Discover the stories and social enterprises behind the city’s Old Town, poop yer pants during a poltergeist hunt in a graveyard, and bring the magical Harry Potter books to life with trained wizards.
Run by experts in their field, Edinburgh walking tours include everything from facts about the city’s most popular attractions to photography in the lesser-known neighbourhoods.
These foot tours are not just for visitors; locals are guaranteed to learn more about their city’s architecture, history and place in the world while having a laugh.
Support local! Join one of the following tours to help small businesses while enjoying a day out with pals.
Updated September 2026 – prices and meeting points verified against operator websites.
| Tour | Type | Duration | Price | Meeting Point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SANDEMANs New Europe | Free | 2.5 hrs | Tip-based (£15–20 suggested) | 130 High Street EH1 |
| City Explorers | Free (4 themes) | 2–2.5 hrs | Tip-based (£10–15) | 154 High Street EH1 |
| The Potter Trail | Harry Potter themed | 1.5 hrs | Free (tip £15–30) | 4 Greyfriars Place EH1 2QQ |
| Invisible Cities | Social enterprise | 1.5 hrs | From £10 | Various (Royal Mile/Grassmarket) |
| Edinburgh Expert | Private guided | 2–3 hrs | From £120/tour | By arrangement |
| Mercat Tours | History & ghost | 1–2 hrs | From £15 | Vault entrance |
| Black History Walking Tour | Cultural heritage | 1.5 hrs | From £20/adult | Northfield Road EH8 7PW |
| ScotBeer Tours | Brewery & beer | 2–3 hrs | From £25 | 50/4 Montpelier Park EH10 |
| Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour | Literary pub | 2 hrs | From £27 | The Beehive Inn, Grassmarket EH1 2JU |
| EatWalk Food Tour | Food & drink | 3 hrs | From £93/person | Old Town (exact on booking) |
| Whisky Tasting & Walking | Whisky | 1.5 hrs | From £35 | Royal Mile area |
| Cobble Tales | Architecture | 1.5 hrs | From £12 (audio from £5) | Old Town/New Town |
| Edinburgh Vault Tours | Underground/paranormal | 1 hr | From £16 | South Bridge vaults |
SANDEMANs New Europe – Free Tour
SANDEMANs has run Edinburgh’s signature free walking tour since the mid-2000s and remains the most popular tip-based tour in the city. Licensed guides lead 2.5-hour walks covering Edinburgh Castle’s esplanade, the Royal Mile, Greyfriars Kirkyard, the Grassmarket and Victoria Street, with stops at Deacon Brodie’s Tavern (the inspiration for Jekyll and Hyde) and the J.K. Rowling writing spots.
Meeting point: 130 High Street (The Royal Mile), on the corner with Stevenlaw’s Close. Duration: 2.5 hours. Price: Free (pay-what-you-wish); suggested tip £15–£20 per adult. Tours run daily at 11am, 2pm and occasionally evenings. Book online at neweuropetours.eu.
City Explorers – Free Tours (Old Town, Ghost, Harry Potter & New Town)
City Explorers is a locally founded competitor to SANDEMANs with a strong reputation for warmth and historical depth. They run four distinct free tours daily: the classic Old Town walk, a free ghost tour in the evening, a free Harry Potter tour, and a free New Town tour focused on Georgian architecture – one of the few tours covering Charlotte Square, George Street and the Georgian masterplan in detail.
Meeting point: 154 High Street (The Royal Mile), just in front of Copper Still bar. Duration: 2–2.5 hours for Old Town; 90 minutes for Harry Potter; 2 hours for ghost tour. Price: Free (tip-based); suggested tip £10–£15 per person. Book at cityexplorerstours.com.
Vault Tours and Poltergeist Hunting
There are a number of tours that take visitors from the safe cobbles of The Royal Mile to the lesser-known underground world of the vaults.
Guides share stories of what life was like for the deprived population who found themselves living underground in the city at its South Bridge.
As you move through the rooms, the temperature drops, and the tales get darker.
Are you brave enough? Reserve your ticket here.
Mercat Tours LTD
Mercat Tours believes history is a damn good story, and it needs a damn good telling!
They help visitors connect with Edinburgh’s past, the sights, stories, and characters on history walks and ghost tours of the city’s Old Town.
All tours are guaranteed yearly, with exclusive access to Blair Street Underground Vaults, Edinburgh Castle, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Mercat Tours is an award-winning, local family business, a Living Wage Employer, and part of the profit share bonus scheme.
Mercat Tours
Whisky Tasting and Walking
This 2-hour tour takes attendees through the streets of the Old Town, focusing on locations that helped put Scotland on the map for whisky, thanks to the biggest scotch fan, King James IV/
The second part of the tour leads visitors underground to Megget’s Cellar for a cosy whisky-tasting experience.
For more whisky-related tours, read this guide.
Invisible Cities
Invisible Cities is an award-winning social enterprise that trains people who have experienced homelessness to become tour guides of their own city.
Price: Tours from £10. Duration: 1.5 hours. Invisible Cities celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2026. Tours run daily across Edinburgh including the Royal Mile, Grassmarket and Leith. Book at invisible-cities.org.
They offer several tours, all focused on themes and content developed by the guides themselves.
Tours On Offer
- Uncover Stories of Crime and Punishment
- The Royal Mile – Edinburgh’s Most Famous Street
- Women of Edinburgh – Grassmarket
- Boil Boil Toil and Trouble- History of Witchcraft in Edinburgh
- Edinburgh’s Queer History
- The Alternative Story of Leith
The Potter Trail
The Potter Trail is the original and best magical tour of the Old Town, taking fans to all the places that inspired She Who Cannot Be Named and the places where she wrote.
Meeting point: Bobby’s Sandwich Shop, 4 Greyfriars Place EH1 2QQ (near the junction of George IV Bridge and Candlemaker Row). Duration: 1.5 hours. Price: Free public tours (suggested donation £15–£30 per head); private tours available. Tours run at 11am and 12 noon daily, with extra slots at 3pm and 4pm in busy months. Book at pottertrail.com.
Tours On Offer
There are currently two versions of the classic Potter Trail tour – public and private.
On all of these, you will…
- See where Lord Voldemort is buried
- Discover in which café Rowling wrote the FIRST Potter book
- Take a trip down the real-life Diagon Alley
- Find out which house you would be in at Edinburgh’s very own school of magic
- Learn who the world’s worst poet was and which Hogwarts teacher is named after him
And much, much more! All of these tours feature a house point competition, spell casting, and lots of opportunities to ask questions from the most experienced Harry Potter tour guides in the city.
Ronan and I have taken the virtual tour and loved it. Ronan is a huge Potter fan, and I’ve not even read all the books, proving there is something for everyone!
Tour Dates and Times
- Free tours take place every day. Payment is by tip
- Public tours can contact the provider for more
A Note From Our Pal Richard At The Potter Trails
There are a lot of Harry Potter tours to choose from but don’t be fooled – we are the original tour!
We’re also one of the only ones to be operated by Edinburgh locals. We’re consistently in the top 5 tours in the city on TripAdvisor and have been featured everywhere from The Times, to PBS to BBC Scotland.
We’d also like to make it very clear that trans and non-binary people will always be very welcome on our tours.
Like many HP fans we have been saddened and dismayed by JK Rowling’s recent comments regarding transgender issues.
We will also be donating a percentage of our profits to the Scottish Trans Alliance from now on.
Everything Edinburgh stands with The Potter Trail.
We do not agree with She Who Cannot Be Named and are happy to see The Potter Trail donate to this charity.
Edinburgh Expert – Private Guided Tours
For visitors who want a deeply personalised experience, Edinburgh Expert offers private tours led by a highly-rated local guide with over 500 five-star TripAdvisor reviews. Tours cover 900 years of Edinburgh history, from the Castle and Royal Mile to lesser-known closes and gardens. Available in 2-hour, 3-hour, 4-hour and full-day formats.
Price: From £120 per tour (1 person, 2 hours); £140 for 2–3 people. 20% discount November–February. Duration: 2–6 hours. Booking: Direct only at edinburghexpert.com (not available on Viator/GetYourGuide).
Black History Tour
Run by Edinburgh-based historian and educator Edinrab, the walking tour explores the often-overlooked contributions of Black people to Edinburgh’s history, from enslaved people who found refuge in the city to influential musicians, writers and activists. The tour covers stories tied to specific buildings and streets across the Old Town and Southside.
Price: From £20 per adult, £10 per child (student/unwaged discounts available). Duration: Approximately 1.5 hours. Contact: 07429 540849 or [email protected]. Suitable for ages 14+. Book via blackhistoryscotland.com.
ScotBeer Tours – Brewery & Craft Beer Tour
ScotBeer runs daily craft beer tours visiting multiple independent breweries and beer bars across the city. The tour includes behind-the-scenes brewery visits, guided tastings of local ales and stouts, and insights into Scotland’s booming craft beer scene. Family-friendly private tours are also available on request.
Price: From £25 per adult. Duration: 2–3 hours. Address: 50/4 Montpelier Park EH10 4NH. Phone: +44 131 207 0153. Book at scot.beer.
Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour
An award-winning evening experience that combines Edinburgh’s literary heritage with its pub culture. Actor-guides perform scenes from works by Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Walter Scott, Irvine Welsh and other Scottish writers in the very pubs they frequented. The tour moves from the Old Town to the New Town, ending at Milnes Bar on Hanover Street.
Meeting point: The Beehive Inn, 18–20 Grassmarket EH1 2JU (look for the ticketing person in a bright vest). Start time: 7:30pm. Duration: 2 hours. Price: From £27 per person (from ~$34 on Viator). Max group: 40. Book at edinburghliterarypubtour.co.uk.
EatWalk Food & Drink Tour
EatWalk has been running food tours since 2011, offering a 3-hour culinary tour through Old Town and New Town restaurants and pubs. The tour includes multiple food tastings with paired drinks (3 alcoholic and 1 non-alcoholic included in the standard package, with whisky upgrade available). Brunch and lunch tours run daily; dinner tours on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Price: From £93 per person. Duration: 3 hours. Meeting point: Exact location provided on booking (Old Town area). Contact: +44 7418 361337. Book at eatwalktours.co.uk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the best free tour?
SANDEMANs New Europe runs the most popular free tour (2.5 hours, daily at 11am and 2pm), covering the Royal Mile, Greyfriars Kirkyard and the Grassmarket. City Explorers is a strong alternative with smaller groups and four different themes (Old Town, Ghost, Harry Potter, New Town). Both operate on a pay-what-you-wish basis with suggested tips of £10–£20 per person.
How much should I tip on a free tour?
Most visitors tip £10–£20 per adult on free tours. Solo travellers often tip £15; couples £30; families with older children £40–£50. The guides are paid entirely through tips, so the amount reflects how much you enjoyed the experience.
Which tour is best for Harry Potter fans?
The Potter Trail is the dedicated Harry Potter tour, running free daily at 11am and 12 noon from Greyfriars Place. It covers the cafes where J.K. Rowling wrote, the gravestones that inspired character names, and the closes that resemble Diagon Alley. City Explorers also runs a free Harry Potter tour (90 minutes) as an alternative.
How long are the tours?
Most tours last 1.5–2.5 hours. Free tip-based tours (SANDEMANs, City Explorers, Potter Trail) typically run 1.5–2.5 hours. Specialised tours like the Literary Pub Tour (2 hours) and EatWalk food tour (3 hours) are longer. Private tours such as Edinburgh Expert can be customised from 2 to 6 hours.
Are the tours suitable for children?
Yes. The Potter Trail and City Explorers tours are family-friendly and popular with children. Invisible Cities tours are suitable for teens and adults. The Edinburgh Vault Tours involve dark underground spaces and may frighten younger children. Most operators welcome children under 12 free or at a reduced rate – check when booking.
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Cobble Tales
Cobble Tales offers private and audio tours focusing on history through architecture.
In addition to private architect-guided tours (groups up to 30, from £12 per person), Cobble Tales now offers self-guided audio tours for individuals covering Old Town, New Town and Dean Village itineraries (from £5). Available in multiple languages including French, Spanish, Italian and Chinese. Book at cobbletales.com.
They have a number of tours that will let you explore the city’s history through the lens of the architect’s eyes.
Want to know how much of the New Towners’ fortunes were connected to slavery?
Want to learn about the underground vaults that lie beneath the city?
Or maybe you want to know more about the decay of the old buildings and the efforts to save them.
Cobble Tales is a unique twist on a regular tour. Learn more about this beautiful city’s culture and heritage with knowledgeable local guides.
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