Dean Village & Circus Lane Walking Tour with a Local Guide

44 Ratings

Edinburgh

Save

View All (7)

Escape the tourist crowds and discover the hidden gems of Edinburgh on a walking tour of historic Dean Village. Explore charming streets, historic buildings, and even spot wildlife in the heart of the city!

Duration: 2 hours

Cancellation: 1 day learn more

Highlights

Dean Village - A stunningly pretty former mill village located in Dean Vally by the fast flowing Water of Leith. See 17th century buildings as well as potentially wildlife including herons and otters. A taste of the Highlands only ten minutes walk from Princes Street!
New Town - Explore the not so New Town of Edinburgh- it was originally built in the 1770s! The neighbourhood’s design revolutionised the way cities were laid. See the former home of one of Scotland’s greatest writers and marvel at the grand Georgian townhouses.
Scott Monument - The largest monument to a writer anywhere in the world! The “Gothic Rocketship” is a worthy tribute to Walter Scott who changed the way novels were written and reinvigorated Scotland’s sense of national identity.
Water of Leith Walkway - We’ll walk down the river path, maybe spotting the local otters, birdlife and a few indigenous Edinburghers too! There’s local history too!
Stockbridge Market - When you do this tour on Sunday, you’ll pass by the Stockbridge market
Princes Street Gardens - Walk through parts of the most central - and arguably most historic - public gardens in Edinburgh!

What's Included

Expert tour guide services

Additional Information

Escape the overcrowded Royal Mile and enjoy an intimate, personal tour of Edinburgh’s hidden gems with a friendly local guide!

On this relaxed walking tour you’ll encounter the best of Edinburgh - an historic neighbourhood (Dean Village) with architecture dating back to the 1600’s, historic monuments, quirky local cafes, quaint hidden alleyways and streets and you’ll walk along the city’s only river. There might even be a waterfall and if you are really lucky, you might even see local otters, right in the middle of the city!

Book this tour if you want to get away from the tourist crowds and experience something a bit more “local”. Perfect for anyone who’s seen the Old Town.

Strollers can be used, but parents need to be in good shape, and ready for cobblestones

Location

Statue of Sir James Young Simpson

Princes Street

We will meet you outside The Tour Box Police Box, located in the West End of Princes St. Meet us here 5-10mins before the tour starts and get yourself a Specialty Coffee or Hot Chocolate for your tour.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.9

(44 Ratings)

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Trek46813803006

Aug 31, 2024

Great way to see Dean Village! - We really enjoyed our small-group walking tour of Dean Village and Stockbridge. Although it would have been possible to explore these areas on our own, we would have missed out on the incredible knowledge of our guide. Dean Village in particular has a very different atmosphere to the Old Town, with a fascinating social history and beautiful riverside walks.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Rodalita

Aug 28, 2024

Dean village & Circus Lane Walking Tour with a Local Guide... - A VERY EXCELLENT & PRESENTABLE and LOCAL EYES TOUR Dean Village & Circus Lane Walking Tour with a Local Guide in : Edinburgh Scotland..-- stop at Dean Village. Dean Path Edinburgh EH8 88 H Scotland..Place were Amazing! The great Nature and Wildlife tour in Edinburgh..very good group group tour visiting an every place to stop.. you can see all all the lovely place and great stunming view around Dean Village walking tour a local guide at Edinburgh Scotland . Every place you can stop. Very incredible ..great tour and guide take you an experience a very beautiful to close been to the old town and want to see more! Everything and the most excellent part of Edinburgh excellent guide tour greatful and protected to themmlocal eyes tour....the operator!!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

B2207swsandram

Aug 25, 2024

Beautiful tour - It was great! The tour guide was a local we told us many stories! On other tours it was unfortunately not so...

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Robert_b

Aug 14, 2024

Dean Village tour - David was very personable and a great choice for our small group. The tour through the village and surrounding areas of New Town was thorough, educational and fun. David did a great job answering every question, even the difficult ones. Great job!

Review provided by Viator

U116zoelizabethc

Aug 1, 2024

Very enjoyable afternoon - Really lovely tour around Dean Village and Circus Lane with Adrian. He was very engaging, informative and funny. Our 14 year old grandson was with us so it was a bit hit and miss whether he would enjoy the tour, fortunately he did as Adrian did such a good job.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Betsy_t

Aug 1, 2024

Great guide, great area! - Kieran was such a great guide! We loved the tour and had a great time exploring Dean’s Village and the surrounding area. Kieran was super knowledgeable and had a ton of interesting tidbits about the area. It was a great way to explore and learn about the area. Definitely recommend!

Review provided by Viator

Bt-victoria

Jul 31, 2024

Historical and Serenity Walk of Dean Village & Water of Leith Walkway - Chris is our guide for this walking tour. He is knowledgeable of the places. He used to live in Dean Village and has the first hand experiences of the areas and provide rather balance view on them. It is a serene walk especially along the Water of Leith Walkway. Highly recommend this historical and serene walk with Chris.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Kaytee

Jul 30, 2024

Peaceful - I’ve been to Edinburgh so many times and never knew about the gem of Dean’s Village. It is so close and easy to get to and it feels like a whole new city. It’s quiet and peaceful and beautiful. Our guide had a phd in Scottish history so he knew so much and shared really interesting information. This was a nice respite from the busy city. All of the locals who heard what we visited here had the same reaction of “oh I love Dean’s Village!” Worth the visit.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Joann_t