Edinburgh for Hogmanay (NYE)

Nicholas Sneyd   -  Traveled, September 2024

The trip was massively overpriced for what we got! It was advertised as a multi day festival but only included a street party on one night and hostel accommodation with breakfast included. All other activities were add ons which I thought was super disappointing. The trip was still decent overall but would have been much better value if the add ons were included. Manager was nice but barely around.

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 09/25/2024

Melanie Smith   -  Traveled, September 2024

Good: Out trip leader Cerrie was friendly, knowledgeable and approachable. She contributed to building a positive group atmosphere on the trip, even though there were latecomers. She did this by making a facebook group and getting people to introduce themselves at the welcome meeting in Edinburgh. Little Fish Tours (Greg - local Scottish guide) who did the Edinburgh Castle tour was welcoming, knowledgeable and funny! He did talk for a tad too long at times though but I could see that this was because he was so passionate. Fantastic people on the trip and A & O hostel was great (good toilet/shower facilities, good beds and storage in rooms, good pub downstairs). Improvements: The Scottish Dinner on the last night was overpriced and overrated in my opinion. It was good (great MC/host and performances) but definitely could have been better value for money (the meals were small and the night I believe was not worth the approx $100 AUD ticket). The dancing where they got us involved was good but I think they did this on the whiskey tour too. You can get away with doing one or the other, I think both was too much for some (price and time). More information needed on what Hogmanay entails, our ticket included in the Contiki price just got us in to where you stand, dance and drink. If you want to go down where the concert is, that is a separate ticket. Hogmanay was fun but do your research beforehand if you are keen on going it was three hours of standing in very dense crowds, in the rain and the music wasn't great (different acts/DJs every year I believe though). Long queues for food, drink and toilets! If you can deal with music festivals, you can deal with Hogmanay!! Overall this tour changed my perception of Contiki positively as I anticipated it being full of younger people wanting to just party and stay out late. The trip leader and the fellow travellers make or break the trip for me and this time it was made! Hogmanay is a good, one time experience but Edinburgh has so much to offer so even if you don't enjoy the celebrations, there is plenty more to do and Contiki choose a good hostel here :)

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 09/26/2024

Bhavrith Jaganath   -  Traveled, September 2024

I love Scotland! It blows me away every time I visit. I have realised that festival tours lack the contact sessions that are enforced on other trips. It was due to this that I did not know half the people on my trip. I enjoyed the festival (especially the torch procession!) but will only do it again if I am travelling with someone else. Our trip manager was amazing and a real joy to get to know. The in-depth knowledge of history that our tour guide had of the various places in Ireland astounded me. I learnt so much about the Irish culture and values.

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 09/26/2024

Anonymous   -  Traveled, September 2024

The trip was fantastic and the hostel was really central to everything. The 5 day start allowed enough time to participate in the torch light procession, which was one of the highlights. There was confusion about where I was staying initially as there was two different hostels listed in the email sent, but otherwise everything was fine. The trip leader (Cerrie) was perfect. She was always very friendly, professional and was very easy to talk to.

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 09/26/2024

Anonymous   -  Traveled, October 2024

é stata comunque una bella esperienza Magari si possono fare più attività che potrebbero far conoscere meglio le persone del gruppo di viaggio.

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 10/24/2024

Maddison Lukin   -  Traveled, September 2024

Was an amazing experience! Would totally do again and would definitely go with Contiki The Contiki manager and driver were both amazing. By the time we got to our destination everyone on the bus were great friends

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 09/19/2024

Joshua Robbins   -  Traveled, August 2024

Good value - don't get upset if the weather isn't great one is in North Europe and it is the winter. Great crowd and well organised trip - I usually do long tours but these short ones are just as good.

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 08/22/2024

Anonymous   -  Traveled, September 2024

Could have been better value for money, even simple things so the group could get to know each other better i.e. the meal on the first night or all arrange to meet in the hostel bar. We were also told at the time we signed up that the hostel rooms would be 4-share. No one on our trip was in a 4-share and the majority were 8-share seemed like a cost cutting exercise. The group would have benefitted from a group activity at the beginning of the trip so we could get to know each other better. It seemed like the meal at the end was too late in the trip. Also, there was little guidance/management from the TM and we were left to our own devices a lot of the time,

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 09/19/2024

Anonymous   -  Traveled, August 2024

Could have included more daily activites to encourage people to mix and mingle. We were told we were getting quad share rooms and we actually shared a room with 8 people, false advertising and very dissappointing as it made the stay quite unpleasant

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 08/22/2024

Anonymous   -  Traveled, September 2024

Let me start by saying Brooke, my Group Leader was excellent, I could not have asked for better. I especially liked how organised Brooke was. She was Australian, so more a guide to the Contiki experience and not the Edinburgh experience; but that was not a deficiency in the slightest. On our long drive from London to Edinburgh, Brooke coordinated some getting-to-know-you-games. So, on the whole, I'm very glad I took the Contiki coach to Edinburgh. I also appreciate that Brooke grouped all the Solo travellers together so we were sharing the same dorms. With regard to the accommodation, we weren't at Contiki's regular choice of Backpacker Hostel, which seriously worked to my advantage. We were so much closer to the Hogmanay festivities when compared with the Contiki travellers who had the hard-luck of staying in Contiki's preferred Hostel. I was able to look out my window and see the famous Royal Mile. Here everything I wanted to see and everywhere I wanted to visit was close by. The first night, it was very thoughtful of Brooke to lead an orientation walk around the centre of the city to point out the meeting places for the optional extras Contiki offered. With regard to the Optional Extras, I would recommend the guided visit to Edinburgh Castle on the first moming. The only problem is, Contiki provided no concrete information about the Optional Extras until Brooke told us what was available during our coach ride. Therefore, I'd already made other reservations for the first morning and I had to visit the Castle separately and by myself. With regard to the Hogmanay events, please be aware that Contiki only included a Street Party Ticket. I purchased Torchlight Procession, Concert and Loony Dook Tickets months in advance because these events sell out. Most members of my group wasted there trip to Hogmanay because they were not prepared in advance with pre-purchased tickets, which meant they missed out on Hogmanay events. And, that's the whole point of making the effort to go to Hogmanay, to experience the Hogmanay events! The Concert was Spectacular and the Fireworks at the end were UNMISSABLE; it was my favourite part of Hogmanay. The Concert and Fireworks are the one part of Hogmanay that I would go back and do again. One thing I wish I hadn't pre-purchased was ride tickets at the Christmas Market. Take a look at the rides, before you buy the tickets. If I'd seen how disappointing the rides were first, I might not have purchased the tickets. But if you're going to Hogmanay, you absolutely have to secure a ticket for the Loony Dook. 20 group members wanted to participate. But only three of us had made the effort to get the tickets. Organise a Fun Costume, buy your Ticket and take the Plunge, you won't regret it. It was such an epic buzz, I stayed in the water for ages and I even made it into the newspaper with my Aussie Costume. Beyond Hogmanay, I would not try to cram too much else in. Make a separate trip to Edinburgh to thoroughly visit the city. If, however, this is the only time you will ever see Edinburgh, I'd recommend making time for an Edinburgh Castle tour, a visit to the Cathedral and a Stuart Usher tour. There are also excellent Harry Potter tours (if that's your thing), which focus on the original Literary-Potter not Hollywood (I'd check out Sam Stratford's tour). All that was worth the money I paid for the trip. I did leave early, after the Loony Dook in the afternoon; I took the train back to London. I didn't want to do the overpriced, stereotypical Scottish dinner because I hadn't heard great things about it and the 2nd was only a long long ride home on the coach. The train was cheap enough and quick enough that I was happy to pay the extra money and then i got a whole extra day in London, bonus. But still, if I had my time over, I'd choose Contiki for my Hogmanay trip because I was a solo traveller, Brooke was an excellent Group Leader and the location of the accommodation was excellent too. However, if I was visiting Hogmanay a second time, I'd go with a friend and take the train up on the 31st of December. See the Concert and Fireworks. Spend the night in a local Premier Inn. Get another adrenaline kick at the Loony Dook, then take the train home on the afternoon of the 1st. BUT the only reason I'd have the confidence to do that, is because of the positive experience I've had visiting Edinburgh with Contiki!

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 09/25/2024