Edinburgh Castle and Royal Mile Walking Tour - Ticket Included
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Edinburgh, Scotland
- 2 hours 15 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
·
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Framed by old stone buildings, local small businesses, and cobblestone roads, Edinburgh's historic Royal Mile is one of the city's most atmospheric spots. Rather than wandering around alone, walk the storied street up to Edinburgh Castle while learning about Edinburgh rich history on a walking tour before heading inside the castle with your included ticket.
- Check off the highlights of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile on a walking tour
- A chance to learn about Scotland’s centuries-old history
- Pass by historic landmarks including St. Giles’ Cathedral and the Grassmarket
- Experience the One O’Clock Gun Firing from the castle
What's Included
- Local Tour Guide
- Entrance ticket to Edinburgh Castle and guided tour
- Guided tour of the Old Town and Royal Mile highlights
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Clan Pascual - Edinburgh Walking ToursMeeting Point - Navy Blue Umbrella, B, 180 High St, Edinburgh EH1 1QS, UK
Your guide will be holding a Navy Blue Umbrella. Please arrive 10 minutes before the tour start time to check in.
End point
- Edinburgh CastleCastlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NG, UK
The tour will end inside Edinburgh Castle.
Itinerary
1
Royal Mile
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Mercat Cross
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
St Giles' Cathedral
25 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Writers' Museum
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Victoria Street
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Grassmarket
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Edinburgh Castle
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
8
Edinburgh Castle
40 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Suitcases and large rucksacks are not permitted in Edinburgh castle.
- There will be 3 set of steps and 2 steep paths along the route.
- The tour will take place on the outdoor areas of the castle. After the guided visit you will have the time to visit the roofed buildings and the museums
- The company is not responsible for participants arriving late and missing the beginning of the tour. If the group is no longer at the meeting point when you arrive, please note that the first stop will be the Mercat Cross and the Old Parliament Square.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 1,831 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Haley_M, Jul 2026
The Royal Mile and castle are pretty brutal with steep hills, steps, and cobblestone streets if you have items with wheels (e.g. strollers, wheelchairs, etc). This is especially a bit more difficult when it is incredibly crowded outside and walking paths are narrow. The heat we faced this day was an added challenge. I wouldn’t let this deter you from taking the tour though. It was informative and well done and though difficult in some spots was a great experience!
Our group was rather large but we got split into many groups bit even though we had thought we arranged beforehand putting us altogether. Regardless, the tour guide I had (Paul, forgive me if that actually isn’t his name, this is few days post tour after we had a family emergency the same day - also mentioned the name piñata) was absolutely fantastic!
He is incredibly knowledgeable, was able to keep my oldest, but still young child (age 5), engaged while also throwing in some adult humor simultaneously. It was great learning from him! I have determined that because of his tour, I have to come back soon!
I could have spent the whole day in the castle. If you do the tour later, you will regret not having more time. Though we completed the earlier tour, we had to go back to catch a boat and wish I could have seen more inside the castle.
Overall, I would give 5 stars. It was tough and challenging but it was also well done and a great experience.
ROGER_W, Jul 2026
Ben took us through all the sights and told us the history of the royal mile . He was very entertaining but also factual
Tandi_K, Jul 2026
Catherine was a great tour guide. She kept things light and funny while telling a ton of history. Would definitely take another tour from her when we’re back in Edinburgh.
Caren_S, Jul 2026
Ben was a fabulous and memorable guide. We thoroughly enjoyed this tour. His explanations and information about history, the sites we were seeing and should see after our tour ended, were fascinating and informative. We have taken many Viators over the years and he was one of the best guides.
Joanne_O, Jul 2026
If you have a large group be sure to confirm that the tour company acknowledges this - otherwise everyone in our group was separated into multiple groups— the tour was very nice but we were bummed that we could not be together - there were 19 family members who wanted to be together
Karen_P, Jul 2026
This is an absolutely incredible tour! We were fortunate to have a great guide, James, who was knowledgeable, funny, and engaging. We learned so much about the history of Scotland in a delightful way. Highly recommend!
justine_g, Jul 2026
The tour guide was very knowledgeable, entertaining and it was the perfect amount of time for a walking tour. I loved that we hit on history and culture.
Nancy_K, Jul 2026
Campbell was the perfect maestro for this tour. Knowledgeable, humorous and friendly…what more could you ask for?!?!
Liz_L, Jul 2026
If you love history, you have to book this Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle tour. James was a brilliant guide who was deeply knowledgeable and so informative. He has a real talent for storytelling and tracking dates, which made the walk incredibly fun rather than just a list of facts. It was an awesome day out and highly worth it!
Margo_T, Jul 2026
Irish Mark was a fantastic guide. We learned so much about the castle and history of Scotland and Edinburgh. It was wonderful.
Andrea_C, Jul 2026
It was an interesting tour. It covered a lot of history but once you got to the castle there wasn't much to see inside.
69dr87fd2b, Jul 2026
The walk was a good pace for all ages and for those who have the mobility to walk. An organizer arrived for early birds like me where there was check in and assignment to the guide group tour guide. My guide’s name started with an A. I’m hesitant to spell it incorrectly. He was knowledgeable in history and good about interweaving simplified history with humorous anecdotes. He had a great awareness of his surroundings, keeping track of the guests and maintaining safety.
Larry_S, Jul 2026
Ben was very knowledgeable about this tour. Made the tour fun. Very friendly and was easy to ask questions
Denise_B, Jul 2026
A lot of walking so wear comfortable shoes! Bring water as well. Ricky out your guide was great. He loves his job and knows a lot of history!!
Joel_L, Jul 2026
I highly recommend this tour. The tour guide was very informative and had great stories. The stops along the walking tour were great. The pace was good and the guide made sure we stayed together.
When we started the tour, there were not a lot of people on the royal mile but by midafternoon, the area was packed. Be prepared to walk up hill.
Jaldeep_D, Jul 2026
There should be a phone number to contact you in London. Also you must make it clear as to which walking tour you are taking. Last year I did this same tour and we got a tour of some of the landmarks and a history of how the city developed in time. The tour we got yesterday was worthless because it spoke about all the wars and very political and history of political that we from the United States are not interested in. Very disappointed. Last years tour was excellent and I recommended it to my friends and I went along with them and realized it was completely different.
Amy_A, Jul 2026
The tour of the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle was great. We were just going to visit the castle on our own but tickets were sold out. So happy they were because instead we had a wonderful experience with our tour guide Ben. He was really knowledgeable, funny and made a point to connect stories back to the group's home countries to offer additional insight.
Maryfrances_W, Jul 2026
Had a wonderful time. So much history! Incredible. Crowd size was small. The guide was very knowledgeable and funny.
Ms_S, Jul 2026
Alasdair was very entertaining and held our attention for the entire tour. Kept to time, pacing was spot on.
Martha_C, Jul 2026
It is a must, when you come to Edinburgh.
A lot of history, maybe takes more than a day to visit, despite the rain and the wind, walking the Royal Mile is a must.
Kathleen_S, Jul 2026
Irish Mark did an amazing job leading us through the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle! I’d highly recommend this experience.
Ken_S, Jul 2026
The tour starting point was easy to find as they have huge dark blue umbrellas. We had “Irish Mark” and he was a wealth of information. He explained the history as well as his personal story and he was a good speaker. We learned a lot and had a good sense of Scottish history.
The only part that I didn’t understand up front was that the guide doesn’t go into the castle with us. The rationale made sense, but I just assumed that he would accompany us in the castle as well. Perhaps the description mentioned this but I missed it? Just fyi…
There are a lot of tours going on but he always waited for everyone to catch up.
I would recommend!
Jesse_W, Jul 2026
Great! Loved our tour guide, Ben. The whole tour was good, of course the castle is gorgeous. Ben was our favorite part of the tour.
julie_r, Jul 2026
We walked throughout the streets near the castle and then all around the castle area. I feel we almost got two tours in one be
Cause he knew so much information about the area as well as the castle.
James_B, Jul 2026
A great overview of Old Tiown Scotland. Xenon was a fantastic guide, navigating a very busy section of town with patience, humor, and an engaging recitation of local history. This tour offers great suggestions on how to allocate your time in Edinburgh.
Phillip_R, Jul 2026
The tour was great and our guide was very knowledgeable. We enjoyed the tour and would recommend it.
Nanette_H, Jul 2026
This is a 135 minute tour where only about 20 min is spent in the castle grounds. All else is walking arouns the Royal Mile area, which IS interesting but you will want to plan a other 1-2 hours on the end to stay and explore the castle.
Heather_H, Jul 2026
We had a great time on this tour! Our guide SJ was amazing and had such fun stories to share. The city and castle were beautiful, definitely recommend this tour.
Laurence_B, Jul 2026
Knowledgeable, funny guide, you get feel of history of Edinburgh.
Dress with good walking shoes and be prepared for any weather.
Kelly_L, Jul 2026
Great way to see the city and learn the history. Highly recommend taking it your first day because it really gives you the lay of the land. Our guide Ricky was absolutely fantastic! He was so passionate and knowledgeable about the history of Edinburgh. His stories made Edinburgh history come to life so much so our 15-year-old daughter stayed engaged the entire time. We were honestly sad when the tour ended. I wish we had another hour with Ricky!
From $72.23
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Edinburgh Castle and Royal Mile Walking Tour - Ticket Included
1,826
2 hours 15 minutes
Free Cancellation
From
$72.23
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
- Shore Excursions
- Full-day Tours
- Bus Tours
- Historical Tours
- Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises
- Private and Luxury
- Cultural Tours
- Private Sightseeing Tours
- Edinburgh
- Shore Excursions - St. Andrews
- Full-day Tours - St. Andrews
- Bus Tours - St. Andrews
- Historical Tours - St. Andrews
- Shore Excursions - Stirling
- Full-day Tours - Stirling
- Bus Tours - Stirling
- Historical Tours - Stirling
- Shore Excursions - Dundee
- Full-day Tours - Dundee
- Bus Tours - Dundee
- Historical Tours - Dundee
Attractions in Edinburgh, Scotland
- Camera Obscura and World of Illusions Tours & Tickets
- Portobello Beach Tours & Tickets
- Stirling Castle Tours & Tickets
- Blackness Castle Tours & Tickets
- Palace of Holyroodhouse Tours & Tickets
- Forth Road Bridge Tours & Tickets
- Calton Hill Tours & Tickets
- Museum of Edinburgh (Huntly House) Tours & Tickets
- Princes Street Tours & Tickets
- Isle of Islay Tours & Tickets
- John Knox House Tours & Tickets
- Arthur's Seat Tours & Tickets
- The Canongate Tours & Tickets
- National Museum of Scotland Tours & Tickets