Haunted Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh

Overview

Available languages

English

1 hour

Mobile ticket

Dark as the devil's heart, our haunted underground network of vaults from the 1700s will stimulate and excite your senses as the sinister history of these former slum dwellings, once inhabited by the poor and unfortunate along with criminals and prostitutes, begins to come to life in your imagination! Your pulse starts to speed up as your mouth gets drier due to your heightened awareness of what surrounds you! Once experienced, never forgotten.

Additional Info

Service animals allowed

Public transportation options are available nearby

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Vaults entrance/exit is via a 2ft stair followed by a spiral staircase and further average size mezzanine staircases inside the vaults Between the levels.

Not recommended for children under 12 years of age.

Children under 16 years of age must be accompanied by a Parent or Guardian

Anyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be turned away.

Alcohol and Drugs strictly forbidden on the tour.

Filming or live streaming of the tour is strictly forbidden. You may be ejected from the tour.

Office hours are 10am-5pm for all calls & emails

• Some historical content may be of a distressing nature with regards but not exclusively to Torture, Hangings, Death

• Children under 2 years of age not allowed on tour.

The walking pace and terrain may not be suitable for those with any difficulty walking.

We do not provide luggage storage so please make alternate arrangements.

Cancellation Policy

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

What‘s Included

Admission Ticket

What To Expect

Royal Mile

The guide will meet the group and then after a brief introduction guide everyone down the Royal Mile to the entrance to our vaults occasionally stopping to tell some of Edinburgh’s history along the way.

15 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

Edinburgh Vaults

The guide will show the group our torture exhibition and explain the whys and hows of how some items were used in Edinburgh’s dark history. The guide will then take the group to our vaults to hear their history and about the paranormal happenings said to have occurred here.

40 minutes • Admission Included

Options

Haunted Vaults Tour

Reviews

4.77

2,163 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

1880

167

Brilliant
inasG4410BN,
Nov 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We had an amazing guide called James. He was so into it you definitely felt that he loved his job. It was an absolute pleasure. :)
Amazing/20
Explorer21267617100,
Nov 4, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I recommend this tour with your eyes closed, Dom is amazing and so focused on his subject! I was so excited to visit, he met my expectations 100%, thanks to him 💕
Just OK
stephaniefJ4202UR,
Nov 4, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00
This was an interesting tour. The operator was ok but did not have a lot of stories to tell. Each vault we visited he told a story but other tours we took on this trip told us of more then just about what we were doing. Pretty much you meet and then you walk to the vault and then you left. It was an ok tour but didn't have the the thrills and chills and folklore we were expecting.
Great experience
906annamariet,
Nov 3, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Our experience of the vault walking tour was great. The Guide, James, was knowledgeable about the city centre's history. He was friendly and had great enthusiasm.
Exhilarating Edinburgh experience!
ianwS7139JS,
Nov 3, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Very interesting and atmospheric tour! Dom really knows his stuff and tells a good story! Highly recommended for all the family!
A visit to the past
Benjamin L,
Nov 3, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00
Even a few days after Halloween, the Mood and Dom (the attendant) managed to give little chills in the back.
Spooky and entertaining!
renatob738,
Oct 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We had an amazing tour with our guide James, who is a great communicator and knows a lot about the vaults. Highly recommended!
good
leahtU2118KV,
Oct 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Something different and fun. Felt about the right time - not too long, not too short. James was a great guide, very enthusiastic. Overall, good experience.
Tour Guide James
ricia1318,
Oct 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
Our tour guide James was super enthusiastic, entertaining and overall made the tour really enjoyable. Great experience to do on Halloween week!
Brilliantly spooky.
kierann324,
Oct 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Me and my partner both thought it was a brilliant / fun experience, A fitting tour given the time of year and it did not disappoint. Louisa did a fantastic job at delivering the history of the vaults and some of the dark history in old Edinburgh! Definitely worth its money, My partner is super paranoid because she woke up with a bunch of unexplained cuts the next morning that wasn’t there before she fell asleep. While I’m a major skeptic it’s nice having a bit of a spook during Halloween.