Scotland’s second-most-popular tourist attraction as you learn about the bloody history including stories of the kings and queens who lived in this castle. There is evidence of a fort here for almost 3000 years, and it has been a royal castle since at least King David I’s reign in the 12th century. The Scottish monarchs continued to use it until 1633, and even saw the birth of King James VI within its walls. Your tour will begin on the Royal Mile, then take you to the castle, where you will hear your guide talking about the origins of the castle and its sieges. Once inside the castle walls, the guide will take you through the different parts of the fortress and tell you its fascinating history. Inside the complex, you will find three museums, two prisons, a canine cemetery, the Chapel of Saint Margaret, the National Monument to the fallen of Scotland, the Great Hall, and a Royal Palace.(ENTIRE TOUR WILL REMAIN OUTDOORS; buildings are not accessible during the tour.)
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 9.
Explore one the most important fortresses in the history of Scotland. Walk inside the castle for 1 hour and 10 minutes to enjoy the wonderful royal palace, where Mary Queen of Scots once lived, and admire the Great Hall of the 16th century where parties and feast took place. After the exploration with a guide, you can spend a free time inside the castle until closing time
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For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket lasts about 1h 30min. The itinerary has 1 stop.
Prices start at $55 per person for this Edinburgh experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There are 5 booking options, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, starting at 10:00 AM, 12:15 PM, and 1:30 PM.
Children aged 7–15 pay from $44, adults from $55. Infants go free.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is Meet in front of the entrance to Advocates Close, opposite (St. Giles’ Cathedral) . Look for the black umbrella with the tour provider's yellow logo. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in DE, EN, IT, FR, ES.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 30 participants.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 4.8 out of 5 across 6,884 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Scotland City Tours - Somos Escocia.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Our tour guide, David, is from Australia. He was funny, engaging, and made the whole tour very enjoyable. His explanations were lively and interesting, and he provided detailed insights into the history, which made the experience both educational and entertaining. We really enjoyed the tour and would highly recommend David as a guide!
Joe was a highly knowledgeable and fun guide. Your was great value for money and the perfect length of time, giving us lots of time to go and discover the castle ourselves
Guide spoke clearly and plainly…. Seem to know his stuff and did his job well….. wish I knew that you had to make reservations at the tea room …. That would have been a treat ( only negative)
Great experience with great guide, beautiful experience and fabs tips for local food shops, thanks Marisol
Joe was a wonderful guide for Edinburgh Castle - funny and knowledgeable. His tour and being able to explore on our own made for a great day!
One of the best tour i've been on. Highly recommend. Sonia was so insightful, passionate and funny. You will have a feeling like listening a delightful story from a friend.
Joe was a great guide through historucal facts of Edinburgh castle and also added a few jokes to make everyone smile.
Joe was an amazing guide. A perfect mix of history with a bit of comedy mixed. Well worth the price.
Beautiful place. The guides commentary was fairly long winded and quite dry.
This was a great tour with G. He was very informative with history and his fun stories. I would recommend him.
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket | 1h 30min | 4.8 (6,884) | $55 | |
 Edinburgh Castle Guided Walking Tour - Entry Tickets Included | 1h 30min | 4.9 (5,884) | $52 | View |
 Edinburgh Castle and Royal Mile Walking Tour - Ticket Included | 2h 15min | 4.9 (2,792) | $71 | View |
 Edinburgh Castle and Royal Mile Guided Tour + Entry Ticket | 1h 30min | 4.5 (75) | $55 | View |
 Edinburgh Castle Guided Walking Tour & Holyrood Palace Ticket | 3 hours | 4.8 (152) | $114 | View |
 Edinburgh Castle Tickets and Tour - Local Expert Guide In a Kilt | 1h 30min | 4.9 (668) | $52 | View |
 Edinburgh Castle Entry Ticket and City Audio Guide | 3 hours | — | $63 | View |