Underground Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh Old Town
Recommended by 93% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Edinburgh, Scotland
+3
- 1 hour (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Step off the tourist trail and explore the Scottish capital’s hidden secrets on this underground walking tour in Edinburgh. Follow a guide from the South Bridge in Edinburgh Old Town down below street level, where a series of ancient vaults lie. As you explore the dark passageways, learn why the vaults were built, hear of the poor souls who sought refuge in the depths and discover a hidden witchcraft temple. Gain insight into city life during the 18th century, and learn of the deadly diseases which threatened Edinburgh’s inhabitants.
- Step into Edinburgh’s hidden underground vaults with a guide
- Explore the winding passageways and hear grisly stories from their dark past
- Hear tales of hardship and struggle in 18th-century Edinburgh
- Explore a side to the Scottish capital many visitors miss
What's Included
- Professional guide
- Live English-speaking guide
- Haunted vault visit
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
- Transportation to/from meeting point
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 300 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2PH, UK
The tour starts from the Red Telephone Box and Tourist Information Police Box, outside of 300 Lawnmarket. This is on the opposite side of the road from Deacon Brodie’s Tavern. Please be there at least 5-10 minutes early as the tour will always depart on time.
End point
- 45 Niddry St, Edinburgh EH1 1LG, UK
Itinerary
Make your own way to the meetup location in Edinburgh’s Old Town prior to the tour’s departure time. After meeting your guide and group, it’s time to head for the infamous vaults hidden under the South Bridge.
As you walk, your guide provides background information on why the vaults were built and why they were eventually abandoned. Deep underground, in the dark and chilly vaults, your guide tells you tales of the criminalls who once stalked the vaults and how Edinburgh’s homeless community once sought refuge there.
Decide for yourself whether or not you dare to step inside the stone circle when you enter a former witchcraft temple, then (if you dare) experience the eerie atmosphere of the haunted vault, so called for the many ghostly sightings that have occurred there.
As you walk, your guide provides background information on why the vaults were built and why they were eventually abandoned. Deep underground, in the dark and chilly vaults, your guide tells you tales of the criminalls who once stalked the vaults and how Edinburgh’s homeless community once sought refuge there.
Decide for yourself whether or not you dare to step inside the stone circle when you enter a former witchcraft temple, then (if you dare) experience the eerie atmosphere of the haunted vault, so called for the many ghostly sightings that have occurred there.
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- not suitable for children under 5 years of age, children under 2 years of age are not allowed on tour.
- Entrance/Exit to the vaults is via a 2 foot tall step followed by single flight spiral staircase.
- Mezzanine staircases of 5-7 steps inside vaults between levels.
- Alcohol/Drugs are strictly forbidden and anyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be turned away.
- Non-service animals are not allowed.
- • Some historical content may be of a distressing nature with regards but not exclusively to Torture, Hangings, Death
- The walking pace and terrain may not be suitable for those with any difficulty walking.
- We do not have any luggage storage so please make alternate arrangements.
- No toilet stops or toilets available during tour.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 36 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
4.7
based on 9,206 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
Debra_B, Jul 2026
Interesting part of history. Spooky.
Diva (tour guide) was entertaining, theatrical, strong voice and kept a rowdy crowd in line.
Leanne_O, Jul 2026
The first 30mins if the tour was walking the streets stopping 3 times to talk about some facts of the city. Whilst interesting, we spent more time walking than listening to the guide.
Once we entered the building up some stairs, the smell of musky, damp and mould hit you hard. Everyone was complaining about the smell. We proceeded down the corridor and the smell didnt get any better. 5 minutes into being in a vault and my 7yr old was complaining of his chest feeling funny and he was struggling to breathe. We had to leave immediately. No one checked he was okay we were just escorted outside and left.
So we got a taxi back to our hotel. I doubt the tour improved significantly in the remaining 20mins to be worth the value of the tickets.
Amy_M, Jul 2026
This tour is not of the underground vaults that showcase how people lived. You ger to see inside spaces inside the bridge. They do talk about that history a bit, but the focus is largely on the Wiccan coven that inhabited the spaces in the 1990s. If you're looking for a ghost story feel, this could be the tour for you. If you're interested in real history, choose another one.
Laura_F, Jul 2026
James was a terrific guide on this tour. We learned some interesting history while having some good laughs. James is full of energy.
Jake_M, Jul 2026
We had a wonderful time on the Vaults tour! Our guide, Jordan, was excellent. He was incredibly well rehearsed, very knowledgeable, and made the whole tour a great laugh.
The tour strikes a brilliant balance between local history and interesting facts. It feels completely genuine and does not try to pretend to be anything it is not. It offers great value for money and is suitable for all ages. You get to see a unique side of the city that you would never experience on your own.
A special thank you to the team for being so accommodating when we accidentally booked the wrong day. They sorted everything out for us smoothly and without any hassle.
Next time we will definitely book the scarier tour option. 100% recommended to everyone, thank you for a fantastic time! Jordan was a great guide.
Anwaar_A, Jul 2026
Learning about the vaults and the stories behind them were probably the most interesting and intriguing parts of our trip, our tour guide was excellent and knew exactly when to jump scare us which made it even more enjoyable, and scary.
Marcy_D, Jul 2026
We thoroughly enjoyed the tour led by James. He was incredibly engaging and captivating. You could tell he genuinely enjoys leading tours, and we appreciated the perfect blend of history, humor, and interesting information he shared throughout. We've been on several tours during our travels, and James truly put a smile on our faces. We thought the one-hour length was perfect, and we never felt rushed at any point.
Andrew_B, Jul 2026
This was a super interesting tour to learn about the underground history and underground vaults of Edinburgh. Our tour guide was great!
Emma_K, Jul 2026
I didn't think this tour was worth the money. I've been on several walking tours in different countries, as well as in Edinburgh, and this was one of the poorest.
The guide wasn't particularly engaging, and there was a noticeable lack of interesting historical information. It felt as though they were simply going through the motions and rushing to get to the end rather than bringing the history to life.
I came away feeling like I hadn't really learned the true history of the area, which was disappointing. Overall, I expected a much more informative and immersive experience for the price.
Maricela_M, Jul 2026
Louisa was great! Funny and a lil spooky, as one should expect in these tours! Very professional, engaging and knowledgeable
Olivia_S, Jul 2026
Great stories and an amazing story teller - great value for money with the history of the Vaults and people who lived there.
Amy_L, Jul 2026
Very interesting history. Guide James is passionate about this place! Unbelievable how people lived back in the day. Excellent information and good chance to see a different side of the city.
Jacinta_M, Jul 2026
Grand tour with a fun, knowledgeable guide. Easy to hear even with a big group. The vaults were awesome, didn't really know a lot about them before the tour.
Aleksandra_N, Jul 2026
There could have been a lot more content. Also I think safety issues should be addressed, for example, lighting where steps are located inside the vaults.
Dave_F, Jul 2026
James was an amazing tour guide who was very funny helpful and extremely knowledgeable about everything
Demet_y, Jul 2026
Our guide’s story telling was not engaging, was doing mumbling at the end of her each sentence and very difficult to hear and understand.
Hannah_H, Jul 2026
Louisa was a great tour guide. She was funny and very personable. The tour was not what I expected though. Too much focus on witches. I also thought it would have more stories
Pat_M, Jul 2026
Pay attention to the entry description and know it is quite dark as you navigate hallways and stairs.
karen_m, Jul 2026
Good tour but not what I expected .
It seemed rushed. We got some good historical information. Louisa was professional and witty
Michele_D, Jul 2026
James was an amazing guide! We had a lovely time exploring the vaults and learning the history! Ask for James!
Julian_F, Jul 2026
Put this in your list to do in Edinburgh! Our guide Jordan was a fantastic storyteller, balancing the humour and scary perfectly. The vaults are incredible and show the dark side of Edinburgh’s past. You learn a lot about the vaults including why they were built, what they were used for originally and how they were rediscovered. Whilst there are spooky elements to this tour, my 13 year old wasn’t bothered so I recommend this for families with teenagers.
hector15, Jul 2026
Gives an interesting insight in to the history of old Edjnburgh , the hardships faced, particularly by those less well off
Hamish_S, Jul 2026
Interesting piece of history, with Stewart as an entertaining and knowledgeable guide. Would recommend
Amber_I, Jul 2026
Very fun! Interesting and well paced tour! Lots of scary tales and creepy sites -very entertaining! Loved Julia! Our kids loved it too! 17&19
Kevin_R, Jul 2026
It was a fun tour learning about the subtle landmarks and going down to the vaults was an experience! Stuart was a great guide.
Nadeem_I, Jul 2026
Some kids in the group got scared and had to leave. It wasn't that scary but something to keep in mind if traveling with young children.
JETHO_C, Jul 2026
It was a great tour and Lisa was a great guide. She was quite theatrical and very knowledgeable. It is a bit musty and dark in the vaults.
Marcy_F, Jul 2026
Didn’t get a really good look into vaults due to number of people and pace of activity. Guide was standing in front of centerpiece vault with flashlight so most people couldn’t get a good look.
Also, the tour began in a room of various medieval devices which were not explained as apparently that’s another tour.
Other suggestions would be to provide depictions of what life looked like for those that had to live there with simulations, etc.
Alex_T, Jul 2026
Louisa the tour guide was AWESOME - the tour hit the perfect balance of informative with bits of humor while always being respectful of the history. Interesting, a little spooky, and a lot of fun. Highly recommend!
Ron_B, Jul 2026
Dont be scared of gong in nothing bad happens except for darkness , whitches an ghosts. At one point i felt Voldemort
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