Edinburgh · CITY TOURS
17 reviewed
The good city tours fill up fast, and the best fill first. Ranked below are the 15 standouts, with current prices and what sets each one apart, so you can book before the dates go.
Hop-on hop-off open-top Edinburgh bus with a 24-hour ticket, 9-language audio, kids go free, and easy stops at Castle, Royal Mile, Holyrood.
“Friendly & helpful staff & driver, really enjoyed the journey & interesting facts about the city”
Hop-on hop-off open-top bus around Edinburgh with 24-hour pass, multilingual audio, and Kids Go Free up to 3 kids per adult.
“Very good experience, very easy to find, driver very friendly, great audio tour, a good was to see Edinburgh.”
Hop on and off Edinburgh on 3 routes for 24 or 48 hours. Open-top views, live English on one line, plus Britannia.
“We did all 3 of the buses over 2 days, great value for money and enjoyed all the views and opportunities to get on and off without walking miles to see all the things we wanted to see. All the drivers were fabulous and the recorded commentary was great for learning about the city. Shout out to Ricky on the green bus on 22.5.25 we were on the one that left about 11am, his commentary and stories were both informative and funny, made it even better on the tour 👏 Would highly recommend any of these bus tours.”
Edinburgh’s City of the Dead Double Dead Tour blends underground vaults and Greyfriars prison stories in a small-group, 90-minute ghost walk.
“Our tour guide, Ben, was excellent…personable, fun without being campy, extremely knowledgeable. Every moment was wonderful!!”
48-hour Big Bus Edinburgh combo with City and Britannia routes, 20+ stops, multi-language audio, and Royal Yacht Britannia value.
“We always do a hop on/off when we arrive in a new city to see which highlights we want to see. Edinburgh had highlights all along the route. We could spend a week just doing those highlights. The Britannia bus had few highlights except for the reason to go there, The Royal Yacht Britannia. This might be my favorite tour of all time. We've been to London and Windsor and they were wonderful, but the yacht is a must-see for any royal followers. It is so historic. The pictures throughout the yacht alone are worth the visit. The botanical gardens are also on this tour and would be worth at…”
Explore Edinburgh’s Underground City with a small-group guided tour of the South Bridge Vaults and Damnation Alley, with history and chills.
“Heather , very good , great information about the vaults , some very good facts about the city that would never have known”
A small-group bike ride through Edinburgh’s canals, parks, Arthur’s Seat, Portobello, and Leith, with optional e-bikes for age 14+.
“This was super fun. We had a great time with our guide, Ricardo, and his precious dog, Lucy 💕Went around the city, through the park, and to the coast. So much great information, and a bit of exercise. A great way to see the city, and learn at the same time. Highly recommend. Thanks Ricardo & Lucy!”
A small-group, 1h 20m haunted walk in Edinburgh to Greyfriars Kirkyard and the Covenantor’s Prison, with dark humor and local guides.
“Had an amazing adventure with our tour guide who was very knowledgeable and told every story with passion it is 100% worth a look would recommend to any one”
Hop-on hop-off Edinburgh by Big Bus with a 48-hour pass, 9-language audio, and two routes covering Old Town landmarks and the waterfront.
“3 different hop on/off companies with multiple routes each. Very confusing about where/which bus to take. Recorded guide difficult to hear. Driver talking loudly to others on walker. We finally got off and stayed off.”
Go underground in Edinburgh’s South Bridge vaults for ghost stories, real accounts of misery, and lantern-lit darkness on a 1h20 tour.
“On March 19th, 2025, our small lovely group led by charismatic guide Joshua descended into the dark and mysterious vaults of old Edinburgh. I was rather sceptical - until Joshua started telling us his bone-chilling stories, in the complete darkness, illuminated only by the faint light of a lantern. I still get goosebumps when I remember that strange sensation of being in the presence of something dead and ghostly! The frightening reality of the past intertwined with horror. A brilliant and fascinating tour, played out like a small performance. Bravo, Joshua! For the first time in many years, I went to bed that night with the lights on!”
See Edinburgh’s top landmarks in 2.5 hours on an engaging Royal Mile walking tour, with stories, dark legends, and a museum finish.
“My guide was excellent (kind, knowledgeable and patient) and the experience just what I was seeking.”
Private Edinburgh half-day by Mercedes with hotel pickup. Royal Mile bearings, local stories, flexible stops, and easy 4-hour sightseeing.
“This was a nice tour for us as my husband was recovering from surgery and a walking tour would have been too difficult. We got to see a great deal of the city and our driver described the pertinent structures and historical significance. I wish we had the opportunity to drive up to the castle, but I might have misunderstood the description.”
Private Edinburgh 4-hour black cab tour with flexible stops from the Royal Mile to Calton Hill, plus pickup, live commentary, and photo help.
“We thoroughly enjoyed our private tour of Edinburgh. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and accommodating. We learned all about old town vs new town Edinburgh, and that was very interesting.”
Private 90-minute Edinburgh intro with a local guide: St Giles, Edinburgh Castle and more, plus tailored tips for your first day.
“My family and I (6 adults) booked this tour for our first day in Edinburgh to get our bearings and to get ideas for the rest of our trip. Our tour guide, Russell, was fantastic! He was super knowledgeable and funny. He took us to all the major sites while giving us the history and answering any questions we had. His humor kept us engaged, which was necessary as we were all tired from our travels. Following the tour, he gave us recommendations for places to visit both in Edinburgh and outside of town as well as recommendations of where to eat traditional Scottish food. I would absolutely recommend booking…”
One-day live guided Edinburgh hop-on hop-off bus covering Royal Mile, Holyrood, Castle walk, and New Town views for $24.80.
“Upon asking when last bus was - was told 6:45 which is true unless you need to get from Rose street to Grassmarket. We ended up spending $10 in unplanned cab fare. Tour people were hard to hear and not funny at all. Boring which was unexpected and we had three. Try a red one.”
