Staffa Puffin tours from Oban

In early June, my sister and I toured Lunga, saw Staffa and stayed on Iona. We were not part of a Rick Steves tour: We bought tickets from West Coast Tours in Oban on our own. We started with ferry in Oban and landed about 45 minutes later in Craignure on Mull island; took a 1 hour, 15 minute bus across Mull Island to Fionnphort; got on a fast boat and plied the sea for about 1 hour to Lunga. There, we had 2.5 hours or so to watch the Puffin and hike. Because the chop was so intense that day, we did not get off the boat to tour Staffa. However, we got close enough to see Fingal's Cave. After the tour, we spent a day and two nights on Iona.

The experience was fabulous. For me, the highlight was being on the sea for two hours: I loved it! The intense chop was the ride of a lifetime. The hike on Lunga Island was also enjoyable. Be prepared: Wear sturdy shoes and a hat and bring a rain slick or coat. The trail involves moderate up and down hiking on rock and mud, which can get pretty wet. There are thousands of puffin. The views are stunning. The smell of the sea is also memorable.

I cannot answer the question about skipping Iona. However, there is what appeared to be a fairly frequent ferry from Iona port to Fionnphort, fairly frequent bus from Fionnphort to Craignure and fairly frequent ferry from Craingnure to Oban. However, it would be a mistake to skip Iona. The Iona Abbey and the Iona Heritage Center are excellent.

Here's a review of my visit: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/renew-the-soul-on-iona-lunga-and-staffa-islands

There are 4 buses a day from Fionnphort to Craignure- 2 in the morning, and 2 in the afternoon. So the chance of co-inciding with one is low, and it's an expensive 30 mile taxi ride.

The tour next day is the traditional tour bus tour which doesn't give enough time on the island- you have to choose between visiting the Abbey/Village or going out to the glorious beaches or to St Columba's landing spot, so any extra time on Iona has to be welcome.

I might even think about spending the night on Iona, telling the tour you aren't coming back with them, and arranging with the RS guide that you will join the bus on the way back the next day. That way you get real quality time on Iona, and get to experience it without the day trippers.

Now clearly that involves you paying for a night in Oban with RS and the same night on Iona, so there is a $ cost to that decision.

We took the West Coast Tours Three Islands Tour, which included Staffa, Lunga, and Iona. Our trip took a small boat from Fionnphort directly to Lunga, then Staffa (we saw so many puffins on Lunga, we just toured Fingal's Cave), then the the small boat dropped us off on Iona while the boat returned to Fionnphort. We came back from Iona via a ferry after after a couple of hours. Buses were waiting at both ends of the trip across Mull.

"Staffa Tours" is the sub-contractor that works with WestCoast, and they advertise trips that exclude Iona. I'd suggest contacting them via their website and see if they have a bundle that works for you. Or you could visit Iona twice. There's a nice cafe at the Iona pier.