Edinburgh Castle & Old Town Small Group Guided Tour
Description
Discover the rich history and charm of Edinburgh's Old Town on our walking tour through the city's most significant places and monuments including Edinburgh Castle! Our tour begins on the historic Royal Mile where your guide will issue you with our bespoke map and begin to lead you along the cobbled streets and down the hidden closes to uncover Edinburgh's most fascinating tales. You will cover all of the Old Town's major sights including; The Royal Mile, St Giles' Cathedral, Greyfriars Kirkyard, The Writers Museum, The Grassmarket, and Victoria Street. Your guide will then lead you into Edinburgh Castle. Here they will share the highlights of the 3,000 year old fortress, from stories of daring midnight raids, deadly banquets, the birth of a king, and the death of a queen Your tour will conclude in the royal heart of Edinburgh Castle where we recommend setting aside further time for independent exploration of the museums and galleries which are not accessible during the tour.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Our meeting point. You will meet your guide here where a short introduction will take place before setting off.
This is where you will learn of the tumultuous history of religion in Scotland
Here you will learn of the crosses purpose and of the events that have taken place here throughout the centuries
Edinburgh's most haunted graveyard, home to many Harry Potter "inspirations" and a famously good dog!
The vibrant quarter of the Old Town which has played host to some of the darkest moments
The most beautiful street in Edinburgh? We think so, but there's more than meets the eye with this street
The ancient approach to Edinburgh Castle
Here you will enter the castle with your guide who will share with you the highlights of Edinburgh's most impressive fortress.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Not recommended for travellers with limited mobility
Reviews(36)
Sophia was very knowledgeable and vivacious. She was able to show us the best parts of Old town Edinburgh while capturing our attention with facts along the way. You will walk a lot and take in a lot of information in a short amount of time.
This was such a wonderful tour and Charlotte really brought to life the history of Scotland through her animated narration. I didn't even feel the 3 hours pass! It was a great time.
A wonderful experience exploring with Charlet! A genuinely Scottish guide with incredible energy and a natural gift for storytelling. She brought the city to life for our whole family—engaging, warm, and full of positive vibes. Highly recommended if you want something authentic and memorable.
Took the tour with Kristel and had a great experience. She is personable and informative and a wonderful guide. We learned so much and left feeling like we made a new friend and will be looking to book again the next time we are in Edinburgh. Highly recommend.
Very informative and entertaining. Learned more on this tour than one we took years ago. The guide Sarah was fantastic. Will highly recommend!
This was such a great tour! IT turned out that my dad and I were the only ones bone at this particular time, so we had Sonia ask to ourselves. It felt like a friend was taking us around the old town instead of a being in a tour. Sonia was also super knowledgeable and funny. Really helped give context to the city!
Thank you for your kind words. I’m glad that having a smaller group with Sonia felt so personal, and that her humour and knowledge gave you a real sense of the city’s history.
Minimal amount of sights were covered, a lot of pauses, lengthy pauses with a long historical synopsis provided. The guide must have received an award for the greatest number of words said in a moments time. It reached a point that she had to be tuned out. Oh well, her words were probably most interesting, important and relevant, but the rapid dialogue prevented oral dissimilation.
Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry the tour didn’t meet your expectations and that the delivery made it difficult to follow. We’ll review this with the guide to ensure pacing and clarity are improved for future guests.
That the provider EDI cancelled the excursion because their guide got sick. I have yet to receive a refund.
We're very sorry for the inconvenience. All guests were contacted 48 hours in advance via email, SMS, and phone. Your refund was processed the same day you arrived it may take a few days to appear, depending on your bank. Please reach out if there are any delays and we’ll assist right away.
Edinburgh is a city to visit on foot to discover the most beautiful and picturesque corners, from the famous streets to the most hidden alleys. RECOMMENDED
We couldn’t agree more! Edinburgh reveals its magic best on foot, and there’s nothing like wandering its closes and wynds to find hidden gems. Thanks for recommending the experience!
Lovely overview of the history of the Old Town and its most significant buildings/monuments within a reasonable amount of time and pace (1 hour). Our tour guide Charlotte was energetic and made the history fun. Be advised there are some stairs involved but it is Edinburgh!
Thanks for your lovely review! We're so glad you enjoyed the Old Town tour with Charlotte she’s brilliant at making Edinburgh’s history come alive. And yes, those stairs are part of the full medieval cardio experience!
