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Haunted Vaults and Graveyard Walking Tour in Edinburgh

Recommended by 94% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Edinburgh, Scotland
High interest
Booked 10+ times today.
  • 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.8
·
· Fiachra_H ·
Jun 2026
It was a fun experience. The tour guide was witty, professional and well organised. The stories about the graves were spooky and fascinating. The Vaults were creepy and damp, which made the tour more exciting. I would definitely recommend this tour.
· Patrick_S ·
Jun 2026
The experience was a fun yet spooky time! Our tour guide Darren was absolutely amazing! He gave us a spook here and there. We also learned alot about the history of Edinburgh!! A fun and interesting way to learn. I would highly recommend it!

Overview

Hear secrets from beyond the grave on this haunted vaults and graveyard walking tour in Edinburgh. As night falls across Scotland’s ancient capital, follow a guide through the streets and learn the mysteries of the city’s dark past. Visit venues believed to be haunted, including Greyfriar's Kirkyard and the Niddry Street Vaults—and keep your wits about you for sightings of the un-dead.
  • Explore Edinburgh’s ancient streets with a guide by night
  • Visit venues where the un-dead are said to roam, including Greyfriars
  • Discover a side of the city that few other visitors get to experience
  • This tour is a great pick for horror fans and true-crime buffs

What's Included

  • Professional guide
  • Guided visit to Greyfriars Kirkyard
  • Entry to the Niddry Street Vaults
  • Historical commentary on Edinburgh's dark history, crime, executions, and folklore
  • Small-group guided experience
  • Gratuities
  • Transportation to/from meeting point
  • Souvenirs

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • 300 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2PH, UK

    Tours meet at the Tourist Information Police Box, outside of 300 Lawnmarket. This is across the road from the Deacon Brodie’s Tavern. (55.949326, -3.192912) Please be there at least 5-10 minutes early as we depart promptly at the tour time. Tours can't wait for latecomers so please do not be late.

End point

  • 45 Niddry St, Edinburgh EH1 1LG, UK

Itinerary

1

Greyfriars Kirk

35 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

2

Auld Reekie Tours

30 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • Not suitable for children under 5 years of age
  • Children under 16 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or guardian
  • Vaults are accessed via a 2ft stair with further average size stairs inside the vaults.
  • Anyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be turned away.
  • Filming or live streaming of the tour is strictly forbidden. You may be ejected from the tour.
  • • Some historical content may be of a distressing nature with regards but not exclusively to Torture, Hangings, Death
  • • Children under 2 years of age not allowed on tour.
  • The walking pace and terrain may not be suitable for those with any difficulty walking.
  • office hours are 10am - 5pm for all calls and emails.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 36 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.8
based on 1,956 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Sort by: Most insightful

Excellent tour

Kenneth_W, Jul 2026
Excellent tour, Mark was our guide and I highly recommend him He made the tour interesting and informative

Hope you get a different guide

Daniele_H, Jul 2026
It was an interesting tour, but I found our guide quite rude at the beginning. Later, she seemed like she couldn't wait for the tour to end. Overall, it was an okay experience.

Great Haunted Vaults Tour

Mike_W, Jul 2026
Exceptional tour through historic parts of Edinburgh and the vaults. Guide was both entertaining and knowledgeable as he toured 30+ people.

Great storytelling

Marie_T, Jul 2026
Would absolutely recommend. Great storytelling from our guide with just the right level of spookiness.

Creepy but fun

Dennis_M, Jul 2026
Stewart did a great job leading us around the cemetery and the vaults. He told some interesting stories and kept us entertained for the whole tour. The history of the vaults were interesting and fun. It is an easy walking tour. There are about 12-16 steps to get to the vaults.

Learn history and drama on this tour.

Yekaterina_T, Jul 2026
Had a great tour led by Diva. She had humor, history, drama! It was a really fun & informative tour of vault and graveyard. The vaults are misty and damp. So those with breathing issues should beware. This is a walking tour and has stairs and slippery floors.

Stewart was an excellent...

Kaylyn_M, Jul 2026
Stewart was an excellent guide. He was very knowledgeable and made the tour fun with his witty sense of humor. Very cool seeing the vaults and hearing the stories behind them. Great distance and not taxing physically. Would book again!!

Louisa rocks socks!

Adam_P, Jul 2026
Incredibly informative and paced super well. Tour guide was friendly and knowledgable. She did an amazing job making sure everyone in the group could hear her.

Fantastic tour with Diva

Irina_C, Jul 2026
The tour was very interesting and so much historical information. Diva was our guide and really loved the whole persona - the clothes, the make up, the little jokes that put a shiver down your spine 👻.

Had a great time! Louisa...

Sam_B, Jul 2026
Had a great time! Louisa was our tour guide and she was the best. Incredibly knowledgeable and funny. Would definitely recommend.

Good stories

madison_l, Jul 2026
It was a fun experience. There a girl who knocked on Bloody McKenzie door. The next we ran into her ask McKenzie to for give her for waking him up.

Nice Tour

Laura_I, Jul 2026
Diva was a great guide. Told interesting, amusing stories with just the right amount of suspense. Good locations. We all really liked the story about Greyfriars Bobby.

Louisa was amazing!

Chauntelle_H, Jul 2026
We very much enjoyed this tour, hosted by Louisa. Louisa was the perfect mix: history, mixed with a little bit of gruesome, some humor and a lot of respect for deceased. We were very impressed with how Louisa focused on the lives and living conditions of those relegated to the vaults, and how it must have been. The tour focused on Greyfriars Kirkyard and the vaults. Along the way, we also got to see how the city evolved, from the Flodden Wall to the bustling city it is now. We would gladly go on another tour next time we are in town! Thank you! (And Louisa—if you ever make it to the Upstate of South Carolina, we’ll treat you to some fried chicken! 😁)

Non responsive

Sheeza_R, Jul 2026
Host is non responsive. My train was delayed. I inquired on what to do with 0 response. I called twice. Messaged on viator. I ran and made it to the meet up spot at 18:05 instead of 18:00. The meet spot wasn’t very clear. Still no response.

A nice 90 minute evening activity for the family

Rich_M, Jun 2026
James is a very enthusiastic and fun host. There was a heartwarming story to start before the sordid stories kicked in. Walking distance was very minimal and the vaults were pretty cool. Not as comprehensive as the city walking tour but a fun way to spend 90 minutes in the evening.

Great tour. Diva was an...

Vincent_L, Jun 2026
Great tour. Diva was an excellent and entertaining guide. Definitely spooky so be aware. Would recommend.

The tour itself was great...

Megan_C, Jun 2026
The tour itself was great - really cool stories and stops. I even felt a presence at one point, and I wouldn’t consider myself a believer… I docked off one star for the way the tour guide, Diva, handled some folks who needed special accommodation. She asked about a few different conditions, and when someone would affirm they had one, she asked “why are you doing this?” in front of everyone - I think we all initially thought she was joking but she clearly was not. She interrogated one woman about her condition and then ultimately opted to remove her from the tour in front of the entire group. I can’t imagine how awful that experience was for her - as an onlooker, it felt highly inappropriate and uncomfortable. I hope this company considers being more upfront with guests before they book about conditions that may affect the tour, as well as handling conversations more discreetly on the day.

Fun and spooky

Fiachra_H, Jun 2026
It was a fun experience. The tour guide was witty, professional and well organised. The stories about the graves were spooky and fascinating. The Vaults were creepy and damp, which made the tour more exciting. I would definitely recommend this tour.

If you can’t walk FAST-skip this tour.

FrancieR_M, Jun 2026
If you have trouble walking at a fast pace, do not take this tour. It seemed interesting and fun until I could not keep up with the pace and the tour guide did not notice and left us behind. I was walking with a cane and it was raining. We were very disappointed that the tour was cancelled for us by the guide losing us.

100% recommend

Jacqueline_P, Jun 2026
James was an expectional tour guide. I cannot say enough good things about him. He was both entertaining and informative. I learned a lot about the graveyard as well as the vaults. Before this tour I had no idea. James brought a contagious energy to the tour.

Macabre

christy_l, Jun 2026
Full of wonderful stories and dark history. My grandson and I just loved this tour. It was a great history lesson.

Diva was our guide. She...

Gina_A, Jun 2026
Diva was our guide. She was fabulous. We heard interesting stories that kept us amused and engaged in the tour. Thank you very much

Don’t do this tour

juancarlos_g, Jun 2026
Horrible. My kids were really looking forward to this tour. The guide never showed up. Plus, when I tried to contact the company about the no-show, no one answered my repeated attempts via, text, WhatsApp, or email mail.

Great Mix of History, Dark History, and a Little Spooky

Rochelle_B, Jun 2026
This was a really neat experience. We had already done Mary King's Close which discusses the norm for those working and living in the closes, whereas the vaults were where destitute people lived in secret and darkness. The cemetery was a good visit with some dark history as well. Darren did a good job of sharing history and ghost stories without overselling any paranormal activity. I highly recommend this tour.

Loved it!

Grant_H, Jun 2026
We took many tours on our European vacation, and Louisa was our favorite! What an amazing tour and a detailed lens into some underground history of Edinburgh. Harrowing, educational, and highly recommended.

Very good tour was very...

Dale_H, Jun 2026
Very good tour was very informative and the guide was great. It includes a tour of the Grayfriars Kirkyard and the underground caverns .

Diva rocks

Eric_V, Jun 2026
Diva was a good guide. She has a very dry sense of humor, but she was creepy, in a fun way. A lot of walking up hill and up steps

Worth the walk

Adina_L, Jun 2026
Very spooky and engaging! Wear your walking shoes and an imagination. Our guide was Diva and she was entertaining, kept a great pace and truly fit the part.

Fantastic!!!

Robyn_L, Jun 2026
Brendan was funny, interactive and had some good jump scares at the end. He had loads of information to share about the graveyards and the vaults. We stayed to ask questions at the end and he even gave recommendations for what we could do next. Absolutely fantastic experience, couldn't ask for a better guide!!

Spooktacular

Patrick_S, Jun 2026
The experience was a fun yet spooky time! Our tour guide Darren was absolutely amazing! He gave us a spook here and there. We also learned alot about the history of Edinburgh!! A fun and interesting way to learn. I would highly recommend it!

From $35.38

per person

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

Book ahead!
On average, this is booked 21 days in advance.

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