• Language:EnglishEn
  • Currency:USD  (US$)
  • Wishlist
  • Cart
  • Help
  • Log in
Skip to content
  • United Kingdom
  • Things to do in Edinburgh
  • Edinburgh Vaults
Guided tour

Edinburgh: Old Town and Underground Historical Tour

4.5 / 5

566 reviews

Activity provider:City of Edinburgh Tours
photo-gallery
photo-collagephoto-collagephoto-collagephoto-collage
Add to wishlist
Guided tour

Edinburgh: Old Town and Underground Historical Tour

Activity provider:City of Edinburgh Tours

4.5

566 reviews

Likely to sell out

From US$ 18.84 per person

Likely to sell out

Join a local published historian around Edinburgh’s famous Royal Mile and visit its underground vaults. Learn about some of Edinburgh’s fascinating history, literary heroes, infamous criminals and the battles that shaped the city into what is today.

About this activity

Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Reserve now & pay later
Keep your travel plans flexible — book your spot and pay nothing today.
Covid-19 precautions
Special health and safety measures are in place. Check your activity voucher once you book for full details.
Duration 1.5 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Live tour guide
English

Experience

Highlights
  • Be led around Edinburgh's Old Town by a local published historian
  • Gain exclusive access into Edinburgh's Underground Vaults
  • Explore Edinburgh's long and fascinating past
  • Visit some of the Old Town's hidden closes and historical sites
  • Enjoy our professional, informative and engaging tour
Full description

Immerse yourself in the history of Edinburgh on a guided city walking tour. Trace the origins of the city as you explore the Royal Mile, the underground vaults, and Old Town, with stories hidden behind every turn.

The historical tour begins at the Old Police Box on Edinburgh's Royal Mile, where you will be met by a local historian and proceed straight into the Underground Vaults. Edinburgh's Underground is over 400 years old and is full of fascinating history, all of which the guide will share with you. After visiting the Underground Vaults, your guide will take you all around Edinburgh's Royal Mile and Old Town, visiting some hidden closes and other spots of historical significance. Delve into parts of Edinburgh that you did not know existed, mostly off the tourist trail.  Hear that the first skyscrapers in the world were built in Edinburgh, discover the identity of the local criminal who became the inspiration for Jekyll and Hyde, and learn where the phrase "Black Market" came from.

Find out where Ebeneezer Scrooge is buried – yes, really – and how Edinburgh University worked closely with the serial killers, Burke and Hare. Edinburgh’s history is long and fascinating, made even more special when told by your enthusiastic, passionate, and local guide. 

Includes
  • Expert guide
  • Entry into Edinburgh's Underground Vaults
  • Food
  • Tips
Not suitable for
  • Children under 5 years
  • People with mobility impairments
  • Wheelchair users

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Meeting point

• Meet opposite Starbucks at 124a High Street

Open in Google Maps ⟶
Important information

What to bring

  • Comfortable shoes
  • Weather-appropriate clothing

Know before you go

  • Entry into the Underground involves walking down eight steps.
  • Please note that the minimum age for this tour is 5 years old.
Likely to sell out

From US$ 18.84 per person

Reserve now & pay later to book your spot and pay nothing today
Reserve now & pay later to book your spot and pay nothing today
  • Give this as a gift

Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.5 /5

based on 566 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    4.7/5
  • Value for money
    4.5/5
  • Service
    4.4/5
  • Organization
    4.3/5

Sort by:

Traveler type:

Star rating:

One of the best guides we had in Edinburgh! Faye was super engaging and very knowledgeable on all things Edinburgh. The content was really interesting and factual and we really felt we learned a lot about the city and its history that we had not heard in the days previous. Most of the tours we looked into were ghost tours but we chose the daytime historical one and got the best of both worlds as it also includes a visit to the vaults. A special shout out to the lovely man in the ticket booth who chatted to us while we waited for our tour to start - we hope you get to visit Ireland as planned! We really enjoyed the tour and felt it was time and money well spent even on a short stay in the city - absolutely would recommend!

Read more

February 19, 2023

G
GetYourGuide traveler Verified booking

Helpful?

This experience was very informative! My partner and i just added it as a last minute thing in our itinerary, but ended up to be a worth it walking tour. Our Guide Faye explained history really well and she had a really bubbly personality made the tour fun and more engaging. Will definitely recommend this with our friends and family.

Read more

December 9, 2022

G
GetYourGuide traveler – United KingdomVerified booking

Helpful?

The Edinburgh underground historical tour we did today was incredible! Learning about the history of Edinburgh was super interesting. Big shout out to our tour guide Alistair. He made it so much fun with his quirky humour and knowledge! Alistair was easy to listen to and we thank you for making it a fun tour HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

Read more

November 27, 2022

G
GetYourGuide traveler – United KingdomVerified booking

Helpful?

Product ID: 73775

  • United Kingdom
  • Things to do in Edinburgh
  • Edinburgh Vaults

Top Attractions in Edinburgh

  • 1The Edinburgh Dungeon
  • 2Edinburgh Airport
  • 3Holyrood Distillery Visitor Centre & Shop
  • 4Greyfriars Kirkyard
  • 5Royal Mile, Edinburgh
  • 6Edinburgh Castle
  • 7St. Giles' Cathedral
  • 8Greyfriars Church
  • 9Linlithgow Palace
  • 10Holyrood Palace
  • 11Edinburgh Vaults
  • 12Blackness Castle
  • 13Scott Monument
  • 14National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
  • 15Midhope Castle
  • 16Scottish Parliament Building
  • 17Canongate Kirkyard
  • 18Rosslyn Chapel
  • 19Burns Monument, Britain
  • 20Holyrood Park

Things to Do in Edinburgh

  • 1Edinburgh Activities
  • 2Edinburgh Tours
  • 3Edinburgh Sightseeing
  • 4Edinburgh Culture & history
  • 5Edinburgh Architecture
  • 6Edinburgh Summer activities
  • 7Edinburgh Guided tours
  • 8Edinburgh Walking tours
  • 9Edinburgh Outdoor activities
  • 10Edinburgh Eco-certified
  • 11Edinburgh For first-time visitors
  • 12Edinburgh Night tours
  • 13Edinburgh Day trips
  • 14Edinburgh Day trips
  • 15Edinburgh Castle & palace tours
  • 16Edinburgh Nature & adventure
  • 17Edinburgh Autumn activities
  • 18Edinburgh Halloween activities
  • 19Edinburgh Ghost & vampire tours
  • 20Edinburgh Mystery & crime tours

Cities in Scotland

  • 1Glasgow
  • 2Inverness
  • 3Queensferry
  • 4Balloch
  • 5John o' Groats
  • 6Aberdeen
  • 7Portree
  • 8St Andrews
  • 9Stirling
  • 10Aberfeldy
  • 11Oban
  • 12Glencoe
  • 13Pitlochry
  • 14Fort Augustus
  • 15Ballinluig
  • 16Killiecrankie
  • 17Dalwhinnie, Scotland
  • 18Craigellachie, Scotland

Top destinations

  • Paris
  • Rome
  • Amsterdam
  • London
  • Barcelona
  • Venice
  • Dubai
  • Florence
  • New York City
  • Budapest
  • Berlin
  • Milan
  • Prague
  • Lisbon
  • Reykjavik
  • Edinburgh
  • Vienna
  • Krakow
  • Marrakech
  • Madrid

Popular on GetYourGuide

  • Paris Architecture
  • Rome Culture & history
  • Rome Tours
  • Paris Theme & amusement parks
  • Krakow Bus & minivan tours
  • London Entry tickets
  • Reykjavik Bus & minivan tours
  • Venice Airport transfers
  • Amsterdam City cards
  • Paris Entry tickets
  • Paris Bus & minivan tours
  • Amsterdam Cruises & boat tours
  • Dubai Audio guides
  • Paris Audio guides
  • Florence Culture & history
  • Paris Tours
  • London Culture & history
  • Marrakech Bus & minivan tours
  • Rome Airport transfers
  • Venice Culture & history

Popular Attractions

  • Vatican Museums
  • Colosseum
  • Seine River
  • Sagrada Familia
  • Prague Castle
  • Van Gogh Museum
  • The London Eye
  • Tower of London
  • Pompeii
  • Alcázar of Seville
  • 9/11 Memorial, NYC
  • Caminito del Rey
  • Alhambra, Granada
  • Louvre Museum
  • Top of the Rock Observation Deck
  • Seville Cathedral
  • Sainte-Chapelle
  • Pantheon, Rome
  • St. Peter's Basilica
  • Last Supper
Get it on Google PlayDownload on the App Store
  • Contact
  • Legal Notice
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do not Sell or Share my Personal Information
  • Cookies and Marketing Preferences
  • General Terms and Conditions
  • Information according to the Digital Services Act
  • Sitemap
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Blog
  • Press
  • Gift Cards
  • Magazine
  • Travel Guides
  • Become a Supplier
  • Supplier Portal Login
  • Become an Affiliate Partner
Paypal
Mastercard
Visa
Maestro
American Express
Jcb
Discover
Sofort
Klarna
Google Pay
Apple Pay
Bancontact

© 2008 – 2023 GetYourGuide. Made in Zurich & Berlin.

Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn