Old Town's Highlights Walking Tour in Edinburgh
Recommended by 96% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Edinburgh, Scotland
- 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Make the most of your time in Edinburgh on a walking tour where your guide shows you all the highlights and some overlooked parts of the city. Wear comfy shoes, since you cover a lot of ground. Check out Edinburgh’s crown jewels, the Grassmarket, and much more.
- Meet up at an easy to find spot in Edinburgh
- Check off plenty of Edinburgh highlights in just one day
- Go beyond the guidebooks with insights from your guide
- Find hidden spots you'd miss on your own
What's Included
- Local English-speaking guide
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Edinburgh EH1 1QS, UK
The Edinburgh Old Town's Highlights Walking Tour starts on 130 High Street (The Royal Mile), on the corner with Stevenlaw's Close
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Royal Mile
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
St Giles' Cathedral
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
William Wallace Statue
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Grassmarket
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Greyfriars Kirk
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
National Museum of Scotland
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travelers
Supplied by
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 153 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Alvina_J, Aug 2026
Excellent walking tour of Old Town with Brian who brought the history of Edinburgh to life with amazing stories from over the centuries. Really appreciated his attention to always making sure everyone could hear him.
Ivan_K, Aug 2026
Our guide was enthusiastic & jolly but this wasn’t really for us. I felt it was very basic and aimed at a maybe 14-year old level— a lot of time explaining things like “there were conflicts between Protestants and Catholics.” I also personally felt annoyed when he characterized the Writer’s Museum as boring and “basically here’s the pens they used.” We should have looked for a more serious historical tour.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're pleased to hear that you found your guide enthusiastic and engaging.
At the same time, we're sorry to learn that the tour wasn't the right fit for what you were looking for. We understand that some guests prefer a more in-depth historical experience, and we're sorry that you felt the content was too introductory. We also appreciate your comments about the remarks regarding the Writers' Museum, as we understand how personal opinions can shape the experience differently for each guest.
Your feedback has been shared with our team as we continually review and refine our tours, guides, and overall experience. Comments like yours help us strike a better balance between making our tours accessible to a wide audience while still providing the depth that many visitors are looking for.
Thank you again for your thoughtful review, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you on another tour that better matches your interests.
Kind regards,
Karla M
SANDEMANs Team
Debbie_M, Jul 2026
The guide certainly has a lot of knowledge about this area of the city and had a lot of stories to share with the group.
Gillian_O, Jul 2026
Very detailed tour. James’ storytelling skills were captivating. We took away so much information which made us curious to explore areas even further. The tour might seem lengthy on foot but it was a gentle pace, with quite a few stops allowing for educational rest periods. Wow! The history was starkly contrasted between the poor, middle class, and rich. Have James tell you all about it!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review!
We're delighted to hear how much you enjoyed exploring Edinburgh with James. It's fantastic to know his storytelling brought the city's history to life and left you curious to discover even more. We're also glad the pace felt comfortable and gave you time to take it all in. Thanks for joining us!
Karla | SANDEMANs Team
Dermot_S, Jun 2026
This was a very good tour. Our guide, G, was a knowledgeable and proud Scotsman. It was good to hear from a local. The tour was a nice balance of history and the arts, informed by the experiences of a knowledgeable local.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed our Edinburgh: Old Town's Highlights Walking Tour.
It's fantastic to know that G's local perspective, knowledge, and passion for Scotland helped make the tour such an enjoyable experience. We're pleased you appreciated the balance of history, culture, and the arts, all brought to life through the insights of a proud local guide.
Thank you for joining us, and we hope to welcome you on another SANDEMANs tour in the future!
Best regards,
Karla | SANDEMANs Team
Cynthia_D, Jun 2026
Very informative and interesting. Would highly recommend. Belle was wonderful and make our experience great
Anne_J, May 2026
Great tour of old town! Very informed guide. Be aware that this is a free tour offered in Edinburgh and the fee paid through Viator is only a booking fee. Tour guide is not paid through Viator and tips are encouraged and expected.
Jennifer_P, May 2026
We really enjoyed our tour. Robert was friendly, knowledgeable, and full of stories, history and fun facts. Highly recommend!!
Marie_A, May 2026
Wear really good walking shoes!
2 hour tour well worth it! Gives you a wonderful idea of the area and history! Be prepared to tip your guide well. Since the experience his free the only way he gets paid is from tips.
Melanie_B, May 2026
Charlie provided us with a very personable, informative, entertaining walk around the Old Town of Edinburgh. We used the information he provided during the walk to navigate our way the following day to some of the places he suggested. Thank you Charlie
Kelly_M, Apr 2026
Excellent walking tour of Edinburgh. Our tour guide was Niamh and she was excellent! She was very informative, knowledgable, funny and engaging. We were treated to historical insights, great local knowledge, vocal performances and even a lesson in Scottish from a true local. Niamh was very passionate - she was 5 star, all the way...but the 4 star review is not because of the guide it is because this is FREE tour where you pay the guide what you think the tour is worth. The guide receives no payment from your booking. So the tour actually cost us £40 (£20 each) which is the real value of the tour and we received a full refund from Viator after complaining because this was not clear on the way the experience is described and we have no idea why you need to pay anything on the booking site. My advise is to just meet the guide (holding a big umbrella saying "FREE TOURS") and don't book on this site.
Sydney_S, Mar 2026
It was a wonderful tour and very informative. Would recommend going to the restroom beforehand but there is a bathroom break 3/4 a way through the tour.
Sarah_S, Mar 2026
Our guide Charlie was easy to find and welcoming.
The tour was interesting although our guide showed a definite rudeness and dislike to the English. Whilst I appreciate these tours tell the history I did feel his attitude, especially around Brexit was a bit too personal.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Dear Sarah_S,
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re glad to hear that Charlie was easy to find and welcoming, and that you found the tour interesting.
However, we are very sorry to hear about your experience with the comments and attitude you encountered during the tour. We take this kind of feedback seriously, as our guides should always create an inclusive and respectful environment for guests from all backgrounds. While our tours cover historical and political topics, they should be presented in a balanced and professional way, without making any guest feel uncomfortable or unwelcome.
We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and will follow up with the guide to address your concerns. Thank you again for helping us maintain the high standards we aim for.
Ewelina
SANDEMANs Team
Babacar_N, Jan 2026
Kriystal was really knowledgeable and fun to walk throughout Edinburgh with. She shared all local insights during the tour
Brooke_P, Oct 2025
One of my favorite tours I’ve taken! Joe was a knowledgeable guide and I learned so much about the history of Edinburgh, as well as got some great recommendations for the rest of my trip. Definitely recommend!
Constance_K, Oct 2025
This was a great overview of Edinburgh’s history. Our guide “G” was knowledgeable and entertaining. We would highly recommend this tour.
DeonInder_T, Oct 2025
An informative and interesting two hours spent at important historical and current sites in Edinburgh's Old Town. Despite the windy and rainy weather, Joe did a brilliant job at keeping the fairly large group entertained with his wit, humour and knowledge of Scottish culture, history, politics and achievements. A good way to get a good idea of the the lay of the land too. Highly recommend.
Diane_S, Sep 2025
A brilliant guide, informative, knowledgeable, friendly and good humoured. Most importantly too - Scottish!
Shanole_S, Aug 2025
Even in the high winds, our tour guide made the time fun and gave us a lot of great information and recommendations of things to do! It’s a perfect way to see the old town of Edinburgh and a gives you good direction for what to do next. I recommend doing this on your first day!
Steve_J, Jul 2025
Fun and professional and informative. Good overview of the city. Recommended for first time visitors.
Joan_K, May 2025
Joe is engaging and knowledgeable with self deprecating humor yet such pride about scottish history—a treat!
Anne_B, May 2025
Interesting stories about Scotland’s past. Our guide treated us to a lovely traditional folksong. I do recommend.
Peter_S, May 2025
The tour leader knew her subject and delivered a thoroughly entertaining commentary on Edinburgh's history and architecture.
William_W, Apr 2025
Can't remember our tour guides real name but her nickname was Steve and she was great .. lol. The tour was awesome and we enjoyed it very much. Highly recommend
David_D, Mar 2025
An excellent tour full of interesting facts and tales of Edinburgh. Our guide Niamh was a mind of information and was also very entertaining. I would strongly recommend this tour to all the city's visitors and the experience would be enhanced by having Niamh as their guide.
Alexandra_T, Nov 2024
Loved Joe’s sense of humor. Really knew his history and made it relatable. We were a group of only four and he handed our small well. Jay from upstate New York.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Hi Alexander,
Thank you for your fantastic review! We're so glad to hear that you enjoyed Joe’s humor and that he made the history come alive in such a relatable way. It sounds like he really took care of your small group and created a personalized experience!
We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback, and we hope to see you again soon for another great adventure!
Best regards,
Margarita | SANDEMANs Edinburgh
JILL_G, Sep 2024
Entertaining tour through the oldest part of the city. Clearly shown where the oldest part of the city was and how it expanded.
Steven_A, Sep 2024
Neve knew her stuff and presented it in an interesting and delightful way. I would highly recommend this tour.
Susan_H, Sep 2024
Amazing tour with Niamh. It was best and most entertaining and informative walking tour I have ever taken! And I’ve done a lot! Why? Engaging, humorous, fantastic storyteller weaving history with interesting facts. Stellar!
Darryl_J, Sep 2024
This tour was awesome! Very educational. Brian had the perfect mix of history, fun facts and humor. Very entertaining and helpful!! Even came with tips on where to go after the tour!
From $4.76
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Old Town's Highlights Walking Tour in Edinburgh
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