Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour

Discover the rich history of Edinburgh Castle on a walking tour. Explore the fortress, learn about Scotland’s monarchs, and visit museums and historic sites. Entrance included.

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Edinburgh Castle - Explore one the most important fortresses in the history of Scotland. Walk inside the castle for 1 hour and 10 minutes to enjoy the wonderful royal palace, where Mary Queen of Scots once lived, and admire the Great Hall of the 16th century where parties and feast took place.

After the exploration with a guide, you can spend a free time inside the castle until closing time

What's Included
  • Entrance ticket & Edinburgh Castle Guided Tour
  • Entrance fees
What's Not Included
  • Pet Not allowed. Only guide dog.
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Scotland’s second-most-popular tourist attraction as you learn about the bloody history including stories of the kings and queens who lived in this castle.
There is evidence of a fort here for almost 3000 years, and it has been a royal castle since at least King David I’s reign in the 12th century. The Scottish monarchs continued to use it until 1633,…

Location
361 High St
High Street
Meet in front of the entrance to Advocates Close, opposite (St. Giles’ Cathedral) . Look for the black umbrella with the tour provider's yellow logo.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.8
(5096 Ratings)
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1 star
Schurchman
Oct 5, 2025
Fantastic tour - Our guide, Ignas, was the best.it was a fascinating tour and we left feeling as if we truly understood the history of Scotland as well as the castle
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dallasworldtraveler
Oct 4, 2025
Castle Tour Fit for a King or Queen! - You cannot come to Edinburgh and not see the castle! It is THE iconic landmark that defines the city's skyline and history. Tommy was a fantastic guide—knowledgeable, funny, and a great storyteller. He made the history of the castle come alive in a really entertaining way. The tour was well organized and easy to join with clear instructions on where to meet. There is a bit of a walk uphill to reach the castle, so it's worth noting for anyone with mobility concerns—but it’s not overly strenuous and absolutely worth the effort. While guides don’t take you inside every room, Tommy provided rich context and fascinating stories throughout the castle grounds. A tour is most definitely worth it —not just for the engaging stories, but for the breathtaking views of the city. So many picture-perfect moments! A great idea to start your day here as the castle is at the top of the Royal Mile and work your way down the street afterwards.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cybodabber
Oct 3, 2025
Well worth it! - Guide (Charlotte I think) was very knowledgeable and entertaining. The history associated with the castle was very interesting.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
566camb
Oct 3, 2025
Great experience of Edinburgh Castle - Raj was amazing and a wealth of knowledge. Very well presented and learnt so much about the history of the Castle. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
1achillesvre
Oct 3, 2025
Great experience - It was an absolute experience. Ignas was a lovely tour guide who braved the cold weather and eloquently told the rich history of the castle. This tour is highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Johnwn6126tn
Oct 2, 2025
THIS is Scotland! - The guided walking tour of the Castle was a major highlight of our entire trip to Edinburgh; though The Kelpies, Montrose, Arbroath, Aberdeen, Culloden, Inverness, Skye, St. Conan's Kirk, and Glasgow were also on our itinerary! On the Castle tour, we were part of a good-sized crowd following our guide throughout the Castle grounds, but he ensured we all were always in hearing-distance along each stop we made. He explained why the guides were not allowed inside the buildings but assured us we'd have enough time to explore all the buildings of interest before the late-night closing time. He was right. St. Margaret's Chapel built in 1130 was AMAZING, the crown jewels of Scotland were stunning, the dog cemetery was charming, and the war museum was impressive. The Great Hall was the favorite of my whole family! There did seem to be one 'better' restaurant on the grounds. We got in and were seated pretty promptly, but the wait-time was horrendous! Avoid it. We speculated that our waitress had never waited tables before, or that the kitchen was understaffed, or both!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Adele
Oct 2, 2025
Great tour!! - We booked this tour last minute and are very happy that we did!! Our guide Catherine was very well educated on the history of Scotland & the castle. She was very engaging & made the tour memorable. Definitely recommend while in Edinburgh!!
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Björn
Oct 2, 2025
Great tour on a beautiful day - We had a wonderful day visiting the castle. Thanks to tour guide Ignas, we learned a lot of interesting things. He did a fantastic job; we highly recommend it. Thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shelley_g
Oct 2, 2025
Tommy was our guide - Tommy was a great lively guide. I was on the clinging to every story he told. Lots of history and amazing views
Review provided by Viator
366chipw
Oct 1, 2025
Choose a castle tour with Joe - We loved the tour. Joe was exuberant, knowledgeable, funny and observant. He managed the group of 12 with finesse, making sure we all stayed together and that we didn’t miss a tidbit of history. Joe was responsive and a pleasure to be with. We would recommend Joe if you love history - the man can tell a story!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $47
up to 10 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).