Edinburgh: Arthur's Seat Hike with Local Guide
Recommended by 100% of travelers
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Edinburgh, Scotland
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Get both unrivaled views of Edinburgh and insight into local life on this hiking tour of Arthur’s Seat. A small group ensures you can walk at a relaxed pace, while trekking to the top of the capital’s highest hill with a guide ensures you don’t get lost and go off the path.
- Take away local recommendations for the rest of your trip
- Learn more about local flora and fauna than you would alone
- Stop for regular breaks in a small group
- Admire Scotland's capital from a fresh perspective
What's Included
- Professionally guided tour
- Rest room facilities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- The King's Gallery, Palace of HolyroodhousePalace of Holyroodhouse, Canongate The Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH8 8DX, UK
Meet your guide outside the King's Gallery entrance at the bottom of the Royal Mile , right in front of the Palace of Holyroodhouse (aka Holyrood Palace)
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.10:00 am
Itinerary
1
Arthur's Seat
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 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
Featured review
kelly_b
Our guide David was fantastic. Very knowledgeable which made the tour very enjoyable. Unfortunately We weren’t able to complete the hike to the top as it was a bit more treacherous than we anticipated. But going up halfway was still worth it for the views of the city.
Reviews
5.0
based on 81 reviews
Dolors_A, Mar 2026
It’s a nice place to see how long is Edinburg and where is every each iconic thing. In a clear day you can see more, sea and mountains. The path is also good. I specially appreciate the explanations of David, the guide.
Sherna_S, Oct 2025
Twas great. Hardest part was finding the start point. David was an excellent guide who took us up the mountain at the perfect pace.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
It is lovely to hear you enjoyed your tour with David! I am sorry that you had issues finding the meeting point, but I am glad you enjoyed the tour. Kind regards, Jess at Local Eyes.
Laura_D, Oct 2025
It's really interesting and it has great views when your on the top. A must do when your in edinbourgh.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you for your kind review. Kind regards, Jess at Local Eyes.
Shirley_T, Oct 2025
David was very informative, patient and observant. My family enjoyed the morning walk for 2 hours. Well done!
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you for your review about your Arthur's Seat Hike, and it is great to hear you enjoyed your tour with David. Kind regards, Jess at Local Eyes.
Carley_A, Sep 2025
A must do in Edinburgh! I’m not an avid hiker, but the views were too good to pass up. My guide was David, and he gave wonderful recommendations, as well as plenty of short rest breaks. If I can do it, you can too!
Response from Host, Dec 2025
It is lovely to hear you enjoyed you hike up Arthur's Seat with David. Thank you for your review. Kind regards, Jess at Local Eyes.
Timerra_J, Sep 2025
The hike was beautiful and well worth the effort. I would recommend a hiking pole, some areas are slightly steep, and either wearing a waterproof jacket or bringing a small umbrella if it rains a little. But don’t let those couple of issues prevent you from going. The views are outstanding and our guide was very knowledgeable about the area’s history.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you for your review and it is lovely to hear that you enjoyed your tour with us! Kind regards, Jess at Local Eyes.
Aaron_D, Sep 2025
Went on this tour and the tour guide David was very friendly and knowledgeable. It was an amazing tour and experience to hike up Arthur’s Seat. Highly Recommend A+++
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you for your lovely review, and it is really wonderful to hear you enjoyed your tour with David! Kind regards, Jess at Local Eyes.
james_H, Aug 2025
Shout out to David our tour guide!.
David was very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful getting us up Arthur’s seat with the best route possible.
I put this as 5 stars but realistically about 4.5 purely because when we had a very small group only 4 of us total.
Just a small comment to make David would race off with the other 2 people on the tour and far ahead not checking behind on us on most occasions to see if we caught up so we felt a bit disconnected from our tour.
No opportunity to just stop and take photos, so we just started taking our own at points of interest at stopping points (that were safe) David would explain the route going up to the other people in the tour and we would have to overhear the route going up and the information he was giving them.
We felt this is such an achievement to even get up this hill for us, hence why we wanted photos, time to just stop and be allowed this opportunity which didn’t happen. But I have to admit he did run over by about 45 mins even though this tour said 2 hours it’s realistically 3.
I did ask at the top for David to take photos of us otherwise we wouldn’t get any. I wish we could have just paused a bit longer to take in the view and get more photos!.
Overall he was amazing at helping my partner down the hill back to our starting location so I can’t fault him on that.
Just be mindful, this requires a lot of fitness going up (steep steps) you will need water and a warning if it rains would be slippery. Luckily we had a dry day with lots of stops.
Going down is much easier.
If you want a knowledgeable tour guide with the best way up and down, pick this one!.
Dawn_W, Aug 2025
Very pleasant tour. Nice amount of stops and bits of information along the way. Zander was very good and made sure we all made it to the top and back. Slightly challenging climb at parts, so the correct shoes are important.
stephanie_f, Aug 2025
it’s very strenuous for the out of shape girlies, but the views are amazing! don’t forget water and comfy shoes!
Laura_L, Aug 2025
As advertised. Guided walk on a path that is challenging at times. Good info at stops. Davine is very respectful and knowledgable
kelly_b, Aug 2025
Our guide David was fantastic. Very knowledgeable which made the tour very enjoyable. Unfortunately We weren’t able to complete the hike to the top as it was a bit more treacherous than we anticipated. But going up halfway was still worth it for the views of the city.
Zach_G, Aug 2025
Our guide David was fantastic. He gave us some interesting information about the city and the area as he led us up the hill, maximizing the scenery and helping us avoid the crowd. Author’s seat is a stunning piece of nature, a short walk from the center of Edinburgh. When I return, I’ll hike it without a guide. However, for the first visit, I’m glad I had a guide to give some context to the amazing views
Diana_G, Aug 2025
While I’ve done several hikes before in California, I truly appreciated having a guide for this experience. On our way up to Arthur’s Seat, our guide shared several historical facts about Edinburgh and the area surrounding Arthur's seat - my friend and I really learned a lot! Our guide also thoughtfully paced the hike, making several stops so we could rest, enjoy the views, and take photos. His knowledge of the terrain was also invaluable as he pointed out the safest and most scenic paths to take. Needless to say, the views from multiple vantage points were absolutely breathtaking and no photo could do them justice. Even if I were to do this hike again, I’d choose this guided tour again to get the most out of the experience.
Ines_S, Aug 2025
Chris was great at explaining the history, keeping the hike manageable For the entire group and adding a very personal touch to the tour
Tony_H, Jul 2025
Zander was a fantastic guide so thoughtful and with mega knowledge of Scottish history. A vigorous hike but worth it for the view.
Stacey_I, Jul 2025
This tour was fantastic! Our guide, Alexander, clearly had a real passion for Scotland. He led us up Arthur’s Seat with care, always checking in to make sure everyone was doing well. When we reached the top, it actually started to rain and the rocks got pretty slippery—but Alexander guided us down safely, knowing exactly where to step. If you’re worried about the difficulty of the hike—don’t be! It was really well tailored to the group’s fitness level.
Along the way, Alexander shared stories about the landscape and Scottish history, weaving them in beautifully and keeping us entertained the whole time.
After the tour, some of us visited the Holyrood Palace, which is right next to the meeting point—and it was definitely worth a visit.
A must-do if you’re into hiking, love stunning 360° views, and aren’t afraid of a little rain and wind!
Khaka_W, Jul 2025
I really enjoyed our guide, Chris! Super knowledgeable, and attentive to everyone’s safety - especially since it was rainy and cold and somewhat slippery! I recommend others give a try!
Christine_R, Jun 2025
This was by far my favorite activity we have done in Edinburgh. Our guide David was very knowledgeable and made our tour extremely interesting. I’m glad we chose to do it with a guide as we learned so much. It does get pretty challenging when hiking at the top, but overall a fairly easy hike. And so beautiful!
Elesia_H, Jun 2025
Well worth it but there are some rocky challenging spots to climb. David, our guide, was excellent in knowledge shared and patient in accommodating people’s different fitness levels.
melissa_a, Jun 2025
David was a great guide and allowed me to come a different day since I slept through my first reservation ( jet lag) We encountered every weather system to pouring rain, high winds and sun. David was full of great history and information and it really is a beautiful hike
Mary_V, Jun 2025
Its a small group hike to arthurs seat with an experienced guide . Its a great and rewarding hike. The diffulty level is medium so come prepared with proper shoes because its rain or shine and it can get slippery.
Karen_P, May 2025
A scenic and informative walk up Arthur’s Seat. We had David as our guide and he was fantastic! He was very familiar with the trails and lead us on a less crowded trails than the one most people use. It was very peaceful. He is knowledgeable about history from all time periods in Edinburgh as well as the the local landscape and landmarks. He personalized the route and information based on our hiking abilities and interests. We greatly appreciated it! Highly recommend this tour!
Bonni_R, May 2025
Thoroughly enjoyed the morning of this hike. The hike was not difficult, but there are some steep areas. David was the guide and was full of interesting facts. Had I done this on my own, I don’t think I would enjoyed this as much. I learned so much about the city! Highly recommend!
Stephen_C, May 2025
Had a nice hike up Arthur's Seat.
David was very knowledgeable pointing out lots of interesting facts along the way.
Fantastic views all over the city and beyond.
Kelsey_C, Apr 2025
Sabine was a great guide. She made sure everyone made it to the top safely and had a great experience. She even took a different route down so that we got to see the ruins of the chapel. My partner and i are in our 60s and not routine hikers, but she took it slow, incorporated several rest stops, and was very encouraging. I never felt pushed or like i was holding up the group. She made great suggestions on other activities to do while in edinburgh based on our interests. Highly recommend!
KirstyAnn_H, Mar 2025
David was a great guide, I'm not at my fittest but he was patient and helpful without holding the rest of the group up, and really interesting information. Lovely atmosphere with our group, great to make it to the very top and enjoy the views ☺️
Sarina_E, Jan 2025
I was a bit worried about whether I could do it as I'm not the fittest person, but it was fine. The only challenge was that it was a bit icy. But the view at the top was stunning. So glad we did it. Our guide was wonderful, ensuring that the pace worked for everyone.
Cathy_M, Jan 2025
It was a great hike with the guide. He knew the best way up and down the hill. Also gave us information on the plants and surrounding sites.
Karolina_W, Jan 2025
We were really, really lucky with the weather. The ground was a wee bit frozen, but David led us through an easier and less busy trail. For some people, it will be an easy hike, for others a medium-level hillwalking. It gets windy & chilly at the top. I think we all enjoyed the stories and the anecdotes. Leaving with more knowledge about the Park and the Hills, and a plan of what to explore next time. The views were stunning!
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