Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle - Small Group Walking Tour

Overview

Available languages

English

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.

5 minutes•Admission Not Applicable

Parliament House

View the exterior

5 minutes•Admission Not Applicable

Options

Royal Mile and Castle

Castle entry fee included
Maximum group size of 18
Walking tour including castle

Reviews

4.78

1,268 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

1088

122

Great tour of the Royal...
Megan F,
Jul 7, 2025
- Viator
5.00
Great tour of the Royal Mile and the Castle, ends in the castle so you have free time to explore after. Our guide Marina was excellent. The 10 am tour is great because you can hang around after and then see them fire the huge gun in the castle at 1 pm, also you avoid some of the crowds.
Our tour guide Nicola was...
Terrence S,
Jul 7, 2025
- Viator
5.00
Our tour guide Nicola was so knowledgable and entertaining. The weather was quite bleak-chilly and rainy-but she kept our spirits up with her animated storytelling. The tour was great for us since it was our first day in Edinburgh and oriented us well to the beautiful historic sites.
Our guide was very...
Andre L,
Jul 6, 2025
- Viator
5.00
Our guide was very knowlegable and a treat. Excellen knowledge of olser parts of the city and great enthusiam.
A great tour!
Chris D,
Jul 5, 2025
- Viator
5.00
A wonderful overview of Royal Mile and the castle. I’ve done a tour before but I think this was the best one . Craig was an excellent guide. Not only was he knowledgeable in Scottish history but he gave numerous snippets of interesting facts you wouldn’t forget easily anywhere else. It brought the stories to life and made you want to read more about the characters he talks about. I would highly recommend this tour.
Despite the pouring rain...
Tony C,
Jul 2, 2025
- Viator
5.00
Despite the pouring rain the tour was absolutely astounding and I would do it again (even in the rain). Our guide was personable and caring for everybody in the slippery conditions. Her knowledge of Royal Mile, Edinburgh castle and Scotland has a whole was extensive and riveting, kept me engaged throughout the entire tour.