Princes Street Gardens

With one dormant volcano, seven hills, clusters of cobbled streets and tantalising vistas waiting around every bend, Edinburgh is a fabulous place for a wander - especially with a private tour guide. Discover the history and beauty of Edinburgh's cobbled streets as you explore Medieval Old Town and Neoclassical New Town. Take a stroll down Edinburgh's streets and alleys, discovering its fascinating history and rich culture, with highlights including the Royal Mile, Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh Castle and much more.

On your private, full-day tour you will:

A tour of Edinburgh would not be complete without a visit to Scotland’s most famous historic attraction: Edinburgh Castle. Here you will learn about the fascinating history of this mysterious castle. Stop to enjoy lunch at your leisure (price not included). Your guide will be happy to point out the best place whenever you're ready to give your legs a rest and grab a leisurely bite. 

You will have the chance to view the Scottish Parliament, one of the most controversial buildings in Scotland given its construction going 10 times over budget, and admire the grand Palace of Holyroodhouse, 16th century home of the ill-fated Mary, Queen of Scots. The breathtaking view from Calton Hill will make you fall in love with the Scottish capital forever.

Venturing into the beautiful neoclassical New Town, built in the 18th Century, enjoy a true marvel of urban planning. As you walk through the main streets and squares of Edinburgh's New Town, you will find yourself impressed by the lavish 18th-century neoclassical and Georgian architecture. Enjoy a leisurely stroll in the beautiful Princes Street Gardens, which lies at the centre of Edinburgh's World Heritage Site. 

On this half-day walking tour of Edinburgh, you will discover some of the most important historical sites of Scotland, including the world-famous Royal Mile, a guided tour of Edinburgh Castle, and a medieval labyrinth of cobblestone alleyways and tenements that comprise this UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

On your private walking tour, you will: 

On your private tour, your expert guide will take you into Old Town’s maze of streets and concealed courtyards, where you will learn about the city’s ‘closes’- cramped alleyways, and ‘wynds’ - narrow lanes between houses. 

Hear about the many characters who lived and died here, including Deacon Brodie, town councilman by day and master thief by night, who inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's novel The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

You will also have the chance to explore the imposing St Giles Cathedral – the seat of Scottish Christianity for over nine centuries and the cradle of the Scottish Reformation during the 16th century.  

Found on the High Street in Edinburgh’s Old Town, it dominates the city’s skyline, with its crowned steeple making a distinctive signature. The current building dates from the 15th century, but there has been a church on the site since early in the 12th.

A tour of Edinburgh would not be complete without learning about Scotland’s most famous historic attraction: Edinburgh Castle. Your guide will take you on a brief private tour of the castle, before leaving you to explore it at your own pace. 

Dean Village is one of the oldest villages that lay around the original Royal Burgh of Edinburgh with a history going back centuries, this area has been named in maps and documents since 1535. On this tour, you will learn some of the hidden stories of Dean Village and uncover some secrets behind this fascinating part of the city.

On your private, guided tour of Edinburgh with a local, you will:

Edinburgh’s modern-day authors, including JK Rowling, Alexander McCall Smith, Irvine Welsh, and Ian Rankin helped secure its place at the forefront of European culture when UNESCO awarded the Scottish capital with the first City of Literature Award in 2004. 

For visitors, strolling Edinburgh is a joy, especially Dean Village, where handsome medieval buildings, cobblestone streets, spire-topped churches and historic Edinburgh Castle are backdropped by Pentland Hills.

Enjoying a private, guided tour with an Edinburgh local will help you discover the sights that tourists so often miss on its windy streets and punishing hills. From fairies to unicorns, hear the intriguing backstories and fantastical stories which bring Scotland to life. 

There is no substitute for spending an afternoon with a true Scot, who will not only help you swerve the tartan-splashed tourist traps and overpriced wool-ware but who will show you the best places to pick up authentic mementoes and one-of-a-kind whiskies. 

Your tour is immersive - bringing meaningful and like-minded interesting people together that would never meet if you stuck to the main tourist drag. Experience the humour, subtle nuances, social conventions and psyche of a place over a beer or coffee, and then jot down your guide’s real version of “the must-do Edinburgh.”  

On your visit to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One), you will enjoy the home to Scotland’s outstanding collection of modern and contemporary art, including works by Carrington, Dali, Magritte and Miro.

Embark on a journey through time & heritage, from old to new within the heart of Edinburgh, home to many of the UK’s oldest drinking establishments, with local pubs (or ‘locals’) at the heart of communities all over the city. The city’s Rose Street is one of the most famous streets in Scotland, and for good reason – this intimate and friendly lane has played host to many great people over the years. Its pubs are still alive today with great stories, great beers and amazing food.

On your Rose Street private pub tour, you will:

From the Middle Ages’ spit-and-sawdust pubs that provided merriment for the poor, to 19th-century inns that offered an ear to life’s successes and misfortunes, pubs have been a cornerstone of Scottish society for centuries, serving as default venues for every occasion. 

Rose Street, a narrow traffic-free stone stretch running parallel to the main thoroughfare, is Edinburgh’s drinking heartland. Every pub in Rose Street has a tale to tell, from the bizarre and macabre to the curious. It is also famed in local lore for its drinking game – the Rose Street Challenge – in which pub-goers are dared to take a wee dram at every bar.

On your Tour of Edinburgh’s Historic Pubs, swerve the mediocre and over-hyped to seek out pubs with authentic character. Your tour guide - a local expert - will take you to three of the best pubs on Rose Street, where you will enjoy a pour of whiskey or a pint at each stop (up to three drinks included). 

Nothing evokes bygone bars like the unmistakable smell of brass polish, yeast, hops and malt intermingled with the honeyed smell of Scotch whiskey and smouldering, smoky embers in the grate. 

Perchance you’ll enjoy a tipple at The Abbotsford Bar, built-in 1902, and famed for its eye-catching centrepiece island bay crafted from dark-brown Spanish mahogany, divided into small serving ports by intricately carved railings. Another curious haunt, Milnes of Rose Street, has been a popular poetic pit stop with generations of quill-wielding Scottish writers since 1910. 

With its mind-boggling array of whiskeys, Scotts is the oldest drinking establishment on the block, pouring its first pint in 1790 - when George III was on the throne. Quirky artefacts ensure the decor is as oddball as its name, which honours a thirsty local man from centuries past who shovelled horse dung off the streets. 

No matter where you choose to pop into, each Rose Street pub will have a rich story to share with you.