£570
Tour Details
What’s included
Not included
Our service
Edinburgh is the historic Capital City of Scotland and offers a wealth of sights and Scottish history. After we meet at your hotel or cruise ship we’ll depart on a comprehensive, informative and entertaining full day tour of Edinburgh. Our time is split both in the tour van covering more of the sights of the city and exploring some of the key sights by foot. The split of time is up to you.
Our Edinburgh Full-day tour is a comprehensive exploration of the city which includes both a tour of Edinburgh’s famous sites and many of the ‘off the beaten trail’ locations. A big part of this trip is bringing Edinburgh’s history to life through interesting stories, quirky recounts of events, antiquities and idioms. This is customised to your interests, but you’ll leave with a real connection to Edinburgh through the eyes of a local. These are the highlights…
Each one of our private tours is conducted in our premium Mercedes minivans, ensuring your comfort as we venture along the small cobbled streets around Edinburgh and narrow back roads of the highlands.
Your knowledgable kilt-wearing private tour guide will tell you the stories and show you the sights on this tour. We offer flexibility and your time inside and outside the vehicle is up to you.
RECOMMENDED SIGHTS ON THIS TOUR …
At the start of the trip you’ll have the opportunity to talk through the day with your local guide. This full-day trip is a comprehensive exploration of Edinburgh’s highlights and many lesser-known locations.
Calton Hill
The day starts with a view over Edinburgh’s old and new towns from Calton Hill. Among the seven hills of Edinburgh, Calton offers a world-famous view over the city as well as quirky, interesting architecture of the buildings atop the hill. This collection is sometimes known as ‘the three failures of Edinburgh.’ It includes the National Monument of Scotland.
Edinburgh New Town Tour
During Georgian times, this huge development helped relieve the swarming city and provided an enlightened new city, the first of its kind in Scotland. A far cry from the poverty and squalor of old Edinburgh, the New Town’s first phase opened in 1750 with grand avenues, mansion houses and parkland.
Edinburgh Old Town Tour
Learn about the effects of the Black Death, the great fire and the developments that led the world to the modern age on this comprehensive tour of Edinburgh’s medieval old city and dark history.
During our visit, we’ll explore much of The Royal Mile, which runs from the Castle to the Palace and runs through the heart of Edinburgh’s old town. We’ll go to St Giles Cathedral and explore the closes (alleys) of Edinburgh, and learn about its history, folklore and stories from long ago.
As the former hanger of Edinburgh’s criminals, the Grassmarket has a sinister past. Your guide will tell you about numerous famous stories regarding executions in the Grassmarket area, including Maggie Dickson’s story, as you climb the ‘Vennel’ and enjoy a unique view of Edinburgh Castle as well as the remains of the Flodden Wall.
Edinburgh is famously the inspiration for Harry Potter. Victoria Street is the inspiration for Diagon Alley and the perfect place to buy a new wand! Victoria Street is a winding cobbled street bordered by eclectic and colourful shops.
Edinburgh Castle Tour (optional)
Edinburgh Castle stands at the highest and steepest part of a volcanic plug at the top of The Royal Mile.
As we walk along the castle Esplanade, a large open parade ground outside the main entrance, the castle comes into view. This is where the Military Tattoo is performed every year in August as part of the Edinburgh Festival.
There are lots of historic buildings at the castle, but the oldest one is St Margaret’s Chapel, built by King David I to commemorate his mother in the 11th century. The Scottish National War Memorial is the castles newest building, designed by Sir Robert Lorimer and completed in 1927.
As part of James IV’s extensive building work at the castle, the Royal Apartments and Great Hall were used as a royal palace by the Stewart monarchs until 1603.
The Honours of Scotland – the Scottish crown jewels are housed the Palace Crown Room alongside the Stone of Scone. Edward I of England removed the Stone in 1296 and took it to Westminster Abbey but it was returned to Scotland in 1996.
As part of the castle’s military heritage, there is a small, mostly ceremonial garrison. Ceremonially, a gun is fired from the castle rampart at one o’clock every day (except Sunday) as an immortal timepiece for the city.
Canongate
At the bottom of the Royal Mile stands Holyrood Palace, the official residence of the monarchy in Scotland. Discover its fascinating history from Mary Queen of Scots to Jacobite occupation and its role in modern royal life.
The modernist Scottish parliament building stands in stark contrast to the Palace across the road and is home to the devolved Scottish national government. Learn about the controversial architecture of this building, how it came to be what it is today and why these buildings are located where they are today.
Outlying ‘villages’
In Edinburgh, there are many neighbourhoods that were once separate villages, but are now part of the city as a whole. The Dean Village is a beautiful, tranquil corner of the city tucked away behind the New Town. The village offers a chance to wander around and enjoy the peace and quiet in this corner. Duddingston Village, behind Arthur’s Seat, offers a great opportunity to learn about the famous clientele of Scotland’s oldest pub; the ‘The Sheep Heid’ Tavern and you can even visit the old Duddingston Kirk.
Leith Docklands
Although technically an independent town, Leith’s extensive docks offer cobbled lanes, old tramways, surprising architecture, and historic bond warehouses that evoke the past of this bustling port in many ways. As you stroll along The Shore’s old canal, imagine what this busy port must have been like.
South Queensferry & Forth Bridges
Venturing out of the city we arrive at South Queensferry, a quaint coastal town on the banks of the Firth of Forth. Marvel at the Forth Bridges; a Victorian Forth Rail Bridge, the Forth Road Bridge and the recent Queensferry Crossing.
- Distance Instructions
Tour Gallery
Tour Gallery
Places this tour visits
No two tours are the same, but these are popular places to see on the Full Day City of Edinburgh Private Tour
Frequently Asked Questions
These are some of the frequently asked questions about our Full Day City of Edinburgh Private Tour, however if you have a specific question please contact us
For day tours the final balance (plus any extras like admission tickets) is due 24 hours before the tour.
For multi-day tours the final balance is due 30 days before the tour.
Our climate is famous for being unpredictable. We provide umbrellas in our vans but if the weather isn’t working in our favour, just wait 5 minutes and it will change! Please don’t rely on the forecast either, it is invariably wrong!
We recommend that you bring a waterproof jacket and shoes suitable for walking over rough ground / cobbles, especially if visiting rural locations! Other than that, just bring yourself!
Absolutely! Please contact us if you’d like to make an amendment to one of our suggested itineraries or would like a customised tour.
Yes, we can end the tour in a different location from the start point. Please let us know if this is what you need. For locations further than 100 miles from the start point there maybe a charge.
We use Mercedes-Benz V Class minivans. They are very comfortable and safe vehicles with a Euro N-Cap rating of 5 stars. They come with privacy glass, a panoramic sunroof, leather seats, dual-zone air conditioning and unlimited high-speed WiFi. Learn more about our vehicles.
Our Mercedes V Class minivans come in two configurations, a 6 passenger version and a 7 passenger version.
Yes, we can meet you at the airport and have plenty of space for baggage.
Yes, most of our tours are suitable for cruise ship shore excursions and we’ll meet you at the quayside.
Yes, our vehicle can accommodate most mobility scoters and wheelchairs. They normally require two people to lift in and out of the vehicle so one of your party will be needed to help. Note that if there is a scooter then the baggage space is limited.
Support animals are welcome onboard however we typically ask for them to stay on the floor of the vehicle.
The total price of your tour includes your tour guide, use of our luxury minivans, the fuel, tolls and parking charges and insurances. Entrance to attractions etc is on top but we can manage that for you and add it to the invoice.
Yes, there are a range of different options on each trip, from a historic tavern to a quaint cafe or bakery. We’ll make reservations to ensure that our lunch stop is quick and tasty!
A few days before the trip we’ll provide the guides contact details encase you need to contact them on the day of your tour
No, all of our tours are private so your party will be the only people on the tour.
Yes, we will guide you through attractions and monuments as part of our service. This is not possible at The Royal Yacht Britannia or Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Recent Customer Testimonials
Pathfinder799616
Our recent trip to Scotland was extraordinary. A huge part of what made this trip so memorable was Laura, our incredible travel guide. Her knowledge of Scottish history, folklore, and local treasures added so much to our trip. Her warmth, sense of humor, and attention to detail made our trip [...]
Feedback from May 2025
Richard R
The Best Tour company! Experienced tours, And Sandy in particular made for a wonderful day of exploring Sterling Castle, Callander, and the surrounding lovely areas of Scotland. They were very clear on their instructions, prompt on their pick up and knowledgeable of the areas. Not to mention friendly and very [...]
Feedback from May 2025
Brian C
This is an amazing company to book through. Kenny was more than prompt and accommodating. Water and whiskey happened to be available to us. Vehicle was very clean and easy access. Kenny was very knowledgeable and pointed out so many things we can’t list them all. All in all it [...]
Feedback from May 2025
Peggy S
This tour was thoroughly enjoyed by the four of us and exceeded our expectations. Our guide, Sandy, went out of his way to make sure we saw the things that were most important to us (the Highland Cows and many sheep) I would highly recommend it to any group that [...]
Feedback from April 2025
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