The curving, colourful shopfronts of Victoria Street in Edinburgh’s Old Town

Edinburgh Tours & Tickets

Castle tickets, underground streets, whisky tastings and day trips into the Highlands — Edinburgh has the widest choice of tours in Scotland.

Book Edinburgh tours

Edinburgh is the capital of Scottish tourism as well as of Scotland, and almost anything you might want to do in the country can be booked from here. In the city, the things worth reserving are Edinburgh Castle (timed tickets, often sold out in summer), The Real Mary King’s Close and, in August, anything at all.

The city is also the departure point for the country’s most popular day trips. For those, see the tours pages for Loch Ness, Glencoe and Glenfinnan, Stirling, St Andrews and the multi-day Isle of Skye tours, or the ranked list on our Scotland tours page.

Our picks: Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle on its rock above Princes Street Gardens, framed by spring blossom

Entry ticket from €41

🕒 1.5 hours 📍 Edinburgh ⭐ 4.7 (14,329)

Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket

Entry to Scotland’s most-visited paid attraction with a guide who walks you through the Great Hall, the Crown Jewels and nine centuries of sieges. Timed tickets sell out in summer, so this is the one to book first.

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St Giles’ Cathedral and its crown spire on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh

Guided walk from €34

🕒 1 hour 📍 Edinburgh ⭐ 4.7 (4,531)

Edinburgh: The Real Mary King’s Close Guided Tour

A costumed guide leads you down into the 17th-century streets sealed beneath the Royal Mile — plague, overcrowding and everyday life in the old tenements. One hour, small groups, always busy.

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The front of the Palace of Holyroodhouse with its turreted towers

Entry ticket from €26

🕒 1.5 hours 📍 Edinburgh ⭐ 4.8 (6,391)

Edinburgh: Palace of Holyroodhouse Entry Ticket

The King’s official residence in Scotland: State Apartments, the rooms of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the ruined abbey, with a multimedia guide included.

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Old oak whisky casks stacked outside a distillery

Tasting & tour from €29

🕒 50 min 📍 Edinburgh ⭐ 4.7 (6,843)

Edinburgh: The Scotch Whisky Experience Tour and Tasting

An easy introduction to Scotch beside the castle — how it is made, the whisky regions explained, a dram to taste and a look at a vast collection of bottles.

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Calton Hill and its monuments with the Firth of Forth beyond

Entry ticket from €29

🕒 1 day 📍 Edinburgh ⭐ 4.9 (3,295)

Edinburgh: The Royal Yacht Britannia Ticket

Five decks of the late Queen’s floating residence, moored in Leith: state rooms, crew quarters and the engine room, at your own pace with an audio guide.

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Guided walk from €21

🕒 2 hours 📍 Edinburgh ⭐ 4.8 (13,222)

Edinburgh: Harry Potter Guided Walking Tour

Two hours through the Old Town streets, cafés and graveyard names linked to the books, with a quiz along the way. A reliable hit with families.

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Old mill buildings beside the Water of Leith in Dean Village, Edinburgh

Hop-on hop-off from €21

🕒 1 day 📍 Edinburgh ⭐ 4.6 (7,840)

Edinburgh: City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

Open-top buses looping past the castle, the Grassmarket, Holyrood and the New Town with commentary — useful on a first day or when the hills have tired your legs.

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Guided walk from €19

🕒 2 hours 📍 Edinburgh ⭐ 4.8 (923)

Edinburgh: Old Town History Walking Tour

A good-value two-hour walk through closes and courtyards of the Royal Mile with a local guide: reformers, body-snatchers, poets and kings.

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A note on what you can book

GetYourGuide’s coverage of Edinburgh is very deep: hundreds of products, from free-to-cheap walking tours to private drivers. The picks above are the long-established, heavily reviewed ones. Note that Arthur’s Seat and the national museums are free and need no ticket.

Live availability on GetYourGuide

Bookable right now — prices and dates straight from GetYourGuide.

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Good to know

Edinburgh tours: FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to book Edinburgh Castle in advance?

In summer, at weekends and during school holidays, yes. Entry is by timed ticket and the day’s allocation regularly sells out. Booking ahead is also slightly cheaper than paying at the gate.

Which day trip from Edinburgh is best?

For scenery, the Glencoe and Loch Ness day tour — long, but it shows the Highlands. For a shorter, easier day, Stirling Castle and Loch Lomond, or St Andrews and the Fife fishing villages.

Are walking tours worth it?

Yes. The Old Town’s history is hidden in its closes and courtyards, and a two-hour walk with a good guide on the first morning makes the rest of your stay richer.

Plan your Scotland trip

Book Edinburgh tours

Compare the best-reviewed tours, tickets and day trips for Edinburgh. Free cancellation on most options.

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Nearby destinations

Stirling

The castle that held the key to Scotland, between the battlefields of Wallace and Bruce.

The ruined towers and nave wall of St Andrews Cathedral

St Andrews & Fife

The home of golf, a ruined cathedral above the sea and a coast of painted fishing harbours.

Glasgow

Scotland’s biggest city: Victorian swagger, free museums, live music every night and the Highlands an hour away.