Tours and Tickets to Experience St. Giles’ Cathedral

There are plenty of ways to experience St. Giles' Cathedral. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• The Mountebank Comedy Walk of Edinburgh

• Royal Mile and Old Town Walking Tour

• Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle - Small Group Walking Tour

• Edinburgh - Dark History

• Edinburgh Castle & Royal Mile Walking Tour - Ticket Included

St. Giles’ Cathedral operates on donations: The suggested donation is £10, but giving more will enable more travelers and worshippers to enjoy this incredible space. Guided walking tours of Edinburgh Old Town start from as little as US$20; private all-day city tours with transport cost from around US$700.

St. Giles’ Cathedral opens to visitors seven days a week. Weekday hours are 10am–6pm; Saturday hours are 9am–5pm; and Sunday hours are 1pm–5pm. Please only visit during services on Sunday mornings if you intend to worship or join the entire ceremony to enjoy the choir.

St. Giles’ Cathedral is one of the key landmarks on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, which links Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse; it’s about a 5-minute walk east of Edinburgh Castle. Catch the train to Edinburgh Waverley station, where it’s also a quick 5-minute walk to the cathedral with plenty of signage.

No, general visitors can’t access the tower or the rooftop of St. Giles’ Cathedral. The cathedral does offer free walking tours. However, these include the cathedral interior and the Thistle Chapel, home of the Order of the Thistle, and do not access the rooftop or the tower.

Yes, St. Giles’ Cathedral is reasonably accessible, with ramp entry to the main body of the church—although the Thistle Chapel can only be reached by steps and some side areas are also inaccessible. The nearest adapted bathroom is around the corner at the National Library of Scotland.