Underground Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh Old Town
Recommended by 93% of travelers
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Edinburgh, Scotland
- 1 hour (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Step off the tourist trail and explore the Scottish capital’s hidden secrets on this underground walking tour in Edinburgh. Follow a guide from the South Bridge in Edinburgh Old Town down below street level, where a series of ancient vaults lie. As you explore the dark passageways, learn why the vaults were built, hear of the poor souls who sought refuge in the depths and discover a hidden witchcraft temple. Gain insight into city life during the 18th century, and learn of the deadly diseases which threatened Edinburgh’s inhabitants.
- Step into Edinburgh’s hidden underground vaults with a guide
- Explore the winding passageways and hear grisly stories from their dark past
- Hear tales of hardship and struggle in 18th-century Edinburgh
- Explore a side to the Scottish capital many visitors miss
What's Included
- Professional guide
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 300 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2PH, UK
The tour starts from the Red Telephone Box and Tourist Information Police Box, outside of 300 Lawnmarket. This is on the opposite side of the road from Deacon Brodie’s Tavern. Please be there at least 5-10 minutes early as the tour will always depart on time.
End point
- 45 Niddry St, Edinburgh EH1 1LG, UK
Itinerary
Make your own way to the meetup location in Edinburgh’s Old Town prior to the tour’s departure time. After meeting your guide and group, it’s time to head for the infamous vaults hidden under the South Bridge.
As you walk, your guide provides background information on why the vaults were built and why they were eventually abandoned. Deep underground, in the dark and chilly vaults, your guide tells you tales of the criminalls who once stalked the vaults and how Edinburgh’s homeless community once sought refuge there.
Decide for yourself whether or not you dare to step inside the stone circle when you enter a former witchcraft temple, then (if you dare) experience the eerie atmosphere of the haunted vault, so called for the many ghostly sightings that have occurred there.
As you walk, your guide provides background information on why the vaults were built and why they were eventually abandoned. Deep underground, in the dark and chilly vaults, your guide tells you tales of the criminalls who once stalked the vaults and how Edinburgh’s homeless community once sought refuge there.
Decide for yourself whether or not you dare to step inside the stone circle when you enter a former witchcraft temple, then (if you dare) experience the eerie atmosphere of the haunted vault, so called for the many ghostly sightings that have occurred there.
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- not suitable for children under 5 years of age, children under 2 years of age are not allowed on tour.
- Entrance/Exit to the vaults is via a 2 foot tall step followed by single flight spiral staircase.
- Mezzanine staircases of 5-7 steps inside vaults between levels.
- Alcohol/Drugs are strictly forbidden and anyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be turned away.
- Non-service animals are not allowed.
- • Some historical content may be of a distressing nature with regards but not exclusively to Torture, Hangings, Death
- The walking pace and terrain may not be suitable for those with any difficulty walking.
- We do not have any luggage storage so please make alternate arrangements.
- No toilet stops or toilets available during tour.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 36 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
4.7
based on 8,744 reviews
Sue_F, Apr 2026
What a fab, interesting and fun way to see another side of Edinburgh..well worth seeing!
Jordan our tour guide was very entertaining & knowledgeable making it both informative and entertaining at the same time!
Just something worth noting..the meeting point is opposite the Deacon Brodies Tavern which I wish we had known as it’s not mentioned when you make the booking!
Troy_S, Apr 2026
Jordan was top notch in his storytelling and was very entertaining and full of facts. Highly recommend Jordan
Jennifer_S, Apr 2026
We loved the vault tour, especially our guide James! He was funny, knowledgeable and made the experience that much better!! I would definitely recommend
Tim_S, Apr 2026
We lucked out! There were 3 others scheduled for our tour, but they were no shows. Their loss! My wife and I went solo and our guide Louisa was great. She made the seedy underbelly of life as it existed in Edinburgh come alive. Juxtaposed against the Edinburgh Castle tour we took the day before, I was left feeling grateful to live in modern times. Both tours are not to be missed.
David_B, Apr 2026
Well organised trip. Guide, Jordan, was excellent, very informative and brought the experience to life. It was an introduction to an unknown side of Edinburgh’s history. Recommended.
Marina_W, Apr 2026
Entertaining, informative and creepy even on the regular day tour! We enjoyed learning more about who and what built Edinburgh.
Kathy_H, Apr 2026
Louisa was an excellent guide who kept out tour engaged - we had a diverse age range. She relayed relevant stories from that time. Highly recommend this one hour tour that teaches history in an interesting way!
Richard_O, Apr 2026
Tour guide was great. Wife saw a couple shadow people. Wish we could have seen a couple more caverns since there was over 100 and we only got to see 3.
Joel_K, Apr 2026
Very fun. Ask for James as your guide. We had a great time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kym_E, Apr 2026
Louisa was our guide and she was fantastic! She was very informative and also very entertaining. After sharing information, Louisa frequently checked if we had any further questions. She also made sure we were all comfortable with the experience and made it clear that if we felt uneasy being undeeground that she would take us out.
Chrissy_M, Apr 2026
Interesting and fun experience. Learnt loads about the history of Edinburgh. Thoroughly recommend the tour. Jordon was a brilliant tour guide and we hope the lady who fainted is ok.
Kate_M, Apr 2026
We had Jordan as our guide and he was brilliant to listen to and brought the history to life for us. Would highly recommend this tour, just the right amount of scariness!
Claire_C, Apr 2026
Gave a spooky insight to the underground vaults in Edinburgh you're not aware of when walking through the streets. Our tour guide James did an excellent job of regaling us with spooky stories of times gone by and the people who lived and frequented the vaults. My husband and I were the only ones on the tour which made it more spooky.
Amanda_H, Apr 2026
We really enjoyed the tour. Our tour guide Jordan was very good. He was very knowledgeable and new the history well.
Jayme_H, Apr 2026
This was a great tour! Stewart did a great job! It was informative and worthwhile. I enjoyed hearing the history of the vaults and Scotland.
Michelle_G, Apr 2026
Great tour, learned some history and saw the vaults under the city. Tour guide was funny, engaging and knowledgeable. Thank you.
Michael_D, Apr 2026
We really enjoyed this tour very interesting and fun. We had the pleasure of meeting Louisa as our tour guide. We loved every bit of the tour and Louisa kept our attention threw out. She is really good at her job and a great character. Would highly recommend. Thanks for the expensive 😎
Hayley_D, Apr 2026
This tour.was brilliant, so interesting and spooky. We had Brendan as our guide and he was brilliant, so funny and friendly and really knew his stuff.
Joan_S, Apr 2026
Jordan was engaging, right mix of humour and information. He was punctual, easy to understand, and a great storyteller.
Donna_D, Apr 2026
We had a very fun and informative tour of the vaults, our guide Amiee was an amazing tour guide who knew everything you would want to know, not just about the vaults but also the history on and around the royal mile. This is a miss do activity!!
Paul_W, Apr 2026
Really enjoyed this tour. Totally brought to life by Jordan who was both knowledgeable and engaging with lots of great information, with the delivery tailored towards everyone on the trip on the day. Nothing was any trouble at all! I would recommend this tour to anyone in the area. Superb tour!
Zakary_T, Apr 2026
This was certainly the highlight of our three days in Edinburgh! Louisa was extremely knowledgable and equally funny, which made for an amazing tour. We would highly recommend this tour, particularly given that they have access to the largest amounts of vaults in Edinburgh.
Sarah_G, Apr 2026
Great experience through the city and into the vaults, good mixture of history and humour. Alex was a great guide
Donna_K, Apr 2026
Alex was a brilliant tour guide, she had some cracking jokes and was really considerate of everyone on the tour. She had tonnes of information. Would recommend the tour to anyone looking for a fun way to spend an hour.
Melanie_C, Apr 2026
It was very interesting and our tour guide was fabulous, would recommend doing this tour during a visit to Edinburgh, it was about one hour long.
Peter_C, Apr 2026
A good tour into the vaults, with a lot of local stories and knowledge shared by the guide Darren. Very atmospheric.
Amanda_H, Apr 2026
Fun way to learn a little history of the city and Aimee was great! I wish they would open up more of the vaults to be seen!
Eva_G, Apr 2026
The tour had some interesting bits however it is definitely not worth the price. Half of it is through the Royal Mile (there’s loads of free tours across this route that will tell you all you need to know about the street), and for the remaining 30 minutes they took us through a couple of rooms on the vaults. That part was interesting, but for the price I would have expected a lot more. Also please give the tour guide her Oscar and let her go!! Such dramatic antics were unnecessary!
Darragh_N, Apr 2026
Very enjoyable, brilliant guide aimee. Very informative. Well worth a visit. Aimee has great Scottish banter which makes it even more fun.
Gordon_F, Apr 2026
I recently visited the Edinburgh Vaults and it was one of the most memorable parts of my trip. The atmosphere is unlike anything else — dark, damp, and full of history. You can genuinely feel how many stories those tunnels hold. Dom was fantastic: knowledgeable, engaging, and brilliant at building suspense without being over the top.
From $32.93
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