Edinburgh Full-Day Walking Tour with Edinburgh Castle included
Recommended by 99% of travelers
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Edinburgh, Scotland
- 5 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Experience some of the best of what Edinburgh, Scotland has to offer in one small group walking tour. Let your tour leader show you around Edinburgh Castle, the Scottish National Gallery, and from April 2026, one historic house such as Gladstone's Land or The Georgian House. See Princes Street Gardens, Heart of Midlothian, Greyfriars Bobby, and more while you learn all about the city’s history, culture, and heritage from your guide.
- A walking guided tour around Edinburgh, Scotland
- Edinburgh Castle ticket included
- Admission to one historic house from April 2026
- Learn about the city’s history as you sightsee
What's Included
- Local Tour Guide
- Edinburgh Castle entrance ticket and guided tour
- Scottish National Gallery guided tour (highlights)
- From 1 April 2026, admission to 1 Historic House, either Gladstone’s Land or The Georgian House
- Lunch
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 2-4 Hope St, Edinburgh EH2 4DB, UK
You will meet your guide on the corner of Princes Street, outside of Johnnie Walker and near the Binns Clock. Please arrive 10 minutes before the tour start time to check in.The guide will be holding a Navy Blue Umbrella
End point
- Edinburgh CastleCastlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NG, UK
The tour ends inside Edinburgh Castle.
Start time.10:00 am
Itinerary
1
Charlotte Square
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Georgian House
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Princes Street Gardens
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
National Galleries Scotland: National
40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
High Street
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Mercat Cross
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
St Giles' Cathedral
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
8
Heart of Midlothian
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
9
Royal Mile
25 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
10
Greyfriars Bobby
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
11
Greyfriars
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
12
Grassmarket
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
13
Victoria Street
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
14
Writers' Museum
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
15
Castello Di Edimburgo
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
16
Edinburgh Castle
40 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- Please wear comfortable shoes, Edinburgh is a hilly city. We also recommend a windproof and rainproof jacket.
- You will have free time during the lunch break. There will be cafes, pubs and restaurants for you to choose from with vegan and vegetarian options available.
- The duration of the tour will be approx 5 - 5:30 hours, including the lunch break. We may need more time to access the historical sites and navigate the city during peak travel season (April to October), when more travellers are in town. Please note that in these months, the tour might be slightly longer.
- The company is not responsible for participants arriving late and missing the beginning of the tour. If you miss the group at the starting point, please note that the first stop of the group would be Charlotte Square
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 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
4.9
based on 869 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Very informative. Ricky was simply unique and impressive in the manner he related history and dotted it with humor! My eyes were glued to him as he expertly provided and captured Edinburgh’s greatness in the past and now.
Fantastic tour- Mark, our guide, was very personable and generous in sharing his knowledge of Edinburgh and Scottish history. Got to see a good deal of the city. With thanks!
Our entire family was right. This as one of our best tours in our European visit. James was an excellent guide, was very animated and actually acted out some of the stories. He told. It made it all come alive. We were unfortunately cut short at the Edgar Castle because of utility breakdown. But James handled this smoothly and we were back on our way. Excellent
This was a fantastic tour! We covered a lot of ground and stopped at both famous sites and lesser-known areas I wouldn't have thought to visit on a self-guided tour. Our tour guide James was also extremely informative and a great storyteller who had a lot of interesting facts to share. Highly recommend for solo and group travelers alike who have a limited time in Edinburgh and want to make the most of their stay!
I had a lot of fun on this tour, and with this group. Our tour guide, James, was great; he was knowledgeable, funny, and a sci-fi fan, so that was a bonus for me! The tour ended on a high with Edinburgh Castle; it was quite something to behold. If you're in Edinburgh, I would highly recommend this tour!
Had a great tour today with Mark was excellent.
Mark’s history knowledge was so interesting and we learned so much we never would have.
If you do this tour ask for Mark!
The guide we had was fantastic, he wove us around the city
and gave us so much history. We had a problem meeting up with him because we came on a cruise ship and got off late, he was in constant contact and told us he would meet up with no problem!
No stress!
Ricky was a fantastic tour guide especially since he was a historian and really knew his stuff! He even walked us back to our bus so we would not lost and to make our ship in time . I would rate him a ten.
We really enjoyed this tour of Edinburgh. Our guide, James, was knowledgeable and provided a lot of interesting information about the city’s history, architecture, and landmarks. The visit to Edinburgh Castle was a highlight, and the tour gave us a much better understanding of the history of the city. Very informative, well organized, and enjoyable.
A fantastic day spent with James. His knowledge and approach to the history of Edinburgh made for an enjoyable and memorable experience. We would highly recommend,
This was an awesome tour! We got to see all the main parts of Edinburgh and hear about the history. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and funny. It is a lot of walking so something to keep in mind, but would highly recommend.
Nice sampling of several popular sights. Tour concluded at the castle so we could stay as long as we wanted after. This tour helped with planning the next couple days of activities. Our guide, Zenon, was very knowledgeable, professional and friendly.
Edinburgh is full of history and beauty and Ricky's expert knowledge let us live it! Thank you for the guided tour, Ricky, and your enthusiasm for the city you love.
Ricky was a great guide and had a real nack, and passion, for story telling. He brought the tales he spun to life.
Excellent experience! The guide provided a wealth of knowledge and was personable and engaging. The visit to the National Gallery and the conclusion at the Castle were definitely the highlights for me.
Zenon was very organised, clear history timelines and links between points of interest.
Presented in such an interesting way.
Suggestions offered for further historical opportunities to pursue in our own time as well as local spots to enjoy e.g. pub, food, sights to view/enjoy.
Would definitely refer guide Zenon to anyone visiting Edinburgh.
Ricky provided a beyond awesome tour!! He is an expert historian who shared his knowledge with a keen sense of humor, animation and compassion that I will remember forever.
He also went above and beyond and not only dragged my suitcase along but also delivered it to the hotel afterwards as I had rushed straight from the airport in order to join his tour on time. He’s truly a wonderful human!
Mark our guide was so amazing he told all of the details of Edinburgh and the rich history. Things we would never know by just walking around on our own.
We had an excellent small group tour with James-he is very knowledgeable and lively! I would definitely recommend this tour with one small recommendation-we were on a tight schedule due to our cruise ship leaving earlier in the day and would have liked more time at the castle. This tour would be better if it started an hour earlier for those on cruise ships or tight time constraints
James was fantastic. He was informative, enthusiastic, and entertaining. He kept us enthralled for the entire day. He was personable and likeable. This was a 5 star tour of a beautiful city. Thank you, James
James was our guide and was fantastic. Lots of fascinating information told with a dramatic flair since he has acting experience. Let the group set the pace and got those off the cruise ship back in time but didn’t rush the rest of us. Do prepared for serious walking and lots of steps and hills. Gave us a break for lunch and gave us several suggestions.
The tour guide, James was a great tour guide. He’s very kind, knowledgeable, and considerate. Had a great time with his tour. Thank you very much James!
Mark is very knowledgeable enjoyed the tour very much. Be ready for plenty of walking and quizzes on learned knowledge.
Great tour with knowledgeable and entertaining guide. Highly recommend. Ricky is a true delight and the best guide of our 7 tours this vacation.
What a completely fabulous day with Ricky running around Edinburgh. We feel so very lucky to have had Ricky guide us through the history of this beautiful city. We enjoyed every minute of it and learn d so much. Ricky is the man that helped us live a day as someone that lives in the olden days of Edinburgh. Thank you Ricky.
I was very fortunate to experience this tour with our guide James. He is exceptionally articulate, knowledgeable, and engaging. I highly recommend this experience. James made the city and it’s history come to life.
This tour was amazing, so informative. Left with so much knowledge. Our guide was great as well, James was his name. I would tour with him again and would suggest him to anyone going on this tour. He kept the tour fun and engaging. He was so knowledgeable in the history and kept things interactive. I would go on this tour again
Simply amazing full city tour! Ricky was extremely knowledgeable and engaging. He has amazing insights into everywhere we stopped. I highly recommend doing this tour on the first day of a multiday stop in Edinburgh. Be warned this is not a short tour: 5+ hours, so bring layers and hydration. Also the stated meetup is slightly off. It’s catty corner across the street under the clock of the Jonny Walker Experience.
We had a fantastic tour with Ricky! He provided interesting commentary and stories throughout the day as he showed us many of the Edinburgh sights. Be advised it is a full day of walking and standing, so be well rested and ready for a tiring day. Our tour ran about 6 hours, but it was well worth the time as a very comprehensive tour of the city. We had time to find a quick lunch on our own near the National Galleries. At the end of the tour, we had plenty of time to finish exploring the Edinburgh Castle on our own.
This was a great tour! Very informative. Guide was exceptional! Not recommended for groups coming from Norwegian Cruise line ports - not enough time to finish the tour, we had to miss the castle (entirely the fault of Norwegian, not our guide or Viator).
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up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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