Castle Tours in Edinburgh: 12 to Book Before You Go

1.Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5,540 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $51Our pick

Enter Edinburgh Castle with a local guide for about 90 minutes, including an outdoor tour of the fortress, Mary Queen of Scots’ palace, and the Great Hall. Guides such as Joe, Sonia, Raj, and Valeria bring Scottish stories to life. Afterward, explore the museums, prisons, royal rooms, and other buildings at your own pace.

“Had our review with Jen and she was as mad as bag of cats , made our tour experience for sure. I’m not sure our tour would have been as interesting with a different guide , she had a great insight on the castle and Edinburgh and seemed very knowledgeable as a whole. Would recommend.”

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2.Edinburgh Castle Guided Walking Tour in English

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5,214 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $52

Meet Little Fish Tours near Adam Smith’s statue on the Royal Mile, walk to Edinburgh Castle, and spend about 90 minutes hearing stories about Scotland’s kings, dungeons, Crown Jewels, and unusual characters. Guides such as Koffe, Steph, Greg, Graeme, Euan, and Ben bring humor and energy. After the guided portion, explore the castle buildings on your own.

“Started late as waited for others that were running behind. Wasn’t told we couldn’t get into Castle until later we wouldn’t of booked if we had know this as we were on a tight schedule”

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3.Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle – Small Group Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,523 reviews · 2 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $70

This 2-hour-15-minute Mercat Tours walk follows Edinburgh’s closes, wynds, courtyards, and Royal Mile from Mercat Cross to Edinburgh Castle. Guides such as Craig, Linda, Nicola, Marina, and Mally bring the stories to life. The castle entry option adds a 45-minute introduction, followed by free time to explore.

“The information and pictures Linda had were amazing. She was the best and was so intuned to the group and how different things would be more interesting to us.”

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4.Edinburgh Skip-the-Ticket-Line Castle Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,283 reviews · from $51

Meet at 130 High Street for a roughly 90-minute Edinburgh Castle tour with priority admission. Guides such as Alasdair and Charles explain the castle’s battles, royal stories, dog cemetery, and St. Margaret’s Chapel. Much of the commentary takes place outdoors, so save time afterward for the Crown Jewels, National War Museum, and other interiors.

“The views from this castle were definitely a must see. Very informative & friendly guide! Lots of historical information & interesting stories/facts.”

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5.Edinburgh Castle Guided Tour – Tickets Included

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,211 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $51

Meet near St. Giles Cathedral for a 90-minute guided walk to Edinburgh Castle and through its grounds. Guides such as James, David, and Laura explain the castle’s battles, buildings, and royal past before you explore the interiors at your own pace. Entry is included, but guides cannot lead groups inside enclosed spaces.

“It’s well worth the money. Excellent tour guide . Very friendly too. Lots of very interesting facts to listen to. We all really enjoyed it. Would definitely recommend it as a top thing to do for anyone visiting Edinburgh”

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6.Edinburgh Castle & Royal Mile Walking Tour – Ticket Included

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 894 reviews · 2 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $65

Walk Edinburgh’s Old Town from the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle with a local English-speaking guide. Hear stories at Mercat Cross, St. Giles’ Cathedral, Writers’ Museum, Victoria Street, and the Grassmarket, then enter the castle for a guided overview and free time to explore its museums and roofed buildings.

“Zenon was a great tour guide. Super knowledgeable and fun. Would recommend to anyone visiting Edinburgh!”

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7.Edinburgh Full Day Walking Tour with Castle Included -Small Group

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 676 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $112

Spend about five hours walking from Charlotte Square through New Town, Princes Street Gardens, the Royal Mile, Greyfriars, Grassmarket, and Edinburgh Castle. A local guide such as Ben, James, or Mark leads the history, art, and storytelling. Lunch is on your own, and the tour ends inside the castle.

“Ben was wonderful and it was a great experience. I will recommend this for family and friends. Kudos…”

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8.The Outlander, Palaces & Jacobites Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 444 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $77

Spend about nine hours visiting Outlander locations near Edinburgh, including Culross, Blackness Castle, Linlithgow Palace, Doune Castle, and seasonal Midhope Castle. Your driver-guide shares Scottish history, filming stories, and show trivia from a small group vehicle. Admission, food, and drinks cost extra, and the route can change with weather or filming schedules.

“We spent a wonderful day touring the castles from the series Outlander. We saw a total of 4 castles featured in the show, but the highlight was definitely going to Midhope castle! It was emotional! Our tour guide, Jamie C. was super knowledgeable and funny and had a lot of great suggestions for after the tour, for dinner and sights to see! He was fantastic and I highly recommend him as a tour guide and all around great person!”

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9.Stirling Castle and Whisky Very Small Group Tour from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 386 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $95

Travel from Edinburgh in a Mercedes mini-coach with about 12 people, visiting Stirling Castle, Aberfoyle, Loch Lomond, and Glengoyne Distillery. Your driver-guide may be Angela, Keith, Alan, Paul, or another local guide. Expect Scottish stories, scenic roads, a short Loch Lomond walk, and whisky tasting, with admission fees and food extra.

“This was such a great day trip out of the city center that really allows you to experience beautiful picturesque Scotland. Keith was a great guide and story teller that had the right balance of sharing knowledge, humor and quiet time. I would definitely take another tour with this company with Keith as a guide!”

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10.Harry Potter Tour & Edinburgh Castle Visit

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 340 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $102

Walk Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, Old Town, Greyfriars Graveyard, Victoria Street, and other Harry Potter-inspired spots with a guide such as Jackson, Hazel, Paul, or Kirsty. Then explore Edinburgh Castle on your own for two hours. Expect a small group, plenty of hills and cobbles, and more city history than film locations.

“Jackson, our tour guide was very informative and entertaining. He had high energy and was very excited to share all the HP tales with us. I would encourage to anyone to ask for him as their guide for this tour. All of the sites on the tour gave you a clear picture of where JK Rowling got her idea for places and characters. Well worth the time and money.”

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11.Glamis and Dunnottar Castles Tour in Italian

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 156 reviews · 10 hours · from $74

Spend 10 hours exploring Scotland’s dramatic east coast with an Italian-speaking guide. See cliff-top Dunnottar Castle, tour Glamis Castle, pause in Stonehaven, and visit Dundee. Recent Italian guides have included Lorenzo and Francesco, with Sandra assisting on some departures. Winter dates use a different route and may substitute castle stops in bad weather.

“L’unica tappa che valeva veramente la pena è stata Dunnottar. Purtroppo non tutte le tappe previste sono state effettuate e molte delle cose che avremmo dovuto vedere non le abbiamo viste. Alcune soste sono risultate inutili e troppo lunghe, facendo perdere tempo prezioso. La guida Lorenzo è stato bravo e ci ha raccontato molte cose positive e interessanti, ma questo non è bastato a compensare un itinerario poco rispettato e deludente. Nel complesso, l’esperienza non ha soddisfatto le aspettative.”

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12.Glamis and Dunnottar Castles Tour in Spanish

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 52 reviews · from $71

Travel from Edinburgh to Glamis and Dunnottar castles in Spanish, with stops at North Queensferry, Stonehaven, Dundee, and Silicon Glen. You’ll hear Glamis ghost stories, see Dunnottar’s cliff-top ruins, and glimpse the RRS Discovery. Guide Alesh? has also helped non-Spanish speakers follow the tour.

“It was a great tour! Glamis and its surroundings are a beautiful place and Dunnottar castle is really really amazing. Our guide was very nice! I totally recommend this tour!”

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