16 Virtual Tours in Edinburgh: Landmarks, Hidden Gems + Harry Potter!

Virtual Tours of Edinburgh

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Visit the popular landmarks and hidden gems in Scotland’s capital without leaving the comfort of your home with our Everything Edinburgh guide to virtual tours in Edinburgh.

Virtual Tours in Edinburgh With Guides

1. Invisible Cities Edinburgh 

Looking for a virtual tour that gives back?

Invisible Cities is an established tour company in the UK which was started in Scotland’s capital.

The concept, created by Zakia Moulaoui, trains ex-homeless locals to be tour guides.

These tour guides then show you their city during the Edinburgh itinerary. 

So while we can’t take a physical tour with Invisible Cities, you can take this unique experience of Edinburgh from your home and then ‘book a tour’ at the top of the page. 

Prices start at £7 per person and the tour is sent to your email address or populates as soon as payment is made.

Invisible Cities Virtual Tour of Edinburgh 

The tour consists of a series of slides,including text, images, sound and video with subtitles.

Your guide Paul, a charming Leith lad, takes you around the Old Town from the Grassmarket to the Scottish Parliament sharing stories, debunking myths and introducing you to community projects.

Learn the tales behind the pub names, Old Town closes (walkways) and which book was written during a week-long cocaine bender! 

Pro tip | After each video, go back to the starting page to see all slides. 

I enjoyed the tour so much I bought it for my brother’s birthday!. 

If you can, connect to your TV using a device such as Apple TV so you can watch it on a bigger screen. 

Zoom Call With Invisible Cities 

A neat add-on at the end of your Invisible Cities virtual tour is the opportunity to set up a Zoom call with Paul, your guide.

An intuitive (innovative?) way to allow followers to keep supporting Invisible Tours during this time.

Sign up here.

2. The Potter Trail – Virtual Edinburgh Harry Potter Tour

Are you a bored muggle?

This private one-hour virtual Harry Potter tour will take you to Edinburgh to visit the very important landmarks that influenced She Who Cannot Be Named’s writings.

Take a tour of Greyfriars Kirk to find Voldemort’s grave, have a look at the loos inside The Elephant Cafe and discover Scotland’s very own Diagon Alley with your very own tour guide wizard.

Collect house points as you visit Hogwarts or the school it is thought to be based on anyway!

Richard, our wizard, and his team are all performers and trained tour guides so you are guaranteed a good show whether you are a Potterhead or not.

→ Quote everythingedinburgh5 at checkout for 5% off.
Reserve your slot here.

Any referral we receive will be added to The Potter Trail’s donation to the Scottish Trans Alliance in response to JK Rowling’s recent actions.

By supporting these traditional walking tours online, you are helping these businesses retain their staff who they’ve trained and want to keep.

Find out more about the inspiration for Diagon Alley, Gringotts and Hogwarts in our guide here.

Harry Potter Hermione Figure Victoria Street Edinburgh

3. Outlander Tour of Scotland

While this tour is not set in Edinburgh we feel it is worthy of a shout out because it is delivered by our friends, the award-winning Mary’s Meanders.

The lovely Anne and Emma have been delivering this Classic Outlander Tour to groups in Scotland for six years, they even had the main woman herself join them once, Diana Gabaldon!

You too can follow in the footsteps of Jamie and Claire without leaving your home.

All you need is access to Zoom and 1-2 hours to devote to Mr Fraser trivia.

For more information and to book here.
Tell them Everything Edinburgh sent you!

Mrs Baird B&B Jamie Outlander Falkland Scotland_

4. Edinburgh – Magic of Film Tour with Quiz

Bored of the Netflix binge?

Why not take part in a movie tour of Edinburgh?

Formerly known as the Harry Potter Tour of Edinburgh, See Your City will be adapting their tour to include more movie magic so you get more bang for your buck! 

There are time slots available twice during the day, every day but they sell out so you need to book up fast. 

I did the Harry Potter tour which is a jam-packed, knowledge fuelled whistle-stop tour of the Harry Potter book and film locations in Edinburgh.

The Zoom call includes a virtual walkthrough of Greyfriars Kirk (graveyard) to see where She Who Cannot Be Named got her inspiration for many of her characters, through Edinburgh’s Diagon Alley and to Potterrow, to see why Rowling choose Potter as the name of her main character.

For £5, you receive an hour-long tour with a friendly guide.

Sign up here.

Note: You will be joining a video call with strangers which some might find uncomfortable.

If you don’t want your screen to be shown you can upload an image of yourself to your profile. The tour is done with audio mostly muted.

If you’d prefer a private Harry Potter tour check out The Potter Trail above.

The Elephant House Edinburgh Harry Potter

Hey movie fans! Check out the best films shot in Edinburgh

5. Virtual Edinburgh Tours By App (Free) 

Curious Tours

Award-winning Curious Tours has over 10 free tours!

All you need to do is download the Curious Edinburgh app; available on Apple and Android. 

  • Select ‘about’ to access all of the available tours:
  • Granton Tour
  • History of Astronomy
  • History of Biotechnology
  • History of Brewing
  • History of Charity and Civic Action
  • History of Geology
  • History of Medicine
  • History of Physics
  • History of Science 
  • India
  • Jewish History
  • Scottish Enlightenment 

The app uses Google Maps with information pop-ups and images.

Don’t miss our guide to our favourite areas in Edinburgh

Virtual Tours of Edinburgh Landmarks (Free)

6. National Museum of Scotland

Take a free tour of The National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street without hopping on public transport.

Captured via Google Arts & Culture’s Museum View experience, explore the 20,000 objects on display in the beautiful white building of the National Museum. 

National Museum Scotland Edinburgh

Start at the Grand Gallery.

Tap and drag the screen to stroll and scroll through the level 0-5 exhibitions, or read through the artefacts profiles. 

You can even select Level 7 to see Edinburgh’s cityscape from the rooftop. 

7. The Palace of Holyroodhouse Virtual Tour 

Would you like to be in lockdown in the Royals’ residence in Scotland?

Check out the Great Stair; designed by Sir William Bruce in the 1670s and the framed frescoes painted by the Italian artist Lattanzio Gambara in the 1550s.

Simply hit the ‘i’ button for facts about the Palace.

See the site here.

8. Edinburgh Castle Virtual Tour 

Walk under the crest and banner and over the cobbled stones into Edinburgh Castle

Pass the Lang Stairs to the Argyl Battery vantage point. 

Read next | Funny Scottish words and sayings

Edinburgh Castle From Grassmarket

9. St Giles Cathedral 

For a quick 360 glance at St Giles Cathedral (High Kirk of Edinburgh) check out the Spinoo site.

You can let the tour spin itself or drag the screen to specific parts of the 12th-century Cathedral. 

St Giles Cathedral Royal Mile Edinburgh

10. Surgeons’ Hall  Virtual Tour

Take a walk through the History of Surgery Museum at Surgeons’ Hall and find out whose skin is used to cover the book.

Surgeons Halls Virtual Tour

11. National Library of Scotland Virtual Tour (NLS)

Gain access to four floors of the National Library of Scotland including the General Collections Reading Room and George IV Foyer.

Pay to become a member and gain access to ‘virtually’ every book. 

You may also like | Free things to do in Edinburgh

12. The University of Edinburgh Virtual Tour

Didn’t get the grades?

No stress! You can attend Edinburgh University through their online virtual tour.

Swipe through the School of Divinity’s New College Quad designed by David Bryce which opened in 1859.

Find out all the ways in which the Assembly Hall has been used by different companies over the decades. 

Select the info points marked ‘i’ for more information about the area. 

13. Heriot Watt University Virtual Tour

Enjoy a sunny walk through the 380 acres of parkland, past the Sunken Garden and nip into Georgies, the student union, for a virtual pint.

Here’s the site.

14. Forth Bridges 3D Tour

Epic virtual tour of the Forth Bridge but not for those who are scared of heights!

Fun fact! My Mum genuinely believed the train went up and over the bridge like a rollercoaster!

You can also download educational games on the Forth Bridges website.

15. Explore Rosslyn Chapel in 360

Step into the set of the Da Vinci Code with this 360 virtual tour of Rosslyn Chapel, also known as Collegiate Chapel of St Matthew.

The tour is pinch and move tour with music.

The camera moves automatically around the 15th century Chapel in Rosslyn.

16. Dynamic Earth Virtual Tour

Not the best of virtual tours as it is mainly aimed at showing what the building can offer companies looking to rent space but you can see Arthur’s Seat and the Scottish Parliament from level -1. 

View the tour here.

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