Underground Vaults Walking Tour

Embark on an eerie journey through the haunted vaults beneath Edinburgh’s Old Town. Discover the dark history of crime, witchcraft, and spirits that lurk within. Step into a genuine witchcraft temple and dare to enter the infamous stone circle.

Duration: 1 hour
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights

The infamous vaults hidden under the South Bridge in Edinburgh Old Town fill the nineteen stone arches of this underground architectural wonder. Join our knowledgeable guide to hear why the vaults were built and why they were eventually abandoned…
Hear tales of how the homeless and destitute community of Edinburgh sought refuge in these former slums….

What's Included
  • Professional guide
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Embark on a journey along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile to uncover some of the city’s darker history before venturing into the notorious hidden and allegedly haunted vaults beneath the South Bridge in Edinburgh’s Old Town. Discover stories of the impoverished and unfortunate who once inhabited these former slums. Navigate these dimly lit vaults by candlelight,…

Location
300 Lawnmarket
Lawnmarket
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.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.7
(7859 Ratings)
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Stephanie_r
Aug 12, 2025
Tour of the vault. - The vault tour with Dom was really interesting and he made it really fun. I may have even seen a ghost. lol. Dom gave us a picture of how difficult life could be. A real contrast to the tours of the rich and famous.
Review provided by Viator
Keefmacq
Aug 11, 2025
A visit to the old underground vaults along with the history of the vaults at Cowgate. - A look at the history of the vaults along with some great stories of some of the goings on down there. Absolutely met our expectations as a Quick Look at the underground vaults at Cowgate. Happy with the value and the experience we received.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Giacomo_s
Aug 11, 2025
Mistery tour - Funny and entertaining. Our host was Stewart, he had many anecdotes to entertain us and help us fix the info help supplied. Thanks Stewart!!!
Review provided by Viator
Acod290
Aug 10, 2025
Highly recommend - I recently went on the Underground Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh’s Old Town, and it was absolutely fantastic. Our guide, Dom, was brilliant from start to finish engaging, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about the city’s history. He had that perfect balance of factual detail, humour, and storytelling that kept everyone hooked, and he made the eerie atmosphere of the vaults come alive without ever feeling over the top. You could tell he really knew his stuff and loved sharing it. The combination of learning about Edinburgh’s darker past while exploring the vaults themselves made for a fascinating experience. Dom’s way of painting vivid pictures of what life would have been like down there added so much depth to the tour. Highly recommend this to anyone visiting Edinburgh and if you can, try to get Dom as your guide!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Peter_b
Aug 10, 2025
Visit the vaults - Great guide (Darren) full of facts and certain humour all presented well. Interesting and just about length of visit.
Review provided by Viator
Norm_f
Aug 10, 2025
Great short duration tour! - Dom was a great tour guide and provided great historical talking points mixed with much humor and goodwill. Highly reccomend!
Review provided by Viator
Lydia_t
Aug 9, 2025
Vault Tour with James was really fun! - What a unique and fun way to see a different side (underground!) of a city. The vault tour was short (about an hour) but we learned so much from our wonderful, entertaining guide, James, who packed the tour with great insights, humor and more than a bit of spookiness as we explored the hidden vaults beneath the city. James was great! We would highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Viator
Dawndz589vl
Aug 9, 2025
Underground vaults tour - Very enjoyable experience we learned a lot and the guide -Dom- was very entertaining too. Would definitely recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Eden_w
Aug 10, 2025
Where to meet. Be more... - Where to meet. Be more specific as to the location or have the travel guide be more recognisable especially during busy months.
Review provided by Viator
Tariq_a
Aug 11, 2025
I could not find the tour... - I could not find the tour operator. The area was very crowded and poorly organized, which made it difficult to locate the group. Unfortunately, I had to return to my hotel without joining Thank you for
Review provided by Viator
From $30
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).