Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle - Small Group Walking Tour
Overview
Available languages
2 hours 15 minutes
Mobile ticket
This walking tour is the perfect introduction to Scotland’s capital. The first secret you’ll learn? That you can skip the line at Edinburgh Castle!
Step into Edinburgh’s secrets and discover the heart of Scotland’s capital, beyond the reach of tour buses and guidebooks. A beautiful city steeped in awe-inspiring history that has been perfectly preserved to this day, in the wynds, closes, courtyards and homes of Edinburgh’s Old Town.
The castle towers over Edinburgh from up high on its ancient volcanic rock – a literal fortress, looking out over the city’s stunning landscapes. Battles and sieges were fought over it, royalty lived and died within its walls, and countless generations have been inspired by it.
Visit Edinburgh Castle with your Mercat Tours Storyteller and from the Royal Mile you’ll walk over the drawbridge and straight past the ticket line – leaving the queues behind and continuing your journey into Edinburgh’s history uninterrupted.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Tours are guaranteed all year round, so please dress for the weather, with comfortable shoes.
Please note: Edinburgh Castle will not admit visitors with bags larger than a 25litre capacity
Please note that we cannot accept babies or children under the age of 5 on this tour.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Exclusive multi-sensory experience; with master Storyteller guides
Enhanced, hand-picked sounds of Edinburgh, delivered through TourTalk audio devices
Small group experience
Fast track, skip the line entry into Edinburgh Castle
What To Expect
St Giles' Cathedral
View the exterior and hear the history.
Parliament House
View the exterior
Options
Royal Mile and Castle
Castle entry fee included
Maximum group size of 18
Walking tour including castle
Reviews
1,350 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Excellent tour, tour...
Muguru C,
Aug 16, 2025
- Viator
5.00Excellent tour, tour guide, very informative and caring for the tour members. Marina knows a lot of information and was passing them on steadily to us. It was very nice to learn some of the history.
Fabulous tour!
Fiona S,
Aug 10, 2025
- Viator
5.00Lots of amazing historical facts shared during the tour. Stuart was a superb guide, very passionate about the city. Lots of references to Scottish monarchy history.
Keith was awesome
Steven G,
Aug 10, 2025
- Viator
5.00Keith was great. So many interesting details. He loves the city. Moved at a pace that was good for everyone. Obvious how much knowledge he has. Also the headphones were amazing. He was able to point things out while walking. 10 out of 10
Edinburgh walking tour
MichaelJ E,
Aug 6, 2025
- Viator
5.00We participated on the walking tour of Edinburgh and loved it. Roger, a Scot native, was informative and full of relevant and entertaining stories of EB’s formation. Great energy. If you’re unsure about whether to commit to a walking tour - my suggestion is go for it!
Highly recommend this tour!
Carla S,
Aug 4, 2025
- Viator
5.00This was one of my favorite tours in our 12 day trip, in large part due to our wonderful guide Nikola. Edinburgh is jam packed this week due to the Fringe festival, but Nikola seamlessly guided us through several sites. She was very knowledgeable and engaging, making the history of the city interesting for my 12 year old, who had about 100 questions for her that she joyfully answered. We ended at Edinburgh castle with skip the line entry and a guided tour of the grounds. We learned so much about Edinburgh and saw a lot in a mere 2 hours. It's a great tour, and count yourself lucky if you get Nikola. She's a phenomenal guide.
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Operated by Mercat Tours