The 15 Best History Tours in Edinburgh

Edinburgh: Edinburgh Castle Guided History Tour with Tickets - Castle Rock and the 80-minute guided route

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 7,747 reviews · from $50Our pick

Tour Edinburgh Castle with an entertaining local guide, see royal halls and military sites, then explore the fortress museums at your own pace.

“Ben was our guide and he was excellent. Gave lots of information and history involved the group and added humour. The tour of the castle was very interesting and we were able to look round at our leisure once the tour had finished. Highly recommend”

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Food & Drink, Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Whisky Tours & Tastings

Edinburgh: Whisky Tasting with History and Storytelling

2.Whisky Tasting with History and Storytelling

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 2,451 reviews · 2 hours · from $24

Taste four Scottish single malts in an intimate Edinburgh lounge while folklore, whisky history, and live storytelling bring Scotland to life.

“Our guide Coffy was amazing! He knew so much about Scotland’s history and whisky. He was very funny and charismatic and he made sure to make the experience very memorable for me and my partner. I couldn’t recommend him enough.”

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Historical Tours, Old Town & Royal Mile Walking Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Edinburgh: Old Town History and Tales Walking Tour

3.Old Town History and Tales Walking Tour

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

Walk Edinburgh’s Old Town with a lively English-speaking guide, uncovering medieval tales, landmarks, folklore, Enlightenment ideas, and Potter connections.

“Friendly and knowledgable host. Very good tour, would recommend.”

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Historical Tours, Old Town & Royal Mile Walking Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Old Town Walking Tour History and Tales in Edinburgh

4.Old Town Walking Tour History and Tales in Edinburgh

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

Explore Edinburgh’s Old Town with a lively guide, tracing closes, cathedral, castle views, and Scottish tales in a useful two-hour walk.

“excellent guide. we made it through a bitter cold day and late afternoon. Looking forward to a return - in warm weather!!”

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Historical Tours, Old Town & Royal Mile Walking Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Edinburgh: Old Town and Underground Historical Tour

5.Old Town and Underground Historical Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,802 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $27

Explore Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, hidden closes, and 400-year-old underground vaults with a lively local historian in 90 minutes.

“I liked the guide and the interesting history of Edinburgh”

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Historical Tours, Old Town & Royal Mile Walking Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Old Town Historical and Underground Tour

6.Old Town Historical and Underground Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,574 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $27

Explore Edinburgh’s Old Town, Canongate Kirkyard, and South Bridge vaults with a lively guide on this relaxed 90-minute history tour.

“Emilee was great, such an amazing storyteller with a vast amount of knowledge. She was our favorite guide so far.”

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Ghost Tours & the Underground Vaults, Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Multi-Sensory Small-Group Historic Vaults Tour in Edinburgh

7.Multi-Sensory Small-Group Historic Vaults Tour in Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,384 reviews · 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $37

Explore Edinburgh’s Blair Street Vaults with a small group, vivid storytelling, dark history, and practical tips for this atmospheric 75-minute tour.

“Excellent Very informative. Lots of history Wouldn’t recommend for small children because of the darkness”

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Ghost Tours & the Underground Vaults, Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Edinburgh: Witches & Haunted History Walking Tour

8.Witches & Haunted History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,290 reviews · 1h 15m · from $24

Explore Edinburgh’s Old Town with a costumed guide, hearing witch trial stories, haunted tales, and dark history from Royal Mile to Grassmarket.

“Hazel was an excellent tour guide. Her knowledge was fantastic and we learned some great facts about Edinburgh’s dark witch history. Well worth doing if you’re visiting”

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Guided, Historical Tours, Old Town & Royal Mile Walking Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Edinburgh Old Town: Historical Guided Walking Tour

9.Edinburgh Old Town: Historical Guided Walking Tour

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

Walk Edinburgh’s Old Town with a guide, uncover medieval stories, spot lesser-known details, and finish at Greyfriars Kirkyard.

“Very informative. Now I see the city with different eyes. History and places were a good match. There were also many tips.Auto-translated”

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Historical Tours, Tour Reviews

Edinburgh – Dark History

10.Dark History

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 814 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $22

Explore Edinburgh’s darker past on a two-hour Royal Mile walk covering executions, plague, body snatching, graves, and grim city tales.

“Kieran was a wonderful guide. Our tour was informative and entertaining. Would definitely recommend.”

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3-Hour Experiences, Historical Tours, Italian-Language Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Edinburgh: 3-Hour Historical Walking Tour in Italian

11.3-Hour Historical Walking Tour in Italian

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 734 reviews · 3 hours · from $20Best value

Explore Edinburgh Old Town in Italian, from the Royal Mile and Castle to Greyfriars Kirkyard, with history, legends, and city views.

“La nostra guida Alessandra è stata cordiale e disponibile! Tour interessante! Consigliato!”

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Ghost Tours & the Underground Vaults, Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Edinburgh: Witches & Haunted History Walking Tour

12.Witches & Haunted History Walking Tour

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

Explore Edinburgh’s witch trials and darker past on a lively Royal Mile walk with theatrical guides, historic sites, and tales of justice and superstition.

“Excellent! Very detailed tour. The guide is very clear and very kind of her to wait for all to gather before moving on to the next. Especially when crossing the busy street.”

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Ghost Tours & the Underground Vaults, Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Edinburgh: Immersive Small-Group Historic Vaults Tour

13.Immersive Small-Group Historic Vaults Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 562 reviews · from $34

Descend into Edinburgh’s Blair Street Vaults for a 75-minute guided tour with artifacts, stories, a museum, and exclusive underground access.

“Great tour! The guide gave us a nice tour with a good explanation”

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Historical Tours, Old Town & Royal Mile Walking Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Edinburgh: Old Town History Walking Tour

14.Old Town History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 528 reviews · 2 hours · from $24

Walk Edinburgh’s Old Town for two hours with a lively guide, from St. Giles’ Cathedral and the Royal Mile to Greyfriars and Harry Potter lore.

“Very nice guide. Thanks Ignace. Very interesting stories. Well done.”

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Historical Tours, St Andrews & Fife Day Trips, Tour Reviews, Tours

St Andrews: Golf Origins and Old Course History Tour

15.Golf Origins and Old Course History Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 322 reviews · 1h 15m · from $20

Walk St Andrews’ Old Course with a local golf historian, hear the game’s true origins, cross the 1st and 18th fairways, and pose on Swilcan Bridge.

“Excellent tour about not only the history of golf but the town. Friendly and knowledgeable the guide took in the sites of the course, the history of the game and surrounding area. I never knew how undulating the 18th fairway was and why the 1st completely flat. Brilliant tour, even the bitter cold did not ruin the experience 10/10”

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