Edinburgh Shore Excursion: Royal Yacht and Castle Tour
3.8
41 Ratings
Edinburgh

Embark on a full-day shore excursion in Edinburgh and discover the highlights of Scotland’s capital. Visit the Royal Yacht Britannia, explore Edinburgh Castle, and stroll along the famous Royal Mile.

Duration: 7 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Royal Yacht Britannia - Visit the former royal yacht of the British monarchy, now situated in Leith. She was in service from 1954 until 1997
  • Palace of Holyroodhouse - Your Edinburgh Shore Excursion will then travel to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the British Royal Family in Scotland, for a photo stop. This baroque…
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What's Included
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Knowledgeable driver-guide
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
  • On-board restrooms
  • On-board WiFi
  • Attraction Tickets
Additional Information

Upon your cruise ship’s arrival in Edinburgh, take the opportunity to explore Scotland’s capital with a full-day shore excursion. Hop on a comfortable coach that will transport you to the Royal Yacht Britannia, the former royal vessel of the British monarchy. Following this, enjoy a panoramic tour of Edinburgh, culminating in a visit to the historic…

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Location
Royal Yacht Britannia
Ocean Drive, Ocean Terminal
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
3.8
(41 Ratings)
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1 star
Happyrollie
Sep 6, 2025
Happy In Edinburgh! - More info on the time. We lacked the ability to utilize more time due to political rallies, street closings, etc.
Review provided by Viator
Juliecq7553zr
Sep 4, 2025
Amazing trip ! - Vix an shafiq were amazing throughout the whole tour of the highlands we had a fab time! I loved the sites & was a good first time experience of the highlands. Thank you !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Foodieextreme
Aug 26, 2025
Exceptional Edinburgh Tour with Stuart - Incredible Edinburgh Tour with Stuart — 5 Stars All Around We are on a 17 day cruise of Norway and Edinburgh was our last port. Today we took a 7 hour Timberbush tour of Edinburgh with Stuart that included visits to the Royal Yacht Britannia and Edinburgh Castle. This tour was truly one of the highlights of our trip — thanks in large part to Stuart. He is an exceptional guide. Incredibly knowledgeable thoughtful and engaging. He was a safe and skilled driver and had a fantastic personality. He connected with each of us personally remembered where we were from and asked about our experiences after each stop. He made the entire group feel included and welcome. We are a family of four with two young children (ages 5 and 7). My husband was very concerned about getting off the ship early enough to make our 9:30 am tour so he woke up at 5 am and was the first person in line to get tender tickets. We were among the first off the ship and the first to board the tour van. Naturally we got the first four seats which helped our kids see out the window and enjoy the ride. Everyone in the group (14 of us total) was friendly and courteous and we were all on time after our first stop at Royal Britannia. At that stop two additional people joined the tour very late. They boarded looking visibly annoyed and immediately began complaining about the temperature in the van. Later during a short 5 minute photo stop Stuart kindly asked if the kids could move to the back — my husband declined as we had made a considerable effort to be on time and seated early for the sake of our children. The latecomers were upset and made it clear. The woman loudly said “ridiculous” as she walked past us and they continued to demand the AC be turned down lower and lower. Despite their behavior Stuart remained calm kind and professional throughout. He gave us ample time at Edinburgh Castle and when those two passengers were again the last to return well after the designated time Stuart handled it with patience and responsibility checking in with his office before moving forward with the tour. I want to emphasize that Stuart was in no way at fault. He was gracious to every single person on board including those who made things difficult. It would be deeply unfair if he received any complaints because of how those two handled themselves. He went above and beyond to create a memorable experience for everyone. We had a beautiful time exploring the city the architecture the cathedral and of course eating local food (the fish and chips were delicious and I even tried haggis). Our kids loved every minute of it. Stuart is a true asset to Timberbush Tours — an excellent guide an excellent host and a genuinely kind person. Five stars from us all the way.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brenda_m
Aug 26, 2025
Enjoyable day - Connor was very entertaining and knowledgeable. Thoroughly enjoyed his narration! The Royal Yacht Britannia was a special treat. Ate at a fun pub suggested by Connor in Edinburgh—Deacon Brodie’s. Fringe festival was interesting.
Review provided by Viator
Gman-kayaker
Oct 2, 2025
Fun Day with a few drawbacks. - The sites we visited were great. Royal Ship Brittania so interesting and Edinburgh Castle the most impressive castle we saw on our cruise through Ireland and Scotland. However, felt more like a transport service than a tour. Robert was very friendly, but not much information provided between stops. Maybe at least explain the history of Edinburgh, population, etc. Also, some confusion at Brittania as everyone who had purchased tickets ahead of time not allowed in until guide showed up, which was surprise to all including Guide. Would recommend with some improvements.
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Carroll_l
Sep 30, 2025
Nice tour, but you have to purchase entry tickets separately. - Boosting the Royal Yacht was nice. The tickets we bought to the Yacht from Tumberbush tours would not work at the entry but the tour guide got it straightened out. This happened on a different tour as well from Timberbush tours and it took that guide several minutes to get it straightened out. So Timberbush needs to work on that part, but at least the guide was there to show that we had in fact paid the entry. The price of the tour didn't include the entry tickets, so they had to be purchased after the tour was booked. Other than that, the tour went well and the guide did areally good job.
Review provided by Viator
Dorothea_r
Sep 18, 2025
Worth a visit - Really enjoyed our experience overall. Comfy bus. Free time at Edinburgh and Castle was good but Britanica visit was too short. All places worth a visit. Back in plenty of time for our ship.
Review provided by Viator
Richard_s
Sep 16, 2025
Need more time. - It is difficult to get through the yacht in the time allowed. The castle was interesting. Our driver/guide, Connor, was very entertaining and informative. He gets 5 stars..
Review provided by Viator
Sherryk_c
Sep 28, 2025
Ticket needed for Yacht... - Ticket needed for Yacht and for the Castle. We chose not to do either. Had to waste time in the mall where ship is docked. Wasted our time.
Review provided by Viator
Leslie
Sep 8, 2025
Connor was an excellent tour guide! 3 * because not enough time to tour the Brittania, and fee was not included. Misleading - Not enough time to tour the Brittania and fee was not included, Castle was also inferred but not incl. Tour was misleading
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).
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