudly looking over Glasgow Green. You can also venture into the People’s Palace if you are interested in learning more about Glasgow’s history. The museum features a wide range of artefacts, pictures, prints and films about life in Glasgow through the ages. Please note: The People’s Palace is currently closed for an exciting refurbishment project. It is due to reopen in 2027. Therefore it will not be possible to visit the inside of the venue.
The Merchant City is one of Glasgow’s oldest quarters and is filled with stunning architecture. Every street is named after a famous merchant who built their wealth trading in the Indies in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Today, it’s an area bursting with eateries and shops, so it’s an excellent place to walk around and explore.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We offer convenient pickup from any Edinburgh hotel or port. One of our friendly team members at Hopscotch Travel will contact you at least 24 hours before your scheduled tour to reconfirm all the details. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us anytime if you have any questions.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(19)
A group of 6 used Hopscotch Tours for a private guided day of touring after arriving into Edinburgh from a cruise. We were met at the port by Andrew who took us to several top sights and even pre-booked a table at a popular delicious pub. He talked about all of the area we traveled to, answered all of our questions and was so patient.
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We are happy to hear you enjoyed your tour with us and hope to welcome you again soon.
Our experience was extremely good. Our guide Mr Stewart was very good. Professional polite and showed us different places in Glasgow with good information. It was indeed an amazing trip to Glasgow.
Thank you for your kind review - we really appreciate it - delighted to read you enjoyed your day. Safe onward travels.
We had a wonderful day. Our guide was knowledgable and engaging and had many fun anecdotes to share along our trip. The van was comfortable and my parents who have mobility issues were looked after during the transitions in and out to various locations. We had some dietary concerns that meant we had to change a previously booked restaurant for lunch and our guide Fraser and the company’s administrator were lovely about making the change. We had a delicious meal at The butterfly and the pig. The tour was a perfect length and we were able to enjoy many points of interest and learn a lot in just the one day.
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a lovely review. We are so happy to hear you had a great time on your tour. We hope to see you again soon.
Michael was a fantastic tour guide. His love of Glasgow was contagious to our family. He went far above-and-beyond as well, changing our itinerary to best fit our interests and energy levels throughout the day.
Thank you for your kind review. Delighted to read you had a wonderful tour with Michael.
The only tour I have taken that I have enjoyed as much is the one I took two days later with the same company and guide, Fraser. I planned this as a solo trip to celebrated a life event it was all about me. Fraser took the time to find out about me and why I was visiting Scotland and taking the Edinburgh tour. He did an amazing job tailoring the tour to me. As I was spending the week mostly in Edinburgh we decided on seeing the below. - Forth Bridges, South Queensferry - Culross (Cranesmuir in Outlander) - Fettes College - Circus Lane - Dean Village - Grassmarket (lunch at The Last Drop) - Walk up Victoria Street onto Royal Mile, then along by Greyfriars Kirk, before taking in the view of the Castle from The Vennel Steps. - Calton Hill - Leith I would change nothing about the day. Thank you Fraser and Hopscotch Travel
So kind of you to leave us a review and we are so happy you enjoyed this tour with Fraser!
My partner and I had.a brilliant day touring around Glasgow. Our tour guide Fraser was super friendly and really informative. It was very relaxed throughout the day and we got to stop off and see the sites. It was our first time in Glasgow, we really enjoyed our day and we will return to the city confidently knowing much more about it.
Thank you for your kind review - we are so happy to hear that you enjoyed your day with us. We hope to see you again soon!
Fraser was a delightful person and a very well informed guide! He is an obvious history buff which was appreciated. My husband has some mobility issues and the private tour allowed us to do our own pace and Fraser got us up close by car to all the destinations to minimize unnecessary walking so we could enjoy walking within the sites. We are a well travelled couple and Fraser is at the top of the list when it comes to private tours!
Thank you for your kind review! We really appreciate your trust in Hopscotch Travel.
We couldn’t recommend Hopscotch Travel enough! Fraser was an awesome tour guide from both a knowledge perspective and also was an all round great guy! We hadn’t explored Glasgow before so to be able to do that in such a cool and unique way, we’d highly recommend a Hopscotch tour for anyone who is looking for a special day out or a special trip across Scotland!
Thank you for your kind review - delighted you enjoyed your day with us and thank you for trusting in us!
Our guide was knowledgeable and very personable. We appreciated his competence and courtesy very much. I was able to visit the birthplace of my great grandfather on the edge of Glasgow, which was particularly meaningful.
Thank you for your kind review! Delighted to read you had a wonderful day - we wish you all the best.
Fantastic day! Michael was fabulous. We enjoyed the day. The mix of history and stories was great. Clearly the highlight of our visit to Scotland! Michael was so flexible and took us to spots not on the itinerary in Queensferry and Edinburgh too. That’s the benefit of a private tour with a wonderful guide!
Thank you for leaving a review. We are happy to hear you had a great time on your tour. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
