15 Full-Day Tours in Edinburgh to Build a Trip Around

1.Edinburgh Full Day Walking Tour with Castle Included -Small Group

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 676 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $112Our pick

Start at Charlotte Square at 10:00 am and walk through Edinburgh’s New Town, Princes Street Gardens, the Royal Mile, Greyfriars, Grassmarket, and Victoria Street before entering Edinburgh Castle. A guide such as Ben, James, or Mark leads the history and stories. Expect hills, weather, a 30-minute lunch break, and a group capped at 15.

“This tour is NOT recommended for a cruise ship excursion with only one day in port. You will NOT have any reasonable time to visit Edinburgh Castle (which is the highlight of the tour). The walk around the city’s highlights, although interesting, took up too much time. You may have only 30 minutes to souvenir shop. The guide was knowledge and friendly, and the walking points along the walk were interesting. However, having to be time conscious to return to the bus to get back to the water shuttle to make it back to the cruise ship, makes this a poor excursion choice. I recommend just finding an Edinburgh Castle…”

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2.Full-Day Highland Lochs Glens and Castles Tour from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 256 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $87

Spend 10 hours with a driver-guide exploring Scottish lochs, castles, villages, and mountain roads from Edinburgh. The small group, capped at 16, visits Doune Castle, Loch Lubnaig, Kilchurn Castle, Inveraray, Rest and Be Thankful, and Luss. Guides such as Kyle, Ron, Cameron, Fionn, and Jamie add history, humor, folklore, and Scottish music along the way.

“Some of the most amazing views of the highlands and lochs and castles and learn about the history and geography of the region.”

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3.Kingdom of Fife & St Andrews Full-Day Guided Private Tour in a Premium Minivan

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 54 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $275

Spend eight hours with a private guide such as Alexander, Sandy, Gary, Hazel, or Sean, traveling from Edinburgh in an air-conditioned Mercedes minivan. See the Forth Bridges, Falkland Palace, St Andrews golf landmarks, castle and cathedral ruins, plus Pittenweem and Anstruther. Your guide can adjust the day around your interests.

“What an incredible day! Sandy is such a friendly and knowledgeable guide. He incorporated our personal requests and interests into our tour, adjusted plans as we went, and made our visit an all-around perfect day. The van was immaculate and we felt safe and well handled throughout our tour. Cannot recommend highly enough!!”

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4.Full-Day Tour to the Scottish Highlands

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 44 reviews · 12 hours 30 minutes (approx.)

Travel from Edinburgh in a private, air-conditioned vehicle with a guide such as Davie, David, or Brian. Visit Stirling, Glencoe, Loch Ness, Fort Augustus, and Pitlochry, with time for Highland cows, viewpoints, lunch, shopping, and an optional Loch Ness cruise. A long day, but an efficient choice for groups of up to seven.

“Six Stars Coaches and David our driver / guide sere amazing. Very comfortable bus, very safe driving skills and terrific knowledge of the local sites. In 40 plus years of world traveling one of the best tour experiences we have ever had. Six Stars and David is known to locals and we were blessed to have 5 local patrons riding on the tour to bring an amazing local experience to the adventure. We will come back to Edinburg just to tour with David! Kelly and Michele”

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5.Stirling Castle and Loch Lomond Full-Day Private Tour in a Premium Minivan

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 36 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $342

Leave Edinburgh at 9:00 am in a private air-conditioned minivan with a kilt-wearing Highlander guide. Visit Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond, Doune Castle, South Queensferry, and more. Guide Ben has been praised for being punctual and helpful, while the flexible route can include an extra stop such as Falkland.

“This private tour was just great! Ben, our guide and driver was polite, on time, knowledgeable, and wore a kilt. We went to places we wanted to be and the unexpected final stop to Falkland was just awesome!”

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6.Private Edinburgh Full Day Guided Tour in a Black Cab LEVC TX

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 26 reviews · 5 to 8 hours (approx.)

Explore Edinburgh in a private LEVC TX black cab with a local guide such as Saf, Sean, Shaun, or Rocky. You’ll see Old Town, New Town, Arthur’s Seat, Calton Hill, Dean Village, the Forth bridges, and Rosslyn Chapel. Hotel, station, and port pickup are included, and the route can be adjusted to your interests.

““I had such a great day on this tour! Saf is incredibly knowledgeable, kind, and friendly. He’s always ready to help and share tips to make the experience even better. I highly recommend Saf—an outstanding tour guide!””

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7.A taste of Scotland Full-Day Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 21 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.)

Travel privately from Edinburgh with a Scottish driver-guide such as Kenny, Alex, or Eric, stopping at the Forth Bridge, Linlithgow Palace, Bannockburn, Stirling Castle, the Kelpies, and the Wallace Monument. You get a full day for your group of up to eight, with admission fees separate and pickup possible from a hotel, airport, or port.

“Honestly, the guy was nice enough, though 30 minutes late to pickup. Traffic. I got that. We never saw Linlithgow, nor did we get to the distillery. He said, 'it's 40 minutes there and 40 minutes back." He struggled to find the places we did hit even with his navigation. We asked questions but he didn't seem very knowledgeable. We paid a LOT of money for this tour and got very little. I'm disappointed.”

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8.Historic Edinburgh and Rosslyn Chapel Full-Day Private Tour in a Premium Minivan

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $343

Spend eight hours with a private guide exploring Calton Hill, Edinburgh’s Georgian New Town, medieval Old Town, Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, and Rosslyn Chapel. Guides such as Sandy, Rob, Debbie, Laura, Ben, and Andy have led this route. Castle and chapel tickets cost extra, and the schedule can be adjusted to your group.

“Debbie was our guide and she was wonderful! She told us a lot about the places we visited and took us on a nice tour of Edinburgh, Rosslyn Chapel and Craigmillar Castle. We made a quick stop in Duddingston as well. Debbie was fun and informative. When we come back to Edinburgh, we will definitely look to book private tours with Experienced Tours again and will hope to get Debbie again. We highly recommend this tour and this tour company.”

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9.Full Day Tour to St Andrews, Dunfermline & the Fife Coast

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · 8 hours (approx.)

Spend about eight hours with a private driver-guide visiting St Andrews, Dunfermline Abbey, and the Fife Coast from Edinburgh. The vehicle seats up to six, includes air conditioning and bottled water, and pickup is offered. Andy is a possible guide, with a reputation for tailoring stops to your group’s interests.

“"My Andy" was incredible AGAIN!! I did realize I do NOT like Whiskey.... St Andrew's tour was perfect and the Scottish History we learned was AMAZING! Andy M was great last year with my family and this year was even better!”

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10.Full Day Tour of Edinburgh Including Lunch With A Local Expert

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $206

Spend 6 to 7 hours with local guide Rishi exploring Edinburgh’s Old Town, New Town, Dean Village, Portobello Beach, Calton Hill, and Princes Street. Travel by foot and public bus, enjoy a two-course Scottish lunch with a drink, and finish near Edinburgh Castle. The group is limited to 17 people.

“Rishi was, simply put, a fantastic guide. He was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about Edinburgh, which made the tour that much more enjoyable. He answered all of our questions and shared a ton of information, taking his time to sRead more”

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11.Full Day Private Tour in West Highlands, Oban and Glencoe

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 9 hours 30 minutes (approx.)

Set out from Edinburgh at 8:30 a.m. with guide Barney Norris for a private Highland day by air-conditioned vehicle. You’ll stop at Loch Lubnaig, Kilchurn Castle, Oban, and Glencoe, with time for photos, a short walk, lunch, and local history. WiFi, water, and hotel or port pickup are included.

“Barney was very knowledgeable and fun to spend the day with. We saw many beautiful sites to include a hidden waterfall. Stopped for lunch at Loch Ness. Great pub/restaurant. Whiskey tasting at Tomatin. We all had a grand time.”

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12.Full Day Sailing Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $241

Set sail from Port Edgar Marina with Colin and the crew on an eight-hour trip beneath the Forth Rail Bridge. Cruise past Inchgarvie and Inchcolm Island, anchor at Inchkeith for lunch, then return by South Queensferry. Tea and coffee are included, but you bring or buy lunch.

“Colin and the crew were awesome and very personable! I loved being allowed to sail the boat for a few minutes.”

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13.Inverness, Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle Full Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 9 reviews · from $67Best value

Travel from Edinburgh to the Highlands by air-conditioned coach, stopping at Bankfoot, Culloden Battlefield, Inverness, Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle, and Pitlochry. Your driver-guide provides live commentary. The optional £36 combined ticket covers Urquhart Castle and the Loch Ness cruise.

“Very disappointing. Two tours were occurring at the same time in two different languages, which I think is highly unprofessional. We had to use headphones and our guide was whispering since she was next to the other guide, and I coRead more”

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14.Private Full-Day Walking Tour in Edinburgh with Edinburgh Castle

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $430

Spend about seven hours walking Edinburgh with a private guide, from the Royal Mile and Calton Hill to the New Town, Grassmarket, Victoria Street, and Edinburgh Castle. Guides such as Andy, Susan, Paul, Rafal, Fraser, and Martin are praised for adapting the day to interests, weather, and crowds. Lunch and transport are extra.

“We had such a great day with Susan. We were a family of five - my wife and I, our 2 adult children, and mother-in-law. Susan really spent time talking to us to determine our specific interests and pointed out those highlights. LOVED IT! Susan was so informative and made Edinburgh come to life. It was our first full day and perfect to orient ourselves. Wish she could have been our guide throughout Scotland! Highly recommend! Thank you Susan!”

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15.The Scottish Borders Full-Day Private Tour in a Luxury Minivan with Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $411

Spend eight hours with a private, kilt-wearing local guide exploring Rosslyn Chapel, Abbotsford, Traquair House, and Scott’s View. You’ll travel in an air-conditioned minivan with Wi-Fi and bottled water, with time for photos, local stories, and quiet Borders scenery. Entrance fees at Abbotsford and Traquair House are extra.

“Laura was AMAZING! She was full of knowledge of the the history of Scotland and the places we stopped. Lunch was wonderful as well. The van was spacious and comfortable. We would book again!”

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