• 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 8 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

Alan

(About local Oluf)

12 September 2025

Oluf was wonderful. He met us right on time at our hotel and we started our scheduled six hour journey around Edinburgh. Over the next seven hours and one half hours, including lunch, we made our way around the city. We saw all the sites we wanted, and detoured whenever we requested to go off our route. Oluf was incredibly accommodating about making sure we had appropriate restroom breaks, and he found us a delightful place to eat lunch. He has a wonderful knowledge regarding the history of Scotland and Great Britain, and shared it with us appropriately. Oluf is quite personable, and he shared with us some cute non historical stories along our way. I would highly recommend a walking tool with Oluf.Great guy, great experience.

Russell

(About local Neil)

15 August 2025

Neil is a really nice guy who was very informative and did a great job showing us the main sites in Edinburgh. We were tuckered out when we were done. I would have like to have known more about Neil and his experience growing up in Edinburgh. 20k steps and got a lay of the land

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

Brian🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Alice)

12 September 2025

Lovely informative experience

Stefanie

(About local Alice)

11 September 2025

We learned a lot about Edinburgh through very interesting, funny, and thrilling stories. We enjoyed our tour with Alice very much and recommend her as a tourguide! It was easy to understand her (we are from Germany), because she speaks very clearly. Thank you so much Alice for a wonderful day and birthday!Book Alice, you won't regret it!

Teresa🇺🇸 United States

(About local Chris)

11 September 2025

Chris was charming and our family group enjoyed the tour very much. He was kind to our picky eaters and spent extra time with us making sure we got to see a lot of wonderful things. Highly recommend as a nice introduction to Edinburgh.Wonderful time with Chris

Katherine🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

10 September 2025

Alice is a wonderful storyteller. She captivated us with her animated tellings of some of Edinburgh's lore. She artfully wove history, legend, myth and place together into a highly compelling tapestry. We were entranced the entire time! I highly recommend this tour.HIghly captivating!

Retta🇺🇸 United States

(About local Svend-Erik)

8 September 2025

Svend’s love of Scotland’s history and culture really shines through on his walking tour. He is a wonderful storyteller and has a great sense of humor! We could’ve have walked and talked all day but we really did cover a lot of ground (historically and by foot) on our 3 hour tour. Wonderful walking tour!

John and Jill🇺🇸 United States

(About local Neil)

8 September 2025

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Neil. He recommended a great cafe as a meeting point, on the day we landed in Edinburgh…and some great restaurants and pubs for our visit. He has deep understanding of the city history and a warm, wonderful way of telling stories that bring history to life. We especially appreciated learning about writers like RL Stevenson, a particular expertise. Neil kept us entertained and gave us an amazing overview of the Old Town. What a great way to start our Scottish adventure!Warm and wonderful storyteller

Donald🇺🇸 United States

(About local Neil)

7 September 2025

We had a great tour with Neil. He had lots of little tidbits of knowledge and suggestions for the rest of our stay. Highly recommend. Very knowledge and friendly

Michelle

(About local Chris)

7 September 2025

My husband and I recently spent 4 days in Edinburgh and decided to try out one of these food tours with a local guide. Best money we spent the whole trip! It was amazing! There's something so nice about having a guide wholly focused on you and your interests. Chris was so kind and friendly and excited to share his city's beautiful food with us. He shared a lot of very interesting history on the city and culture of Edinburg and Scotland while introducing us to food we would never have had here in the US. He helped teach us about the amazing taste of haggis and why it's really not as scary as most Americans think. He taught me how to appreciate a good whisky and fed us the best little pies I've ever had. We left our tour fully inspired to try new foods and drinks and with an excellent whisky recommendation to cook with. This tour felt like a family friend was showing us around his home city, proud to share the special parts of it with us. I will absolutely recommend this tour with Chris to anyone looking for a unique experience in beautiful Edinburgh. He left such a wonderful impression on my husband and I. We both agreed that his tour was our favorite part of our whole 8 day trip through London and Edinburgh. Can't recommend Chris's tour enough! A delicious tour from an incredible guide!

Michael

(About local Chris)

6 September 2025

My wife and I had a great tour with Chris. He was informative, friendly and adapted the tour based on what we told him we were interested in. We tasted all sorts of local food as well as some fantastic whiskey. Chris provided a nice history of the city as well as fun stories of some of the important people who added to Edinbugh's history. Highly recommend.Great history and food tour

James🇺🇸 United States

(About local Chris)

5 September 2025

Chris was an excellent guide. He adjusted his schedule to meet ours with some unexpected travel issues. He was very kind. He tailored the tour to our expectations and desires. He was well-versed and made the history of Edinburgh and Scotland interesting. I have been blessed to travel quite a bit. Chris rates equal to the best I’ve had. Book him and you will enjoy the day. What a wonderful tour and guide.

Miranda🇺🇸 United States

(About local Chris)

4 September 2025

Chris gave us an informative walking tour of the history of the city, its architecture and storied places. He also gave us some tips for our next journey to Skye. A great overview for someone new to Edinburgh!Great tour of the city!

Evan🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

3 September 2025

Alice knows Edinburgh like the back of her hand in terms of geography, geology, people, and history. But what sets Alice apart is her unbelievably charming way of telling stories about it all, often taking on multiple roles. And she is flexible and has a lovely sense of humor. She's the best!Storytelling Maestra

Jennifer

(About local Monica)

3 September 2025

Monica was brilliant! We had a fun afternoon exploring Edinburgh castle with her, learning about the castle’s fascinating history, tales of Edinburgh and Scotland. She also gave us helpful travel advice for our departure to the Highlands the next day. Her tour was a special treat. Fantastic historian and storyteller

Matt🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

2 September 2025

We had a wonderful tour with Alice! She told us some amazing stories of Scotland which kept us entertained as we walked thru the old town seeing the sights. If you like a guide that keeps things interesting instead of sounding like a history book, pick Alice - you will have a great time!Wonderful Tour!

Melanda

(About local Alice)

30 August 2025

It was a great tour. Especially the storytelling part made the city come alive! Alice, you gave us a tour beyond expectation. Perfect tour!

Inga🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Alice)

29 August 2025

Alice did a fantastic job in showing us around, telling some stories and insiders and giving us a feeling of Edinburgh! We can fully recommend this tour and Alice as a tour guide created very enjoyable 4 hours Thank you!Fantastic insightful tour

Lisa🇺🇸 United States

(About local Neil)

25 August 2025

We enjoyed a wonderful evening with Neil as our guide through Old Town. He shared many interesting stories about the famous and fascinating people who lived there and his love for Edinburgh and knowledge of the history was evident as we strolled through this lovely city. We would highly recommend Neil for your tour guide.Great evening spent with Neil!

Suzanne🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

23 August 2025

Wonderful Edinburgh city tour with Alice. She is extremely knowledgeable and funny and told some stories with great drama and enthusiasm. Totally recommend. Thank you so much, Alice.Excellent

Judith🇺🇸 United States

(About local Neil)

19 August 2025

Neil was a wonderful guide. Informative, knowledgeable, and overall great guide. Highly recommend!! Wonderful tour

Frauke🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Chris)

19 August 2025

Our Whisky-Tour with Chris was fantastic! The pubs were very traditional and he knew lots of thinks to tell. It was a really nice evening. Thank you so much!

Mark and Lynnette along with Lyle and Vicki🇺🇸 United States

(About local Chris)

17 August 2025

Chris was absolutely wonderful!!!! I would highly recommend him. He is a 10 for sure!!!Hire Chris hes awsome!!!$$$$

Andrea🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local GJ)

17 August 2025

G war sehr zuvorkommend, kompetent und freundlich. Er hat das programm genau auf unsere wünsche abgestimmt und war super flexibel.Er hat uns auch sonst viel von der geschichte der stadt und geheimtipps abgegeben. wir würden sofort wieder bei ihm buchen und werden ihn auf alle fälle weiter empfehlen.danke viel mal es bleibt ein highlight unserer reisewhisky tasting edinburgh

w

(About local Neil)

17 August 2025

Passionating visit with a passionate guide! We discovered places where we would not have gone and of course we learned a lot about Robert Louis Stevenson and other famous Scottish writers. Thank you very much Neil !Passionating

Wendy🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Neil)

16 August 2025

Neil was an amazing tour guide. We spent five hours with him, exploring the city and learning so much about Edinburgh’s history. A wonderful tour!

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