We enjoyed our tour around Edinburgh! Our guide was interesting and knowledgeable. We learned many things about the history of the area.





Our comprehensive private guided Edinburgh tour is a fantastic way to explore the big sights and hidden gems of the Scottish Capital City on a half-day minivan tour. Taking a bespoke tour allows you to tailor your time Edinburgh to your exacting interests and requirements. Your friendly and knowledgeable driver guide will show you around Edinburgh's many sights onboard your private Mercedes Minivan. Hear the stories that make Edinburgh famous and learn about the cities often gruesome past. We'll venture through the historic old town, Royal Mile, Georgian new town and explore local areas full of history outside the city centre. We will tell you the stories and history that make each attraction come to life! Our vehicles are the perfect size to squeeze down the city's narrow streets and see the 'off the tourist trail' sights whilst still being spacious.
Prices are per person when two book together; a solo traveller pays $539.
Larger groups pay less per person.
Out at sunset: the 5:00 PM departure is under way when the sun sets, around 6:00 PM in the coming weeks.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 7.
Explore the medieval old city and Edinburgh’s dark history, learn about the effect of the Black Death, great fire and city developments that lead the world.
The Royal Mile that runs for a 'Scottish mile' (around 1.1 miles / 1.8 kilometres) through the heart of the old town from the Castle to the Palace. We will explore much of the mile, its Closes and history.
The old city is dominated by Castle hill. Whilst we don’t venture inside on the discovery tour, you will get an appreciation for its importance in Edinburgh, Scottish and British history. Entry to the castle is not included.
The Grassmarket has a sinister past as the hanging place for Edinburgh’s criminals. There are many famous stories about executions that your guide will recite.
From the top of Calton Hill see the world-famous view over Princes Street and Castle. Calton Hill boasts some quirky and interesting architecture.
The long-extinct volcano that can be seen from all corners of the city. If open, we will drive round Queens Drive which offers fantastic views beyond Edinburgh.
We stop to learn the story of Edinburgh's most famous four-legged resident, Bobby.
We visit the famous Greyfriar's Kirkyard to understand its connection to Edinburgh History, Bobby and Mortsafes.
The official residence of the British Monarchy in Scotland. The impressive entrance courtyard and Palace dominate the scene including the Queens Gallery next door. Entry to the Palace is not included.
The modernist Scottish Parliament is home to the devolved national government. Immediately adjacent the Palace, the architectural juxtaposition is stark!
Leith is the home to The Royal Yacht Britannia, a floating museum to the monarchy that is now permanently moored in Leith. We do not visit Britannia on this tour.
We visit the vibrant area of Leith, technically a separate town and the docklands of Edinburgh
We can collect you from any Edinburgh Hotel, port or train station.
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All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
Edinburgh Half Day Guided Private Tour in a Premium Minivan lasts about 4 hours. The itinerary has 12 stops.
Prices start at $270 per person for this Edinburgh experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. That is the per-person price when two book together; a solo traveller pays $539. There are 2 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 9:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 5:00 PM.
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
Yes, pickup is offered. We can collect you from any Edinburgh Hotel, port or train station. Pickup points include Turnhouse Airport, Dalhousie Castle.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a private experience: only your party takes part. Up to 7 travellers can book together.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller Specialized infant seats are available Children must be accompanied by an adult
Wheelchair accessible Transportation options are wheelchair accessible All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 4.9 out of 5 across 65 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Experienced Tours.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
We enjoyed our tour around Edinburgh! Our guide was interesting and knowledgeable. We learned many things about the history of the area.
Debbie was amazing. We loved every minute of our tour with her. We wish we booked earlier for a tour into the Highlands . Would have loved to be taken around with Debbie. Book this tour . You will be happy you did. We Love You Debbie !! Maria and James NY
Arrived on time and gave a great tour of the city including history and highlights. Was a wealth of information and very personable. Would definitely recommend.
I highly recommend taking this tour with Laura McKenzie as your guide. Yes, you can tour the city by yourself walking, but with this tour you have a local person driving (which can be confusing if you come from a country where you drive on the right side), explaining the local customs, bits of history that you will later verify at the museums and also architectural landmarks. Laura was polite, professional, cheerful and made us feel like we knew her for a long time, she even took our photos. It rained that day on and off, but Laura was prepared, so every minute of our tour was used for our experience, we like bathroom breaks, so she was on top of everything. Definitely worth every penny. I recommend taking this tour at the beginning of your stay in Edinburgh so that you get an idea of where the historic and shopping landmarks are and also the bathrooms :). We had two open days so she gave us suggestions of which experiences were fun according to our preferences, it was a wonderful experience. thanks Laura.
Hazel was an outstanding tour guide! She picked us up right at the cruise port in a luxurious Mercedes-Benz minivan and provided an informative, personalized tour of Edinburgh, Scotland. Navigating the city during the Edinburgh International Festival and the Royal Military Tattoo is no small feat, but she handled the busy traffic and crowds seamlessly. Hazel went completely above and beyond—assisting with our souvenir shopping needs and even booking dinner reservations for us! Having this personalized attention in a comfortable vehicle made our port day perfect and far exceeded any standard cruise bus excursion. We highly recommend Hazel and Experienced Tours!
Allen was AWESOME. He was super friendly and made us feel immediately at home with him. He had an impressive number of stories in his pocket to share with us that made Edinburgh come to life. Loved the tour!!
Its an effcient and relaxed way of seeing the most places of interest in Edinboro in a short time and at the same learning about the long history of the beautiful city. The traditionally dressed driver with a non stop running commentary for four hours added the local colour.
The Historic East Lothian Private Tour from Edinburgh with Sandy was marvelous! Beautiful, comfortable vehicle. Sandy planned the tour to show us what we particularly wanted to see & he knew all the historic sites so well. Sandy was a Five-Star guide- very friendly, knowledgeable & accommodating. He was great helping my husband when he had trouble walking. We learned so much about Scotland from Sandy. It was a fabulous tour I would recommend to anyone.
Great private tour of Edinburgh with Sandy and Debbie. It felt like we were with knowledgeable friends. Van was very comfortable. Very relaxed and entertaining tour. Offered to drop us off in town or cruise port. If I was visiting Edinburgh again Sandy would be my first call.
Excellent overview of Edinburgh in a half day trip. We were very comfortable in the car and got time to get out and walk around different areas.
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Edinburgh Half Day Guided Private Tour in a Premium Minivan | 4 hours | 4.9 (65) | $270 | |
The World Famous Underground Ghost Tour | 1h 15min | 4.6 (10,894) | $26 | View |
Underground Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh Old Town | 1 hour | 4.7 (9,506) | $32 | View |
Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands, Glencoe and Pitlochry Tour | 12h 30min | 4.8 (7,366) | $66 | View |
Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket | 1h 30min | 4.8 (6,873) | $55 | View |
Edinburgh: Loch Ness, Glencoe and The Highlands | 12h 30min | 4.9 (6,774) | $61 | View |
Edinburgh: Glenfinnan Viaduct, Glencoe & Fort William | 12 hours | 4.9 (6,425) | $61 | View |