Top 15 Historical Tours in Edinburgh

Edinburgh: Edinburgh Castle Guided History Tour with Tickets - Royal Mile Start: Finding 192 High Street Without Stress

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 7,747 reviews · from $50Our pick

Ticketed English-guided Edinburgh Castle tour from the Royal Mile. See St Margaret’s Chapel, dungeons, and panoramic views in 1.5 hours.

“Ben was our guide and he was excellent. Gave lots of information and history involved the group and added humour. The tour of the castle was very interesting and we were able to look round at our leisure once the tour had finished. Highly recommend”

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Food & Drink, Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Whisky Tastings & Tours

Edinburgh: Whisky Tasting with History and Storytelling

2.Whisky Tasting with History and Storytelling

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 2,451 reviews · 2 hours · from $24

Intimate Edinburgh whisky tasting in a private lounge. Sample four single malts with history and folklore stories for 2 hours near Royal Mile.

“Alistar was a great and very entertaining storyteller and it was a pleasure to listen to him talk about Scottish history over 4 delicious whiskeys.”

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Historical Tours, Old Town Walking Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Edinburgh: Old Town History and Tales Walking Tour

3.Old Town History and Tales Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 2,361 reviews · 2 hours · from $24

Take a 2-hour guided walk through Edinburgh Old Town, hearing Auld Reekie tales at key landmarks and spotting Harry Potter inspiration spots.

“Excellent tour with a really good tour guide, Koffe. Highly recommend!”

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Historical Tours, Old Town Walking Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Old Town Walking Tour History and Tales in Edinburgh

4.Old Town Walking Tour History and Tales in Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,168 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $24Top rated

Two-hour guided Old Town walk in Edinburgh with a pro guide, big landmarks like St Giles and Mercat Cross, and castle views.

“Jule was a great story teller and showed lots of places of interest! Its been a great experience and would have given a 5-star rating if she was Scottish, speaking Scottish. Its a personal thing and not against Jule, again I think she did great and derserves 5 stars! When signing up it would help setting the expectation if the tour guide is a Scottish native or not.”

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Historical Tours, Old Town Walking Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Edinburgh: Old Town and Underground Historical Tour

5.Old Town and Underground Historical Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,802 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $27

Walk the Royal Mile with a local historian, then head into Edinburgh’s 400-year-old Underground Vaults for dark city stories.

“So glad we did this history tour. Was my kids fav thing. Great history and our guide Morvan was excellent”

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Historical Tours, Old Town Walking Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Old Town Historical and Underground Tour

6.Old Town Historical and Underground Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,574 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $27

Old Town walking plus underground vaults in Edinburgh. See Tron Kirk, Niddry Wynd, Canongate Kirkyard and the South Bridge vaults.

“Great tour, full of very interesting history of old Edinburgh. Lovely guide, clear, packed a lot in, gave us information that we hadn’t known before, despite being relatively local. Vaults fascinating - who lived in them, drinking dens etc. Also city walls, how Edinburgh grew and evolved as a city. Highly recommend!”

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Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Underground Vaults Tours

Multi-Sensory Small-Group Historic Vaults Tour in Edinburgh

7.Multi-Sensory Small-Group Historic Vaults Tour in Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,384 reviews · 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $37

Small-group tour through Edinburgh’s South Bridge vaults with multi-sensory stories, a brief museum stop, and mobile tickets. About 75 minutes.

“Great way to catch a glimpse of the city’s history and dark underbelly. Michael was a fantastic storyteller.”

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Ghost & Haunted Tours, Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Edinburgh: Witches & Haunted History Walking Tour

8.Witches & Haunted History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,290 reviews · 1h 15m · from $24

Witchcraft-themed haunted history walk in Edinburgh’s Old Town, from the Royal Mile to Grassmarket, guided by a character storyteller.

“We had a lovely tour with witch Hazel. Very atmospheric and a great way to see the city and hear about the history of Edinburgh focusing of course on Scotlands witch hunts of the 16th and 17th centuries. Very interesting with lots of information I hadn’t heard before!”

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Guided, Historical Tours, Old Town Walking Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Edinburgh Old Town: Historical Guided Walking Tour

9.Edinburgh Old Town: Historical Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,016 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $24

Edinburgh Old Town guided walking tour, 2 hours with a pro guide, medieval to modern stories, ends at Greyfriars Kirkyard, mobile ticket.

“This was a great 2 hour tour that hit the highlights and got us comfortable to explore more on our own. Thanks to Gavin, we were cared for, entertained, and left with great ideas on what to do next.”

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Historical Tours, Tour Reviews

Edinburgh – Dark History

10.Dark History

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 814 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $22

2-hour Dark History walk on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, from Parliament Square to Canongate Kirk, with free admissions, small groups, mobile tickets.

“This tour was absolutely incredible! James is an outstanding guide - knowledgeable, engaging, and full of fascinating stories that bring Edinburgh’s dark past to life. His passion for history and great sense of humor made the experience both educational and entertaining. The pacing was perfect, and the atmosphere he created really set the tone for the tour. Highly recommend this to anyone looking for a unique and memorable way to explore the city!”

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3-Hour Experiences, Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Edinburgh: 3-Hour Historical Walking Tour in Italian

11.3-Hour Historical Walking Tour in Italian

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 734 reviews · 3 hours · from $20Best value

Italian-guided 3-hour walk of Edinburgh Old Town, from the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle and Greyfriars Kirkyard, for $20.

“Dominga la nostra guida è stata favolosa un entusiasmo contagioso che ha trasmesso in maniera eccellente durante tutto il tour. Si percepisce fortemente il suo amore per questo lavoro e la passione per questa città.. unico punto che mi sarei aspettata e che mi piacerebbe forse che fosse migliorato è un tour un pochettino più guidato nel senso un po’ più di passeggiata a piedi☺️ Ma Lo rifarei assolutamente e lo consiglio”

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Ghost & Haunted Tours, Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Edinburgh: Witches & Haunted History Walking Tour

12.Witches & Haunted History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 632 reviews · 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $24

Witch trials and notorious Edinburgh characters in 75 minutes. Walk St Giles, the Royal Mile, and Grassmarket with a witchy, funny guide.

“Excellent tour to take of Edinburgh Witch history. Juniper was a wonderful tour guide. She was friendly, funny and all about witches. Definitely would recommend tour. Cheers!”

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Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Underground Vaults Tours

Edinburgh: Immersive Small-Group Historic Vaults Tour

13.Immersive Small-Group Historic Vaults Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 562 reviews · from $34

Tour the Blair Street Underground Vaults with a master storyteller, then see the Vaults Museum exhibits and film. Small-group, 75 minutes.

“This was one of my favorites tours in old town. I would recommend it for families and solo travelers.”

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Historical Tours, Old Town Walking Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Edinburgh: Old Town History Walking Tour

14.Old Town History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 528 reviews · 2 hours · from $24

A 2-hour Edinburgh Old Town history walk featuring St Giles, the Royal Mile, Victoria Street, and Greyfriars with Bobby and Harry Potter stories.

“Jen was fantastic - she made the tour so interesting and brought it alive with her extensive knowledge and keen wit ! Thanks so much Jen .”

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Historical Tours, St Andrews & Fife Day Trips, Tour Reviews, Tours

St Andrews: Golf Origins and Old Course History Tour

15.Golf Origins and Old Course History Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 322 reviews · 1h 15m · from $20

75-minute walking tour of St Andrews Old Course origins, Swilkan Bridge photos, rare golf images, and Open-era stories, ending at Jigger Inn.

“An Absolute Must: St Andrews Golf Course Tour I recently took a tour of the St Andrews golf courses and it was, without a doubt, a highlight of my trip. If you have any interest in golf, history, or simply want a fantastic sightseeing experience, I highly recommend this tour. Our guide, Richard, was the key to making the experience so memorable. From the moment the tour began, he was incredibly friendly and put everyone at ease. He has a wonderful, infectious sense of humor, which made the time fly by. More than just being entertaining, Richard is exceptionally knowledgeable. I learned a tremendous amount—not just about the iconic fairways…”

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