Top 15 Full-Day Tours in Edinburgh

1.Edinburgh Full Day Walking Tour with Castle Included -Small Group

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 676 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $112Our pick

Walk Edinburgh from Charlotte Square to Edinburgh Castle with a guide such as Ben, James, or Mark. See Georgian homes, Princes Street Gardens, the National Gallery, the Royal Mile, Greyfriars, and Victoria Street, then tour the castle. Expect hills, rain, and about five hours on foot.

“This tour is a must! Mark, our guide, was phenomenal! We got tons of historical info and fun facts. Mark made the experience that much better. Wear comfy shoes and bundle up!”

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2.Full-Day Highland Lochs Glens and Castles Tour from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 256 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $87

Spend 10 hours touring the Highlands from Edinburgh in a small group of up to 16. Visit Doune Castle, Loch Lubnaig, Kilchurn Castle, Inveraray, Rest and Be Thankful, and Luss, with lively guiding from names such as Kyle, Ron, Cameron, Fionn, and Jamie.

“Our guided tour to the Scottish Highlands with Glens and Castles with fantastic! We saw at least 4 castles from afar, and stopped to see 3 close-up. For an additional fee, one could go inside 2 of these: Duone and Inverary. The first was an empty, stone shell inside but rooms and stairs were still delineated. The second was lavishly furnished, as the Duke & Duchess of Argyll still visit there at times. Gary S, our guide and driver, made the entire trip fun and informative. He had an engaging style, great sense of humor, and played both traditional and contemporary Scottish music by artists many will recognize. The Highlands…”

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3.Full Day Scottish Highlands and Whisky Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 136 reviews · 9 hours · from $72

Spend nine hours with Highland Explorer Tours visiting the Kelpies, Glenturret Distillery, Dunkeld, and the Hermitage. Your English-speaking guide drives a small group through Highland scenery, while audio guides are available in six languages. Whisky tours and tasting are optional, so check your booking carefully.

“I was undecided whether to choose this or another tour, but luckily I chose this one because I had a wonderful day. The group was small and Steve, my guide and driver, was engaging throughout the tour. He shared with us many curious notions about Scotland, its history, and the places we were visiting - putting typical Scottish music as the background of the trip. I recommend to everyone the visit to the distillery with the final Whisky tasting because it was a really nice and interesting experience, and the Kelpies, Dunkeld and Hermitage visits were also very enjoyable. Steve at the end of the trip was kind enough to…”

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4.Oban, Lochs & Inveraray Full-Day Tour from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 97 reviews · 12 hours · from $74

Travel from Edinburgh through Glasgow to Loch Lomond, Luss, Loch Awe, Kilchurn Castle, Oban, and Inveraray. Your English-speaking guide, such as Keith, Hugh, Neil, or Cameron, handles the long drive while you enjoy Highland scenery, seafood, castle views, and Loch Fyne.

“Aileen was an excellent host and the trip was amazing in spite of the weather. In fact, the rains made the journey even more picturesque.”

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5.Kingdom of Fife & St Andrews Full-Day Guided Private Tour in a Premium Minivan

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 54 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $275

Travel from Edinburgh with a private guide such as Alexander, Sandy, Gary, or Hazel to South Queensferry, Falkland, St Andrews, Pittenweem, and Anstruther. You get hotel pickup, a Mercedes minivan, free water and snacks, and room to shape the day around golf, history, food, or seaside views.

“What a truly wonderful day. The best way to see St. Andrews and Fife. Started by meeting us at the hotel in a very nice van stocked with water/snack. Customized the day based on our interests and even added a stop back in Edinburgh. Had a wonderful lunch right at the Old Course which was a huge highlight for the golfers. So much better then a large group tour and perfect for our first full day there when we were still adjusting to the time change. Alexander took pictures of the entire day and then air dropped them to us at the completion of the tour. Alexander is a wonderful…”

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6.Full-Day Tour to the Scottish Highlands

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 44 reviews · 12 hours 30 minutes (approx.)

Travel from Edinburgh in a private, air-conditioned vehicle with a guide such as Davie, David, Dave, or Brian. Visit Stirling, Glencoe, Loch Ness, Fort Augustus, and Pitlochry, with time for Highland cows, viewpoints, lunch, and an optional boat cruise.

“Brian was both tour guide and bus driver. As a native Scotsman who has spent decades as both guide and vacationer, he had an insider’s perspective on the history, politics and culture of the highlands. Perfect weather added to a stellar day, touring Loch Ness, several beautiful towns and my favorite, a field of long haired highland cows. Brian’s humor and excellent selection of traditional and contemporary music created a joyful backdrop. Fantastic experience all around.”

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7.Stirling Castle and Loch Lomond Full-Day Private Tour in a Premium Minivan

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 36 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $342

Leave Edinburgh at 9 a.m. in a private, air-conditioned minivan with a kilt-wearing guide. Visit Stirling Castle, Doune Castle, Loch Lomond, South Queensferry, and scenic Trossachs viewpoints, with hotel, airport, or cruise-port pickup included.

“This private tour was just great! Ben, our guide and driver was polite, on time, knowledgeable, and wore a kilt. We went to places we wanted to be and the unexpected final stop to Falkland was just awesome!”

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8.Private Edinburgh Full Day Guided Tour in a Black Cab LEVC TX

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 26 reviews · 5 to 8 hours (approx.)

Ride through Edinburgh in a private LEVC TX black cab with a local guide such as Saf, Sean, Shaun, or Rocky. You’ll see Old Town, New Town, Arthur’s Seat, the Forth bridges, Dean Village, and Rosslyn Chapel, with pickup from hotels, stations, apartments, or the port.

“Rocky was a very knowledgeable and friendly guide. We covered a lot of sites in Edinburgh. We loved the Deane village, new town, old town, the grass market area, and royal palace. Loved being in a small group.”

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9.A taste of Scotland Full-Day Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 21 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.)

Spend 7 to 8 hours with a private driver-guide exploring the Forth Bridge, Linlithgow Palace, Stirling Castle, Bannockburn, the Kelpies, and the Wallace Monument. Pickup can be arranged from your hotel, airport, or port. Guides including Alex, Kenny, and Eric have tailored days to suit each group.

“Our group of 8 were booked with Chauffer Cars Scotland for a private full day shore excursion. The tour operator reached out via email approximately an hour before the tour stating that the driver had been in a car accident and they would have to cancel. I understand that accidents happen and I wished the driver our blessings. As advised we had pre-purchased tickets to Stirling Castle. Viator did refund our tour cost but we lost the cost of the castle tickets because we did not have transportation. I would expect a reputable tour company to be able to offer an alternative. I did reach out to the tour company…”

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10.Historic Edinburgh and Rosslyn Chapel Full-Day Private Tour in a Premium Minivan

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $343

Spend eight flexible hours with a private guide exploring Calton Hill, Edinburgh’s Georgian New Town, the medieval Old Town, Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, and Rosslyn Chapel. Guides such as Sandy, Laura, Ben, and Andy are known for lively storytelling and adapting the day to your interests.

“Our tour guide Rob was absolutely incredible. He told the history of each place in such a detailed and incredibly interesting way. He was genuine, funny, and very knowledgeable. The coach was luxurious and extremely comfortable. The locations were beautiful and so rich in history. I will be booking through this company in the future.”

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11.Full Day Tour to St Andrews, Dunfermline & the Fife Coast

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · 8 hours (approx.)

Start in Edinburgh at 9 a.m. for an eight-hour private tour of Dunfermline Abbey, St Andrews, and the Fife Coast. Your driver-guide, often Andy, handles the route in an air-conditioned vehicle for up to six people, with comfort breaks and time to explore.

“Andy of Edinburgh cab tours gave us a great tour that he customized to our requests. We saw everything that we wanted and more. Very easy going and knowledgeable and he knew all the unique out of the way places to get great photos. Overall an excellent guide that I would highly recommend! We will be using him again on our next trip to Scotland.”

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12.Full-Day Custom Tour: Loch Ness, Glencoe and Highlands

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 10 reviews · 12 hours

Travel in a private seven-seat Peugeot 5008 with an English- or Portuguese-speaking guide. From Edinburgh, you can stop at Doune Castle, Callander, Loch Tulla, Glencoe’s Three Sisters, and Fort Augustus on Loch Ness, shaping the day around your interests.

“Today was amazing - worth every penny. Got a true Highlands experience. Vanderson was really knowledgeable & had great spots for us to stop at. We spent as little or much time at each location as we wanted. Stopped at a few shops and had the best fish & chips. Can’t recommend this tour & tour company enough. Did another tour with them in Belfast & they are the best.”

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13.Full Day Tour of Edinburgh Including Lunch With A Local Expert

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $206

Spend 6 to 7 hours with local guide Rishi exploring Edinburgh on foot and by bus. See the Old Town, Dean Village, New Town, Calton Hill, and Portobello Beach, where a two-course Scottish lunch with a drink is included.

“Rishi was, simply put, a fantastic guide. He was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about Edinburgh, which made the tour that much more enjoyable. He answered all of our questions and shared a ton of information, taking his time to sRead more”

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14.Full Day Private Tour in West Highlands, Oban and Glencoe

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 9 hours 30 minutes (approx.)

Join guide Barney Norris for a 9.5-hour private drive from Edinburgh through the West Highlands. Stop at Loch Lubnaig, Kilchurn Castle, Oban, and Glencoe, with a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle, WiFi, bottled water, and plenty of Scottish history along the way.

“Barney was very knowledgeable and fun to spend the day with. We saw many beautiful sites to include a hidden waterfall. Stopped for lunch at Loch Ness. Great pub/restaurant. Whiskey tasting at Tomatin. We all had a grand time.”

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15.Inverness, Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle Full Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 9 reviews · from $67Best value

Leave Edinburgh at 7:30 a.m. for Bankfoot, Culloden Battlefield, Inverness, Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle, then return through Pitlochry. A driver-guide provides live commentary, while the optional £36 ticket covers both the castle and lake cruise. Italian guide Lorenzo may be available, but confirm your language group before departure.

“Very disappointing. Two tours were occurring at the same time in two different languages, which I think is highly unprofessional. We had to use headphones and our guide was whispering since she was next to the other guide, and I coRead more”

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