Scotland · CITY TOURS IN EDINBURGH

Top 15 City Tours in Edinburgh

29 tours  ·  from $9

This is the shortlist you would hand a friend: 15 city tours in Edinburgh worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.

City Sightseeing Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour + Kids Go Free - Nicolson Square to George IV Bridge: Old Town access
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City Sightseeing Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour + Kids Go Free

1.City Sightseeing Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour + Kids Go Free

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,683 reviews · 1 hour 10 minutes (approx.) · from $24Our pick

Ride Edinburgh’s open-top double-decker bus past the castle, Royal Mile, Holyrood Palace, Parliament, and Arthur’s Seat views. Use recorded commentary in nine languages, hop off at 15 stops, and rejoin buses about every 20 minutes. Up to three children travel free with each full-paying adult until March 31, 2026.

“Very slow and lack any real information. Lots of accordion music Lots of sitting at bus stops and would not have purchased. I have done many of these and this tour is one of the worst”

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City of the Dead: The Double Dead Tour - Walking toward Greyfriars Kirkyard
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City of the Dead: The Double Dead Tour

2.City of the Dead: The Double Dead Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 900 reviews · 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.) · from $31Top rated

Walk from St Giles’ Cathedral to Edinburgh’s South Bridge Vaults and Greyfriars Kirkyard, hearing dark history, paranormal tales, and jokes from guides such as Ben, Nat, Ian, and Grant. The English-language tour lasts about 1 hour 45 minutes, includes restricted graveyard access, and suits ages 12 and up.

“Fun walking tour with lots if good stories and interesting hostiry. Not cheesy. Loved the vaults and exclusive access to the Covenanters Prison.”

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Underground City of the Dead Tour - What happens during the 80-minute visit
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Underground City of the Dead Tour

3.Underground City of the Dead Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 272 reviews · 1 hour 20 minutes (approx.) · from $27

Go beneath Edinburgh with an English-speaking guide for 80 minutes in the South Bridge Vaults and Damnation Alley. You’ll hear how people once lived in misery below the city and learn about the feared South Bridge Entity. Guides including Ben, Beth, Rebecca, Lloyd, and Heather lead daytime and nighttime departures for groups of up to five.

“Lloyd effectively brought to light the truly macabre nature of life in the underground vaults of Edinburgh”

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Edinburgh City Bike Tour - Choice of E-Bike or Manual - Bruntsfield Links and the Meadows
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Edinburgh City Bike Tour – Choice of E-Bike or Manual

4.Edinburgh City Bike Tour – Choice of E-Bike or Manual

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 241 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $87

Ride beyond central Edinburgh with guides Ricky, Stuart, or Ricardo on a small-group route linking the Union Canal, Meadows, Arthur’s Seat, Portobello Beach, Leith, and the Water of Leith. Choose a manual bike or e-bike, with helmets, gloves, rain jackets, and panniers available. Expect hills, traffic, parks, coastline, and about 13 to 14.5 miles of riding.

“Our guides Ricky and Robbie were great despite the miserable rainy weather. It was a group of 12 so it was hard to hear him. We also had to take an alternate route due to the weather. We enjoyed it!”

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City of the Dead Haunted Graveyard Tour - Walking through Edinburgh’s closes and alleyways
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City of the Dead Haunted Graveyard Tour

5.City of the Dead Haunted Graveyard Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 225 reviews · 1 hour 20 minutes (approx.) · from $27

Meet at St Giles’ Cathedral for an English-language walking tour through Edinburgh’s closes and alleyways to Greyfriars Kirkyard. Your guide may be Ross, Gerry, or Grant, each with a different storytelling style. The tour ends inside the locked Covenantor’s Prison, linked to the Mackenzie Poltergeist.

“Highly enjoyed ourselves. It was really interesting to hear the history of the graveyard. Our tour guide grant was extremely entertaining. Would definitely recommend!”

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Big Bus Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off City and Britannia Bus Tour - The Britannia route through Leith
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Big Bus Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off City and Britannia Bus Tour

6.Big Bus Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off City and Britannia Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 172 reviews · 1 hour 10 minutes (approx.) · from $34

Use one mobile ticket for 48 hours of unlimited hop-on hop-off travel around Edinburgh. The city route links the Old Town, Holyrood, museums, and major viewpoints, while the Britannia route reaches Leith and the Royal Yacht Britannia. Audio comes in nine languages, and staff such as Paul have been praised for friendly help. Attraction admission is separate.

“The actual tour was fine. However, there was confusion on where to pick up the tour...much more walking to get there than expected.”

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City of the Dead Underground Vaults (Day) - What the 80-minute itinerary feels like
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City of the Dead Underground Vaults (Day)

7.City of the Dead Underground Vaults (Day)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 113 reviews · 1 hour 20 minutes (approx.) · from $27

Meet at St Giles’ Cathedral at 3:30 pm for an 80-minute walk into Edinburgh’s South Bridge Vaults. Your guide leads you through Damnation Alley, sharing grim stories of former residents and the feared South Bridge Entity. English only, minimum age 12, with a maximum of two people for an unusually personal visit.

“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!”

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Private Edinburgh City Half-Day Tour - Starting at the Royal Mile’s medieval center
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Private Edinburgh City Half-Day Tour

8.Private Edinburgh City Half-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 65 reviews · 4 hours (approx.)

Explore Edinburgh with your own driver-guide in a VIP Mercedes minibus, with pickup at your hotel or cruise port. Guides such as Alan, Paul, Gary, Keith, and James tailor the four-hour route to your interests, mobility needs, and schedule. Expect Royal Mile history, city views, local stories, and optional stops beyond the main sights.

“We highly recommend this tour! Our guide was Paul and he was so much fun. We had a family member in a wheelchair in our group and he catered the tour to make it so that our family member saw as much as we did and didn't feel left out at all. We got an overview of the history of Edinburgh and Scotland with a healthy dose of fun facts, jokes and laughter. Communication with Alan leading up to the tour was great as well. If you're looking for a laid back but still so much fun tour- book this one!”

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Private Edinburgh City 4-Hour Guided Tour in a black cab LEVC TX - New Town: broad streets and Georgian order
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Private Edinburgh City 4-Hour Guided Tour in a black cab LEVC TX

9.Private Edinburgh City 4-Hour Guided Tour in a black cab LEVC TX

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 61 reviews · 4 hours (approx.)

Explore Edinburgh in a private LEVC TX black cab with a local guide such as Saf, Danny, or Jovan. You can shape the route around your interests while seeing the Royal Mile, Old Town, New Town, Dean Village, Arthur’s Seat, and Calton Hill. Hotel, port, station, and guesthouse pickup is included, along with local commentary and photo help.

“This tour exceeded my expectations! We were able to cover so much ground in. Shirt period of time with the best guide. Sat was so knowledgeable and flexible. Threw him a curve ball by asking to see sheep:) He made it happen and elevated that by taking us to a market, Craigie’s, which was amazing. Our family had a phenomenal time because of him. Highly recommend this tour!!! Could never have seen all of the sites on our own and the history of each stop was priceless!!!”

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Private City Kickstart Tour: Edinburgh - Meeting near the Royal Mile
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Private City Kickstart Tour: Edinburgh

10.Private City Kickstart Tour: Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 57 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $92

Start near the Royal Mile for a private 90-minute walking tour led by a local guide such as Alice, Laura, Paul, or Russell. Expect Edinburgh history, legends, Harry Potter connections, St Giles’ Cathedral, Castle Rock, and practical tips tailored to your interests. Entry fees, food, transport, and hotel transfers are not included.

“Laura was a wonderful guide. She gave us so much background, history and anecdotes about the city. We totally enjoyed our time with her and highly recommend the tour”

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Edinburgh Shore Excursion: City Tour and Royal Yacht Britannia - Holyroodhouse and Mary, Queen of Scots
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Edinburgh Shore Excursion: City Tour and Royal Yacht Britannia

11.Edinburgh Shore Excursion: City Tour and Royal Yacht Britannia

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 41 reviews · 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $92

Travel from your cruise port into Edinburgh for a 7.5-hour guided day with Royal Yacht Britannia, a Holyroodhouse photo stop, Edinburgh Castle, and Royal Mile free time. The air-conditioned coach and driver-guide handle the transport, but attraction tickets and lunch cost extra. Guides on different departures have included Connor, Adam, David, Robert, and Graeme.

“Unfortunately our cruise line cancelled our stop in Edinburgh due to weather so we were not able to do the tour. Timberbush quickly sent a message that they heard of the cancellation and responded shortly after that they were providing a full refund. We were hoping to get 1/2 back if anything so we were more than appreciative. We hope to get to Edinburgh again one day as it was one of stops we were most looking forward to. If we do we will definitely book a tour with Timberbush again.”

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Edinburgh Airport to Edinburgh City one way Private Transfer - Meeting a driver after your flight
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Edinburgh Airport to Edinburgh City one way Private Transfer

12.Edinburgh Airport to Edinburgh City one way Private Transfer

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 30 reviews · 20 to 59 minutes (approx.)

You’ll be met at Edinburgh Airport by an English-speaking driver holding a name board, then driven privately to your Edinburgh City destination. The air-conditioned vehicle includes Wi-Fi, flight monitoring, and room for groups of up to eight. Drivers such as Kenny, David, Alex, and Dominic have helped with luggage, local tips, and tight onward connections.

“Great driver able to navigate traduce and get to my hotel timely. Met at agreed location at airport highly recommend”

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Edinburgh Custom Private Tour with a Local, see the city unscripted - Edinburgh Castle and Calton Hill
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Edinburgh Custom Private Tour with a Local, see the city unscripted

13.Edinburgh Custom Private Tour with a Local, see the city unscripted

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 29 reviews · 2 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $69

Plan a private two to four hour Edinburgh walking tour for up to six people. Your local host may show you the Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle, Calton Hill, Dean Village, or lesser-known corners, based on your interests. Guides such as Andre, Doug, Elizabeth, James, Gwen, and Tom have led history, food, family, and architecture-focused walks.

“Michael was a wonderful guide and host! We saw parts of the city we would have not found on our own! He took pictures for us and sent them after our tour!”

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Edinburgh City Walking Tour, Discover Old Town, Royal Mile with a Local Expert! - Medieval Edinburgh Beyond the Grand Facades
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Edinburgh City Walking Tour, Discover Old Town, Royal Mile with a Local Expert!

14.Edinburgh City Walking Tour, Discover Old Town, Royal Mile with a Local Expert!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 29 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $65

Join local guide Rishi at Camera Obscura for a roughly two-hour walk through Edinburgh’s Old Town and along the Royal Mile. You’ll see famous sights, narrow alleys, hidden medieval details, old street levels, city-wall traces, and Harry Potter-related spots before finishing near the Scottish Parliament. Kids under 12 join free.

“Richi was a great tour guide, would highly recommend. He certainly knows his stuff! Went over the 2 hours because he had so much to tell us.”

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The Royal Military Tattoo Edinburgh City Tour Rosslyn Chapel and Dinner - A four-course Scottish dinner before the show
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The Royal Military Tattoo Edinburgh City Tour Rosslyn Chapel and Dinner

15.The Royal Military Tattoo Edinburgh City Tour Rosslyn Chapel and Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 28 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $651

Start at noon with pickup from your Edinburgh accommodation, then explore Old Town, Rosslyn Chapel, and the Royal Military Tattoo. Your private guide, including Alan, Paul, or Al depending on the day, provides local history and flexible sightseeing. A four-course pub dinner and reserved Tattoo seating are included, with return transport arranged at the end.

“Enjoyed the tour of sites in Edinburgh we had never seen on prior trips...Liked Rosslyn Chapel as well...dinner at the pub was excellent and the Royal Tatto beyond description. Our tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable. We enjoyed our time with him.”

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New in City Tours in Edinburgh

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★ 5.0Edinburgh Airport to Glasgow City Chauffeured Hire Driver5 reviews

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