Category Edinburgh City Walking & History Tours

Edinburgh rewards a guide who can explain the change from medieval Old Town to planned New Town without losing the smaller stories. Compare walking distance, language, entry stops and how much of the route stays on the steep ridge.

Edinburgh · EDINBURGH CITY WALKING & HISTORY TOURS

The 12 Best Edinburgh City Walking & History Tours

12 reviewed

Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket

Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket - Esplanade time: getting the big picture before you enter

1.Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket

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

Guided Edinburgh Castle walking tour with entry ticket. Great Hall, Royal Palace, and Castle Rock views in about 1.5 hours.

“overall amazing experience. walking until we arrived at the castle, learning of it's and Scotland history! after the guide ended we were left to explor the castle. a must go!”

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Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket

Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket - Esplanade time: getting the big picture before you enter

Edinburgh Castle Guided Walking Tour in English

Edinburgh Castle Guided Walking Tour in English - Meeting on the Royal Mile, where the tour actually starts

3.Edinburgh Castle Guided Walking Tour in English

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

Skip-the-line Edinburgh Castle tour from the Royal Mile. 90 minutes with a local guide, then explore dungeons and Crown Jewels.

“Eowan was a fabulous tour guide. He kept my teenagers (usually never impressed) interested and my history loving husband interested as well. He had great advice about maximizing our time at the castle (it was really cold so my teenagers were only good for so long). Tour was the perfect length of time, with time to explore on our own.”

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Edinburgh Old Town: Historical Guided Walking Tour

Edinburgh Old Town: Historical Guided Walking Tour - Meeting Point on High Street, Then Right Into the Story

4.Edinburgh Old Town: Historical Guided Walking Tour

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

A 2-hour guided walk through Edinburgh’s Old Town with a professional guide, hitting major history spots and ending at Greyfriars.

“Urs war super, unterhaltsam, gut auf die Gruppe acht gegeben. Weiß absolut Bescheid! Keine absolute mainstream Geschichte, achtet auf Details.”

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Edinburgh: 3-Hour Guided Walking Tour

Edinburgh: 3-Hour Guided Walking Tour - Usher Hall meeting, then you start reading the streets

5.3-Hour Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 773 reviews · 3 hours · from $47

3-hour guided walk of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile and Grassmarket, with views of the Castle and St Giles, plus a Writers’ Museum stop.

“Aleister was an amazing guide with impeccable taste in storytelling. 3 hours passed in a blink of an eye and things we learned completely changed our view of Edinburgh and Scotland. I cannot praise enough his selection of tales and next-level humor he puts into them. Thank you once again for breathtaking stories and eye opening moments.”

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Edinburgh: 3-Hour Historical Walking Tour in Italian

Edinburgh: 3-Hour Historical Walking Tour in Italian - Planning Your 3-Hour Walk: Shoes, Pace, and the Meeting Point

6.3-Hour Historical Walking Tour in Italian

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

A 3-hour Italian guided walk through Edinburgh Old Town, from the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle and Greyfriars Kirkyard.

“Dominga la nostra guida è stata favolosa un entusiasmo contagioso che ha trasmesso in maniera eccellente durante tutto il tour. Si percepisce fortemente il suo amore per questo lavoro e la passione per questa città.. unico punto che mi sarei aspettata e che mi piacerebbe forse che fosse migliorato è un tour un pochettino più guidato nel senso un po’ più di passeggiata a piedi☺️ Ma Lo rifarei assolutamente e lo consiglio”

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Edinburgh: Old Town History Walking Tour

Edinburgh: Old Town History Walking Tour - St Giles Cathedral to the Royal Mile: where the story starts making sense

7.Old Town History Walking Tour

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

A 2-hour Edinburgh Old Town walking tour with top guides, St Giles, the Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle views, and Greyfriars Bobby plus Harry Potter lore.

“Melanie was full of energy and enthusiasm, and truly made us enjoy every bit of Edinburgh’s history.”

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Edinburgh: Immersive Old Town Historical Walking Tour

Edinburgh: Immersive Old Town Historical Walking Tour - Where you start on the Royal Mile (and why timing matters)

8.Immersive Old Town Historical Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 286 reviews · from $36

A 90-minute Old Town walk that brings Edinburgh’s Royal Mile to life with clear headsets and expert storytelling at historic stops.

“The best guide I have every had. She made everything exciting with a through knowledge of the history of Edinburgh. Lots of interesting stories. I look forward to coming back again. Amazing, Wonderful lady. Thank you”

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Guided Edinburgh Private Walking Tour

Guided Edinburgh Private Walking Tour - Old Town closes and wynds: the part you can’t fake on your own

9.Guided Edinburgh Private Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 269 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $436

Private 3.5-hour Edinburgh walking tour with Castle exteriors, Old Town closes, St Giles Cathedral, and optional interior visits.

“We recently enjoyed a private walking tour in Edinburgh, and it was an exceptional experience! Our tour guide was incredibly friendly and informative, making the exploration of this historic city both engaging and educational. . We visited iconic landmarks like Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace, and St. Giles' Cathedral, and the guide’s captivating stories about figures like Mary, Queen of Scots and Sir Walter Scott brought the city’s past to life. What made the tour truly special was the personalized attention. Our guide was attentive to our interests, allowing us to explore areas at our own pace and delve deeper into topics that intrigued us. This flexibility, combined with the guide's…”

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Edinburgh: Pubs & History Walking Tour with Beer Tasting

Edinburgh: Pubs & History Walking Tour with Beer Tasting - Old Town opening stop, then Canongate’s brewing heritage

Edinburgh: Pubs and History Guided Walking Tour with Beer

Edinburgh: Pubs and History Guided Walking Tour with Beer - Start at 26 St Giles St, then let the walking set the rhythm

11.Pubs and History Guided Walking Tour with Beer

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 254 reviews · 2 hours · from $62

Walk Edinburgh’s Old Town with beer experts. Taste Scottish brews at three pubs, learn how beer shaped the city, and finish smart.

“Very enjoyable, Dylan our tour guide was great and really tailored the experience to suit us. It was the perfect combination of history and beer! Met some lovely fellow travellers and discovered lots of new and exciting beers :-)”

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Edinburgh: 3-Hour Historical Walking Tour in Spanish

Edinburgh: 3-Hour Historical Walking Tour in Spanish - Mary Queen of Scots and the Scottish Enlightenment, Without the Textbook Vibe

Edinburgh Private Walking Tour

Edinburgh: Private Walking Tour - Stories of the famous and the infamous, not just dates

13.Edinburgh Private Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 91 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $104

Private 2.5-hour Edinburgh Old Town walk from St Giles, with a guide, royal stories, Harry Potter sights, and local food picks.

“We had an exceptional experience with David! He worked to ensure the tour was targeted to the things we wanted to see and spent ample time at each stop explaining the history and significance with our two teenage boys. I would highly recommend a tour!”

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Edinburgh: Old Town Stories – Guided Walking Tour

Edinburgh: Old Town Stories - Guided Walking Tour - Two hours of walking, but it feels more like guided wandering

14.Old Town Stories – Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 86 reviews · 2 hours · from $20

Old Town Edinburgh guided walking tour with an expert local guide, famous landmarks, and a 16th-century kirkyard. 2 hours, $20.

“This tour was very interesting, I absolutely recommend it! I learned a lot and I had a lot of fun! The guide, James, was very good at telling and explaining all the stories and history, even added many side stories. English isn't my first language and he took the time to explain things again when I didn't understand. A great tour made even better by a great guide, thank you so much!”

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Edinburgh: Dean Village Circus Lane Walking Tour with a Local

Edinburgh: Dean Village Circus Lane Walking Tour with a Local - Stop 3: Scott Monument, the gothic rocketship and what to expect

15.Dean Village Circus Lane Walking Tour with a Local

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 83 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $24

Two-hour small-group walk from Dean Village to Stockbridge, with Water of Leith wildlife, Scott Monument sights, and New Town architecture.

“David was an excellent and friendly guide! Would recommend this tour, plus his Arthur's Seat hike! Loved the pretty architecture, peaceful river and loads of history! Well worth getting rained on nearly every day! Thank youuuu”

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