M
Fun and fact full tour
Jen was absolutely fantastic, hugely knowledgeable and great fun. Lots of history, facts and jokes made it a fab tour
Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket
+8 photos
At a glance
- Duration
- 1h 30min
- Price from
- $55 / person
- Location
- Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Rating
- 4.8 / 5 · 6,873 reviews
- Languages
- DE, EN, IT, FR
- Group
- Small group, up to 30
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- Confirmation
- Instant
- Ticket
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operator
- Scotland City Tours - Somos Escocia
- Meeting point
- 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.
Description
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.)
Schedule & prices
- Runs
- Every day
- Start times
- 10:00 AM, 12:15 PM, and 1:30 PM
- Next available
- Fri, Oct 9
- Adult (ages 16–65)
- $55
- Senior (ages 66+)
- $53
- Child (ages 7–15)
- $44
- Infant (ages 0–6)
- Free
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 8.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Edinburgh Castle
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
What's included
Included
Admission ticket to Edinburgh Castle
Guided tour of Edinburgh Castle
Not included
Pet Not allowed. Only guide dog.
Gratuities
Traveller Ratings
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
4.8
6,873 reviews
How it compares in Edinburgh
- No. 4 by number of reviews among 1,235 tours in Edinburgh
- Starting price $55 is 14% below the typical $64 for tours of similar length in Edinburgh
Excurgo comparison of 1,235 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Please note in poor weather conditions the tour will remain outdoors as access to the castle buildings is not available for tour groups
- Tour will be inside the castle walls, but outdoors, with free time after the tour to to explore the castle an to go inside every building (Museums, Royal Palace, prisons, and much more). We can not access those buildings during the tour, but the tour will still be carried out within the castle grounds.
- The castle is a complex of buildings, not a single building.
- On this tour you will be guided around Edinburgh castle, with specific stops assigned by the castle authorities.
- Bags over 30L in volume are not allawed inside the castle.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
1+ days before100% refund
0–1 days before0% refund
Frequently asked questions
How long does Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket take?
Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket lasts about 1h 30min. The itinerary has 1 stop.
How much does Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket cost?
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.
What days does Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket run?
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, starting at 10:00 AM, 12:15 PM, and 1:30 PM.
How much does Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket cost for children?
Children aged 7–15 pay from $44, adults from $55. Infants go free.
Can I cancel Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket for free?
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
Where does the tour start?
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.
What languages is Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket offered in?
The experience is available in DE, EN, IT, FR, ES.
Is this a private or a group tour?
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 30 participants.
Is the tour suitable for children?
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Will my booking be confirmed immediately?
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Is Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket worth it?
Travellers rate it 4.8 out of 5 across 6,873 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Scotland City Tours - Somos Escocia.
Reviews(6,873)
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
M
Edinburgh Castle GuidedTour
Thoroughly enjoyable experience enhanced by our Scottish guide Ross who was both informative and entertaining.
G
No charisma, and hard to understand
Guide had a broad Scottish and foreign accent, making him really hard to understand at times. He also spoke very quickly, didn’t pause or ask the group any real questions. It was more like a lecture than a tour. Was very glad when it was over as got so bored.
S
Our guide Ross was very...
Our guide Ross was very knowledgeable friendly and great sense of humor. Loads of history tidbits. Had great recommendations for restaurants and other points of interest
P
Great experience
Amazing. Our tour guide David from Australia was wonderful, very thorough guide, very personable. Highly recommend!
L
Insightful and fun...
Insightful and fun experience. Forgot Guide's name - short and unfamiliar name to me, think it started with I.... He was well informed and helped us get our bearings to see all we would want to see after he left. Interesting information.
A
Great tour
It’s a great way to learn history and see the castle. Our guide INGAS was very knowledgeable and friendly.
R
Not what we were expecting.
We had a fun guide, David from Austrailia, and learned many things about the history of the castle. It was crowded and it wasn't just a castle, but many buildings, like a compound. Not what we were expecting and doubt we would ever return.
B
Good guide Gavin
Very good, knowledgable, clear talking guide named Gavin. Much appreciated tour!
C
Pascual company guide Ben at Edinburgh castle was great.
The Pascual tour with our guide Ben was great. We walked through the royal mile with him and went to the Edinburgh Castle. He was very informative and friendly. Would highly recommend this tour. After the tour we saw the Scottish jewels , interesting halls and art.
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| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket | 1h 30min | 4.8 (6,873) | $55 | |
 Edinburgh Castle Guided Walking Tour - Entry Tickets Included | 1h 30min | 4.9 (5,881) | $53 | View |
 Edinburgh Castle and Royal Mile Walking Tour - Ticket Included | 2h 15min | 4.9 (2,766) | $71 | View |
 Underground Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh Old Town | 1 hour | 4.7 (9,506) | $32 | View |
 Original Harry Potter Locations: Guided Walking Tour in Edinburgh | 2 hours | 4.9 (4,669) | $21 | View |
 Old Town Walking Tour History and Tales in Edinburgh | 2 hours | 4.9 (2,361) | $24 | View |
 Edinburgh Castle Guided Tour Tickets Included | 1h 30min | 4.9 (2,265) | $53 | View |
from$55
4.8(6,873) Free cancellation