The 10 Best History Walking Tours in Edinburgh

1.Old Town History and Tales Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 2,361 reviews · 2 hours · from $24Our pick

Review of Edinburgh’s Old Town walking tour, with medieval tales, Harry Potter links, landmark stops, guide tips, price, and practical advice.

“Highly recommend! Graeme is an absolute Gem, i don‘t think i‘ve ever had a more welcoming tour guide! As a local (who loves Edinburgh) he is the perfect man to guide you through Edinburgh, open for all the questions possible, his knowledge of the city and it‘s history is insane. Funny too! Easily the best tour i‘ve ever been to thanks to Graeme! I‘ve seen places i would have struggled finding easily on my own! Lovely tour!!! Cheers Graeme 😁”

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2.Old Town Walking Tour History and Tales in Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,168 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $24Top rated

Explore Edinburgh’s Old Town with a lively guide, historic closes, St Giles Cathedral, castle views, and useful local tips in two hours.

“We took the Historic Edinburgh tour on 06 12 25. Euan was our guide and he was excellent. Very knowledgeable and interesting with a dry sense of humour. Euan interacted well with the whole group and everyone appeared to feel included. There was a very pleasant, friendly atmosphere. At the end of the tour, the four us (husband and friends) all thought that we had a good overview of Edinburgh's history even if we southerners weren't entirely convinced that the English Civil War started in Edinburgh due to an ecclesiastical dispute with Charles I although we did admire Euan's patriotism and love of his home town.”

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3.Witches & Haunted History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,290 reviews · 1h 15m · from $24

Explore Edinburgh’s Old Town, witch trials, haunted closes, and Grassmarket executions on a lively 75-minute walking tour.

“Witch Hazel was our guide for this tour and it didn’t disappoint. This lady has a wealth of information, and provided us with so much insight into the witch trials of Edinburgh and North Berwick in a lighthearted but heartfelt manner. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone who wishes to explore Edinburgh’s deeper past, points of interest and has a real interest in the witch trials”

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4.Edinburgh Old Town: Historical Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,016 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $24

Review of Edinburgh’s two-hour Old Town walking tour, covering medieval stories, key landmarks, guides, value, meeting point, and booking tips.

“Urs war super, unterhaltsam, gut auf die Gruppe acht gegeben. Weiß absolut Bescheid! Keine absolute mainstream Geschichte, achtet auf Details.”

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5.3-Hour Historical Walking Tour in Italian

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 734 reviews · 3 hours · from $20Best value

Explore Edinburgh’s Old Town in Italian on a lively three-hour walk covering the Royal Mile, castle views, Greyfriars Kirkyard, and more.

“La nostra guida Alessandra è stata cordiale e disponibile! Tour interessante! Consigliato!”

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6.Old Town History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 528 reviews · 2 hours · from $24

Review of Edinburgh’s two-hour Old Town walking tour, covering the Royal Mile, castle, legends, Harry Potter links, guides, value, and practical tips.

“We had a fantastic time on the tour, we went with my partner's parents who are German and they loved being able to discover Edinburgh with a German-speaking guide. Urs was fun and kept the tour exciting.”

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7.Multi-Sensory Old Town Historical Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 290 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $32

Explore Edinburgh’s Old Town with expert storytelling, clear audio, Royal Mile secrets, and history from St Giles to Edinburgh Castle.

“We enjoyed our walking tour of Edinburgh. The Fringe Festival was on which made Edinburgh’s Royal Mile chaotic but the guide managed the situation well taking us down interesting back streets and closes. He was very knowledgeable. If your mobility isn’t good this isn’t the tour for you, lots of steps and hills. The pace was good though our guide catered for older people. Edinburgh is such a charismatic city well worth visiting!!”

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8.Dark History Royal Mile Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 271 reviews · 2 hours · from $20

Explore Edinburgh’s dark past on a two-hour Royal Mile walk covering crime, witches, plague, graves, and true stories for $20.

“Great tour overall and great sense of humour! Particularly enjoyed the geology reference haha. Many thanks Robert for the tour!😊”

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9.Pubs and History Guided Walking Tour with Beer

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 254 reviews · 2 hours · from $62

Trace Edinburgh’s brewing past through three local pubs, Scottish beer tastings, and Old Town stories on this lively two-hour walking tour.

“Great Tour. Learned a lot about Scottish pubs and beers. Sampled lots of beer. It was a fun tour.”

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10.3-Hour Historical Walking Tour in Spanish

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 99 reviews · from $20

Explore Edinburgh’s Old Town in Spanish on a lively 3-hour walk covering the Royal Mile, castle views, Greyfriars Kirkyard, and local legends.

“Super interesante toda la información que nos conto la guía, que al ser Escocesa, sabia muchas detalles de la ciudad e historia.”

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