Private coach tours from Glasgow
Ritaat Coaches runs private coach and minibus tours from Glasgow, Scotland, for your own group: your date, your pick-up point and your itinerary, with a driver. We use our own Mercedes Tourismo (53 seats) and Volvo B8R (38 seats) coaches and a Mercedes Sprinter minibus (16 seats), and partner operators for larger groups. We carry visiting international groups as well as UK groups. Shared tours sell seats; here the vehicle is yours for the day.
Day trips and tours from Glasgow
Edinburgh Christmas market trip
Good forChristmas outings, 14 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027LengthDay tripLoch Lomond and Stirling
Good forA first taste of the HighlandsLengthDay trip: about 100 miles, about 2 hours 15 minutes of driving at car speedGlencoe and Fort William
Good forMountain sceneryLengthLong day trip: about 215 miles, about 5 hours of driving at car speedLoch Ness and Inverness
Good forThe far northLengthA long day (about 11 to 12 hours) to see Loch Ness; two days to explore InvernessEdinburgh and the Highlands
Good forVisitors combining bothLengthTwo days or more: Edinburgh to Inverness is about 157 milesGlenfinnan and the west coast
Good forThe viaduct and the west Highland coastLengthLong day: about 250 miles, about 6 hours of driving at car speedIsle of Skye
Good forIsland sceneryLengthTwo days or more: Portree is about 216 miles from Glasgow
Prefer your own route? Tell us where you’d like to go and we’ll plan it with you. For a straight A-to-B trip, such as Glasgow to Edinburgh, see our route pages.
Tours planned around your group
The routes above are starting points, not fixed packages. A private tour with Ritaat Coaches can be:
- A custom itinerary: you pick the places, the pace and the stops, and we say what is realistic in the hours available.
- A multi-day tour: Highland regions, islands and cities joined into one plan with overnight stops. The driver’s accommodation and meals are charged separately.
- A hotel-group transfer: collection and onward travel for a group staying at hotels in Scotland.
- An airport arrival that continues into the tour: airport-to-hotel group transfers, then the itinerary.
- For any kind of group: families, schools, clubs, societies and visiting international groups.
Tours can start in Glasgow, which is our usual pick-up area, or anywhere else you ask, including Edinburgh. Attraction tickets, ferry crossings and accommodation for your group are not part of the coach price unless the written quote says so.
Beyond Scotland: the UK, Ireland and Paris
We cover Scotland and the whole UK, and run long-distance trips including London, Ireland and Paris. We also carry visiting international tour groups, for example groups from Turkey, Saudi Arabia and China, as well as UK groups. For a long trip we plan the driver’s hours first: a coach driver can drive 9 hours a day (10 twice a week), so a long route may need a second driver or an overnight stop, and the quote shows that cost. Ferry crossings to Ireland or France are charged at cost and shown on the quote. By road, Newcastle is about 152 miles from Glasgow and Manchester about 216 miles: see areas we cover.
How drivers’ hours shape a long day
A coach driver may drive at most 9 hours a day (10 hours twice a week), must take a 45-minute break after 4.5 hours of driving, and needs at least 11 hours’ rest in each 24 hours, which can be cut to 9 hours up to three times between weekly rests (GOV.UK drivers’ hours rules).
In practice, that means:
- Driving time is rarely the limit on a Scottish day trip. Glasgow to Fort Augustus on Loch Ness is about 140 miles each way, roughly 3 hours 15 minutes at car speed and longer in a coach, so the return trip fits inside the 9-hour limit.
- The length of the whole day is what matters. With 11 hours’ rest, a driver’s working day can span about 13 hours, including stops and waiting.
- So a Loch Ness day of about 11 to 12 hours works with one driver. A day that starts early and ends with a late dinner may need a second driver or an overnight stop, and Skye with time to explore is better over two days.
What a private tour costs
You pay for the vehicle and driver, not per seat. The price depends on the hours, the miles, the vehicle size and the date; multi-day tours add the driver’s accommodation and meals, charged separately. Our 53-seat coach is from £1,200 a day, or from £1,500 in peak season, with a maximum of 10 hours a day (extra hours may be charged). Ferry crossings, such as to Ireland or France, are charged at cost and shown on the quote. Attraction tickets, passengers’ food and gratuity are not included. Published prices and what a quote should include are on our price guide. Every Ritaat quote is written and lists what’s included.
Frequently asked questions
Can we book a private coach tour from Glasgow just for our group?
Yes. You choose the date, the pick-up point and the stops, and only your group travels. Our own vehicles are a Mercedes Tourismo coach, a Volvo B8R coach and a Mercedes Sprinter minibus, and partner operators supply vehicles for larger groups.
Which day trips work well from Glasgow?
Loch Lomond, Stirling, Edinburgh and Glencoe all work as day trips from Glasgow. Loch Ness also works as a long day of about 11 to 12 hours. Skye, and Inverness with time to explore, are better over two days.
How long can the driver drive in a day?
Up to 9 hours of driving a day, or 10 hours twice a week, with a 45-minute break after 4.5 hours. The driver also needs at least 11 hours’ rest, so the whole working day, including stops, can span about 13 hours.
Is a guide included?
No, a private tour comes with a driver, not a guide. If you’d like a guide, tell us when you ask for a quote.
Can you take a group on tour outside Scotland?
Yes. We run long-distance trips across the UK, including London, and to Ireland and Paris. Ferries are charged at cost and shown on the quote, and the driver’s hours decide whether a trip needs a second driver or an overnight stop.
Can you do a tour for a cruise group at Greenock?
Yes, as a private shore trip timed around the ship. See our cruise transfers page for the details.
Do you carry visiting international tour groups?
Yes. We carry visiting groups from abroad as well as UK groups: tours, multi-day trips and airport-to-hotel group transfers. Tell us the group size, the dates and the route, and we send a written quote.
What size vehicle do we need?
Our Sprinter minibus takes up to 16 passengers, our Volvo B8R 38 and our Mercedes Tourismo 53. A partner operator supplies a midi coach or larger groups. Our minibus or coach guide has the full sizing table.
Plan your tour
Tell us the group size, the date and where you’d like to go. We’ll suggest a realistic itinerary and send a written quote. See also coach hire in Glasgow, cruise transfers and our minibus or coach guide.