Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket
Recommended by 95% of travelers
Edinburgh, Scotland
- 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
A trip to the capital of Scotland isn't complete without a tour of Edinburgh Castle. Follow your guide through the grounds and hear tales of the castle's royal residents—including Mary Queen of Scots—and learn more about the rich history of the building. After your tour ends, there's plenty of free time explore the castle's interior and the rest of the grounds, which includes three museums, two prisons, a canine cemetery, the Chapel of Saint Margaret, the National Monument to the fallen of Scotland, the Great Hall, and a Royal Palace.
- Plenty of time for photo ops of Edinburgh Castle and the surrounding city
- Hear unique stories of Scottish history and ask questions along the way
- Don't be disappointed: Pre-booking tickets guarantees entry
- An activity the whole family can enjoy
What's Included
- Admission ticket to Edinburgh Castle
- Guided tour of Edinburgh Castle
- Pet Not allowed. Only guide dog.
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- WRX5+WF, 361 High St, Edinburgh EH1 1PW, UK
Meet in front of the entrance to Advocates Close, opposite (St. Giles’ Cathedral) . Look for the black umbrella with the tour provider's yellow logo.
End point
- Edinburgh CastleCastlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NG, UK
Tour end inside Edinburgh Castle
Itinerary
1
Edinburgh Castle
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Please note in poor weather conditions the tour will remain outdoors as access to the castle buildings is not available for tour groups
- Tour will be inside the castle walls, but outdoors, with free time after the tour to to explore the castle an to go inside every building (Museums, Royal Palace, prisons, and much more). We can not access those buildings during the tour, but the tour will still be carried out within the castle grounds.
- The castle is a complex of buildings, not a single building.
- On this tour you will be guided around Edinburgh castle, with specific stops assigned by the castle authorities.
- Bags over 30L in volume are not allawed inside the castle.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.8
based on 6,644 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
Linda_H, Aug 2026
Nick was a fabulous tour guide and gave great information about the history of the castle He brought it to life!
CYNTHIA_O, Aug 2026
Nick our guide was very knowledgeable, Enjoyed his little trivia bits about the castle. Encouraged us all up the hill to the castle and gave ample rest time. Thank you.
Ian_D, Aug 2026
We had a lovely experience at Edinburgh Castle. Our guide was informative and fun. Thank so fun the exceptional experience.
Francesca_U, Aug 2026
Great tour guide, engaging and had a thorough understanding of the history of not just Edinburgh Castle but Scottish history as a whole.
David_G, Aug 2026
Great introduction to the castle. Our guide , Catherine, was fabulous, entertaining, great stories and lots of information. Be ready to stand on uneven surface, the entire castle is cobblestone.
Michael_B, Aug 2026
Raj was a fantastic guide. He’s very knowledgeable and seems to enjoy his work. The 1.5 hour tour is the perfect duration.
Nicole_V, Aug 2026
Fantastic! Our guide was so knowledgeable and friendly. Gave us great insight into not only the castle but Scottish culture.
Kimberly_M, Aug 2026
Gavin was the best guide for Edinburgh Castle. We learned so much about the history.....it was amazing! Such an icon! Thank you Gavin!
Danielle_A, Aug 2026
We were grateful to have the castle tickets reserved for us, and for an introduction to the castle. We ended up staying about 30 minutes after the tour to continue exploring.
sheri_b, Aug 2026
We enjoyed the castle and the royal mile
Gavin was a great tour guide
We would do it again sheri Beardsley
Brandy_C, Aug 2026
I cant remember our guides name but I really appreciated the fact that he said the names, locations, and/or dates when he started talking and then again after he was finished. He was Scottish and had a Scottish accent but was clear and easy to understand! We originally were not going to go on a tour of the castle but they were sold out (Aug/Fringe festival) of tickets so we checked Viator and they had tickets + tour and truth be told I am glad we took the tour. Seeing the buildings are great but without some of the historical information behind it I think you do yourself a bit of disservice, unless you have done the research yourself. The tour is done outside of the individual building(s) but within the castle walls so once the tour is over you can go explore with additional information. We did the 10 am tour which was perfect because it allowed up to be done with the tour, have lunch and be outside ready for the 1 pm cannon. It was very very very crowded (Aug/fringe) but IMO well worth it!
Penny_B, Aug 2026
David was wonderful! Very knowledgeable about the country and history. He was fun and informative to listen to. The castle was amazing and so interesting to visit. Not Wheelchair or stroller friendly. Streets are made for them.
Simone_O, Aug 2026
We had a great experience booking our Edinburgh Castle tour through Viator. Everything was well organised, from the booking process to meeting the guide and entering the castle. Our guide, Marcos, was knowledgeable, friendly, and entertaining, bringing the history of Edinburgh Castle to life with fascinating stories and plenty of interesting facts.
Mel_M, Aug 2026
Excellent tour with a super guide. Jen was really good, personable and very knowledgeable, we loved it
Daniel_M, Aug 2026
The tour was good! Very straightforward and informative, and a good way to jump right into your time in Edinburgh. Our guide provided plenty of historical context and helped us better understand what we were seeing before giving us time to wander the rest of the castle grounds on our own.
Quick, simple, and well done. Definitely worth doing, especially at the beginning of your visit to Edinburgh.
Mimi_H, Aug 2026
Dress warmly. Windy and chilly even in August and the wind is unbelievable. A good raincoat a must. The castle is stunning and awe inspiring . Don’t miss the was chapel. The windows are amazing. Sonia was a fantastic guide and made sure we had all the information we needed to see everything.
Lesley_C, Aug 2026
It is well worth the money, informative and a good way to be introduced to the castle.
It is a steep climb up to the top however it has lots of regular stops so it makes it manageable for most people. Dress for the weather it is colder at the top lol .
Our tour guide Sonia was fantastic she gave us lots of giggles along the way and really enhanced the whole experience
Katie_H, Aug 2026
This was a great tour and Nick was wonderful. Some history and fun facts about the castle and all the buildings within. It was cool to be able to see the 1 o’clock gun go off and hear the story behind it!
Douglas_L, Aug 2026
Definitely was worth the price! Joe was great! Very well spoken clear easy to understand. Very knowledgeable and funny!
Karen, Aug 2026
Edinburgh Castle complex (containing something like 27 buildings) is huge and could feel overwhelming but our guide Nick made it all seem very manageable as well as very interesting
Konstantinos_L, Aug 2026
The tour guide couldn't attend the building, a fact that was communicated after the booking was confirmed. A lot of useless information about Kings etc. I would expect more content regarding the buildings, the daily life in the castle etc
Elizabeth_S, Jul 2026
G, our guide was excellent. He was very knowledgeable about Scot’s history and kept the group engaged.
Victoria_M, Jul 2026
Glen was very interesting, easy to understand, and had a Scotsman insight. Enjoyed the walk and castle very much.
Jessica_M, Jul 2026
This was a wonderful tour. Our guide Joe was very knowledgeable and funny. I would recommend this tour.
Andrew_S, Jul 2026
Jen is a terrific highly knowledgeable tour guide. Also entertaining and very personable. Thoroughly enjoyed the tour.
John_W, Jul 2026
Folks with slight balance problems.... sigh... standing on uneven pavement stones on hillsides while the guide talks and talks was too much for me and several others.
Johanna_D, Jul 2026
This was an action packed, TONS of walking/stairs, most amazing tour ever!!!
So informative and interesting history of not only the castle but of Edinburgh and Scotland. Would highly recommend it!
One thing though- our 88 year old father who is in great health was worn out by the number of stairs.
The biggest highlight other than the one o'clock cannon and Crown Jewels? GLEN!! Our tour guide was phenomenal, he was witty, patient with our father and super knowledgeable!!! He made the tour extra special!!
Thomas_W, Jul 2026
Will worth it. Definitely a highlight of our trip to Scotland. So much history and very enjoyable to experience
Kristin_C, Jul 2026
We had a fantastic time! Kristel was super informative, inclusive and fun. Would highly recommend this tour—and Kristel—to anyone heading to Edinburgh!
Edward_O, Jul 2026
A visit to Edinburgh isn't complete without the Castle. One can visit alone but with a few more bucks you get bang...an educational guide.
From $56.89
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket
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