Private Tour
Guided Edinburgh Private Walking Tour
Overview
Available languages
3 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
This private guided walk with our unique guides (Stuart Usher or his son Richard, Professional Historians such as Dr Alison Duncan or David Forsyth, other prominent guides such as Prof. John Frank), will both entertain and enthral your group. Your party (up to 12 people) will be the only visitors on the walk. Stuart Usher's family have historic connections with Edinburgh (his great-great Uncle, Andrew Usher, donated the magnificent Usher Hall to the city, where the tour normally starts) and his deep knowledge of the city's cultural, historical and architectural aspects means he has a unique perspective.
You can book a morning tour (9.30am to 1.00pm), an afternoon tour (2.00pm to 5.30pm) or our full-day tour (9.30am to 4.30pm)
You can have flexibility on itinerary should you choose, e.g. if you have special interests in certain aspects of Edinburgh, and we can even arrange a starting point to suit you (e.g. your hotel) as long as it is in the city-centre.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Wheelchair possible but there are hills and steps
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Private tour
Professional guide
Hotel pickup and drop-off if requested
Cost of food and drinks
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
Edinburgh Guided Tour
The starting point of the tour (if not your hotel) is the splendid Usher Hall, a wonderful Concert Hall gifted to the city by Stuart Usher's great-great-uncle. We do not normally go inside.
Edinburgh Castle
Gusts will see the majestic Edinburgh Castle (exterior only) and your guide will talk you through its tumultuous history and the lives of the many Scottish Kings and Queens who lived there. If you wish to see inside the castle this can be arranged but there will be an extra charge (£19 per head) for admission.
Options
Private tour - mornings
a 3.5 hour private tour
Private tour - full day
A full day (7 hour) guided walking tour of Edinburgh.
Private tour - afternoons
A 3.5 hour private afternoon tour
Reviews
268 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Well versed Tour Guide!
tangyoren,
Oct 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a great tour! Our guide was Douglas and he was very informative and attentive to all our questions. He is highly educated and knew exactly how to connect the tour with the basic knowledge that we have of Edinburgh. He made sure to highlight all the important parts of the tour and secrets of Edinburgh too. Also, he was very attentive to my teen son. The only cons is that we didnt have enough time to hear more!
Forget the tour bus, this is a much better way to explore and learn about Edinburgh
TravelingDon 11,
Oct 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a lovely time touring Edinburgh with our guide, Fiona! We covered an amazing amount of ground and definitely saw and experienced things we never would have on our own! Fiona was fun, pleasant and a wealth of knowledge. We learned so much about the history, geology, architecture and everyday life in Edinburgh, both past and present. This was the perfect way to begin a one-week stay and, with such a great orientation, we now know of more things to do here than we can possibly fit into our stay. All that, plus you’ll get your exercise in for the day, as well. We highly recommend this tour! Well done and thank you.
So so
E2100AJingridf,
Sep 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00Stopped too much, long stories of irrelevant things. Missed some of the things we wanted to see because of things he wanted to explain
Best Walking Tour
JaimeS09,
Sep 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had such an incredible experience on our private walking tour with Dr. Alison Duncan. She was knowledgeable and so friendly. We immediately felt comfortable with her. She showed us everything we wanted and more. It was the highlight of our trip!
Great and very personal guided tour in German !
AKG170,
Sep 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00There were six of us and we had some non-English speaking first time visitors to Edinburgh in our group. So we were very happy that Craig could show us part of Edinburgh and describe everything in German. He explained a lot of interesting details and historical background to us, but also spontaneously responded to all our questions and wishes. We learned a lot and had a lot of fun doing it. The organization and meeting were easy; beginning & end were perfectly punctual.
Dr Alison Duncan, fabulous tour!
leighb443,
Sep 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Dr Alison Duncan was engaging and knowledgeable about Endinburgh’s colorful and long history. We very much enjoyed our walking tour with her and the time flew by as she regaled us with stories and history. We also appreciated that she took a couple of photos of us in beautiful locations without being asked.
In depth dive into Edinburgh’s fascinating history
christinerC9817AQ,
Sep 5, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Highly recommended for anyone interested in the history and architecture of Edinburgh! I had a brief overview understanding of Edinburgh, and curious to learn more and I emailed this company and they set up a private tour for our family with David Forsyth. He has long experience working in Edinburgh (though originally from Glasgow and we had some very interesting conversations about that as well), and deep knowledge of the history. He could answer every question, and he was pleasant and amusing. Would love to do another tour with him. May not be cheap, but worth it! Far more information and higher quality than the average tour.
Amazing experience-very rich and informative! Highly recommend!!
andrewkN7800IM,
Aug 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a 3 to 4 hour tour with Dr. Allison Duncan and she was brilliant!! She was a wealth of information and she kept us engaged the entire time. The tour went by so quickly because we were having a wonderful time! We also love learning about the culture and history of a country and this was the absolute best tour for it. Dr. Allison was very easy to talk to and she answered all of our questions. This was the highlight of our trip so far and we highly recommend it!! Thank you so much Allison!!
It was amazing. I highly recommend
carolaI2593SP,
Aug 12, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Stuart is the quintessential Scottish guide! He was so knowledgeable with decades of family history in Edinburgh. He was funny, charming and adapted our tour to our interests. He even stayed past our tour time for a cup of tea and stories.
Stuart is great - he has...
FahdAftab R,
Jul 21, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Stuart is great - he has loads to worldly and local tour/Scotland experience. highly recommended. Enjoy the pace and sights
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Operated by Edinburgh Guided Tour