EDINBURGH · WALKING TOURS

The 15 Best Edinburgh Walking Tours

44 walks  ·  from $5 a head

The Old Town is a ridge with staircases down both sides, and most of its history happened underneath it. These 15 walks cover the closes, the vaults and the castle, priced, with the steep bits named.

Edinburgh: Harry Potter Magical Guided Walking Tour - Starting at the William Chambers Monument
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Edinburgh: Harry Potter Magical Guided Walking Tour

1.Harry Potter Magical Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 11,944 reviews · 2 hours · from $19Our pick

Spend two hours walking Edinburgh’s Old Town with a live guide such as Kieran, Jenny, Robbie, or Nadine. Visit Greyfriars Kirkyard, see Rowling’s golden handprints, sort into a Hogwarts House, and compete in a Harry Potter quiz. This tour covers inspiration, not film locations.

“It was really fun, I don’t know much about harry potter but Malek made it interesting. She was fun to have as a guide and she also implemented some history into the tour also.”

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Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket - Finding the meeting point beside St. Giles’ Cathedral
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Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket

2.Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 11,699 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $49

Meet your guide near St. Giles’ Cathedral and walk uphill to Edinburgh Castle for a 90-minute outdoor tour. Guides such as Jen, Joe, Valeria, Nick, and David bring the fortress to life with stories of Mary, Queen of Scots, sieges, and royal power. Entry is included, with time afterward to explore the buildings yourself.

“Valeria was a wonderful tour guide. Charming, interesting, and energetic. she presented history in such a lively way and kept the big group all engaged. We left feeling we'd learned so much about Edinburgh Castle and Scotland's past.”

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Underground Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh Old Town - Ghosts, witchcraft, and the stone circle
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Underground Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh Old Town

3.Underground Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh Old Town

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

Meet near Edinburgh Castle for a short Old Town walk before entering the South Bridge vaults. Guides such as James, Josh, Louisa, Kieran, and Aimee bring stories of poverty, crime, ghosts, and witchcraft to life. Expect a chilly, dim setting, uneven ground, tight spaces, and a steep entrance.

“Great tour that gives a great insight into the history of the vaults as well as being slightly spooky. We couldn't have asked for a better tour guide than Kieran. He was knowledgeable, entertaining, funny and friendly!”

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Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket - Finding the meeting point beside St. Giles’ Cathedral
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Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket

4.Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket

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

Meet near St Giles Cathedral for a 90-minute English tour of Edinburgh Castle. Guides such as Joe, Sonia, Raj, and Valeria explain Scotland’s royal and military past outdoors, then leave you free to enter the Royal Palace, Great Hall, museums, and prisons at your own pace.

“Joe was an outstanding guide! In spite of the weather, he pointed out fascinating historical features of the castle, bringing it to life. He has a delightful way about him.”

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Edinburgh Castle Guided Walking Tour in English - The walk uphill gives the castle a sense of place
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Edinburgh Castle Guided Walking Tour in English

5.Edinburgh Castle Guided Walking Tour in English

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

Meet your English-speaking guide by the Adam Smith statue on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, then walk uphill to Edinburgh Castle. Your guide explains Scottish history, royal characters, dungeons, Crown Jewels, and odd castle tales before leaving you to explore the buildings alone. Guides may include Koffe, Greg, Steph, Euan, Graeme, Ben, or Ian.

“What a fascinating tour of the castle! Our guide Steph is the best ever…she told us so much about Scottish history, and she made it alive with her story telling skills and passion about for her land and people.”

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Edinburgh Darkside Walking Tour: Mysteries, Murder and Legends - Calton Hill brings views and witch-trial history
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Edinburgh Darkside Walking Tour: Mysteries, Murder and Legends

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

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

Meet at 6:30 pm on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile for a two-hour walk through murder tales, witch trials, body snatchers, and haunted streets. Guides such as Niamh, Brian, James, and G have each earned praise for lively storytelling. Expect hills, outdoor stops, changing weather, and a final pub visit at your own expense.

“Niamh (Nieve) was such a fun time!! By far one of the most entertaining and engaging tour guides I’ve ever been had. Niamh remained respectful of the disturbing history yet added a component of humor and lightheartedness to keep things upbeat. Throughly enjoyed my birthday walk through Edinburgh’s dark history.”

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Edinburgh: Old Town History and Tales Walking Tour - Meeting the guide near the Adam Smith statue
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Edinburgh: Old Town History and Tales Walking Tour

7.Old Town History and Tales Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 2,361 reviews · 2 hours · from $24

Spend two hours walking Edinburgh’s UNESCO-listed Old Town with an English-speaking guide. Expect medieval streets, folklore, Scottish Enlightenment stories, Harry Potter connections, and stops near Mercat Cross, St. Giles Cathedral, and the Grassmarket. Guides such as Koffe, Max, Euan, Ben, and Graeme are known for lively storytelling and local tips.

“Mr G was very informative, friendly, and accommodating. We would absolutely recommend him. We would never have seen this city in such detail and short amount of time had we not have taken the tour. 5 stars!”

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Haunted Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh - Ghost stories, reported hauntings, and the limits of the scare factor
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Haunted Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh

8.Haunted Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh

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

Walk from the Royal Mile into Edinburgh’s underground vaults with a guide such as James, Louisa, Dom, or Aimee. Expect dark history, torture exhibits, steep stairs, ghost stories, and a compact one-hour visit. The tour is in English, capped at 36 people, and best for adults and older children comfortable with confined spaces.

“Our guide, Louisa was brilliant! She really made the experience enjoyable. We loved the “haunted” aspect of the tour. She was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining! A must do while in Edinburgh!”

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Old Town Walking Tour History and Tales in Edinburgh - Guides who make the difference
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Old Town Walking Tour History and Tales in Edinburgh

9.Old Town Walking Tour History and Tales in Edinburgh

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

Walk Edinburgh’s UNESCO-listed Old Town with a local guide for about two hours. You’ll see St Giles Cathedral, Mercat Cross, George Heriot School, and Edinburgh Castle from outside while hearing lively tales of Scottish history. Guides such as Max, Greg, Angus, Jule, and Ben bring their own stories and humor. Comfortable shoes and weather-ready clothing are essential.

“A very nice Edinburgh Old Town tour. I learned a lot, and Max guided us in a clear and engaging manner.”

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The Mountebank Comedy Walk of Edinburgh - The Royal Mile and Mercat Cross
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The Mountebank Comedy Walk of Edinburgh

10.The Mountebank Comedy Walk of Edinburgh

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

Join Scots comedian and historian Daniel Downie for a two-hour walk through Edinburgh’s Old Town. Starting at Monkey Barrel Comedy, you’ll learn Scottish slang, hear sharp jokes and dark local stories, and visit the Royal Mile, St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh Castle, Grassmarket, and Greyfriars Kirkyard. Daniel’s dog Brahan may join the walk.

“We had a blast with Daniel. We learned a lot and laughed even more. A highlight of our trip for sure. Don’t hesitate, just try it.”

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Haunted Vaults and Graveyard Walking Tour in Edinburgh - Greyfriars Graveyard in the dark
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Haunted Vaults and Graveyard Walking Tour in Edinburgh

11.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, Jordan, Diva, Darren, and Brendan, visiting Greyfriars Graveyard and the South Bridge Vaults. Expect local history, tales of death and haunting, damp underground rooms, and plenty of humor rather than theatrical jump scares. The 90-minute tour suits adults, horror fans, and true-crime buffs.

“Did tour in the dark, only light used was a flashlight and your own phone light. Great stories, no jump scares, and our tour guide, Darren, was kind and funny. This tour was not theatrical but it would’ve been cool to see the guide dressed in something other than regular clothes to set the tone. The vaults and graveyard stories were interesting and one story easily led into the other. The night of the tour, I woke at 3am, to a skinny man with grey hair standing at the edge of my bed. I’ve had “the hag” before and it reminded me a lot of the same experience, but I…”

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Edinburgh: Dark Secrets of the Old Town Ghost Walking Tour - Canongate Kirkyard and the city’s old burial grounds
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Edinburgh: Dark Secrets of the Old Town Ghost Walking Tour

12.Dark Secrets of the Old Town Ghost Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,671 reviews · 2 hours · from $24

Walk Edinburgh’s Old Town with guides such as Sonia, Jen, Tommy, Gavin, and Nick, hearing stories of witch trials, the Black Death, Burke and Hare, Scottish faeries, and graveyard legends. The two-hour route visits Canongate Kirkyard and Old Calton Cemetery, with English, German, and French tours available.

“it was amazing, really interesting our tour guide was called Ignas, he was brilliant, full of some amazing history and facts, and was very funny too! Overall a brilliant experience”

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Edinburgh: Harry Potter Walking Tour - Starting on the Royal Mile
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Edinburgh: Harry Potter Walking Tour

13.Harry Potter Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,646 reviews · 2 hours · from $24

Walk Edinburgh’s Old Town with an English-speaking guide such as Sarah, Australian David, Kristel, or Ryan. In two hours, connect Victoria Street with Diagon Alley, explore Greyfriars Kirkyard, learn about Hogwarts and Rowling’s writing places, and add Scottish history, trivia, and a house quiz to the Potter lore.

“Kristel was so wonderful and charming. She knew so many facts about HP that really made the tour wonderful”

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Royal Mile and Old Town Walking Tour - Grassmarket, George Heriot’s School, and the city’s rougher past
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Royal Mile and Old Town Walking Tour

14.Royal Mile and Old Town Walking Tour

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

Walk from Usher Hall through Edinburgh Castle viewpoints, Grassmarket, historic closes, St Giles’ Cathedral, and the Royal Mile to the Scott Monument. English-speaking guides include Stuart Usher, Fiona, David Forsyth, and Dr Alison Duncan. Expect three hours of stories, cobbles, modest hills, and a maximum group of 12.

“Stuart was very knowledgeable and had a good sense of humor. Good walking tour that wasn't too strenuous for an older family member.”

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Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle - Small Group Walking Tour - Parliament Square and the city behind the grand fronts
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Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle – Small Group Walking Tour

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

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

Meet your guide at Mercat Cross for a 2-hour-15-minute walk through Edinburgh’s Old Town, including St. Giles Cathedral, Parliament Square, John Knox House, Castlehill, and Edinburgh Castle. Guides such as Craig, Linda, Nicola, Marina, and Mally mix sharp historical detail with humor. The group can reach 18 people, and the castle entry option includes a 45-minute introduction.

“Tour was time well spent. Guide was the perfect mix of entertaining and informative. Have already recommended tour to friends.”

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New in Edinburgh Walking Tours

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