• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Want to see the best of Edinburgh? We got you covered. But as you can expect from a Withlocals experience, the real excitement is its hidden gems. Join your favorite local and get a feeling of the city's real vibe on a tour that has it all, so you can say: I experienced the real Edinburgh!

Destination

Edinburgh, Scotland

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

3 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Español, Dansk, Svenska

Included

• Private Guide
• 1 Local Drink or Snack
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Entrance to attractions (The inside of the Edinburgh Castle is not visited on this tour)

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 13 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at In front of Cafe Edinburgh - Edinburgh to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. City Highlights

   See from Grassmarket, Edinburgh Castle, Greyfriars Kirkyard and other landmarks and must-sees of the city. Your local host will take you to the main spots in town so you can get the perfect overview of what makes Edinburgh so unique

4. Hidden Gems

   Along the way, your local host will show you treasures hidden in plain sight that only the locals know about. Get to know the city through a different perspective, the local way, and discover places and stories that not many tourists experience

5. Magical Storytelling

   Behind every landmark and every stop, there’s a story, and your local host is ready to tell it all. Get ready to listen to incredible stories, one-of-a-kind insights, and fun facts only a knowledgeable local would know!

6. Special Treat

   Follow your host to one of their favorite eateries for a snack or a drink beloved by the locals. Take a break and catch up with your new local friend and get the answers to all your travel questions

7. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Heike🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Chris)

26 July 2025

Very interesting tour and Chriswas very flexible. Ask him a question and you will get the answers. We had a great tour with Chris!

Angel🇺🇸 United States

(About local Joe)

21 July 2025

Booked Joe the evening before! He was flexible with us on timing as we ran a little late getting out of the hotel. Joe offered an entertaining and educational walk all over Edinburgh. We were very impressed and so glad we hired him!! Don’t be deterred by his limited reviews. We were lucky to find him. Thanks Joe, we took all the history and fun facts with us across Scotland!Delighful and Insighful

Arne

(About local Monica)

20 July 2025

Wir hatten zu viert eine private Tour mit Monika. Das war super, sehr informativ , sie geht auf alle Fragen ein. Fragt zu Beginn nach unseren Interessen. Thanks a lotSuper

Kathleen🇺🇸 United States

(About local Svend-Erik)

18 July 2025

We totally enjoyed our walking tour the only bad part is it seemed to go to fast. Beautiful day to walk the town and Svend is truly a story teller. Kept us totally engaged would definitely book him again.Great Day in Edinburgh

Inka

(About local Alice)

17 July 2025

For our first time visit in Edinburgh as a family with grown up kids, we booked a three hour tour with Alice: she is a great story-teller, we loved to learn about the secrets of Edinburgh. We had a very interesting and fun afternoon, Alice was warm and cheerful, we enjoyed every minute. Highly recommended Great experience

5gmgnvz6sj

(About local GJ)

17 July 2025

G knew exactly what we were looking for and tailored the tour accordingly. He took the time to get to know us and that resulted in a personalized tour. He went the extra mile. He’s a Mind Reader!

Nick🇺🇸 United States

(About local Laura)

12 July 2025

Laura was a great communicator, a sweet lady and truly knows Edinburgh. We did a Gems tour on day 1 and Castle tour on day 2. Everything went according to plan and exceeded our expectations. We would highly recommend her!Fantastic Experience with Laura

Andrew🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

8 July 2025

Alice was a charming and knowledgeable guide and an absolutely brilliant storyteller. She really did a great job of noticing what interested us the most and focusing on those things more, but also introducing us to things we wouldn't have known about otherwise. Thanks again Alice!

Ivana

(About local Russell)

1 July 2025

An afternoon spent with Russell gave us more insight and experience than two full days exploring the city on our own. His personal stories and childhood memories truly brought the places to life, adding a whole new layer of meaning to the streets of Edinburgh. We discovered charming hidden alleys and iconic landmarks we would have completely missed if Russell hadn’t pointed them out. I really appreciated that he reached out to us beforehand and tailored the tour to match our interests — everything was thoughtfully planned. His deep knowledge of Edinburgh’s history added incredible context and made every stop along the way even more engaging. He was well-prepared, kind, and an absolutely delightful person to explore the city with. It felt like walking around with a local friend who knows all the secrets. Couldn’t recommend this tour more — a must-do in Edinburgh! :)An Unforgettable Afternoon with Russell!

Caroline

(About local Neil)

30 June 2025

We had an amazing tour with Neil! This is what we expected to have with a local. All the little interesting stories besides what you read in common travel literature. We had so much fun and would definitely recommend Neill ! He even sent us some information and links about our tour and provided us with tips for our onward journey! Couldnt have been better ! Best edinburgh stories with neil

Maaike🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Alice)

29 June 2025

Alice is a very good storyteller and knows a lot about Edinburgh ! She takes you back to old Edinburgh. When she tells the stories they come to life. She asks about your specific wishes so that the tour is tailor-made for you.Alice takes you back to the old Edinburgh

Christiane

(About local Xavier)

29 June 2025

We had a fantastic stroll through Edinburgh with Xavier. He is nice, funny and knows how to bring the history and stories of this city alive. In addition he provided us with helpful advice, where to go/ what to see after our tour. Great fun!Insights of a wonderful city

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(About local Alice)

25 June 2025

Alice is a gifted communicator and story teller. Her tour was relaxed and informative. She brought history to life for us visitors. She answered questions knowledgeably. We gained a great understanding of the history of the city of Edinburgh in 3 hours that we never could have on our own. We highly recommend Alice and Withlocals Hidden Gems of Edinburgh Tour. Gifted Tour Guide

Unknown

(About local Neil)

15 June 2025

Neil was extremely knowledgeable and accommodating to our needs and catered the tour our ability! I highly recommend Neil!Fantastic tour guide!

Jaynine🇺🇸 United States

(About local Laura)

14 June 2025

I had a lovely time with Laura. I landed at 7:00 a.m. in Scotland and our tour began at 10:30. A.m. As this was the last minute trip, I had not done much research on any particular sites or interest they had. I did tell her I enjoyed learning about the local history, culture, and HP as I knew this was a Harry Potter inspiration site and I had grown up on the books of Harry Potter, the original generation I might add. She volunteers at Greyfriars Kirk as well as a lover of History so she is a vast wealth of knowledge and provided the finer details of some of the sites that I would have otherwise missed. She gave some great recommendations along the way as well. And in general just gave me a good orientation to Edinburgh and enriched it with local history. I would highly recommend choosing Laura.

Jessica🇺🇸 United States

(About local Joe)

11 June 2025

We booked a private walking tour for 2 people with Joe during our time in Edinburgh, Scotland. We have taken many similar tours all around the world, and Joe was by far the best we've ever had! He was super friendly, incredibly knowledgable, and totally willing to answer any and all of our questions- even when we got him way off track. He customized the perfect itinerary for us, and we loved every moment. It was our favorite activity of our whole trip! Thanks, Joe. We hope to have a pint with you again next time in Edinburgh. :)The best Edinburgh tour guide!

Tom🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gains)

9 June 2025

Beth🇺🇸 United States

(About local Chris)

2 June 2025

Chris was such a great guide around Edinburgh! He is very knowledgeable and led us to places we would have never found. We learned a lot and had laughs along the way. I wouldn't hesitate booking with him again!Chris was a fantastic tour guide!

Kathleen🇺🇸 United States

(About local Neil)

30 May 2025

Neil gave my husband and me a stellar tour of Edinburgh. He was interesting, informative and so very knowledgeable, particularly of the history and literature of Scotland. Neil is, as well, a funny, smart, engaging person and made our visit a memorable one. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide. A perfect day with Neil

Susan

(About local Alice)

24 May 2025

Alice is a masterful storyteller. She effortlessly communicated fascinating information on Edinburgh's places and people. Additionally. Alice was approachable and a joy to spend time with. Highly recommend!!Top notch tour.

Bill🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

22 May 2025

Lovely afternoon of local stories and knowledge. Alice was very personable and we enjoyed her company very much. Three hours flew by. Love Alice and love Edinburgh. Thank youLots of fun and stories too!

Jessica🇮🇹 Italy

(About local Russell)

22 May 2025

Great introduction to Edinburgh,

Lila🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

20 May 2025

Alice was prompt at the meeting point. Her tour is easy going, and her storytelling brings Edinburgh’s history alive. We enjoyed and actually remember the stories. If you want a fun approach to learning about Edinburgh’s characters, this is a great tour.Fun tour and learning experience

Diana

(About local Alec)

16 May 2025

Alec was an excellent guide who tailored his tour according to our interests. Personable , Knowledgeable, and well paced. As usual, WithLocals offers great private tours. Thank you, Alec Walking Edinburgh with Alec

Dot🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Russell)

15 May 2025

Had a fantastic afternoon with Russell. Took us to the main sights but lots of nooks and grannies too. Great knowledge of the city and those who have made it what it is today. Three hours flew by!Great Day

Christa🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

15 May 2025

Alice was an absolutely wonderful guide! She captivated us with the stories she shared. All four adults in our group talked about how great she was for days afterwards and how much we enjoyed her walking tour. I would highly recommend booking an experience with Alice! A wonderful experience in Edinburgh!

Laura🇺🇸 United States

(About local Laura)

14 May 2025

Laura was a fun and delightful guide. She shared stories and insights, history and chuckles. A very fun and informative time together.Fun and fascinating!

Shantel🇨🇳 China

(About local Monica)

13 May 2025

She is very patient with children, answers all questions seriously, and is enthusiastic throughout the journey, making it a very enjoyable trip. She’s really nice and knowledgeable.

Pat🇺🇸 United States

(About local Laura)

13 May 2025

It was such a pleasure being with Laura for our Edinburgh walking tour. Laura is a gem! We so enjoyed Laura’s insights, historical knowledge, and love of Edinburgh through lovely inspired stories and interesting facts. We all wholeheartedly recommend Laura for your guide and wish she was with us through our other journeys just as a fun friend.New Bestie

Judi & Jim🇺🇸 United States

(About local Monica)

11 May 2025

We thoroughly enjoyed our private tour with Monica. She regaled us with stories and made history come alive. She lead us to the main sights and took us off the beaten track. She was a quick study of our interests and personalized her presentation for us. Consequently, our Edinburgh visit will be memorable. An Enlightening and Enjoyable Day

Kari🇺🇸 United States

(About local Joe)

9 May 2025

We had a fabulous tour of Edinburgh with Joe. He reached out before the tour to find out our interests and to ask if there was anything in particular we wanted to see. He told us about the history of Edinburgh and stories about some of its characters! He showed us some great places off the beaten path. Not to mention he shared some great recommendations. Highly recommend Joe! Thanks Joe!Great tour with Joe!

David and Karen🇺🇸 United States

(About local Neil)

7 May 2025

We thoroughly enjoyed our Edinburgh walking tour with Neil. Having grown up in the city, Neil was a wealth of information on the history of Edinburgh and Scotland in general. He showed us unique places in the city that the larger group tours were sure to overlook. Neil also provided extra information and insights that helped with our trip both before and after the walking tour. We highly recommend anyone that is looking for a great tour of Edinburgh to strongly consider booking with Neil and WithLocals!Great Tour with Neil

tish🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

5 May 2025

I always take the time to look at all of the tour guides available for the time of day and the day that I would like to go on a tour in the city I’m in. All of the tour guides seem to have good qualities so it’s a little tricky to pick the right one, but if you pick Alice, you won’t be sorry. I think Alice’s best quality was her storytelling ability. She’s very professional, friendly and knowledgeable. I enjoyed her company very much. She really knows a lot about Edinburgh. If you select her as your guide for the city, you will not be sorry. Thank you Alice for showing us your city! Select Alice for Edinburgh tour guide

Marcus🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Alice)

4 May 2025

Thank Alice for the great stories, history and Insider knowledge about Edinburgh. We learned a lot. We can highly recomment the three hours tour. We would do it everytime again. a lot with nice stories, everytime again

Anita

(About local Alice)

3 May 2025

We enjoyed every minute of our three-hour tour with Alice. She told us many interesting And historica facts And showed us around in a passionate way. Definitely worth asking Alice to be your guide. 10 points. Lovely storyteller!!

Nadia🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Alice)

2 May 2025

Thank you Alice for the lovely tour we did through the city. She is an amazing storyteller. We’ve learned so much about the history of the beautiful Edinburgh. I promised myself to go back and back you again! Thank you!

Ron

(About local Russell)

1 May 2025

Thanks, Russell, for sharing Old Town Edinburgh with us! The tour gave us a better sense of Edinburgh's history, spanning must-see sites like the castle to quirky gems that we would never have discovered on our own. What truly set this experience apart was the personal touch: Russell tailored the tour to our interests, made great recommendations for the rest of our stay, and even shared some favorite local spots that weren’t in any guidebook. We left not only with a deeper appreciation for Edinburgh, but also with a stronger sense of connection to the place and its people.Old Town Edinburgh with a personal touch

Margaret🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Alice)

29 April 2025

Our personal tour of Edinburgh with Alice was nothing short of fantastic. She’s got that rare gift of blending history with humor — one minute we were learning about the scandals of the time , next we were laughing about medieval mishaps. Her storytelling made the city come alive; it felt less like a tour and more like time-traveling with a witty local friend. We saw hidden gems, heard tales you won’t find in guidebooks, and even learned how manage to avoid many stairs!! If you’re looking for a guide who’s fun, informative, and full of character — Alice is your person!Fantastic time!

Alma🇱🇹 Lithuania

(About local GJ)

27 April 2025

A truly unexpected treasure - don't even think of going for someone else. You want a tour with G to discover the higlights and most fascinating parts of history of Edinburgh - you couldn't possibly find someone who's as passionate, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, smart, authentic and witty, and who keeps one thoroughly engaged and focused, and wishing to come back for more. Me and my friends from various backgrounds have had a lot of guided tours across the globe and could only agree this was the best one we ever had. Thank you, G ! HUGELY RECOMMENDED. The Best Tour Guide one could possibly get

Ki Jin🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Gains)

24 April 2025

We had a wonderful walking tour of Edinburgh with Gains. He took us to interesting places within the city which are not popularly visited. He was patient, kind and understanding and adapted the tour according to our interests Interesting and informative tout

Meghan

(About local Monica)

21 April 2025

My husband and I had a wonderful morning with Monica exploring various parts of Edinburgh. This city is stunning and Monica made it even better. We learned about the early beginnings of Edinburgh as well as current times. Monica was engaging, funny, and full of great stories. She also gave us terrific recommendations for things to see and places to eat. We took her advice and had lunch at the Cannonball Pub by Edinburgh Castle right after the tour. And we can’t wait to take the tram to Leith that she told us about. We highly recommend Monica to get a terrific flavor of Edinburgh and learn a bit, too. Perfect tour of Edinburgh

Anke🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Alice)

19 April 2025

Thank You for guiding us through the wonderful city! We enjoyed it very much!Perfect tour!!

Clare

(About local Alice)

17 April 2025

Despite cold, wet weather we had a great time with Alice. Knowledgeable, amusing and a great story teller who gave us insight into the history of Edinburgh that you simply can’t get on your own. Well worth it.Great tour with Alice

Bronwynne🇺🇸 United States

(About local Svend-Erik)

12 April 2025

What a personable, knowledgeable guide! He made history come alive and ended the tour with a cherry on top - the old Parliament building was just stunning! Haven’t had such a good time since the pigs ate my little brother - choose this gentleman for a wonderful tour…Gifted storyteller

Judy🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gains)

2 April 2025

We really enjoyed Gaines’s discussion of Scottish history and being shown various historical sites. If you want to nerd out about history and its relevance to the world today, Gains is your guy!A real historian’s tour!

Steven

(About local Joe)

2 April 2025

Joe is both friendly and has great knowledge, we really enjoyed the experience. We were a mixed group of Edinburgh locals and new to Edinburgh, and he kept us all engaged throughout. Great way to spend an afternoon

Sophie

(About local GJ)

22 March 2025

G from the off set, thrilled us with amazing stories of Scottish history, and the people who have shaped the city it is today. We would 100% recommend a tour with G. Master storyteller

Unknown

(About local Alice)

14 March 2025

Alice was extremely knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and tailored the tour to our interests. She was a great storyteller and made the past come alive. Highly recommend. Top-flight guide brings the past to life

miranda

(About local Monica)

24 February 2025

Konrad

(About local Alec)

16 February 2025

We definitely recommend a private tour with Alec for the first moment you arrive in Edinburgh. We enjoyed the whole tour from the first moment and it was a great start to our long weekend. It was very informative and interesting. It was lovely to hear all the stories from Alec. Awesome way to know the city