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Royal Mile Guided Walking Tour in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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From $29.92
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Royal Mile Guided Walking Tour in Edinburgh
Free cancellation
Up to 24 hours in advance. Learn more
Cancellation policy
Free cancellation
- 24 hours prior100% refund
- Within 24 hoursNo refund
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Learn more about cancellations
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Safety measures
Keeping you safe during COVID-19
Vaccine? Quarantine? Masking?
Vaccine? Quarantine? Masking? We know, there’s a lot to keep track of. Be sure to check local guidelines so you’re aware of all travel requirements before you go.
What you can expect during your visit
Face masks provided for travelers
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitized between use
Guides required to regularly wash hands
Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
COVID-19 vaccination required for guides
Safety precautions are provided by the tour operator and are not checked by Viator for accuracy
More questions?
(888) 651-9785
3 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English
Good for avoiding crowds
Overview
Explore famous landmarks and hidden secrets in Edinburgh on this walking tour. Explore Edinburgh’s famous Royal Mile with a guide, and gain insight into famous writers and inventors who have called the city home. Hear tales of Scotland's national bard—Robert Burns—and discover top landmarks such as St. Giles’ Cathedral and the National Galleries of Scotland. Capture Edinburgh through the eye of your camera as you go, and find out what makes this ancient city tick.
- Guided walking tour of Edinburgh
- Follow a guide along Edinburgh’s famous Royal Mile
- Learn of the famous writers, poets, and inventors who have lived and worked in Edinburgh
- Visit landmarks such as St. Giles’ Cathedral and the Scottish National Gallery
- Photograph the city at your leisure on route
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From $29.92
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What's Included
Professional guide
Small group (maximum 10 participants)
Gratuities
Departure & Return
The Usher Hall , Lothian Rd, Edinburgh EH1 2EA, UK
The Mound , The Mound, Edinburgh, UKYour guide will be waiting for you outside the central entrance of the Usher Hall (there are 3 entrances and he will be outside the middle one).
The ending point is at the National gallery of Scotland, just off Princes Street.
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Children under 12 are free
- Children 12-16 pay 75%
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
- OPERATED BY Edinburgh Guided Tour
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Learn more about cancellations.
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.
Q:
What is the policy on face masks and attendee health during Royal Mile Guided Walking Tour in Edinburgh?
A:The policy on face masks and attendee health is:
- Face masks provided for travelers
Q:
What is the policy on sanitization during Royal Mile Guided Walking Tour in Edinburgh?
A:The policies on sanitization are:
- Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
- Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
- Gear/equipment sanitized between use
Q:
What is the social distancing policy during Royal Mile Guided Walking Tour in Edinburgh?
A:The policy on social distancing is:
- Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Q:
What measures are being taken to ensure staff health & safety during Royal Mile Guided Walking Tour in Edinburgh?
A:The policies on staff health & safety are:
- Guides required to regularly wash hands
- Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
Traveler Photos



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Traveler Tips
- "It's really more convenient to have a walking tour in small groups like we had - you are always in contact with the guide, can hear and catch the very single word!" See review
- "I highly recommend this tour and it is limited to 10 people, so you will be able to keep up and hear everything!" See review
- "Highly recommended for a broad based understanding of this city." See review
Reviews by Viator travelers. We perform checks on reviews
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Reviews
5.0
702 Reviews
5 stars
653
4 stars
30
3 stars
13
2 stars
4
1 star
2
Reviews by Viator travelers
We perform checks on reviews
Showing 1-10 of 702 reviews
Terrible Guide
Bruce_L
, Aug 2022
This was a terrible tour, left half way through. Stuart was boring and rude. He spent more time chastising the clients for not standing where it was convenient for him and telling people to wait on asking questions them he did on the sights. Spent most of tge royal mile tour in back alleys seeing irrelevant things. Stuart many times would stop mid sentence and forget where we were or what he was talking about.
A Walk through History
Mary_J
, Aug 2022
Our excellent guide Alison (a professor of history at St. Andrew's University) provided a great introduction to the history of Edinburgh and of Scotland. Stories varied from the funny to the ferocious and all were told in an entertaining and educational way.
1 traveler found this review helpful
History and architecture along the Royal Mile!
Janet_E
, Aug 2022
Insider's Edinburgh
Karen_R
, Aug 2022
Great "insider" tour of Edinburgh. Lot of great information about the places and people of Edinburgh. Thoroughly enjoyed our time with Stewart. Highly recommend tour and guide.
1 traveler found this review helpful
Not one of my favorite tours
Tom_B
, Aug 2022
Not one of my favorite of tours. More of a oral history lesson and less of walking and seeing the amazing buildings on the Royal Mile. It was walk 2-minues and listen to 10-minutes of history - over and over again
Great guide, she made it...
DEEPIKAVINOD_J
, Aug 2022
Great guide, she made it both intersting and enjoyable.
The tour was well organised and it was an experience to be recommended to others
1 traveler found this review helpful
Excellent tour. Do this on your first day in Edinburgh.
PHILIP_A
, Aug 2022
Stuart was great, lovely man with great historical anecdotes, fun jokes, and a patient persona. The tour covered quite a lot more than we thought it would and was a great first tour to get to know famous or infamous parts of Edinburgh. Highly recommend you do this on the first day so you have a great orientation. Stuarts' family has had an amazing impact on Edinburgh. Stewart spoke very clearly.
Response from Host , Aug 2022
Dear Philip A
Great thanks for your marvellous Review. Stuart likes fun jokes alright! I am pleased that the Tour covered a lot more ground than you thought it would. That shows that this is what the vast majority of Clients want. Also thank you for recommending us to other Tourists.
Best wishes
Stuart U.
Edinburgh History
Maureen_P
, Aug 2022
Stewart Usher was a quirky and delightful historian. His stories were engaging snd very interesting!
Response from Host , Aug 2022
Dear Maureen
Happy and pleased you found the walking tour of the Royal Mile and Old Town engaging with our "quirky and delightful historian." I too find Edinburgh's City Centre quirky and also rather higgledy-piggledy, with an eclectic array of architecture to behold.
I hope you found the remainder of your time in the city delightful!
Best wishes
Stuart U
The best experience! Very entertaining and informative!!!!
mkasavinpacbellnet
, Aug 2022
An amazing experience to learn and see the history of Edinburg through our guide Stuart Usher, who is the part of the history. The 3- hour tour was entertaining and very informative. The very best experience!!!!
Magical mile tour
Barbara_K
, Aug 2022
Davidwas our tour guide, and he did an exceptional job of showing us all of the secrets of the Royal Mile. His knowledge of the history, architecture, and legends made the tour captivating. He eagerly answered our questions and shared information that helped us understand more about Edinburgh and Scotland. A great tour to take if you are new to the city and want to learn more about the old town. Wear comfortable shoes and take a water bottle!
Response from Host , Aug 2022
Dear Barbara
Thanks a million for your in-depth and superb Review of your Tour with our David Forsyth. He is a superb Guide all round and has the knack of making the history of Edinburgh really come alive and captivating. Your advice to take a water bottle in these hot August days is very timely!
Best wishes
Stuart U
Very nice tour
Elaine_T
, Aug 2022
We enjoyed Mr. Usher. Unfortunately, us and others in our group were confused as to the specifics of the tour. Each of us thought it was a royal mile tour. It is, in fact a tour that includes some of the Royal Mile, but much of it is off of the Royal mile. It ended up being just fine for us, as we had plans to experience the Edinburgh Castle on our own, as well as Holyrood palace. The ending location is on the other side of the Royal mile from the beginning location. We walked back to our hotel, about a mile and a half, but plan to take public transport or a taxi, if you don’t think you can continue to walk after standing and walking for three hours. Stuart Usher, himself, was full of great information and interesting details about the city. We enjoyed ourselves.
Response from Host , Aug 2022
Dear Elaine
We are delighted you enjoyed the company of Stuart Usher and found him full of great information with many interesting details about Edinburgh.
In relation to the confusion surrounding the "on-ground" specifics of the tour, the title itself is assigned by the booking platform through which you came to us. As it happens, we find that covering more "off the beaten path" locations near the Royal Mile, as well as parts of the Royal Mile itself, to be the best approach, particularly in August, when the Royal Mile is extremely busy because of the Fringe and Edinburgh International Festival.
We hope you enjoyed the rest of your time in this glorious Capital City of Scotland.
Best wishes,
Stuart U
Allison had a wealth of...
Paula_R
, Aug 2022
Allison had a wealth of knowledge about all of the locations and personalities important to Scottish history.
1 traveler found this review helpful
Interesting tour!
Kimberly_H
, Jul 2022
We enjoyed our tour of Edinburgh led by Stewart Usher. He was a wealth of information and included funny stories too.
1 traveler found this review helpful
Walking Tour
DIANE_H
, Jul 2022
Alison was absolutely stupendous!!!! She had so much information to offer and so many wonderful stories! She was such a joy we all wanted to spend the rest of the day with her to listen to more!!!
Response from Host , Aug 2022
1 traveler found this review helpful
Sadly I don’t remember...
Debra_H
, Jul 2022
Sadly I don’t remember our tour guide’s name, but she was amazing. She was extremely knowledgeable and very friendly. We learned a lot and she worked with our limited time schedule. Wish we could’ve stayed for the entire tour.
1 traveler found this review helpful
Alison was an amazing...
Christine_A
, Jul 2022
Alison was an amazing historian who shared some wonderful knowledge of the city. Would recommend taking this at the beginning of your trip as it give a good historical background to a lot of buildings and areas.
Enjoyed it!
Gavin_M
, Jul 2022
Excellent tour of old town Edinburgh for our family of 4. Our guide Stuart was well organized, knowledgeable and pleasant.
Lovely guide, wonderful tour
Susanne_R
, Jul 2022
Alison was a wonderful guide. My son Flint was really chatty and she handled his questions with real grace. The stories and sites were wonderful.
Fully recommending
Denisa_R
, Jul 2022
Great guide! We enjoyed the whole tour with Mr. Usher. We gained great knowledge from history of Scotland and so intersting facts about the sights in the lovely Edinburgh. We found the most interesting information about St. Giles Cathedral! Definitely recommend. Thanks a lot.
Walking the Royal Mile!
Rick_C
, Jul 2022
Stuart Usher was so knowledgeable and engaging as he took us around on our tour. His personal anecdotes were charming. It was a lovely afternoon of exploring and learning.
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