Edinburgh Old Town: Historic Walking Tour

Discover the vibrant culture, stunning architecture, and rich politics of Edinburgh on the Royal Walk Old Town Tour. Journey through history and hear tales of adventure, intrigue, and romance that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Lawnmarket - Our meeting point. You will meet your guide here where a short introduction will take place before setting off.
  • St Giles’ Cathedral - This is where you will learn of the tumultuous history of religion in Scotland
  • Mercat Cross - Here you will learn of the crosses purpose and of the events that have taken place here…
What's Included
  • Professional guide included
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Discover the fascinating history and enchanting allure of Edinburgh’s Old Town with our walking tour through the city’s most important landmarks. Embark on an enlightening and engaging journey that vividly brings Edinburgh’s past to life.
Explore all the major attractions of The Old Town, from The Royal Mile to Greyfriar’s Kirkyard. Visit St Giles’…

Location
David Hume Statue
High Street
We meet at The Statue of David Hume on The Royal Mile. Look out for our Black and White "EDI Tours" umbrellas.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(25 Ratings)
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Erin_c
Apr 22, 2025
Sonia was the perfect guide! - This is a great walking tour of Edinburgh to get acquainted with the city and to learn valuable historical information.
Review provided by Viator
Nw3_mum
Apr 7, 2025
Excellent 5* tour of Edinburgh Old Town - Our guide John was excellent. We felt that the two hour tour of the Old Town was the perfect length. John is clearly very experienced and so knew the information that he wanted to impart to us and so the tour ran very smoothly. We could not recommend more highly.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Heather_c
Mar 29, 2025
Very informative tour and... - Very informative tour and must if you only have a couple days in Edinburgh. Highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Viator
Marshian72
Mar 7, 2025
Brilliant Tour - Had a fantastic tour of Edinburgh old town with Sonja -covered everything from rock formation to the best vintage shopping - she really knows her stuff about - brings it to life - thank you xx and i will be back !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kim
Dec 15, 2024
Exceptional! - Exceptional! John was so friendly, knowledgeable and welcoming. Well paced tour with great stories and insights! Highly recommend to anyone wanting to learn more about Edinburgh. A fabulous afternoon!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bette56
Oct 18, 2023
History, humor, and storytelling make for a great walk - We took this tour today with John. We agree with every other review that he is an unbeatable tour guide! Very knowledgeable, a born raconteur, great sense of humor. He packed centuries into our 2.5 hour tour. Highlights for us included the Castle (of course) and Victoria Street (very quaintly Scottish, all independently owned small businesses). Afterward, we took his advice and visited the Museum of Scotland. He actually had many great tips of things to see and do after the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
W7790ebalicel
Oct 18, 2023
Great to see most improvement sites, great guide - John provides a fabulous introduction to Edinburgh-its history and its idiosyncrasies. He is part historian, part raconteur, part comedian. We hit all the highlights of Old Town and then some. My husband and I were his only clients that day. Too bad because he could have entertained 100 of us. Along the way, he also offered helpful tips and recommendations of things to do when the weather gets bad (as it will). Would 💯 recommend this tour if you have never explored this area!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hhrobb
Sep 22, 2023
Fantastic historical tour! - John was a fantastic tour guide! His tour was a great way to start our visit to Edinburgh. He hit some highlights on the Royal Mike but also took us to visit some other historical spots. His historical knowledge was extensive. He was very nice and gave some great restaurant recommendations.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
A81snpatriciac
Sep 19, 2023
The Royal Walk Old Town tour. - John, our guide, was excellent. His passion and enthusiasm was evident in his narrative about the history of the area and its culture. We will definitely seek this tour again upon our return. We highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Edinburough.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Richard_w
Aug 27, 2023
Great, great guide and haggis to boot - 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'.
Review provided by Viator
From $23
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).