• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Ready for a jam-packed tour, full of history, culture, stories, and sights? Checkmark from your travel bucket list all your must-sees of Edinburgh, because if there’s a Withlocals tour that shows you all the city's ins and outs, it’s this complete and personalized tour of Edinburgh.

Destination

Edinburgh, Scotland

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

5 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Dansk, Svenska

Included

• Private guide
• 1 Local snack or drink
• Public transport
• All Withlocals tours are carbon neutral

Excluded

• Entrance tickets

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 9 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 Wagamama 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 the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Castle, Canongate Kirk, and more must-sees of the city. Your local host will take you to the main spots of the city so you can get the perfect overview to what makes Edinburgh so special

4. Hidden Gems

   long 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 get to experience

5. 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

6. More Things to See

   With more time, you’ll have the chance to enter some of the landmarks and attractions your host has planned for you. Get in touch with the host of your choice to hear more about their plan

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

George Marc🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

5 August 2025

I highly recommend Alice as a tour guide. She was both informative and entertaining. She was always aware at what pace we needed to go at and the entire afternoon flew by.The Perfect Tour

Rex🇺🇸 United States

(About local Oluf)

3 July 2025

I had a really nice day with Oluf. I asked him to show me different parts of the city that aren’t super touristy and he took me around some beautiful neighborhoods, a walk down along the river, cool pubs, and of course some really interesting historical sites. He is a historian and has a wealth of information and could answer pretty much any question you have regarding the history of this city and the surrounding areas. Also had interesting conversations outside of history, just an all around really cool guy and am really glad I got to experience Edinburgh through his lens. I’d highly recommend Oluf if you’re in the city, especially if you have specific things you’d like to see or check out, as he is very flexible and will cater to what you feel like doing. Great tour with Oluf!

Pedro Mariano🇧🇷 Brazil

(About local Alice)

2 July 2025

Alice was a wonderful guide and a true storyteller. It was a walk full of stories. Thank you for showing us so many precious details that we would never have known.an amazing walk in edinburgh

Alesia🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gains)

2 July 2025

Edinburgh is a wonderful city to visit-rich with history. People were very friendly and it was very convenient to get around the city by tram or bus. We did a walking tour with Gains because we love history. Gains was fabulous-very intelligent and knowledgeable about the history of Edinburgh and Scotland. He fixed the tour around our interests and was very amenable to any changes. We learned so much from him and had a very memorable tour!Edinburgh

Terrina🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Neil)

1 July 2025

I can't recommend Neil enough! Neil is a local to Edinburgh with a passion for sharing his knowledge of his home town with tourists! Our tour was at just the right pace - not too fast or too slow. Neil shared Edinburgh's history and hidden secrets- with a delightful touch of his own personal tales. Thank you Neil!!!Best With Locals Guide Ever!!!

Paige🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Monica)

1 June 2025

Monica gave us a bespoke introduction to Edinburgh. As we mentioned things along the way, she took us points of interest unique to us. We saw incredible views of the city from hidden lanes and back streets. And, her stories were so interesting, we didn't realise we had spent 5 hours with her! I would highly recommend this tour and Monica as a guide.Great introduction to Edinburgh

Kal🇺🇸 United States

(About local Neil)

30 May 2025

We had a great time with Neil. He was timely, knowledgeable and had a bunch of great stories and trivia of the amazing history and literature of Edinburgh and Scotland. We learned so much from him and the tour was efficient and fantastic. Would highly recommend Neil without hesitation.Great time with Neil

Brian

(About local Alice)

26 May 2025

We booked two consecutive days of tours with Alice. Even before we arrived, she was so helpful on recommendations, we felt like we had a personal concierge for our visit. The first day was a five hour tour of Edinburgh overall which included both New Town and Old Town sites. Her storytelling just brought everything we saw to life. You could absolutely tell that she loved Edinburgh and loved sharing it with us. Even while resting with a wonderful snack, she captivated us with a story. The second day was a shorter two hour tour of just Edinburgh Castle but her knowledge and storytelling took us back to the thirteen, fourteen and fifteen hundreds. There were so many kings and queens she told us about, I don’t know how she ever kept them straight! It was a simply delightful day with a delightful guide. Alice, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for kicking off our Scotland trip in such a warm, personal, Scottish fashion. You were brilliant!!!Amazing Two days with Alice!!!

s26ss7nhwv

(About local Monica)

17 May 2025

Monica was absolutely fantastic. She took what we wanted and really ran with it. She was extremely knowledgeable. Absolutely recommend!Fantastic!

Catherine🇺🇸 United States

(About local Neil)

11 April 2025

Neil is an Edinburgh native who is knowledgeable, kind and funny! He know the history of the city and all of the hidden gems. In addition to the city highlights, He took us to his charming neighborhood pub, Bennets which was so special! He also took us to his favorite coffee shop, the Coffee Cave, which is now our favorite too. We feel like we have made a friend for life with Neil! We highly recommend!The best guide in all of Scotland!

andrewmackay48

(About local Monica)

16 February 2025

I visited for my first time, we took a tour of the castle, stopped in a fantastic little pub, walked through greyfriar etc. Thoroughly enjoyed my trip and Monica was supper friendly and made my trip a memorable one by making a few amendments by request. Including a picture with the grave of he who shall not be named for my daughter. Fantastic experience

Marissa🇺🇸 United States

(About local Oluf)

11 August 2025

We booked a private walking tour of Edinburgh with Oluf for our family and had a wonderful experience! From the start, when we were working out timing and details for the tour, he was very accommodating. We walked all over the city and he shared so much information with us. His depth of knowledge on Scotland and its history was incredible. We all got so much from the afternoon.A Wonderful Afternoon!

stacey

(About local Oluf)

9 August 2025

Olaf was a very informative and flexible tour guide. He took us to the must see sights, with interesting stories, as well as some local favorites. Our small group of 3 felt it was the perfect way to spend the morning in Edinburgh. Great tour with Olaf

Christine

(About local Monica)

8 August 2025

Tolle Führung, viele Infos, supernette Frau!Ein großartiges Erlebnis!

Oleksii🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

6 August 2025

The tour from Alice is something that can’t be substituted by a guidebook. As other reviews say, it’s an immersive storytelling experience. Alice’s skillfull and passionate storytelling keeps the audience - big or small - fully engaged, and connects the dots with the city: buildings, streets, events, legends all blend together helping you understand why the city is the way it is. A few hours with Alice have defined our understanding of magnificent Edinburgh for the rest of our stay, we kept returning to the stories we were told, finding theirs reflections in the city as we kept discovering more of it. We highly recommend this experience.Amazing story-driven tour!

Brian🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

6 August 2025

We had a great tour with Alice at Edinburgh Castle. It is a very popular attraction with many people wandering around but Alice made us feel as if we had the entire Castle to ourselves! Alice is very friendly and full of great stories about the Castle and its history. After our tour concluded, Alice made several nice recommendations of additional things we could explore on our own at the Castle such as The Prisons and viewing the Crown Jewels. We would highly recommend Alice as a guide- she’s great!A Castle to Remember

Brian🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

6 August 2025

My wife and I had a fantastic time exploring Edinburgh with Alice. It was our first time visiting and Alice was filled with many stories about the town and its historical figures. It was very crowded but Alice kept us moving down side alleys and into buildings to help us avoid the crowds. The three hours flew by and we left Alice with a smile on our face and great memories.Delightful Day in Edinburgh

Sonja🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Neil)

5 August 2025

Just a few words - great Guide who showed us a lot from Edinburgh. We visited many spots and we heard a lot from a local. We had a blast!!! 😊👍👏Evening with Neil

Sarah🇫🇷 France

(About local Neil)

5 August 2025

Nous avons effectué une remarquable visite d'Edimbourg sous la conduite de notre guide, Neil qui est un natif de la ville, à présent à la retraite. Il a su nous faire partager sa passion et nous plonger dans l'histoire particulièrement riche de la ville et plus globalement de l'Ecosse. Neil est un guide qui s'exprime de manière extrêmement claire en anglais. Il est facilement compréhensible pour des touristes francophones et très à l'écoute. Ce fut un réel plaisir que d'effectuer cette visite avec un tel guide. Les trois heures en sa compagnie sont passées très vite et nous avons eu un très grand plaisir à prolonger cette rencontre par une bière au pub sur la Royal mile street. Tres belle visite guidée d'Edimbourg

Ashley🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alec)

3 August 2025

We absolutely loved our tour with Alec who was personable, knowledgeable and went above and beyond! He was prepared for any question we could ask and typically had additional information at his fingertips to share with us. Highly recommend! Wonderful experience with Alec

Cameron🇺🇸 United States

(About local Chris)

3 August 2025

My family is still raving about our walking food tour with Chris! He is very knowledgeable about Edinburgh’s history and took us through various neighborhoods we would have otherwise missed. Along the way, we stopped at local establishments and tried delicious Scottish foods. He even accommodated our allergy requests. Book this tour now, you won’t regret it!Excellent experience

mathias🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Oluf)

3 August 2025

Best guide ever !Oluf is tnr best !:)

Victoria🇺🇸 United States

(About local Neil)

2 August 2025

Neil was one of the best guides I have ever had. His knowledge and passion of history is very evident. I especially appreciated his interest of Robert Louis Stevenson, one reason I chose him! I learned so very much Edinburgh history with him. He is a wealth of information. Very nice man. Next time I am in Edinburgh, we hope to see him again! Thank you Neil! Full of passion and history!

Gabby & Peter🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Chris)

31 July 2025

History is obviously one of Chris’s specialties. Chris engaged early and read his clients well. As we like to walk and explore, our 3 hour walking tour took us to a larger area than expected which was superb. Would recommend being introduced to Edinburgh by ChrisFriendly, engaging and very informative

Jason🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

30 July 2025

Alice gave a very exciting tour and tailored it to our interests. What a great experience, highly recommend! Exceptional Private Tour in Edinburg

Jason🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gains)

30 July 2025

Gains provided excellent Castle tour for our family and tailored it to our needs. Great knowledge and experience. Thank you Gains! Excellent guide

Allan

(About local Alice)

27 July 2025

Alice was great fun and completely flexible to our needs . First time with a local tour. Another great way to enjoy Edinburgh. Highly recommend to all. Fun and spooky tour indeed

Arthur

(About local Alec)

26 July 2025

We had a great time with Alec on the food tour. At the beginning, he asked us a few questions to get an idea of our interests beyond food and quickly curated a lot of great sightseeing to go along with the snacks. Alec had great stories and histories to share about the town and kept the entire time very engaging. Because we were moving pretty quick, we also got to go on some bonus adventures, which was very welcomed. The food that was selected was great! If I had one critique, I would say that the back end of the tour where we sampled 4 different pies was a lot all at once. I think I would have preferred we did 1 or 2 pies (because you have to of course!) and maybe another quick stop for something different? However, we had such a great time on this tour and can't recommend it enough!Great Bites and Stories in Edinburgh

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!

Valerie

(About local Alice)

20 July 2025

Alice was great - we had a group of 9 - it was classic Scotland weather - a bit of drizzle off and on - and Alice rolled with it - a few minutes at the Story Telling Centre and then off we went. Lots of history and you can tell that she has a special love for her city. Thank you Alice for a great tour! Great way to tour Ednburgh!

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

Heather🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local GJ)

18 July 2025

G was fantastic! We could have spent the whole day listening to his stories and the history of Edinburgh. He had us all laughing and on the edge of our seats. If he is available to book- do not hesitate. Also sent us on our way with wonderful recommendations. Thank you G!

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

Asiya

(About local Alice)

17 July 2025

She is a wonderful guide, storyteller and person. She entertained and educated our student group flawlessly. Perfect!

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(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!

Brecken🇺🇸 United States

(About local Neil)

16 July 2025

We had a fantastic afternoon exploring Edinburgh with Neil! His deep knowledge of the city's history, hidden gems, and fun facts kept us all engaged—and he even managed to keep our 9-year-old twins entertained the entire time. His warm personality and thoughtful recommendations made the experience feel like a day out with an old friend. He tailored the tour to our interests, added plenty of humor and charm, and shared insights we would’ve completely missed on our own. We ended the evening with a delicious dinner at a local spot Neil suggested—it was the perfect way to wrap up a truly memorable day. Highly recommend!A Perfect Day in Edinburgh with Neil!

Pam🇺🇸 United States

(About local Chris)

16 July 2025

Chris was fantastic! He was very knowledgeable in the history and the food was great. The tour was wonderful and we had a lot of fun.Great tour

Katie

(About local Chris)

15 July 2025

We loved our tour with Chris. He was incredibly knowledgeable of the city and took us to some really unique places. I don’t think we ever would have discovered or walked around the places he took us so it was all very fun to do. He even got my aunt to try haggis and she was adamant about not wanting to during our time here. This tour is a major highlight of our trip. Thanks again, Chris! Such a fun time!

Sona

(About local Alice)

15 July 2025

This was an excellent tour of the royal mile and Edinburgh castle. My family and I really enjoyed Alice’s stories on the history of the area. Thankyou Alice. Excellent tour for families

Emily🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Gains)

15 July 2025

Gains is extreamly knowledgable about scottish history. He helped us to orient ourselves in the city especially around the royal mile. Wether it was identifying the inspiration for Hogwarts and the validity as such, to the square by the writers museum which holds quotes of Scottish authors, he showed us hidden areas that would be easily missed by the casual visitor. If you have a love of history and want to engage with a likeminded individual Gains is your ideal tour guide.Great tour!

Christoph🇦🇹 Austria

(About local Alice)

14 July 2025

Alice was a great and very entertaining tourguide. The stories she told were definitely spooky and thats what we expected on the tour. You should really go for it and book it. But be aware: its not for the faint hearted:)Absolutely amazing

Nancy🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

14 July 2025

Out of our 14 day UK adventure our tour day with Alice was truly a highlight of the trip. She was fun, calm, not in a rush (critical with 2 young children), and super knowledgeable about the area. She is a captivating story teller and we felt as though we saw parts of Edinburgh that we would never have happened upon on our own. She was so patient with our group and very personable. Can't recommend her enough! Alice is THE BEST

Andrew🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alec)

13 July 2025

Alec gave a really enjoyable tour with lots of tips and information we likely wouldn't have found on our own. We especially enjoyed the bit about the Heart of Midlothian and watching to see who stepped on it and who did not.

Andrew🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

9 July 2025

Alice gave us quite a performance of many a spooky story. Added much history to visit to Edinburgh. Loved it all. Booo

Dennis🇺🇸 United States

(About local Oluf)

9 July 2025

Oluf was very personable and knowledgeable and made our tour around Edinburgh relaxed and easy. We had a great time and would recommend him to any group wanting an authentic Scottish guideGreat Day!

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!

Shanna

(About local Alice)

8 July 2025

Alice was an engaging storyteller. We could have listened to her voice all day!Aloce was fantastic!

Odette Maria🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

7 July 2025

We enjoyed each and every minute with Alice. Her storytelling skills and ability to captivate both the adults and the little ones on our guided tour was one of the highlights of our trip, and brought the ancient structures we had been walking through to life. Thank you Alice!Exceptional

Mitch

(About local Alice)

5 July 2025