We booked a private Harry Potter tour and truly loved every minute of it. We visited so many fascinating places connected with J. K. Rowling and the world of Harry Potter, and it was wonderful to see the locations and details that helped inspire the books brought to life around the city. Our guide, Samuel Thorne, was simply magnificent. He was incredibly knowledgeable, engaging, funny and full of wonderful stories and details that made the whole experience feel very special. His enthusiasm was infectious, and even as Harry Potter fans, we learnt so much that we hadn’t known before. The private format made the tour feel relaxed and personal, and Samuel made sure the experience was interesting from beginning to end. It felt much more than just a sightseeing tour — it was a real journey through Edinburgh’s connection with the Harry Potter universe. We came away absolutely delighted and would recommend this tour, and Samuel in particular, without hesitation. If you are a Harry Potter fan visiting Edinburgh, this is an experience you really shouldn’t miss. Five stars are hardly enough!
The Potter Trail Private Tour
+3 photos
At a glance
- Duration
- 1h 30min
- Price from
- $108 / person
- Location
- Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Rating
- 5.0 / 5 · 2,542 reviews
- Languages
- EN
- Group
- Private
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- Confirmation
- Instant
- Ticket
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operator
- The Potter Trail
- Meeting point
- Your guide will be waiting in costume outside the orange sandwich shop.
Description
Grab a wand and join your robed guide on the original tour of Edinburgh designed especially for Potter fans! Founded in 2012, we are the original Harry Potter tour in Edinburgh. Our guides have the most experience of any tour company in Edinburgh and we are consistently rated most highly by visitors across all platforms. Booking a private tour with us will ensure the ultimate experience for Harry Potter fans as you'll be able to take the tour at your own pace and ask as many questions as you like! Private means that the tour is for your group only. Our friendly and professional guides are all trained actors and comedians so we can guarantee they will captivate and entertain you as well as impress with their extensive knowledge, as you visit all the key Potter sights in the city. We are also happy to customise this tour to suit you! We take on lots of bookings for hen/stag parties and school groups and our guides are skilled at catering the tour content for any audience.
Schedule & prices
- Runs
- Every day
- Start times
- 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM, and 5:00 PM
- Next available
- Fri, Oct 9
- Adult (ages 8+)
- $108
- Child (ages 0–7)
- Free
Prices are per person when two book together; a solo traveller pays $216.
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.
In demand: 46 of the next 93 departures are already sold out.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 7.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Greyfriars
We begin our tour in the city's historic Greyfriars Kirkyard where JK Rowling spent a lot of time while writing the books. Here we'll see several names on gravestones that inspired characters in the series including William McGonagall and Thomas Riddell. From here we will also see two potential inspirations for Hogwarts in the form of George Heriot's School and Edinburgh Castle.
An area of the city named after Harry Potter? Surely not! See the place where she wrote much of the first book from here.
National Museum of Scotland
Harry Potter connections to the Museum and surrounding area - and also learn about the Balmoral Hotel where JK Rowling finished the series.
A cafe that promotes itself as the "Birthplace" of Harry Potter. We will explain why those inverted commas are very important...
One of Edinburgh's most iconic streets, considered to be the real life Diagon Alley.
What's included
Included
Guide
Not included
Please bring something that you can use as a wand. This can be anything roughly wand shaped - a pen or umbrella will work well!
Traveller Ratings
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
5.0
2,542 reviews
How it compares in Edinburgh
- Rated higher than 72% of 440 reviewed tours in Edinburgh
- No. 18 by number of reviews among 1,235 tours in Edinburgh
- Starting price $108 is 68% above the typical $64 for tours of similar length in Edinburgh
Excurgo comparison of 1,235 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Is the tour suitable for children under 7 years old?
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 The Potter Trail Private Tour take?
The Potter Trail Private Tour lasts about 1h 30min. The itinerary has 5 stops.
How much does The Potter Trail Private Tour cost?
Prices start at $108 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 $216. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
What days does The Potter Trail Private Tour run?
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, starting at 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM, and 5:00 PM.
How much does The Potter Trail Private Tour cost for children?
Children aged 0–7 pay nothing, adults from $108.
Does The Potter Trail Private Tour sell out?
It can: 46 of the next 93 departures are already sold out, so booking ahead is a good idea.
Can I cancel The Potter Trail Private Tour 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 Your guide will be waiting in costume outside the orange sandwich shop. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
What languages is The Potter Trail Private Tour offered in?
The experience is available in EN.
Is this a private or a group tour?
It is a private experience: only your party takes part. Up to 15 travellers can book together.
Is the tour suitable for children?
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller Is the tour suitable for children under 7 years old?
Is the tour wheelchair accessible?
Wheelchair accessible
Reviews(2,542)
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
2
An absolutely magical experience and one of the highlights of our trip to Edinburgh!
Q
A Very Informative Magical Tour
It was very fun. Very informative. Our guide was amazing. My wife isn't an HP fan, but she still enjoyed the tour a lot.
A
10 points to Hufflepuff
Sam was an excellent tour guide and I loved getting to see all the places that inspired JK Rowling. The quizzes throughout and giving “points” to all the houses was really fun. I loved that the tour was free but we were able to tip our guide at the end, especially with a card reader as most international visitors, like myself, don’t carry cash. I highly recommend this tour to any Harry Potter fans or even someone who isn’t a fan!
1
Great little tour
The guide was great, and showed us interesting places, and gave great information.
A
Potter Trail
Alister was funny and knowledgeable!
J
Colin was awesome!
Whether you've only passively heard of Harry Potter, watched the movies, or read the books, this was an incredible tour. Colin was not only exceedingly knowledgeable about the Potter content, but the history and context of Edinburgh and it's influence on J.K. Rowling as well. I'm not sure there was a single question he couldn't answer, and he was entertaining and engaging throughout the tour. HIGHLY recommend this tour for anyone visiting Edinburgh (and if possible make sure you ask for Colin!).
D
Just splendid, for witches, wizards and muggles alike
Charlie was the perfect host and storyteller. I was astonished by how I did not feel like a complete idiot when we did spells in the streets of Edinburgh. And of course, I loved all the bits about Harry Potter knowledge I have never heard of before. Thank you so much for that experience! 🪄
S
Great experience
Really good experience with Steve
V
Marvelous experience for Harry Potter fan trail the lead in Edinburgh
Our guide is Austin(hope the spell is accurate, since the badge kept slapping his face). He is really a big fan of Harry Potter, and quite good at mock the character. So vivid and hilarious. The entire trip took about 90 minutes, from the greyfriar yard to Victoria street. Spoiler from Voldemort to Diagon alley. Name inspiration, sorting hat, traffic light spell, writer’s inspiration place. He held the same opinion as I did, dumbledore might be the combination of Richard Harris and Mike Gambon. It is just an appetite, it needs to be enjoyed by wondering on the street and listening to the story. Wish Austin will continue his podcasting. Finally, glad we have this masterpiece literature to nursing our free will, no matter you are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin.
E
Potter Tour
Amazing tour. Our guide Alistair was so funny, engaging and knowledgeable.
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from$108
5.0(2,542) Free cancellation