Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket
Overview
Available languages
1 hour 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Scotland’s second-most-popular tourist attraction as you learn about the bloody history including stories of the kings and queens who lived in this castle.
There is evidence of a fort here for almost 3000 years, and it has been a royal castle since at least King David I’s reign in the 12th century. The Scottish monarchs continued to use it until 1633, and even saw the birth of King James VI within its walls.
Your tour will begin on the Royal Mile, then take you to the castle, where you will hear your guide talking about the origins of the castle and its sieges.
Once inside the castle walls, the guide will take you through the different parts of the fortress and tell you its fascinating history. Inside the complex, you will find three museums, two prisons, a canine cemetery, the Chapel of Saint Margaret, the National Monument to the fallen of Scotland, the Great Hall, and a Royal Palace.(ENTIRE TOUR WILL REMAIN OUTDOORS; buildings are not accessible during the tour.)
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Please note in poor weather conditions the tour will remain outdoors as access to the castle buildings is not available for tour groups
Tour will be inside the castle walls, but outdoors, with free time after the tour to to explore the castle an to go inside every building (Museums, Royal Palace, prisons, and much more). We can not access those buildings during the tour, but the tour will still be carried out within the castle grounds.
The castle is a complex of buildings, not a single building.
On this tour you will be guided around Edinburgh castle, with specific stops assigned by the castle authorities.
Bags over 30L in volume are not allawed inside the castle.
What To Expect
Edinburgh Castle
Explore one the most important fortresses in the history of Scotland. Walk inside the castle for 1 hour and 10 minutes to enjoy the wonderful royal palace, where Mary Queen of Scots once lived, and admire the Great Hall of the 16th century where parties and feast took place. After the exploration with a guide, you can spend a free time inside the castle until closing time
Options
Italian Tours
Edinburgh Castle Tour, English
Spanish Tour
Spanish Tour : We also have the Edinburgh Castle tour in Spanish, every day at 10am and 1:30 p.m.
Tour du Château d'Édimbourg
German Tour
We also offer the Castle Tour on Thursdays and Saturdays
What‘s Included
Admission ticket to Edinburgh Castle
Guided tour of Edinburgh Castle
Pet Not allowed. Only guide dog.
Gratuities
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
6,352 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Perfect for visitors!
renatasK6240OE,Jul 5, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Jen was a very enthusiastic and knowledgeable tour guide! You can tell she loves her job and does a wonderful job keeping people engaged. Jen’s background knowledge of the military was very helpful when explaining aspects of the castle and its operations. The tour was very informative and helped people with little knowledge of the castle develop a good understanding of the history and structure. I highly recommend to visitors!
Worth it
Faisal K,Jul 5, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Mel was very knowledgable and kept it fun. I recommend going to the tea room after the tour for the afternoon tea!
The best morning!
Samantha B,Jul 4, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Our tour with Nick was a perfect way to spend our first morning in Edinburgh! He was so knowledgeable about the city, its history, and everything to check out once you’re in the castle. Highly recommend this experience to anyone looking for an exciting introduction to Edinburgh!
Raj and the tour of Edinburgh Castle
DarthNater,Jul 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We toured the Castle with our tour guide Raj. It was a fantastic experience with the beauty of the grounds and the fantastic historical narration of Raj. If you love the historical facts and in depth background of places you visit I would most definitely recommend this tour and Raj as your tour guide. It was a great mix of everything you could ask for with a few comical quips! Mel Gibson would be proud!
Informative and interesting
Valeriafc,Jul 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Ignas gave a great explanation and was very clear
Tour guide was fantastic
dustinserra,Jul 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Awesome place to visit, lots of history and scenery
A great tour
Janet S,Jul 3, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00The Edinburgh Castle tour was excellent. Nick, our guide, was very entertaining, knowledgeable, and provided us with historical information and stories to spark our interest further. I would recommend this tour.
Tour guide was...
Julie W,Jul 3, 2026
- Review from Viator
3.00Tour guide was knowledgeable however, didn’t keep the tour moving. I believe he took too much time explaining the answers to questions and at times repeated himself. Brief answers would have been more appropriate and given us more time to see the grounds.
Edinburgh castle walking tour 👍
Quest50991735958,Jul 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Very well organised tour with a very knowledgable local guide. A little bit expensive, I thought... but when in Edinburgh, its a must! Overall I thought it was good value! 😆👍
Ignas was great..!
H6753RBkaties,Jul 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our guide Ignas was great..! Very knowledgable and humorous. He made the tour really engaging.
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