Top Edinburgh Art & Culture

Journey through Edinburgh’s grisliest tales on a haunted walking tour. Experience the ghastly histories of monsters, madness, and murder that cast a dark shadow on the capital city. Discover the stories and sites of witch trials, pagan rituals, and executions, and hear about local monsters that live in urban myth. Then visit the chilling Old Calton Burial Ground or Canongate Kirkyard cemetery to learn about body-snatching and some of the infamous interred.

Edinburgh is known for its dark past, and this evening walking tour is the original one to showcase the city's historically sinister and spooky side. Discover the hidden ‘wynds’ (alleys) and closes of the Old Town as you learn their mysteries and horrors; visit the ghost-ridden Greyfriars Kirkyard; and explore the city’s underground vaults to uncover their spirits and secrets. Your tour is led by a creepily costumed guide.

Delve into Edinburgh’s horrific history on this evening ghost bus tour. With your spooky local guide, visit the city’s most terrifying locations, haunted by infamy and restless spirits! From your seat in a double-decker vintage bus, gaze at eerie sites such as Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh Castle, Grassmarket, and the Royal Mile. Throughout the trip, hear anecdotes and facts about Edinburgh’s chilling past, replete with bloody executions, unspeakable tortures, and murder.

Ideal for those fascinated by the supernatural, this tour of Edinburgh’s underground vaults is sure to make your spine tingle. With a ghoulish guide, descend into the darkened depths of the Blair Street Vaults and hear vivid retellings of torture, murder, and body snatching. Abandon thoughts of manufactured frights and prepare to experience the sinister side of Edinburgh on this small-group tour.

Explore a sinister side of Edinburgh on this late-night ghost walking tour that includes the Blair Street Vaults under South Bridge. Stroll mysterious alleyways as you listen to your guide’s grim and ghastly tales of treason and torture. Then venture underground for a candlelight tour of the 18th-century chambers and hear haunting stories of supernatural forces lingering in the city's darkest corners.

Edinburgh is notoriously one of the most haunted places in the UK, making it a prime destination for ghost-hunters. Dare to discover the city’s dark side on this evening tour and visit the eerie Blair Street Underground Vaults, follow in the footsteps of the infamous Edinburgh Mob, then settle your nerves with a dram of Scotch whisky in Megget's Cellar.

Discover the Edinburgh Vaults—aka South Bridge Vaults—18th-century underground chambers that lie far below the city. On this underground walking tour with an entertaining and informative guide, hear tales of this dark and almost-forgotten place built below one of Edinburgh’s busiest thoroughfares. See evidence of excavated storage spaces, human habitation, taverns with wine vaults and more!

Hear hidden secrets from beyond the grave on this haunted vaults and graveyard walking tour in Edinburgh. As night falls across Scotland’s ancient capital, follow a guide through the streets and learn the mysteries of the city’s dark past. Visit venues believed to be haunted including Greyfriar's Kirkyard and the Nidry Street Vaults, and hear of the troubled souls of beggars, prostitutes and witches said to walk the city streets by night. Along the way, make sure to keep your wits about you for sightings of the un-dead.

Not for the faint of heart, this 1.5-hour ghost tour of Edinburgh promises to deliver spine-chilling paranormal frights. Edinburgh’s brutal and bloody past has resulted in a heavily haunted present and this tour takes you to some of the city’s most haunted locations. Under the cloak of darkness, you’ll visit a graveyard and descend to the underground vaults that snake beneath the city. Hear vivid tales of torture, murder and body snatching, and enjoy a heightened atmosphere on this small-group tour, limited to 15 people.

Step off the tourist trail and explore the Scottish capital’s hidden secrets on this underground walking tour in Edinburgh. Follow a guide from the South Bridge in Edinburgh Old Town down below street level, where a series of ancient vaults lie. As you explore the dark passageways, learn why the vaults were built, hear of the poor souls who sought refuge in the depths and discover a hidden witchcraft temple. Gain insight into city life during the 18th century, and learn of the deadly diseases which threatened Edinburgh’s inhabitants.

Delve into Edinburgh’s haunted history on this 1-hour ghost walk, led by a guide in period costume. Ideal for families, this early-afternoon tour takes you to locations famed for their restless residents: explore shadowy Old Town streets and descend to the underground vaults that snake beneath the city. Throughout the tour, your guide will deliver comical commentary peppered with spooky stories of torture and murder. Small-group tour limited to 15 people to maintain a ghoulish atmosphere.

Learn about J.K. Rowling and the origins of the 'Harry Potter' books during a walking tour of Edinburgh. See places that inspired Rowling such as the Balmoral Hotel and University of Edinburgh's Old College; locales that shaped the Dementors and Ministry of Magic; and cafes where Rowling liked to write. Your guide is a 'Harry Potter' fan who shares fascinating details about the wizarding world in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh’s dark and desultory past means its streets are haunted by restless souls and wandering specters. This ghost tour—perfect for those fascinated by the supernatural—takes you to two of Edinburgh’s most haunted locations. Under the cloak of darkness, descend to the Blair Street vaults to explore a shadow-shrouded underground world. Visit Canongate Kirkyard, the final resting place of famous characters, and listen to gruesome tales of torture, cannibalism, and murder.

Delve into Edinburgh’s ghoulish side with an 80 minute early evening walking tour of the city’s eeriest sites!  As you venture down the historic  Royal Mile you will hear tales of torture, witchcraft, plague and mayhem from your local ghoslty guide – Mr Alexander Clapperton (deceased) – a former Edinburgh cemetery director.  Learn about and meet infamous apparitions such as the Mad Monk of Cowgate, the witch Agnes Fynnie, and the wild and bloody Higlander Rhuari McLeod.  Prepare yourself for a night of good fun in the shadows!

Edinburgh’s stately streets hide a darker, more mysterious side of the city, rooted in its 18th-century slums, ‘wynds,’ (alleyways), and vaults. This 75-minute tour takes you back in time to this shadowy world, exploring dark cobbled lanes, a haunted cemetery, and underground vaults. As you explore, your costumed guide shares captivating tales of the city’s history, along with stories of ghosts, murders, crimes, and more.

Get an in-depth perspective on Edinburgh on this guided tour that goes deeper than most. Usually led by a guide with a PhD in Scottish history, this tour offers a journey through Edinburgh’s medieval Old Town from the main thoroughfares to the hidden closes (alleyways) and courtyards. Your guide shares tales of dramatic events in the neighborhood's history, as well as those of the writers, philosophers, and inventors who called the area home.

Save valuable vacation time with skip-the-line access to Edinburgh Castle on this walking tour. Avoid hours of waiting in line and breeze right inside with your priority admission ticket. Then, listen to your guide's commentary about the Scottish landmark's history as you walk through one of Scotland's most famous landmarks.

Discover the secrets that lie beneath Edinburgh’s Royal Mile on a 1-hour tour of the Real Mary King's Close. Accompanied by a costumed guide, experience Edinburgh’s past as you explore the underground streets, hear stories about real-life residents, and learn about life in Edinburgh during the 17th century.

See a different side to Edinburgh and combine the best of the underground and haunted graveyard tours on this double dead walking tour, during which you visit two of the city’s spookiest attractions: South Bridge Vaults and the Covenanter’s Prison. The latter is only accessible on City of the Dead tours and our guide provides plenty of exclusive insight you wouldn’t get on your own.

Embark on an enriching 3.5 or 7-hour walking tour of Edinburgh’s cultural and historical highlights with a private guide. While you listen to insightful commentary, you’ll visit iconic landmarks and hidden gems according to an itinerary tailored to your interests. Explore the cobbled streets of the Old Town, gaze at Edinburgh Castle on its rocky perch and ascend to the summit of Calton Hill for panoramic city views. On this private tour, you’ll receive the undivided attention of your guide while gaining unique insight into the Scottish capital.

This 'Harry Potter' walking tour gets fans closer to spots in Edinburgh that inspired J.K Rowling’s famous books. Walk past key sites that inspired places such as Diagon Alley, and even see the cafes and hotels where the writer wrote her book series. Your guide knows the quickest ways to get around the city on foot to fit more into your time, as well as fun facts about Harry Potter.

Guarantee entrance to one of Edinburgh's most popular attractions, and skip the ticket line, by pre-booking your admission to the Camera Obscura and World of Illusions. Choose your allotted time (morning, evening, or all-day) and get ready to enjoy the spectacle of mind-bending illusions and hands-on exhibits.

Plague and pestilence, corpses and curses, hauntings and hellfire - let's face it, Scottish history is not for the feint hearted. On this evening walk down the eerie closes of the Old Town we will unveil the unsavoury side of Edinburgh's past. You have been warned! Our tours are private, with customisable content, duration and routes, so we can focus on the aspects of Edinburgh's history that our guests are most interested in.

Follow in the footsteps of Scottish icons like Mary, Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie as you unravel the truths and myths of Edinburgh’s royal history. Set out on a 90-minute walking tour of the UNESCO-listed Old Town, spot the royal sites along Canongate and admire the grand Palace of Holyroodhouse, The Queen’s official residence in Scotland. After a comprehensive introduction to Edinburgh’s royal roots, enjoy skip-the-line access (optional) to the Palace of Holyrood and explore the magnificent royal residence independently.