Edinburgh Private Walking Tour in English

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. The Castle Esplanade will be our first stop. From here, we will enjoy stunning views of the city and see where the Edinburgh Military Tattoo takes place. We'll talk about the history of one of Edinburgh's oldest buildings. As we recall the fascinating stories of kings, queens, battles and sieges, we'll delve into the secrets of the castle.

   20 min

2. From the Castle Esplanade, we will walk down hill towards Victoria Street, the most picturesque and colorful street of Edinburgh.

   10 min

3. At the end of Victoria Street we will enter the Grassmarket, a large plaza famous for its pubs and its dark past.

   15 min

4. From the Grassmarket, we will walk up Candlemarker Row. At the end of the street we will find Edinburgh's most famous and loyal dog, Bobby! We'll also see the dog statue located just outside of the graveyard.

   10 min

5. Behind Bobby, we will find the entrance to Greyfriars Kirkyard. This historic graveyard we will understand what the Mortsafes are, and learn about the connection between the Scottish Covenants and the George Mackenzie Mausoleum.

   15 min

6. We will stop outside the National Museum of Scotland, where your guide will share a few stories about some of its most famous treasures. These include Dolly the sheep, the first cloned mammal from an adult cell, and the Lewis Chessmen, whose replicas appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. We will not go inside, but you will still hear how the museum reflects Scotland’s scientific, cultural and industrial history.

   Passes by

7. After the National Museum of Scotland we will head towards the Royal Mile via Cowgate. We will explain where the name Royal Mile comes from and explore its historical highlights. The first stop will be St. Giles Cathedral. We'll talk about the architecture of the most important church in Scotland, and discover the history of the Presbyterian religion. We will also walk to West Parliament Square to talk about the Act of Union.

   20 min

8. Behind St. Giles Cathedral we will find the Mercat Cross, once the site of public announcements and punishments. We will also explain why the unicorn appears at the top of this structure.

   5 min

9. As we walk down the Royal Mile we will explore some of the 'closes' and understand what these narrow, dark, alleyways were used for. We'll recall the stories of those who once lived here.

   15 min

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 8 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Edinburgh

• Its from-price is 43% above the median of the 144 city tours we list in Edinburgh.
• It is shorter than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 55 of 144.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Edinburgh

Edinburgh, Scotland's capital, rises on volcanic hills, with a castle on a crag, a medieval Old Town and an elegant Georgian New Town.

Edinburgh Castle crowns Castle Rock and keeps the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish crown jewels. From there, the Royal Mile runs downhill through the Old Town, past St Giles' Cathedral and a warren of narrow closes, to the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Scottish Parliament. Arthur's Seat, an ancient volcano, rises above the palace with sweeping views.

Top-ranked sights in Edinburgh: Royal Mile, Edinburgh Old Town, Edinburgh Castle.

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