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The Royal Mile at Parliament Square, looking down the High Street between tall stone buildings

Edinburgh Tours & Tickets

Twenty-eight verified experiences, from the castle gate to Loch Ness. Compare and book.

You can see a great deal of Edinburgh for nothing. But a few things are much better booked: the castle, because its timed tickets sell out; the underground streets and vaults, because you can only enter with a guide; and the Highlands, because without a car a coach tour is the only way to get there and back in a day.

Everything on this page is a real, currently bookable GetYourGuide product that we selected for its content and reviews. Ratings and review counts are GetYourGuide’s own; prices are indicative “from” prices in euros and are shown in your own currency when you click through. Most can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before.

Not sure where to start? Our ranked list of the best Edinburgh tours explains which we would book first and why.

Choose by interest

Castle and royal Edinburgh

The three royal sights. The castle should be booked first; Holyrood and Britannia are easier to get into but still benefit from a ticket in hand.

Edinburgh Castle on its dark volcanic rock, seen from Princes Street Gardens Guided tour + ticket from €41
🕒 1.5 hours 📍 From Royal Mile, near the castle (see listing) ⭐ 4.7 (14,329)

Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket

The city’s best-selling castle tour, with more than 14,000 reviews. Your ticket is included, and a guide walks you through 900 years of sieges, kings and prisoners before leaving you free to explore. Castle tickets regularly sell out in summer, so this is also a reliable way to secure a slot.

  • Castle entry ticket included
  • The Honours of Scotland and St Margaret’s Chapel
  • Stay on inside after the tour
Check price & availability
The gatehouse and walls of Edinburgh Castle seen from the Esplanade Guided tour + ticket from €49
🕒 2 hours 📍 From Royal Mile (see listing) ⭐ 4.8 (12,708)

Edinburgh Castle: Guided History Tour with Tickets

A slightly longer alternative that sets the scene on the Royal Mile before going through the castle gate. Guides are known for their storytelling, and the rating is among the highest of any castle tour. Afterwards you can stay inside as long as you like.

  • Entry ticket included
  • Starts with the story of the Royal Mile
  • Rated 4.8 by over 12,000 guests
Check price & availability
The Palace of Holyroodhouse and its gardens seen from Holyrood Park Entry ticket from €26
🕒 About 1.5 hours 📍 From Palace of Holyroodhouse, foot of the Royal Mile ⭐ 4.8 (6,391)

Edinburgh: Palace of Holyroodhouse Entry Ticket

The King’s official residence in Scotland, at the opposite end of the Royal Mile from the castle. The ticket covers the State Apartments, the rooms where Mary, Queen of Scots lived, the roofless 12th-century abbey and the gardens. The palace closes during royal visits — check dates when you book.

  • The State Apartments and Mary, Queen of Scots’ chambers
  • The ruins of Holyrood Abbey and the gardens
  • Multimedia guide included
Check price & availability
The Royal Yacht Britannia, dressed with signal flags, moored at Ocean Terminal in Leith Entry ticket from €29
🕒 About 2 hours 📍 From Ocean Terminal, Leith ⭐ 4.9 (3,295)

Edinburgh: The Royal Yacht Britannia Ticket

The late Queen’s floating palace for over forty years, now moored in Leith and consistently one of the best-reviewed attractions in Scotland. The audio tour covers the state rooms, the royal apartments and the crew’s quarters. The tram from Princes Street stops outside.

  • Five decks, from the royal bedrooms to the engine room
  • Audio guide in many languages
  • Rated 4.9 by more than 3,000 visitors
Check price & availability

Old Town walks, the underground and ghosts

Walking tours make sense of the Old Town’s layers. The closes beneath the Royal Mile and the South Bridge vaults can only be visited with a guide.

The Royal Mile at Parliament Square, looking down the High Street between tall stone buildings Walking tour from €21
🕒 2 hours 📍 From Royal Mile (see listing) ⭐ 4.8 (2,855)

Edinburgh: Old Town History and Tales Walking Tour

Two hours on foot through the medieval Old Town with a local guide: the Royal Mile, hidden closes, the Grassmarket, Greyfriars and the stories of the people who lived here. An inexpensive, well-reviewed way to get your bearings on your first day.

  • The Royal Mile, closes and courtyards
  • Greyfriars and the Grassmarket
  • Low price, high rating
Check price & availability
The curving row of colourful shopfronts on Victoria Street in Edinburgh’s Old Town Walking tour from €21
🕒 2 hours 📍 From Old Town (see listing) ⭐ 4.8 (13,222)

Edinburgh: Harry Potter Magical Guided Walking Tour

Much of Harry Potter was written in Edinburgh, and this hugely popular tour visits the places said to have inspired it: the curve of Victoria Street, the gravestones of Greyfriars Kirkyard and the cafés where early chapters took shape. Light-hearted, family-friendly and very well reviewed.

  • Victoria Street and Greyfriars Kirkyard
  • The cafés and school linked to the books
  • More than 13,000 reviews
Check price & availability
The entrance passage and hanging sign of The Real Mary King’s Close, off the Royal Mile Guided tour from €34
🕒 1 hour 📍 From Warriston’s Close, Royal Mile ⭐ 4.7 (4,531)

Edinburgh: Real Mary King’s Close Guided Tour

An hour beneath the City Chambers in the preserved streets and houses of the 1600s, led by a guide in character. It is social history — plague, trade and daily life — rather than a fright show, and suitable for most children over five.

  • Buried 17th-century streets under the Royal Mile
  • Guide in historical character
  • Timed entry — slots sell out
Check price & availability
A stone-vaulted underground chamber in the Edinburgh Vaults beneath the South Bridge Guided tour from €28
🕒 1 hour 📍 From Royal Mile (see listing) ⭐ 4.5 (12,616)

Edinburgh: Underground Vaults Tour

A guided descent into the chambers hidden inside the arches of the South Bridge, once workshops and taverns and later a slum. Daytime departures focus on the history; evening ones lean into the hauntings. Check which you are booking.

  • The 18th-century vaults under the South Bridge
  • History by day, ghost stories at night
  • Over 12,000 reviews
Check price & availability
Old stone buildings and pubs on the Grassmarket in Edinburgh’s Old Town Evening bus tour from €25
🕒 1 hour 15 minutes 📍 From City centre (see listing) ⭐ 4.5 (4,762)

Edinburgh: Comedy Horror Ghost Bus Tour

A theatrical sightseeing tour on a classic 1960s bus painted funeral black, with a conductor-actor telling the grislier parts of Edinburgh’s history as you ride past the Grassmarket, the Royal Mile and Holyrood. More funny than frightening.

  • Vintage black double-decker
  • Actors, jokes and jump scares on board
  • See the city lit up at night
Check price & availability

Whisky and food

Two very different whisky experiences — traditional at the top of the Royal Mile, high-tech on Princes Street — and a small-group food tour.

Tulip-shaped whisky tasting glasses with a small water jug Tour + tasting from €29
🕒 50–90 minutes 📍 From Castlehill, top of the Royal Mile ⭐ 4.7 (6,835)

Edinburgh: The Scotch Whisky Experience Tour and Tasting

Beside the castle gate, this long-established attraction explains how Scotch whisky is made and how the regions differ, shows you a vault holding thousands of bottles, and finishes with a guided tasting. Several tour lengths are offered.

  • How Scotch is made, region by region
  • One of the world’s largest whisky collections
  • Guided tasting included
Check price & availability
The Ross Fountain in Princes Street Gardens with Edinburgh Castle on its rock behind Tour + tasting from €29
🕒 1.5 hours 📍 From Johnnie Walker Princes Street, West End ⭐ 4.8 (3,210)

Edinburgh: The Johnnie Walker Signature Experience

A modern, theatrical take on the whisky tour at the west end of Princes Street. A short quiz maps your flavour preferences, and the three drinks you are served along the way — cocktails or neat — are tailored to it. Non-alcoholic options are available.

  • Immersive, high-tech whisky journey
  • Drinks matched to your taste profile
  • Rooftop bars with castle views
Check price & availability
St Giles’ Cathedral with its crown spire on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh Food tour from €113
🕒 3.5 hours 📍 From City centre (see listing) ⭐ 4.9 (550)

Edinburgh: Walking Food Tour with 5 Tastings, Haggis & Scotch

A small-group walk between independent restaurants, delis and bars, tasting the dishes Scotland is known for and a few it should be. The guide weaves in the city’s history as you go. Pricey, but it replaces a meal and reviews are excellent.

  • Haggis, Scottish cheese, seafood and whisky
  • Small group with a local guide
  • Enough food to count as a meal
Check price & availability

Families, views and easy sightseeing

Illusions beside the castle, penguins at the zoo, an open-top bus, a gentle village walk, a guided hill climb and a cruise under the Forth bridges.

View over the Old Town rooftops and spires from the roof terrace of Camera Obscura Entry ticket from €29
🕒 About 2 hours 📍 From Castlehill, top of the Royal Mile ⭐ 4.7 (1,700)

Edinburgh: Camera Obscura and World of Illusions Ticket

Edinburgh’s oldest purpose-built visitor attraction: a rooftop chamber where a live image of the city is projected on to a table, above several floors of hands-on illusions, a mirror maze and a vortex tunnel. A reliable hit with children.

  • Victorian camera obscura show
  • Five floors of optical illusions
  • Rooftop terrace by the castle
Check price & availability
A gentoo penguin standing at Edinburgh Zoo Entry ticket from €32
🕒 3–4 hours 📍 From Corstorphine Road, west of the centre ⭐ 4.6 (1,676)

Edinburgh Zoo Entrance Ticket

A large zoo on the slopes of Corstorphine Hill, three miles west of the centre, run by a wildlife conservation charity. The penguins are the stars. The site is steep; allow at least half a day.

  • One of Europe’s best-known penguin colonies
  • Hillside setting with city views
  • Easy bus ride from Princes Street
Check price & availability
The red steel cantilevers of the Forth Bridge seen from South Queensferry Boat cruise from €21
🕒 1.5 hours 📍 From South Queensferry (Hawes Pier) ⭐ 4.7 (2,769)

Edinburgh: “Firth of Forth” Three Bridges Sightseeing Cruise

A boat trip on the Firth of Forth from South Queensferry, passing beneath the great red rail bridge of 1890 and its two road-bridge neighbours. You make your own way to the pier — about 20 minutes by train from Edinburgh to Dalmeny, then a walk downhill.

  • Sail under the UNESCO-listed Forth Bridge
  • Views of Inchcolm island and its abbey
  • Seals and seabirds on a good day
Check price & availability

Day trips and beyond

The Highlands, Stirling, Fife, the Borders and Northumberland by coach, plus a three-day trip to Skye.

The ruins of Urquhart Castle on the shore of Loch Ness Full-day coach tour from €68
🕒 12 hours 📍 From Central Edinburgh (see listing) ⭐ 4.6 (20,786)

Edinburgh: Loch Ness, Glencoe & the Scottish Highlands Tour

The classic Highlands loop in a single long day: Callander, Glencoe, Fort William, Loch Ness and back through Perthshire. It is a lot of time on a coach, but it is the only practical way to see Loch Ness and Glencoe from Edinburgh without a car, and the scenery does the rest.

  • Glencoe and Rannoch Moor
  • Free time at Loch Ness, optional cruise
  • More than 20,000 reviews
Check price & availability
A steam train crossing the curved Glenfinnan Viaduct in the Scottish Highlands Full-day coach tour from €67
🕒 12 hours 📍 From Central Edinburgh (see listing) ⭐ 4.6 (9,419)

Edinburgh: Glenfinnan Viaduct, Glencoe & Highlands Day Tour

A full-day tour west to the Glenfinnan Viaduct — the curving railway bridge made famous by the Hogwarts Express — by way of Glencoe and Fort William. In season the itinerary aims to catch the Jacobite steam train crossing, though this cannot be guaranteed.

  • The “Harry Potter” viaduct at Glenfinnan
  • Glencoe and Loch Shiel
  • Timed to see the steam train in season
Check price & availability
Stirling Castle on top of its wooded crag Full-day coach tour from €60
🕒 9 hours 📍 From Central Edinburgh (see listing) ⭐ 4.6 (2,734)

From Edinburgh: Loch Lomond, Stirling Castle & Kelpies Tour

A shorter, easier day than the Loch Ness run: the 30-metre Kelpies, Stirling Castle — Scotland’s other great royal fortress — and the shores of Loch Lomond in the Trossachs. Castle admission is usually paid separately.

  • The Kelpies horse-head sculptures
  • Time at Stirling Castle (entry extra)
  • A walk by Loch Lomond
Check price & availability
Lindisfarne Castle on its rock on Holy Island, Northumberland Full-day coach tour from €63
🕒 10 hours 📍 From Central Edinburgh (see listing) ⭐ 4.7 (1,603)

From Edinburgh: Holy Island, Alnwick Castle & Northumbria

A day over the border in England: the tidal island of Lindisfarne, the coast past Bamburgh, and Alnwick Castle, which appeared as Hogwarts in the first two films. The order — and whether the island can be reached — depends on the tides. Castle entry is usually extra.

  • Alnwick Castle, a Harry Potter film location
  • Holy Island of Lindisfarne (tide permitting)
  • The Northumberland coast
Check price & availability
The rock pinnacle of the Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye Multi-day tour from €212
🕒 3 days 📍 From Central Edinburgh (see listing) ⭐ 4.8 (3,017)

From Edinburgh: 3-Day Isle of Skye and The Highlands Tour

Skye is too far for a sensible day trip, so this three-day tour is the way to do it without driving: across the Highlands to the island, a full day among its cliffs and peaks, and back by Loch Ness. Check what accommodation is included in the option you choose.

  • A full day on Skye
  • Glencoe, Eilean Donan and Loch Ness
  • Accommodation arranged (see options)
Check price & availability
Live availability

More Edinburgh tours on GetYourGuide

Browse today’s full selection with live prices.

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The full list

All recommended tours & tickets

In our ranked order, best first.

Edinburgh Castle on its dark volcanic rock, seen from Princes Street Gardens Guided tour + ticket from €41
🕒 1.5 hours 📍 From Royal Mile, near the castle (see listing) ⭐ 4.7 (14,329)

Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket

The city’s best-selling castle tour, with more than 14,000 reviews. Your ticket is included, and a guide walks you through 900 years of sieges, kings and prisoners before leaving you free to explore. Castle tickets regularly sell out in summer, so this is also a reliable way to secure a slot.

  • Castle entry ticket included
  • The Honours of Scotland and St Margaret’s Chapel
  • Stay on inside after the tour
Check price & availability
The curving row of colourful shopfronts on Victoria Street in Edinburgh’s Old Town Walking tour from €21
🕒 2 hours 📍 From Old Town (see listing) ⭐ 4.8 (13,222)

Edinburgh: Harry Potter Magical Guided Walking Tour

Much of Harry Potter was written in Edinburgh, and this hugely popular tour visits the places said to have inspired it: the curve of Victoria Street, the gravestones of Greyfriars Kirkyard and the cafés where early chapters took shape. Light-hearted, family-friendly and very well reviewed.

  • Victoria Street and Greyfriars Kirkyard
  • The cafés and school linked to the books
  • More than 13,000 reviews
Check price & availability
The ruins of Urquhart Castle on the shore of Loch Ness Full-day coach tour from €68
🕒 12 hours 📍 From Central Edinburgh (see listing) ⭐ 4.6 (20,786)

Edinburgh: Loch Ness, Glencoe & the Scottish Highlands Tour

The classic Highlands loop in a single long day: Callander, Glencoe, Fort William, Loch Ness and back through Perthshire. It is a lot of time on a coach, but it is the only practical way to see Loch Ness and Glencoe from Edinburgh without a car, and the scenery does the rest.

  • Glencoe and Rannoch Moor
  • Free time at Loch Ness, optional cruise
  • More than 20,000 reviews
Check price & availability
The entrance passage and hanging sign of The Real Mary King’s Close, off the Royal Mile Guided tour from €34
🕒 1 hour 📍 From Warriston’s Close, Royal Mile ⭐ 4.7 (4,531)

Edinburgh: Real Mary King’s Close Guided Tour

An hour beneath the City Chambers in the preserved streets and houses of the 1600s, led by a guide in character. It is social history — plague, trade and daily life — rather than a fright show, and suitable for most children over five.

  • Buried 17th-century streets under the Royal Mile
  • Guide in historical character
  • Timed entry — slots sell out
Check price & availability
The Palace of Holyroodhouse and its gardens seen from Holyrood Park Entry ticket from €26
🕒 About 1.5 hours 📍 From Palace of Holyroodhouse, foot of the Royal Mile ⭐ 4.8 (6,391)

Edinburgh: Palace of Holyroodhouse Entry Ticket

The King’s official residence in Scotland, at the opposite end of the Royal Mile from the castle. The ticket covers the State Apartments, the rooms where Mary, Queen of Scots lived, the roofless 12th-century abbey and the gardens. The palace closes during royal visits — check dates when you book.

  • The State Apartments and Mary, Queen of Scots’ chambers
  • The ruins of Holyrood Abbey and the gardens
  • Multimedia guide included
Check price & availability
The Ross Fountain in Princes Street Gardens with Edinburgh Castle on its rock behind Tour + tasting from €29
🕒 1.5 hours 📍 From Johnnie Walker Princes Street, West End ⭐ 4.8 (3,210)

Edinburgh: The Johnnie Walker Signature Experience

A modern, theatrical take on the whisky tour at the west end of Princes Street. A short quiz maps your flavour preferences, and the three drinks you are served along the way — cocktails or neat — are tailored to it. Non-alcoholic options are available.

  • Immersive, high-tech whisky journey
  • Drinks matched to your taste profile
  • Rooftop bars with castle views
Check price & availability
The Royal Yacht Britannia, dressed with signal flags, moored at Ocean Terminal in Leith Entry ticket from €29
🕒 About 2 hours 📍 From Ocean Terminal, Leith ⭐ 4.9 (3,295)

Edinburgh: The Royal Yacht Britannia Ticket

The late Queen’s floating palace for over forty years, now moored in Leith and consistently one of the best-reviewed attractions in Scotland. The audio tour covers the state rooms, the royal apartments and the crew’s quarters. The tram from Princes Street stops outside.

  • Five decks, from the royal bedrooms to the engine room
  • Audio guide in many languages
  • Rated 4.9 by more than 3,000 visitors
Check price & availability
The gatehouse and walls of Edinburgh Castle seen from the Esplanade Guided tour + ticket from €49
🕒 2 hours 📍 From Royal Mile (see listing) ⭐ 4.8 (12,708)

Edinburgh Castle: Guided History Tour with Tickets

A slightly longer alternative that sets the scene on the Royal Mile before going through the castle gate. Guides are known for their storytelling, and the rating is among the highest of any castle tour. Afterwards you can stay inside as long as you like.

  • Entry ticket included
  • Starts with the story of the Royal Mile
  • Rated 4.8 by over 12,000 guests
Check price & availability
Stirling Castle on top of its wooded crag Full-day coach tour from €60
🕒 9 hours 📍 From Central Edinburgh (see listing) ⭐ 4.6 (2,734)

From Edinburgh: Loch Lomond, Stirling Castle & Kelpies Tour

A shorter, easier day than the Loch Ness run: the 30-metre Kelpies, Stirling Castle — Scotland’s other great royal fortress — and the shores of Loch Lomond in the Trossachs. Castle admission is usually paid separately.

  • The Kelpies horse-head sculptures
  • Time at Stirling Castle (entry extra)
  • A walk by Loch Lomond
Check price & availability
A steam train crossing the curved Glenfinnan Viaduct in the Scottish Highlands Full-day coach tour from €67
🕒 12 hours 📍 From Central Edinburgh (see listing) ⭐ 4.6 (9,419)

Edinburgh: Glenfinnan Viaduct, Glencoe & Highlands Day Tour

A full-day tour west to the Glenfinnan Viaduct — the curving railway bridge made famous by the Hogwarts Express — by way of Glencoe and Fort William. In season the itinerary aims to catch the Jacobite steam train crossing, though this cannot be guaranteed.

  • The “Harry Potter” viaduct at Glenfinnan
  • Glencoe and Loch Shiel
  • Timed to see the steam train in season
Check price & availability
Tulip-shaped whisky tasting glasses with a small water jug Tour + tasting from €29
🕒 50–90 minutes 📍 From Castlehill, top of the Royal Mile ⭐ 4.7 (6,835)

Edinburgh: The Scotch Whisky Experience Tour and Tasting

Beside the castle gate, this long-established attraction explains how Scotch whisky is made and how the regions differ, shows you a vault holding thousands of bottles, and finishes with a guided tasting. Several tour lengths are offered.

  • How Scotch is made, region by region
  • One of the world’s largest whisky collections
  • Guided tasting included
Check price & availability
The Royal Mile at Parliament Square, looking down the High Street between tall stone buildings Walking tour from €21
🕒 2 hours 📍 From Royal Mile (see listing) ⭐ 4.8 (2,855)

Edinburgh: Old Town History and Tales Walking Tour

Two hours on foot through the medieval Old Town with a local guide: the Royal Mile, hidden closes, the Grassmarket, Greyfriars and the stories of the people who lived here. An inexpensive, well-reviewed way to get your bearings on your first day.

  • The Royal Mile, closes and courtyards
  • Greyfriars and the Grassmarket
  • Low price, high rating
Check price & availability
A stone-vaulted underground chamber in the Edinburgh Vaults beneath the South Bridge Guided tour from €28
🕒 1 hour 📍 From Royal Mile (see listing) ⭐ 4.5 (12,616)

Edinburgh: Underground Vaults Tour

A guided descent into the chambers hidden inside the arches of the South Bridge, once workshops and taverns and later a slum. Daytime departures focus on the history; evening ones lean into the hauntings. Check which you are booking.

  • The 18th-century vaults under the South Bridge
  • History by day, ghost stories at night
  • Over 12,000 reviews
Check price & availability
View over the Old Town rooftops and spires from the roof terrace of Camera Obscura Entry ticket from €29
🕒 About 2 hours 📍 From Castlehill, top of the Royal Mile ⭐ 4.7 (1,700)

Edinburgh: Camera Obscura and World of Illusions Ticket

Edinburgh’s oldest purpose-built visitor attraction: a rooftop chamber where a live image of the city is projected on to a table, above several floors of hands-on illusions, a mirror maze and a vortex tunnel. A reliable hit with children.

  • Victorian camera obscura show
  • Five floors of optical illusions
  • Rooftop terrace by the castle
Check price & availability
The red steel cantilevers of the Forth Bridge seen from South Queensferry Boat cruise from €21
🕒 1.5 hours 📍 From South Queensferry (Hawes Pier) ⭐ 4.7 (2,769)

Edinburgh: “Firth of Forth” Three Bridges Sightseeing Cruise

A boat trip on the Firth of Forth from South Queensferry, passing beneath the great red rail bridge of 1890 and its two road-bridge neighbours. You make your own way to the pier — about 20 minutes by train from Edinburgh to Dalmeny, then a walk downhill.

  • Sail under the UNESCO-listed Forth Bridge
  • Views of Inchcolm island and its abbey
  • Seals and seabirds on a good day
Check price & availability
Old stone buildings and pubs on the Grassmarket in Edinburgh’s Old Town Evening bus tour from €25
🕒 1 hour 15 minutes 📍 From City centre (see listing) ⭐ 4.5 (4,762)

Edinburgh: Comedy Horror Ghost Bus Tour

A theatrical sightseeing tour on a classic 1960s bus painted funeral black, with a conductor-actor telling the grislier parts of Edinburgh’s history as you ride past the Grassmarket, the Royal Mile and Holyrood. More funny than frightening.

  • Vintage black double-decker
  • Actors, jokes and jump scares on board
  • See the city lit up at night
Check price & availability
St Giles’ Cathedral with its crown spire on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh Food tour from €113
🕒 3.5 hours 📍 From City centre (see listing) ⭐ 4.9 (550)

Edinburgh: Walking Food Tour with 5 Tastings, Haggis & Scotch

A small-group walk between independent restaurants, delis and bars, tasting the dishes Scotland is known for and a few it should be. The guide weaves in the city’s history as you go. Pricey, but it replaces a meal and reviews are excellent.

  • Haggis, Scottish cheese, seafood and whisky
  • Small group with a local guide
  • Enough food to count as a meal
Check price & availability
A gentoo penguin standing at Edinburgh Zoo Entry ticket from €32
🕒 3–4 hours 📍 From Corstorphine Road, west of the centre ⭐ 4.6 (1,676)

Edinburgh Zoo Entrance Ticket

A large zoo on the slopes of Corstorphine Hill, three miles west of the centre, run by a wildlife conservation charity. The penguins are the stars. The site is steep; allow at least half a day.

  • One of Europe’s best-known penguin colonies
  • Hillside setting with city views
  • Easy bus ride from Princes Street
Check price & availability
Lindisfarne Castle on its rock on Holy Island, Northumberland Full-day coach tour from €63
🕒 10 hours 📍 From Central Edinburgh (see listing) ⭐ 4.7 (1,603)

From Edinburgh: Holy Island, Alnwick Castle & Northumbria

A day over the border in England: the tidal island of Lindisfarne, the coast past Bamburgh, and Alnwick Castle, which appeared as Hogwarts in the first two films. The order — and whether the island can be reached — depends on the tides. Castle entry is usually extra.

  • Alnwick Castle, a Harry Potter film location
  • Holy Island of Lindisfarne (tide permitting)
  • The Northumberland coast
Check price & availability
The rock pinnacle of the Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye Multi-day tour from €212
🕒 3 days 📍 From Central Edinburgh (see listing) ⭐ 4.8 (3,017)

From Edinburgh: 3-Day Isle of Skye and The Highlands Tour

Skye is too far for a sensible day trip, so this three-day tour is the way to do it without driving: across the Highlands to the island, a full day among its cliffs and peaks, and back by Loch Ness. Check what accommodation is included in the option you choose.

  • A full day on Skye
  • Glencoe, Eilean Donan and Loch Ness
  • Accommodation arranged (see options)
Check price & availability
A blue Airlink double-decker airport bus in Edinburgh Airport transfer from €7
🕒 About 30 minutes 📍 From Edinburgh Airport / city centre ⭐ 4.7 (19,576)

Edinburgh Airport: Bus Transfer

The express bus between the airport and the city centre, with luggage racks, Wi-Fi and charging points. It is the cheapest quick way into town, and the ticket can be bought ahead so you can walk straight on.

  • Runs day and night
  • Frequent departures
  • Stops in the West End and city centre
Check price & availability
Plan your Edinburgh trip

Castle tickets sell out. Book before you fly.

Edinburgh Castle, Mary King’s Close and the best Highland day trips run on timed slots that fill up in summer and in August’s festival weeks. Compare and reserve in a couple of taps.

Browse Edinburgh tours & tickets Compare all tours
Good to know

Booking tours in Edinburgh: FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Which Edinburgh tours should I book in advance?

Edinburgh Castle, the Real Mary King’s Close and the popular Highland day trips, especially from June to September and at Hogmanay. Walking tours can usually be booked a day or two ahead.

Are these tours refundable?

Most GetYourGuide activities offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start. The exact policy is shown on each listing before you pay.

Is a guided castle tour worth it over a plain ticket?

If it is your first visit, yes. The castle is a large, confusing site with little signage; a guide gives it a storyline in 90 minutes, and you can stay on afterwards. It is also often available when plain tickets are sold out.

In which languages are tours offered?

Most walking tours are in English. The castle, Britannia and hop-on hop-off buses have audio guides in several languages, and some tours run in Spanish, Italian, German or French — check the language options on each listing.

Are the Highland day trips too long?

The Loch Ness tours are around 12 hours with a lot of driving. If that sounds too much, the Stirling and Loch Lomond tour gives you Highland scenery in about nine.

Do tours run in winter?

Yes, almost all run year-round, though with fewer departures and shorter daylight on the day trips. Evening ghost tours are arguably best in the dark months.