Edinburgh Castle & Old Town Small Group Guided Tour

Recommended by 94% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Edinburgh, Scotland

3 hours (approx.)
Offered in: English

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Overview

Stroll through Edinburgh's Old Town and visit major sights including the Royal Mile, St Giles' Cathedral, Greyfriars Kirkyard, Grassmarket, and Victoria Street on this walking tour, which includes admission to Edinburgh Castle. Hear stories of Edinburgh's history and notable figures as you explore the city's cobbled streets and hidden closes with an expert guide.

A comprehensive way to see Edinburgh in a short amount of time
Don't get lost in the city: Your guide will navigate you to all the most popular landmarks
Plenty of photo ops of Edinburgh's must-see attractions
End your tour at a central location, perfect for further exploration

What's Included

Professional Guide
Admissions to Edinburgh Castle

Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

David Hume Statue
379-381 High St, Edinburgh EH1 1PW, UK
We meet at The Statue of David Hume on The Royal Mile. Look out for our Black and White "EDI Tours" umbrellas.

End point

Edinburgh Castle
Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NG, UK
Your tour will conclude in the royal heart of Edinburgh Castle; Crown Square. We recommend setting aside some time after the tour to explore the many museums and exhibitions of the Castle

Operating hours
.10:00 am

Itinerary

Lawnmarket (Pass By)

St Giles' Cathedral (Pass By)

Mercat Cross (Pass By)

Greyfriars (Pass By)

Grassmarket (Pass By)

Victoria Street (Pass By)

Castlehill (Pass By)

Edinburgh Castle

50 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed

Near public transportation
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Not recommended for travellers with limited mobility
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

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 34 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Very informative and...

Duncan_G, Apr 2026

Very informative and entertaining. Learned more on this tour than one we took years ago. The guide Sarah was fantastic. Will highly recommend!

This was such a great...

Misty_F, Sep 2025

This was such a great tour! IT turned out that my dad and I were the only ones bone at this particular time, so we had Sonia ask to ourselves. It felt like a friend was taking us around the old town instead of a being in a tour. Sonia was also super knowledgeable and funny. Really helped give context to the city!

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Thank you for your kind words. I’m glad that having a smaller group with Sonia felt so personal, and that her humour and knowledge gave you a real sense of the city’s history.

Disappointed

Paul_B, Jul 2025

Minimal amount of sights were covered, a lot of pauses, lengthy pauses with a long historical synopsis provided. The guide must have received an award for the greatest number of words said in a moments time. It reached a point that she had to be tuned out. Oh well, her words were probably most interesting, important and relevant, but the rapid dialogue prevented oral dissimilation.

Response from Host, Aug 2025

Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry the tour didn’t meet your expectations and that the delivery made it difficult to follow. We’ll review this with the guide to ensure pacing and clarity are improved for future guests.

Not a happy camper

Sharon_G, Jun 2025

That the provider EDI cancelled the excursion because their guide got sick. I have yet to receive a refund.

Response from Host, Jul 2025

We're very sorry for the inconvenience. All guests were contacted 48 hours in advance via email, SMS, and phone. Your refund was processed the same day you arrived it may take a few days to appear, depending on your bank. Please reach out if there are any delays and we’ll assist right away.

Lovely overview of the...

Danica_W, Jun 2025

Lovely overview of the history of the Old Town and its most significant buildings/monuments within a reasonable amount of time and pace (1 hour). Our tour guide Charlotte was energetic and made the history fun. Be advised there are some stairs involved but it is Edinburgh!

Response from Host, Jul 2025

Thanks for your lovely review! We're so glad you enjoyed the Old Town tour with Charlotte she’s brilliant at making Edinburgh’s history come alive. And yes, those stairs are part of the full medieval cardio experience!

A great tour with a local company

Kristin_N, Jun 2025

This tour was excellent! John was so knowledgeable about all things Edinburgh. We got some history, some culture, some religious history, some politics and some entertainment info as well as great recommendations for food, activities and hidden gems around the town. He had a great sense of humor and loads of information. This is a small local company with a big future. I highly recommend this tour. Check them out. You won’t regret it.

Response from Host, Jun 2025

Thank you so much for your wonderful and thoughtful review! I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed the mix of history, culture, and fun, plus the local tips. It means a lot to be recognised as a small local company with big ambitions. I truly appreciate your high recommendation and hope to welcome you back for another tour soon!

Sonia was the perfect guide!

Erin_C, Apr 2025

This is a great walking tour of Edinburgh to get acquainted with the city and to learn valuable historical information.

Response from Host, Apr 2025

Thank you for leaving this 5 star review for Sonia! I'm so glad her tour provided you with valuable information to allow you to make the most out of your time in our amazing city! - John

Very informative tour and...

Heather_C, Mar 2025

Very informative tour and must if you only have a couple days in Edinburgh. Highly recommend this tour!

Response from Host, Mar 2025

Thank you so much for taking the time leave us a 5-star review. We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your time with Sonia! - John

Great, great guide and haggis to boot

Richard_W, Aug 2023

John was a fantastic guide. We were the only ones booked and, though he could have, he didn't just "mail it in". He treated us like VIPs. We felt like we saw and learned everything we could have in the time we had. John even recommended a place for trying haggis (which always gets a bum rap). We'd stop short of delicious but certainly not deserving of its 'reputation'.

V.I.P Treatment

Cathy_S, Aug 2023

My guide (John) was such a knowledgeable man, who showed me parts of olde town I would never have known existed before. He gave me such an in depth history of each building we visited, I felt I was back there when they were first built. I even mentioned the series I loved called Outlander and he took me to one of the buildings they used for the filming - I thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Thank-You.

Amazing tour! Must-do.

Claire_K, Aug 2023

Absolutely loved this tour. Incredibly informative and so entertaining. They also gave a lot of great recommendations for additional things to do.

A great first view of the city.

Sara_S, Aug 2023

My husband and I highly recommend this walking tour with John early in your visit. It’s highly entertaining and an excellent introduction to Edinburgh, its sites, a bit of history, and some quirky facts. Would be enjoyed by both first time and repeat visitors. It was especially useful in helping navigate the winding streets of Old Town and prevented our getting lost all week.

Superb

Patricia_F, Jul 2023

John has an amazing tour guide style!! So knowledgeable and friendly! I booked his Edinburgh castle tour based on my experience on this lively old town walk. His recommendations are right on for spots on Victoria St. Try it, you’ll love it!!

Lovely old Edinburgh

Nada_A, Jul 2023

Amazing, Absolutely fantastic and the tour guide ( Jhon) was so kind and knowledgeable.. we learned alot about Edinburgh old city .. I highly recommend this tour 👏🏻👏🏻