The Greyfriars Kirkyard tour is perfect for everyone who wants to know more about Scottish history. The people buried within the Kirkyard made Edinburgh what it was. We'll share some of the most important, most interesting and most surprising stories about these rather fascinating people. And we'll do this in an entertaining, professional and respectful manner. Greyfriars is a fascinating place that has links to some incredible stories from Scotland’s history (not 'just' Edinburgh's history). Their stories are the stories of Edinburgh. You’ll learn about these characters as you stand only inches away from where their bodies lie buried. Hear the stories behind martyred Covenanters, an amusing artist, an infamous ghost, grave robbers, the Irish murderers Burke and Hare, a tortured spy and, of course, the devoted Skye Terrier, Greyfriars Bobby. Are you ready to ‘meet’ the ‘Dead of Old Edinburgh’?
Prices change with the date; the lowest is shown.
In demand: 60 of the next 60 departures are already sold out.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 20.
This entire tour takes place within the historic burial ground. We don't visit the Kirk itself, although we recommend guests visit this wonderful building during their visit to Edinburgh.
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For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Private Greyfriars Kirkyard history tour lasts about 1h 30min. The itinerary has 1 stop.
Prices start at $122 per person for this Edinburgh experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There are 3 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 and 2:00 PM.
It can: 60 of the next 60 departures are already sold out, so booking ahead is a good idea.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is Just inside the main entrance, next to the grave of Greyfriars Bobby (the pink headstone which you see as soon as you enter the Kirkyard). Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a private experience: only your party takes part. Up to 15 travellers can book together.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Due to uneven surfaces. we will try to make alterations for wheelchair users.
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
We had a wonderful tour of Greyfriars Kirk with Robert. We was such a knowledgable tour guide, with a lot of humor. We could easily spend a day in the graveyard with him learning about the people, monuments, and other lore.
Robert was incredibly knowledgeable and tailored the tour to our interests. His historical knowledge of the cemetery was incredible. He spent extra time with us and even took us over to the museum to show us a pertinent exhibit!
Thank you so much for leaving this kind review. Also, thanks so much for being so engaged with a place I think is fascinating; I really appreciated it. I hope you had a wonderful time in the UK. Best wishes, Robert
We thoroughly enjoyed our personalised tour with Robert. He was friendly and accommodating, combining his subject knowledge with an interesting and informative tour. Thank you, we are grateful for this experience.
Thank you for booking with me, and for leaving such a lovely review. The Greyfriars Kirkyard tour is one of my favourites, but it is very specialised. I'm so glad that you enjoyed it. I hope you both had an enjoyable time in Scotland, and a safe return journey. Best wishes, Robert
The BEST tour we have had in awhile. Robert was amazing and very knowlegeable. He worked the tour toward our intrests and was great with all ages.
Thank you for these kind words! I really appreciate the 'all ages' comment - I always try my best with this, so it's lovely to see this in a review. I hope you all had a lovely time in Scotland. Best wishes, Robert
Terrific tour with Robert. The history tour of the Greyfriars Kirkyard was interesting and informative. Thanks for leading such an amazing and fun tour.
Thank you for this really kind review (and one which I think you're writing whilst still on vacation!). It was a pleasure to meet you and to take you both around the Kirkyard. Best wishes, and safe travels home. Yours, Robert
Knowledgeable and funny, Robert covered a lot of ground and went into just enough tangents. The strangeness of Scottish history came through! Highly recommended!
Dear Ted, It was an absolute pleasure to take you both around Greyfriars Kirkyard, and I really enjoyed the chats around the Edinburgh topics too. I wish we could have more time to talk about the German High Seas Fleet! I'll keep an eye out for your future emails, and maybe we can find the gravestone of the lawyer you have. Best wishes, Robert
I had a fabulous tour with Robert at Greyfriars. I LOVE Scotland and its sad but fascinating history, and for some reason also love old graveyards! I was really looking forward to it, and Robert did not disappoint. He was on time at the meeting place, which was easy to find. I told him up front what I was interested in learning about -- the oldest and most historically interesting graves, and the people associated with them. We did the loop of the graveyard, and Robert provided a really interesting background on many of the graves, which are stunning to look at, by the way. Robert also brought background material, such as records of burials (in the 1700s!) and drawings/sketches of portraits of people of historic significance. At the end of the tour, he pointed out the National Museum of Scotland and actually walked me over. I was overwhelmed by its sheer size. I had not considered spending time there, but I definitely will in the future. Robert is hugely knowledgeable about history, easy to listen to, and very interesting. I highly recommend this tour (or others he may offer).
Thank you so much for this very kind review. Thank you also for allowing me to take you out and into the Museum, and also into Old College. As soon as you said you had an interest in Mary, Queen of Scots, I knew we had to go there. PS, I've made some progress with walking my wee dog - huge thanks for the tips there too! Best wishes, Robert
Omg I can’t remember this wonderful guides name but he was great. He was a schoolteacher of 10 year olds born and raised right here in Edinburgh Scotland!! He was great and boy did he know his history!! But it wasn’t dry, he had a great humerus personality and shared his enjoyment of history in such a way that you enjoyed it too!! Great tour!
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with you - you even let me tell my golf joke! You were both so kind to me, and so engaged with the stories I told. I'm glad we also got you to your next tour in time. I hope your return journey went well. Best wishes, Robert
This tour was one of my favorite parts of Edinburgh. Robert was fantastic and hilarious. Exactly the kind of tour we were looking for. I highly recommend.
Thank you so much for this very kind review (and for laughing at my jokes!) It can be quite tricky to know how to balance a tour which is so serious, with just a hint of the funny side of Edinburgh's history, so I'm very glad I managed it for you! I hope you had a wonderful time in Scotland. Yours, Robert
I can't recommend this tour enough. Robert was an amazing tour guide and tailored the tour to our interests. Definitely one of the best things we did while in Edinburgh.
That you for saying such a lovely thing about my Greyfriars tour! I'm delighted that you enjoyed it and, for my own part, I had a lovely time with you on this tour. I hope you both had a wonderful time in Scotland. Best wishes, Robert
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private Greyfriars Kirkyard history tour | 1h 30min | 5.0 (75) | $122 | |
 Haunted Vaults and Graveyard Walking Tour in Edinburgh | 1h 30min | 4.8 (2,144) | $35 | View |
 City of the Dead Haunted Graveyard Tour in Edinburgh | 1h 30min | 4.7 (259) | $31 | View |
 Greyfriars Walking Tour 90 Minutes Book the best! | 1h 10min–1h 30min | 5.0 (3) | $400 | View |
 Edinburgh Storytelling Walk Makars' Court to Greyfriars Bobby | 1h 30min | 5.0 (1) | $20 | View |
 Edinburgh Old Town Landmarks Private Guided Walking Tour | 2–3 hours | — | $221 | View |
 Private Edinburgh Walking Tour: Literary Legends | 2 hours | — | $719 | View |