Edinburgh · CITY TOURS
The whole thing in one go: Old Town, New Town, the palace end and the views from the crags. The 15 below differ on whether you walk it, ride it or do both, with prices and running times.
See Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, and Holyrood on a flexible open-top bus tour with history commentary and free child places.
“Great value if you are only in Edinburgh for a short amount of time. It’s an informative tour and also takes you to some fantastic places.”
See Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace, and the Royal Mile on a flexible 24-hour bus tour with audio commentary and free child tickets.
“Great way to see the city! Travel to many spots of interest while listening to recorded tales of history about Edinburgh. All the staff were delightful and friendly and very welcoming. Get on, go to your local destination and get back on!!!”
Compare Edinburgh’s three hop-on hop-off routes, from the Royal Mile and castle to Britannia and the Botanic Garden.
“Fun, informative. Got to see many parts of city by 3 routes available”
Explore Edinburgh’s South Bridge Vaults and Covenanters’ Prison on a small-group ghost tour mixing history, humor, and spooky stories.
“Booked at last minute as many of the other tours were fully booked. Glad we went for this one; the guide was very funny and made the experience much more enjoyable. His knowledge of the local area was clearly quite vast and we were able to learn a lot along the way, as well as having plenty of laughs. A good opportunity to visit parts of Edinburgh you'd never normally get to see”
See Edinburgh Castle, Holyroodhouse, Leith, and Royal Yacht Britannia over 48 hours with open-top buses and multilingual commentary.
“We found the start point, Waterloo Place, easily. The guides in orange with their sign boards flapping were easily spotted & quick to help us to our tour bus. We sat updtairs in the covered area on the City Tour with great commentary, through the headphones, in several languages. Hopping off & then on to the next bus was efficient. Seeing so many amazing buildings, statues, skylines was impressive. Meeting like-minded travellers was great fun too. The Britannia Tour was fantastic, an early tea & scone in the on-board tea room with wonderful views across the Forth. Then the tour of the ship with hand-held commentary, the Queen's private quarters,…”
Explore Edinburgh’s dark South Bridge vaults on a 1-hour-20-minute guided tour with history, hauntings, and small-group atmosphere.
“A very well organized and entertaining tour. Heather did an amazing job portraying the history of Edinburgh and what it was like to live in the vaults”
Ride beyond Edinburgh’s center by e-bike or bicycle, from Union Canal and Arthur’s Seat to Portobello Beach and Leith.
“My wife and I had a great time - neither of us had spent much time on E-bikes - but our guide Ricky was very helpful in getting us all adjusted and comfortable prior to heading out. I would definitely recommend using the ebike - as there are sections going uphill where this comes in handy. Ricky was highly engaging and entertaining (with his little dog Lucy in tow) - and made for a great guide. Not easy I’m sure leading a dozen people of various skill levels through the streets of Edinburgh and then into more remote areas - but he manages to do it well and was a…”
Explore Edinburgh’s Greyfriars Kirkyard, dark closes, and the Mackenzie Poltergeist on a small, story-filled evening walking tour.
“We showed up and waited. They never did. There was no phone number to call. The returned my email the next day to let me know they had cancelled our tour. They never contacted me. I had to go back through Viator to get refunded. Would not recommend this company.”
Review of Edinburgh’s 48-hour Big Bus pass, covering the city center and Royal Yacht Britannia route, with stops, value, tips, and drawbacks.
“We have ridden hop on hop off buses in Edinburgh and Glasgow before. This bus didn't announce stops as they should along with large gaps in business times. We rode it to get to Dean village and got very limited information. I won't book this company again.”
Explore Edinburgh’s dark South Bridge Vaults, hear ghost stories, and face the South Bridge Entity on a small English-language tour.
“On March 19th, 2025, our small lovely group led by charismatic guide Joshua descended into the dark and mysterious vaults of old Edinburgh. I was rather sceptical - until Joshua started telling us his bone-chilling stories, in the complete darkness, illuminated only by the faint light of a lantern. I still get goosebumps when I remember that strange sensation of being in the presence of something dead and ghostly! The frightening reality of the past intertwined with horror. A brilliant and fascinating tour, played out like a small performance. Bravo, Joshua! For the first time in many years, I went to bed that night with the lights on!”
Walk Edinburgh’s Royal Mile with a local guide, hearing dark legends, literary tales, royal scandals, and stories of Greyfriars Bobby.
“Niamh was a Great Guide. She knew how to make the tour fun and informative. It was a great starter for our stay in Edinburgh. You definitely will feel more connected and understanding to the city signs and sites.”
Review of a private four-hour Edinburgh tour with hotel or port pickup, local guides, flexible sightseeing, and comfortable Mercedes transport.
“This was a nice tour for us as my husband was recovering from surgery and a walking tour would have been too difficult. We got to see a great deal of the city and our driver described the pertinent structures and historical significance. I wish we had the opportunity to drive up to the castle, but I might have misunderstood the description.”
See Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns, castle, Calton Hill, and Dean Village on a private four-hour black cab tour for up to four.
“Booked this tour in advance of traveling to Edinburgh and loved every minute as we learned so much about the city in just a few hours! Mr. Saf customized the adventure to places of interest and avoided the peak times at certain venues to make the most of our day! He was happy to snap as many pics as we wanted throughout the morning as well. Would definitely recommend this tour to others!”
See Edinburgh’s Old Town, St Giles’ Cathedral, and Edinburgh Castle on a private 90-minute tour with local tips.
“Fantastic time. Alice was an entertaining and insightful guide. Made for a great start to the trip. Highly recommend.”
See Edinburgh’s Royal Yacht Britannia, Holyroodhouse, and Edinburgh Castle on a port pickup tour with guide commentary and ship-safe timing.
“Tour guide Dave is very knowledgeable and kindly. He went above and beyond taking us to extra viewpoints. Driver Adam is assured us a very smooth ride. I’d recommend this tour.”
Pick a close, a glen or a counter.
