As of 28/05/2023, 321 of our 326 Tripadvisor reviews awarded us five-stars!
ULTIMATE PRIVATE TOUR OF EDINBURGH
Welcome to our most comprehensive tour of Edinburgh! When you take our 'Ultimate tour of Edinburgh', you get a taste of the New Town, visit one of the most iconic viewpoints of Edinburgh, and then have an in-depth exploration of the Royal Mile and the Old Town. Robert, your kilted tour guide, will take you on an exploration of hundreds of years of Edinburgh's history. This three-hour walking tour is a superb way to learn about and experience Edinburgh's UNESCO World Heritage Site. So bring your camera, your comfy shoes and your brollies (umbrellas)!
BOOK THIS TOUR
Prices start at £90 for a single-person private tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance
Lowest price guarantee
This tour is rated '5-star' on Tripadvisor
Please note; This tour regularly sells out. We suggest booking as soon as possible!
CALENDAR
"What a wonderful experience we had with Rob. We did the Ultimate Edinburgh private tour and loved every minute of it! We learned so much about Edinburgh’s history and saw so much of the city. Rob was informative, entertaining and a pleasure! Highly recommend!!!"
Chaunncy, Tripadvisor, August 2023
DETAILS
Meet at the foot of the Scott Monument on Princes Street.
3-hour duration (approx).
Finishes near to Castlehill on the Royal Mile, but we can finish at a location which best suits you.
Private tours start at 10am and 2pm.
Moderate gradients throughout, steeper climb to/from Calton Hill, uneven paving, steps.
Tickets are sent via email. Your guide will check your details at the start of the tour - don't worry if you didn't bring your tickets.
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Here are five of the places we can visit on your private tour. There are more! How long we spend on each story and how much walking we do is up to you!
The New Town;
Find out why street names in the New Town were so important, and learn about the chap who used a bit of 'insider knowledge' before buying his luxury home.
Calton Hill;
Bring a camera for some of the very best views of Edinburgh! We'll also visit New Calton Burial Ground.
Abbey Strand;
You'll find out about one of the most notorious murders in Scottish history as you stand just outside the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
The Canongate;
We take you into some of the most picturesque and historic side streets (known as closes) in this part of the Royal Mile. Many of these are often missed by visitors to Edinburgh.
The High Street;
Find out how an assault on the city was possibly one of the sneakiest attacks ever and visit an Old Edinburgh close to learning about life in the Old Town.
WHY TAKE THIS TOUR?
An authentic Scottish experience
Robert will wear traditional Scottish attire for this tour and give you the low-down on this famous piece of clothing. Robert was born here, has lived here all his life and even went to university on the Royal Mile!
Picture-perfect photo opportunities
If you like taking photos on your vacation, this is the walk for you! Your Edinburgh guide can point out possible shots throughout the tour.
A tour tailored to your own interests
This private Edinburgh tour gives you some flexibility to focus on the stories, people and places which interest you.
Walk in the footsteps of
royals and rogues!
On this tour, you'll visit places once known to Mary, Queen of Scots, Bonnie Prince Charlie, John Knox, Adam Smith and Robert Burns.
Archive images help you see Edinburgh as it once was
We've got many images to show how Edinburgh looked in the past. There's something special about standing in a place and seeing how it once looked. Few visitors to Edinburgh will get this experience.
Sustainable tourism
Historic Edinburgh Tours are enthusiastic City of Edinburgh Cemetery Guide Scheme members. We will explain how our groups will move around the burial grounds, staying on paths, and we will be promoting donations to the Council for the upkeep of these important places.
TRUST US WITH YOUR TOUR
Certificate of Excellence award winner 2017 and 2018.
Tripadvisor Traveller's Choice award winner 2020 and 2023.
As of December 15, 2022, 99.6% of our reviews have been five stars.
We've been leading Edinburgh tours for ten years.
GUEST REVIEWS
"I booked a surprise tour for my family on their visit to Edinburgh and they raved that it was the best guided tour they have ever had! His tours are hugely informative and are delivered with a level of humour most stand-up comedians can only aspire to. Even myself, someone who has lived in Edinburgh for 5 years and counting discovered a treasure trove of new historic insight thanks to Robert’s tour."
M Brauer, Tripadvisor, September 2022
"Robert is more than just a guide! He is helpful, generous, knowledgeable, and resourceful...He had great stories, loads of information and had so many interesting sites to show us. He graciously extended our tour time to make sure we could squeeze everything in. We had a truly unforgettable time with Robert! We have toured a lot of countries and nothing compares to our time with Robert!"
Falsom5Outback, Tripadvisor review, September 2022
YOUR MEETING PLACE
Your guide will arrange to meet you at the foot of the Scott Monument. Your guide can offer alternatives to best suit your tour requirements.
Google Maps shows only an approximate location.
F.A.Q. SECTION
Q: A member of my group has special mobility requirements.
A: Edinburgh’s Old Town is formed around a ‘Crag and Tail’ geological formation which means it does have some quite steep gradients up and down, but the city is for everyone to enjoy, it might just mean making some alterations to the route. We enjoy altering our private tours to ensure accessibility is achieved.
If you contact us before you book, we can suggest some possible alternatives and can also discuss which of our other tours might be best suited to you.
Q: What happens if it rains?
A: Don't worry, we will be there! As the great Scottish comedian Billy Connolly says, there's never the wrong weather, just the wrong clothing!
Q: What happens if we are running late?
A: Since we now only do private tours, your guide is only there for you. Sometimes things happen and you know you will be running late. Within reason, and with some warning, we can try to accommodate this.
Your guide may be happy to meet you at a slightly later time, but please let him know what is happening, as soon as you can. You can text him on 07590026077. We've had times when guests have been on delayed trains and Robert waited in a local cafe. Please, where possible, don't make him wait outside in the rain!
If you are running late and haven't contacted Robert, he is authorised to leave twenty minutes after your agreed start time. No refund will be given after this point.
Q: Are there toilets?
A: We strongly recommend that you 'pay a visit' before your tour as there are limited opportunities to use public toilets en route.
We recommend visiting the Museum of Scotland (just across the road from our usual Greyfriars Kirkyard starting point). The toilets are on the ground floor. The Museum of Scotland is a free-to-visit attraction and is well worth a visit. It also has two excellent cafeterias.
Greyfriars Bobby's Bar, right next to Greyfriars Kirkyard, has an excellent range of food and drink and has toilets for customers to use.
Q: Are your private tours 'child-friendly'?
A: Our tours are usually what we would describe as more 'adult' tours, however, your guide is a qualified primary school teacher and knows how to pitch our stories appropriately. He can also provide appropriate alternatives. If you let us know well in advance, we can offer more flexibility.
We do require that children under 16 attend with an adult.