Edinburgh · WALKING TOURS

The 15 Best Walking Tours in Edinburgh

35 tours  ·  from $5

This is a walking city with a hill in the middle of it. The 15 below cover the Royal Mile, the New Town and the graveyards, priced by length, with a note on the cobbles and the gradients.

Underground Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh Old Town - Entering the South Bridge vaults
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Underground Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh Old Town

1.Underground Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh Old Town

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 8,506 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $33Our pick

Spend about an hour with an English-speaking guide exploring Edinburgh’s South Bridge vaults. Guides such as Josh, Louisa, Kieran, James, and Aimee mix Old Town history with tales of crime, hardship, witchcraft, and ghost sightings. Expect some above-ground walking, dark passageways, uneven footing, and a steep entrance.

“Nice tour , our guide was interesting and gave us an insight into Edinburghs dark past . Can recommend”

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Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket - Mary Queen of Scots and the Great Hall
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Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket

2.Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5,540 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $51Top rated

Join guides such as Joe, Raj, Sonia, or Valeria for a 90-minute outdoor tour inside Edinburgh Castle. Hear sharp Scottish history, see Mary Queen of Scots’ palace and the Great Hall, then explore museums, prisons, and other buildings on your own.

“Absolutely great experience. Definitely worth the price. Sonia was our guide and she did an amazing job. My whole family loved it including my two teenage boys.”

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Edinburgh Castle Guided Walking Tour in English - Using skip-the-line entry at Edinburgh Castle
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Edinburgh Castle Guided Walking Tour in English

3.Edinburgh Castle Guided Walking Tour in English

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5,214 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $52

Meet near the Adam Smith statue on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile for a 90-minute English walking tour to Edinburgh Castle. Guides such as Koffe, Greg, Steph, Euan, and Graeme bring Scottish stories to life, then leave you free to explore the castle buildings on your own.

“Very knowledgable guide. Lots to see and do. Value for money. Worthwhile visit. Wrap up warm as the wind makes it very cold.”

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Edinburgh Darkside Walking Tour: Mysteries, Murder and Legends - Old Calton Burial Ground or Canongate Kirkyard
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Edinburgh Darkside Walking Tour: Mysteries, Murder and Legends

4.Edinburgh Darkside Walking Tour: Mysteries, Murder and Legends

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,862 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $29

Meet your English-speaking guide at 6:30 pm on the Royal Mile for a two-hour walk through Edinburgh’s dark past. Hear tales of Burke and Hare, witch trials, executions, and hauntings while visiting Calton Hill and a historic cemetery, then finish at a pub near the Royal Mile.

“We booked this on the spur of the moment and had a great time! G is exceptionally well-versed in this subject so if you have questions he has the answers. It is a lot of standing and a fair few hills (fine with us but you may have different feelings). Ten out of ten, would recommend.”

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Haunted Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh - What the best guides add
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Haunted Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh

5.Haunted Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,183 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $33

Meet your guide on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, walk to the vault entrance, then explore underground rooms and a torture exhibit. Guides such as James, Louisa, Dom, and Aimee mix dark history, ghost stories, humor, and time for questions. Expect steep stairs, tight spaces, and an English-language tour.

“The stories are a little gruesome but fascinating! Our guide Luisa was great and we loved how she allowed a lot of time for questions.”

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Old Town Walking Tour History and Tales in Edinburgh - Mercat Cross and stories of public Edinburgh
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Old Town Walking Tour History and Tales in Edinburgh

6.Old Town Walking Tour History and Tales in Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,168 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $24Best value

Walk Edinburgh’s UNESCO-listed Old Town with guides such as Max, Greg, Ben, Angus, and Jule. Expect stories, jokes, historic landmarks, back alleys, and useful food tips. The gentle two-hour route suits first-time visitors, though the exact path and pace vary by guide.

“Jule was a great story teller and showed lots of places of interest! Its been a great experience and would have given a 5-star rating if she was Scottish, speaking Scottish. Its a personal thing and not against Jule, again I think she did great and derserves 5 stars! When signing up it would help setting the expectation if the tour guide is a Scottish native or not.”

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The Mountebank Comedy Walk of Edinburgh - Monkey Barrel Comedy and Scottish words
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The Mountebank Comedy Walk of Edinburgh

7.The Mountebank Comedy Walk of Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,813 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $36

Join comedian and Scottish history graduate Daniel Downie for a two-hour walk through Edinburgh’s Old Town. Expect sharp jokes, colorful stories, a kilted guide, and his dog Brahan. You’ll see the Royal Mile, St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh Castle, Grassmarket, and Greyfriars Kirkyard.

“This was our very first excursion in our time in Edinburgh. Our guide was absolutely hilarious, he made it so much fun to learn about the history of the city and really got us excited to know more.”

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Haunted Vaults and Graveyard Walking Tour in Edinburgh - Walking the Old Town Between the Two Stops
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Haunted Vaults and Graveyard Walking Tour in Edinburgh

8.Haunted Vaults and Graveyard Walking Tour in Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,702 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $36

Walk Edinburgh after dark with guides such as James, Diva, Jordan, Darren, or Brendan, visiting Greyfriars Graveyard and the South Bridge Vaults. Expect a lively mix of burial history, torture, death, paranormal tales, and local stories rather than a theatrical jump-scare show.

“It was really good and interesting and the tour guide who’s name was Darren was really good at telling the stories of the graveyard and vaults had a great time”

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Royal Mile and Old Town Walking Tour - Edinburgh Castle from the outside
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Royal Mile and Old Town Walking Tour

9.Royal Mile and Old Town Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,596 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $48

This three-hour small-group walk links Edinburgh Castle, Grassmarket, St Giles’ Cathedral, hidden courts, literary sites, and the Scott Monument. Guides such as Fiona, Stuart Usher, David Forsyth, and Dr Alison Duncan bring history, architecture, and local stories to life. Expect cobbles, some stairs, and a maximum of 12 people.

“Our guide was an excellent tour guide; knowledgeable, entertaining, and succinct. He had many stories to tell that made the history learning so much easier and more fun..”

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Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle - Small Group Walking Tour - Parliament Square and John Knox House
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Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle – Small Group Walking Tour

10.Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle – Small Group Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,523 reviews · 2 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $70

Walk from Mercat Cross to Edinburgh Castle with guides such as Craig, Linda, Nicola, or Marina, hearing stories of reform, royalty, and rebellion. The roughly 2-hour-15-minute tour includes steep cobbles, castle entry with the selected option, and free time inside afterward.

“Nicola was wonderful. She told the history with passion and she was funny. Weather was not the best but we made it through. Explored the castle on our own after the tour.”

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Edinburgh Skip-the-Ticket-Line Castle Walking Tour - Crown Square and the castle’s main story
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Edinburgh Skip-the-Ticket-Line Castle Walking Tour

11.Edinburgh Skip-the-Ticket-Line Castle Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,283 reviews · from $51

Meet your guide on the Royal Mile at 2pm, bypass the castle entry queue, and spend about 90 minutes hearing stories of Edinburgh’s fortress. Guides such as Alisdair add humor and local detail. Afterward, stay inside until closing to see the Crown Jewels, war museum, chapel, and more at your own pace.

“Alasdair was our tour guide for the day. He was extremely knowledgeable and even had some funny jokes. He is a great guy. Edinburgh castle was very interesting and a very nice place. If in Edinburgh you should make a point to see the castle.”

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Edinburgh Old Town: Historical Guided Walking Tour - Medieval Stories and Modern Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Old Town: Historical Guided Walking Tour

12.Edinburgh Old Town: Historical Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,016 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $24

Meet your guide at 351 High Street for a two-hour walk through Edinburgh’s historic center, ending at Greyfriars Kirkyard. Expect stories from medieval to modern times, local tips, and an English or possibly French-speaking guide. Gavin and Urs have led particularly memorable outings.

“German tour with Urs was full of historical places, explanations and fun. The best tour during our stay.”

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Edinburgh Castle & Royal Mile Walking Tour - Ticket Included - Mercat Cross and the closes
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Edinburgh Castle & Royal Mile Walking Tour – Ticket Included

13.Edinburgh Castle & Royal Mile Walking Tour – Ticket Included

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 894 reviews · 2 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $65

Start on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile with guides such as James, Paul, Mark, or Zenon, then follow closes, St. Giles’ Cathedral, Victoria Street, and the Grassmarket to Edinburgh Castle. Your guide leads the castle grounds and history, then you explore its museums and buildings at your own pace.

“Paul was a fantastic tour guide. He had terrific knowledge of Edinburgh's history and presented it with a lot of fun, humour and energy. We'd highly recommend him.”

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Edinburgh Full Day Walking Tour with Castle Included -Small Group - Princes Street Gardens and the National Gallery
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Edinburgh Full Day Walking Tour with Castle Included -Small Group

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

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

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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Edinburgh: Witches & Haunted History Walking Tour - The Royal Mile and the North Berwick Witches
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Edinburgh: Witches & Haunted History Walking Tour

15.Witches & Haunted History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 632 reviews · 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $24

Follow an English-speaking guide such as Juniper, Hazel, or Angelica from St Giles’ Cathedral to Grassmarket. Hear stories of witch trials, warlocks, Mary Queen of Scots, and Half-Hangit Maggie while walking Edinburgh’s steep, cobbled Old Town.

“In spite of the rain was a nice tour. We were running late with our Uber and got a quick response in how to handle delay. The guide was amazing with her theatrics! In spite of her trying so hard to speak to everyone her mic couldn’t keep up. All in all was a fun tour.”

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Edinburgh Old Town Walking Tours19Edinburgh Castle Tours7City Tours12Historical Tours13
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Explore Edinburgh

Pick a close, a glen or a still room.

The Old Town

Old Town WalksCastle TicketsThe VaultsHistory ToursWalking Tours

After dark

Ghost WalksPotter TrailsOutlanderPub CrawlsStreet Games

Whisky and food

Whisky TastingsDistillery DaysGin DistilleriesFood ToursScottish Dinners

Out of the city

Highland Day TripsLoch NessIsle of SkyeCastle DaysSt Andrews & Fife