Edinburgh in a Day: Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, Holyrood Palace

Overview

Available languages

English

4 hours

Mobile ticket

Discover Edinburgh’s rich royal heritage in one unforgettable day. Begin with a guided visit to Edinburgh Castle, where you’ll uncover treasures like the crown jewels and enjoy stunning city views. You'll also walk the historic Royal Mile with an expert guide, making stops at Lawnmarket, St. Giles’ Cathedral (exterior), and Canongate. Depending on the date of your tour, you'll wrap up your journey at either Holyrood Palace, the official Scottish residence of the British monarch, or the Scotch Whisky Experience, where you'll taste one of Scotland's most beloved products like a true local (available Tues/Weds from Sept 8th).

Additional Info

Service animals allowed

Public transportation options are available nearby

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

This is a walking tour. Guests should be able to walk at a moderate pace without difficulty.

The castle is reached across the esplanade – a wide area of smooth tarmac, with an uphill gradient of 5 degrees.

Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments or with wheelchairs, or strollers.

Photography and filming are not permitted inside the Palace.

Walks and Devour comply with all local government regulations. Please refer to local government guidelines for the most up to date information.

NOTE: On this tour you will visit Holyrood Palace with audio guide (most dates) OR guided whisky tasting (Tuesdays & Wednesdays from Sept. 8)

Cancellation Policy

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

What‘s Included

Local English-speaking guide

Entry to Edinburgh Castle

Guided whisky tasting (Tue & Wed from Sept. 8)

Entry to Holyrood Palace with audio guide (most dates)

Pre-opening access ticket to the Castle (if option selected)

Hotel Pick-up/Drop-off

Gratuities

What To Expect

Edinburgh Castle

Start with a visit to Edinburgh Castle, an ancient stronghold perched atop volcanic rock. Your guide will lead you through its highlights, including Scotland’s crown jewels, the Great Hall, and panoramic views of the city. If you wish, choose the Early Access option when booking for a VIP experience in the Edinburgh Castle where you'll enjoy a guided tour of the iconic landmark one hour before they open to the public.

1 hour 30 minutes•Admission Included

Lawnmarket

See the historic Lawnmarket and the exterior of St. Giles’ Cathedral while your guide shares fascinating stories.

20 minutes•Admission Not Applicable

Options

Edinburgh in a Day Tour with Castle, Royal Mile & Holyrood

Full Day Tour with VIP Castle

Exclusive Early Access Upgrade: Choose this option for a VIP experience in the Edinburgh Castle where you'll enjoy the iconic landmark without crowds.

Reviews

4.21

14 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Fabulous day and our...
Sarah W,
Jul 14, 2025
- Viator
5.00
Fabulous day and our guide, Mark, was very informative and was an enthusiastic guide of the city. Eat a big breakfast for the day. We had a lovely light lunch at the Palace of Holyrood cafe at the end of the tour but before entering the palace (you do that on your own). Very enjoyable day!
Great overview of Edinburgh!
Laura R,
Jul 11, 2025
- Viator
5.00
Mark was a fantastic guide -- the Edinburgh tour was fun, insightful, and well-paced. A perfect day exploring the city! Mark was warm, funny, and full of stories that brought Edinburgh to life. Learned so much and laughed a lot.
Tom is the best!
Jill L,
Jul 4, 2025
- Viator
5.00
Tom was extremely knowledgeable about the history of Edinburgh. We started at the Castle and he got us in to see the Crown Jewels right away before the line developed. The small group was wonderful - only 5 on the tour. The palace was closed because King Charles was in town so The Scotch Whisky experience was put in the place of Holyrood. Tom was friendly and provided a sheet of recommendations at the end of the tour. Highly recommend!
Great tour with a lot of info in 4 hours
Jennifer D,
Jun 28, 2025
- Viator
4.00
First, our tour guide Tom was fantastic. He was funny and shared so much interesting information. We started at Edinburgh Castle. Getting there super early is critical to getting to see everything without tons of crowds. We walked down Royal Mile and Tom shared a bunch of beat information. We did not get to go into Holyrood Palace because the king was there. Annoying! LOL. But we did end up getting to do the Whiskey Experience. Definitely solidified my distaste of whiskey, but I really appreciated the history and information of the activity. I would have preferred visiting Holyrood over the Whiskey Experience but I’m sure the other way around is great for plenty of people. What I will say - and the reason it gets 4 stars instead of 5 - is that the activities are fairly unclear on Viator. I was under the impression we were going to Holyrood based on what was written in Viator but there wasn’t much in the way of information and details. Others booked from different sites and got better information so that was somewhat frustrating. Luckily we were fine to just go with it but I could see how it would also be frustrating for others. So worth noting.
False Advertising
claudia t,
Jun 19, 2025
- Viator
3.00
It was billed as including Holyrood Palace, Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle. We never went to Holyrood Palace because apparently it’s closed on Wednesdays and were told that instead we would get the ‘whiskey’ tour. None of us drink whiskey and we weren’t interested at all, so our guide improvised and showed us some other things, but I signed up specifically for this tour because I wanted to see the palace 😕!