Edinburgh Castle Guided Walking Tour - Entry Tickets included

Recommended by 97% of travellers

Edinburgh, Scotland

Very popular!

5+ bookings in the past 6 hours.

1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travellers loved this

4.9

· Martyn_H ·

Apr 2026

We would highly recommend this company. Easy to locate, group wasn’t too big. Koffe was incredibly knowledgable and entertaining. He took the time to introduce himself and welcome the whole group. He kept us all engaged and made visiting the castle really interesting and fun.

· Mike_W ·

May 2026

Wonderful tour! Steph was a terrific guide -- knowledgeable and very expressive (including her impersonation of appropriate accents!). Edinburgh Castle was (as always) very crowded but Steph found places somewhat away from the crowds to explain the history and significance of the important parts of the castle. She also provided excellent guidance on where else in the castle to visit once the tour was completed. All thoroughly informative and enjoyable.

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Overview

Discover more about Scottish history on this guided walking tour of Edinburgh Castle. Walk up the Royal Mile with your guide while learning about the castle's 3,000-year history and its role in Scottish heritage. Explore the castle grounds with detailed insights into key features like the one o'clock gun and Argyle Battery, gaining a deeper understanding than a casual visitor.

Learn more than you would exploring on your own
Enjoy in-depth insights into the history of Edinburgh Castle and its key features
Walk the Royal Mile as ancient royals did
Convenient meeting point near public transportation

What's Included

Local guide
Entry Fees

Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Loch Ness Discovery Centre, 192 High St, Edinburgh EH1 1RW, UK
Tour departs from outside Café Nero on the Royal Mile besides the statue of Adam Smith. Just look for our green and white umbrellas with Little Fish logo and speak to our staff when you arrive.

End point

Edinburgh Castle
Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NG, UK

Itinerary

Meet your guide and group at a centrally located spot on the Royal Mile. Walk together toward Edinburgh Castle while your guide shares stories about the castle’s history and some of the key characters associated with it.

Upon arrival at Edinburgh Castle, use your prebooked ticket to enter. Your guide leads you around the sprawling grounds and provides more details about such notable features as the castle dungeons and Crown Jewels, as well as what to look out for inside.

Then, your guide leaves you alone to explore the castle buildings at your own pace.

Edinburgh Castle

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
Although much of the tour is done inside the castle complex, this will not be under cover.
Bags over 30L in volume are not permitted inside the castle and the castle does not provide a locker system for the storage of luggage.
Service animals allowed

Tour DOES NOT MEET AT THE CASTLE, the tour begins from our start point at 192 High Street, by the statue of Adam Smith
Near public transportation
Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Please Note - Children, aged 15 and under, will not be able to join the tour unless accompanied by a responsible adult
Edinburgh Castle is built on top of the core of an old volcano, the ground is often uneven and at times steep. Be prepared to be on your feet for the full duration of the tour. People with mobility issues may not get the most from this tour.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travellers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveller Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveller's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveller's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveller's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveller's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveller's review)

Reviews

4.9

based on 5,362 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Our guide, Euan was very...

Phil_C, May 2026

Our guide, Euan was very entertaining and did a great job providing us with the history of the castle.

Great tour!

Rebecca_H, May 2026

The tour is very interesting and informative - our guide, Euan, was both knowledgeable and entertaining - our entire group thoroughly enjoyed the tour

Sonia is one of...

Peter_K, May 2026

Sonia is one of Scotland’s hidden gems, very entertaining and knowledgeable tour guide. A great way to understand more about the castle and its history.

Edinburgh Castle Tour

alberto_p, May 2026

Max was a great guide. Very knowledgeable and very entertaining. Tour was great. Worth the money and your time.

Great time.

StephenP_M, May 2026

Max was great. Knowledgeable and informative. Recommended which places to return to for longer time.

Edinburgh Castle Tour

Carol_H, May 2026

Great overview of the castle history. Tour guide Ben was funny and engaging. He always made sure the entire group was present and could hear his commentary. I took it down one star because of the large group size.

Edinburgh castle tour

Stephen_H, May 2026

We booked a guided tour through viator for Edinburgh castle on saturday 16th may. Our guide was Max who from the start was brilliant. He was friendly, knowledgable and added humour which is great. He connected with all of the group that he was guiding. A really nice guy and would highly reccomend.

Our tour guide was...

Lynn_H, May 2026

Our tour guide was lovely. Good tour and informative. I am sorry to not recall our tour guide’s name. Using Viator is the only way to go!

Great castle tour

Paula_G, May 2026

Great tour of the Edinburgh castle with tour guide Ben. Ben was historically knowledgeable in a very charming, captivating and entertaining manner. Learned so much!

Highly recommend!!!

mezakim, May 2026

Ben was fantastic!!! Did not need an audio box as Ben’s voice projected well so you could hear and understand him. Went to areas that were less hectic where he gave his tour for the area we were in and by the time he finished was empty and easy to take pictures. Loved his knowledge of history and his interpretation of it.

Castle Walking Tour with Ben

Nina_H, May 2026

Ben was awesome!! Best tour guide around. We had an amazing time learning about the history of the castle. He was knowledgeable, hilarious, captivating and accommodating. I would highly recommend BEN!!!!

Fabulous Historic Edinburgh Castle

Jane_S, May 2026

There are many tour companies touring the castle so be sure to stick to your group. Lots of hill walking so wear good shoes. Go early morning before it gets crowded in afternoon. Great views, lots of history told and scotch tasting 😀

Lovely!

Kaitlin_B, May 2026

Ben was a delight! Very informative with humor interspersed. Learn a lot of history & enjoyed the tour very much.

Awesome tour

Norman_D, May 2026

Lots of walking involved. Most of it is uphill. There is loads of info to absorb and the views are spectacular

Our guide, Koffe, was...

Wim_D, May 2026

Our guide, Koffe, was excellent. Great knowledge of history and was able to add extra detail to our experience. An excellent communicator.

Very informative, Jess...

Kenley_G, May 2026

Very informative, Jess our tour guide was very up beat and knowledgeable, a joy to be leading our tour group.

Service was good..

Mahesh_G, May 2026

Service was good..While booking online they did not provide option for Senior discounted rates?..Steph was great guide..

Georgia Exceptional!

Tara_F, May 2026

Terrific tour. We couldn't get tickets directly through the official website. All sold out. So we went with Little Fish Tours. Our guide, Georgia, was exceptional! Her voice was loud and clear, and she had marvelous stories to tell along the way. She made the trip very memorable and a highlight of our time in Edinburgh!!

Wonderful tour!

Mike_W, May 2026

Very good experience.

Richard_S, May 2026

Great tour guide. Very knowledgeable and entertaining. We wouldn't have done this on our own and if we did, we wouldn't have learned 1/2 of what we learned from our guide.

Top notch tour and...

Barry_G, May 2026

Top notch tour and insight into Edinburgh Castle. Our tour guide, Georgia was knowledgeable, and answered every random question anyone had.

Jess was great! She gave...

Brianna_B, May 2026

Jess was great! She gave a good history knowledge without it being overwhelming and gave suggestions for what to see while in the castle

Excellent tour. Very knowledgeable guides.

Penny_C, May 2026

Excellent guides. Knowledgeable and fun. Tour was just the right length. Gave us the overview of major places to learn more about the castle. After the tour was finished.

Our tour guide was...

Brian_G, May 2026

Our tour guide was excellent and was well informed. Sadly I'm not good with remembering names. Long blonde hair guy from London. Very nice.

Edinburgh Castle - visit if you can

Russell_C, May 2026

A must do site if you are in Edinburgh. I would recommend a tour with a guide to get more background of the history of the castle. I would also allocate an addtional 2 hours after the tour to visit the buildings you are interested in - including the main museum. We visited in April and the crowds were fine. However I am told that it can get very crowded so go earlier in the day if possible - and book in advanced.

Edinburgh

Mandy_Z, May 2026

Joined the Edinburgh Castle walking tour today with Ben. He was an excellent guide—knowledgeable, engaging, and paced the tour perfectly. He brought the castle's history to life with great storytelling. If you’re visiting, I highly recommend booking a slot with him for a fantastic experience!

Great experience!

James_B, May 2026

Sonja, our tour guide, was great… knowledgeable, funny, and informative. I would definitely recommend this tour!

Castle highlights

Rebekah_L, May 2026

Entertaining and Informative! Our guide Sabi was generous with historical accounts and delightful! Expect an outside only tour and expect windy and cold weather.