• 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, Dansk, Svenska, Español

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

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

Alan🇮🇪 Ireland

(About local Alec)

9 February 2025

Very informative and thought provoking tour with Alec. Lots of history (naturally) laced with plenty of good humour. Real privilege getting to see the Thistle Chapel in St Giles Cathedral.Edinburgh Old Town Tales

Maria🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Alec)

2 February 2025

We had an absolutely fabulous tour of Edinburgh with Alec. We saw all of the key sights in the old town which is beautiful. Alec was extremely knowledgeable and was full of stories which were enlightening and funny! Alec was a pleasure to spend our afternoon with and we would highly recommend him as a tour guide. Thank you so much.Cannot recommend Alec enough

Tania🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Alice)

28 January 2025

We had a wonderful time on The Hidden Gems of Edinburgh Tour with Alice as a family of 4 with 2 school age kiddos. Alice told wonderful and engaging stories for everyone while taking us around to local spots! We would definitely suggest her for a tour.Fun Family Tour

Melonie🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Alec)

12 January 2025

Our time in Edinburgh was really special thanks to Alec. In our short time together, he shared many of Edinburgh’s hidden gems and interesting historical stories. We would never have learned all of the neat things he shared roaming Edinburgh on our own. We can’t say enough great things about Alec and his fun, energetic personality. We will be back to tour with Alec again!Edinburgh with a pro!

Pooja🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Russell)

21 December 2024

My husband and I had a great time exploring Edinburgh with Russell and hearing all about the key landmarks and history of the city - Russell was very knowledgeable and was able to answer all of our questions. We even stopped off at a local pub and enjoyed a drink together 🍻 I would recommend booking with Russell if you want to have a great time while learning all about this beautiful city!Brilliant tour with Russell!

Unknown

(About local Laura)

5 November 2024

Our tour with Laura was wonderful! She was so kind and had a lot of wonderful things to show us. We loved the historical context she added to our tour as well! Wonderful tour with Laura!

Estelle🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Alice)

27 October 2024

Alice was a fantastic tour guide and very engaging. We very much enjoyed our tour with her and learning about this wonderful city. Her stories were captivating and she has a lovely way about her. Would definitely recommend Alice!A great tour of the lovely Edinburgh

lynda🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alec)

25 October 2024

1

Alec was an amazing historian and story teller. He exposed us to areas and stories we would most definitely have missed. The city tour was diversified and Alec was accommodating, adapting the tour to our mobility concerns. 10+++Fantastic Edinburgh city tour

Mark🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Alec)

25 October 2024

6y5ywzrcby

(About local Monica)

22 October 2024

My husband and I had an amazing tour with Monica in late September. She was very personable and we felt like old friends fairly quickly. Her knowledge of the City and history was perfect. She gave wonderful recommendations for things to do and places to eat/drink for the rest of our stay, and they all turned out to be perfect. One of her pub recommendations was so good that we went there a few times over the course of the week. We’d absolutely recommend Monica for anyone looking for a good walking tour.We had a wonderful tour with Monica!

Gabrielle🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Alice)

16 October 2024

Alice is an exceptional guide and storyteller, truly one of the best we've ever had. Her charming and engaging personality, combined with her impressive knowledge and storytelling abilities, made our tour of Edinburgh an unforgettable experience. Alice's captivating tales of the city's rich history and folklore brought the streets and landmarks to life, leaving us with a profound appreciation for the city. Her witty and humorous delivery kept us entertained throughout the tour, making it an absolute delight. We highly recommend Alice to anyone seeking an authentic and immersive Edinburgh experience. Her passion for the city is contagious, and she has a remarkable talent for making every step feel like a journey through time.Edinburgh's Amazing Guide and Storyteller

Denice

(About local Alice)

15 October 2024

Alice was a funny, engaging, charming guide for my husband and I. We interacted extremely well and loved her storytelling finesse. We peppered her with many questions and she was up to the challenge. We probably kept her from showing us a few things but we didn't mind. You'll love her enthusiasm. Delightful in every way

Birgitta🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Alec)

13 October 2024

My daughter and I had a lovely time with Alec despite the not so welcoming weather (rain and hail). He had answers to all our questions and was pleasant to listen to. He was very knowledgeable with a good sense of humor. We highly recommend him.Fun and knowledgeable tour

Rebecca🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Xavier)

9 October 2024

Xavier was a patient and charming guide. We were a group with mixed abilities and he was flexible and accommodating. We appreciated his use of multimedia while touring and by pointing out things we would have missed otherwise. He is knowledgable about so many aspects of the city. All members of the party would happily recommend Xavier as a guide!Auld Lang Syne

Jeffrey🇺🇸 United States

(About local Svend-Erik)

30 September 2024

We had a wonderful tour with Svend on the morning of Sept 17. We were staying at the Hilton, so it was less than a 2 minute walk to the start of the tour. We've been to Edinburgh before, but Svend showed us things and told us stories that we had never heard or seen before. We spent 3 days in Edinburgh and based on all the great new information he provided us we need to plan another trip. We walked up most of the Royal mile, stopping off at several of the closes with good stories in each. We then went up to see Bobbie the dog and went into Greyfriars church yard. We ended up at the National Museum where the tour ended at the milleninum clock. The best part was that Svend modified the tour on-the-fly based on our conversations during the tour. I cannot recommend him high enough.Best tour we've ever had

Mona🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alec)

29 September 2024

Alec was a few minutes late but all was forgiven when it was because the King was in town (and last minute road closure) as his procession went right past the meeting point! Alec was a informative, intelligent, articulate and funny- a good time was had by the 3 of us!Excellent time!

Vincent🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Niamh)

23 September 2024

Niamh has an engaging personality and is an incredible story teller. We learned many dark and odd secrets of Edinburgh’s most famous characters. As a local, she has more inside knowledge and experiences than most. Added bonus - she has a beautiful voice as she sang a folk song during our walk. Wonderful Day

Francesca🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Monica)

21 September 2024

Wir waren mit Monica unterwegs und haben vieles entdeckt, was uns ansonsten entgangen wäre. Eintauchen in diese mystische Stadt war unglaublich spannend und auch wenn ich schon mehrmals vor Ort war, es war einfach bereichernd. Danke, Monica für diese wunderbare Erfahrung! Versteckte Winkel

Nancy🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

17 September 2024

We were a group of eight who absolutely loved our tour with Alice! She was very lively, had a great grasp of all the history of the area, and knew so many hidden gems to direct us to. Her storytelling was exceptional and vivid, and I would highly recommend her!So informative and entertaining!

rilsche🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Alec)

8 September 2024

Alec was such a nice Guide. We had a great time with him. The tour in Edinburgh was very intersting and also funny. Thank you veryGreat time with a great guy

Lissa Barr🇺🇸 United States

(About local Monica)

2 September 2024

Monica and her kindness, insight and wisdom made Edinburgh even more magical!!! She took us to very local places and gave us incredible insight on how to make our stay memorable!!!! She is the ABSOLUTE BEST tour guide we’ve ever had!!! Do yourself a huge favor and book all your tours with Monica!!!! She personized our tour and we were amazed at her knowledge and wisdom!!!Monica is THE BEST! She made it magical!!!

Karen🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Alec)

30 August 2024

Alec met us punctually and in a friendly approachable manner . His walk and tour was engaging and informative with plentiful snippets of things you would have to dig deep into history books to find . Would happily recommend Alec to anyone wishing for a tour in Edinburgh Friendly , informative and engaging

Adrienne🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alec)

11 August 2024

We spent an afternoon with Alec getting an introduction to Edinburgh. Within 20 minutes of starting, we knew it was gonna be an amazing tour. Alec had a wonderful mix of history, culture and personal stories. You could feel his love for his city. We were entranced with both the city and Alec and left knowing we have to come back to Edinburgh and would love to spend more time with Alec exploring the country. Recommend 10/10!!GREAT guide!

Eric🇫🇷 France

(About local Monica)

4 August 2024

Very enjoyable and interesting tour with Monica, she is very knowledgeable about the city’s history and big / small stories Great time with Monica

Christine🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

22 July 2024

What a fantastic experience with Alice with our 3 hour tour of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. It was myself and my husband, in our 60's. We met up at a historic coffee shop and the adventure began. We had messaged with her prior to the trip so we knew what to expect. Always a good plan. We could not have chosen a better guide. Alice was able to take us to some key landmarks and lesser known ones and shared history and stories that we would never have known if we had just decided to "wing it" and wander about. It was like going about town with an old friend. We really loved the experience. Don't be a dummy tourist. Book with Alice. It's worth it and the memory will be priceless.Alice the Storyteller!

Ineta🇱🇻 Latvia

(About local Laura)

19 July 2024

Overall, a great, enjoyable experience. Laura was very patient with us and would repeat her words if we couldn’t understand her the first time. She answered every question we had with fervor, you could feel her passion for the history of her city and tell from just a couple of words that she was knowledgeable. My family loved it, if we had to re-do our trip to Edinburgh, we would definitely choose her again! 10/10 experience.Super sweet!!

Michaela

(About local Alice)

16 July 2024

Our tour with Alice was the perfect introduction to Edinburgh's history. We walked along the Royal Mile and Alice had lots of stories and anecdotes to tell about the houses and alleys. We liked the little pub we stopped in so much that we went back the next day. Thanks for the nice tour and recommendations!Great tour

Corinna🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Alice)

10 July 2024

We had a great tour with Alice - she knows a lot and her storytelling is amazing. She also quickly bonded with our teenage son who had some great exchanges with her. A great start to our Edinburgh experience and we keep going back to what we heard from her while exploring more of Edinburgh. Very knowledgeable and great story teller

Allen🇺🇸 United States

(About local Laura)

4 July 2024

We loved our tour of Edinburgh with Laura. Laura was such a delight - professional, friendly, knowledgeable, and made the tour so much fun. Highly recommended!Fantastic Tour in Edinburgh

Petra🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Alice)

4 July 2024

Alice hat uns einen wunderbaren Einblick in diese wunderschöne Stadt gegeben. Durch ihre Geschichten hat sie die Führung spannend gemacht und wir werden einige Ecken so in Erinnerung behalten jönnen. Bobby bleibt in bester Erinnerung. Deacon Brodie werden wir auch nicht vergessen. Vielen Dank Alice!Tolle Geschichtenerzählerin

Eduardo🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alec)

16 June 2024

Alec was a sterling storyteller who made our experience of Edinburgh come to life in HD! Learning about is history, and his history with the city, made for a superb afternoon. But 4 pre-teens are the best critics. Each of our youngsters, unprompted, said how much they enjoyed their time with Alec. “He made us feel like one of the grown ups, but still made it fun for us kids.” Same applies to the grown ups. We loved learning the history and all the anecdotes that make an historic city an intimate haven. Edinburgh’s Storyteller

Juliette🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Monica)

15 June 2024

Monica is so knowledgeable She gives a great overview of Scottish history adding lot s of stories having you travelling through centuries Fantastic guide!

Daniela🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Alec)

14 June 2024

We had a phantastic walking tour through old Edinburgh with Lots of interesting stories: highly recommendedGreat walking tour

Helene🇺🇸 United States

(About local Monica)

13 June 2024

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Monica. She was very friendly and easy going, willing to adapt the tour to our interests. She shared many great stories about Edinburgh’s history and lore, and showed us several locations just off the main roads that we wouldn’t have found on our own. Lovely way to explore Edinburgh

Charlotte🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Alice)

12 June 2024

We had a great tour with Alice. Alice is very friendly, has a lot of knowledge and can tell you amazing stories. Friendly, knowledge and entertaining

vb5hw9qgt8🇦🇹 Austria

(About local Alice)

3 June 2024

Alice is a great storyteller. This was definitely one of the best city tours we ever had. Alice is very talented actor and was great with our 3 boys. Thank you!!!Like a fairy tale

Stefany🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Alice)

2 June 2024

We did the Hidden Gems of Edinburgh tour with Alice this week and it was FANTASTIC. She is truly a storyteller who made the history of what we were seeing come alive. My 12 year old was thrilled with this nuanced aspect of the tour, as was I, as we're so used to the standard tour which are great and conversational but this was a lovely twist. Alice was wonderfully friendly, shared tons of information about Edinburgh, and tailored the tour to what we needed. HIGHLY recommend any tour with Alice!History comes Alive with Alice!

Tamara

(About local Alice)

30 May 2024

Oh what a delight. A fabulous experience through and through - Alice was an informative historian, captivating storyteller, and thoughtful hostess for our mother-daughter duo. She was careful to monitor my mother’s stamina while also ensuring we covered plenty of ground. I cannot recommend her highly enough. My new bestie in Edinburgh

Rachael🇺🇸 United States

(About local Laura)

28 May 2024

If you're looking for the perfect blend of history, humor, and just a wee bit of Scottish magic, look no further than Laura's walking tour of Edinburgh! Our group of six Americans felt like we had struck gold when we had the pleasure of wandering the historic streets with Laura as our guide.   From the moment we met, Laura's warm and welcoming presence made us feel right at home, even though we were 5000 miles away. She has a knack for turning every corner into an exciting story and every stone into a piece of living history. We learned more about Edinburgh than we ever could have from any guidebook or website—she even managed to convince us that nearly every saying imaginable originated in Scotland.   Laura’s expertise in showcasing the ins and outs of the city is unparalleled. She kept the tour fun and engaging with her endless anecdotes and witty commentary. We laughed, we learned, and we marveled at the rich tapestry of stories that make up this incredible city.   The true highlight, though, was Laura herself. Her hospitality, grace, and boundless energy made our experience unforgettable. She turned what could have been just another tour into an adventure six friends will cherish forever. If I could, I'd join her tour 1000 times over—it's just that good.   Thank you, Laura, for an incredible day in Edinburgh. You made us feel like locals, and for that, we’re eternally grateful. Keep up the fantastic work, and may your tours always be filled with laughter and joy!Informative and Amazing Tour!

Becky🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Monica)

27 May 2024

Monica is a fantastic tour guide! We had a group of 6 ranging from age 9 to early 70s and she was wonderful with accommodating all of our different ages and paces, especially with the Royal Mile being one big hill. Monica is a great story teller, fun and extremely knowledgeable about Edinburgh's history. She also introduced us to the best fudge around as well as Scottish Tablet - we're hooked! We loved our time together and highly recommend Monica! Fantastic tour guide!

Richard

(About local Alice)

23 May 2024

wij vonden dit een prettige wandeling met heel veel hoogte punten. Onze gids Alice heeft heel veel kennis en ze nam echt de tijd om ons rond te leiden en verhalen te vertellen. Echt een aanrader. rustige wandeling

Linda🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Monica)

12 May 2024

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Monica. Lots of great stories and we certainly saw some hidden places that we wouldn’t normally have seen. It was quite a relaxed pace for us😊 Monica was a fun and informative person to have as our guide. We really enjoyed the experience. A Fun Relaxed Paced Tour

Job🇧🇪 Belgium

(About local Alice)

10 May 2024

Alice took us on a tour of Edinburgh's historic old town and the Castle. She was an excellent guide, storyteller, actress and history expert at the same time. Her warm and enthusiastic guidance was a real added value to our visit to Edinburgh.A visit to Edinburgh with guide Alice

Dru🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

7 May 2024

For a City of stories like Edinburgh, you need a story teller. Alice is top notch, and you won’t regret the experience. We cannot recommend her highly enough! What a treat!

Maryam🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Alec)

29 April 2024

Edinburgh is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen, beside the amazing architecture, history and stories are the very important part of its character so the proper walking tour with the local tour guide is the best way to experience this beautiful city. Our tour guide Alec was a good storyteller and very knowledgeable. We had so much fun walking and talking and learning about all aspects of Edinburgh. I highly recommend him :) Magical city

Kassia🇺🇸 United States

(About local Monica)

29 April 2024

We had such a fantastic tour with Monica! She was incredibly friendly & knowledgeable. She got to know us and showed us things based on our interests. We could've spent the whole day with her! Thanks Monica!Great tour with Monica!

Janice🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alec)

25 April 2024

Alec has a wonderful way of relaying the history of Edinburgh while interspersing interesting & humorous anecdotes. The 3 hours flew by. We lucked out with a clear blue sky which made it all the more enjoyable when he took us to some beautiful viewpoints of the city. We highly recommend this tour with Alec. You will not be disappointed. Excellent Hidden Gems Tour with Alec

Robert🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alice)

17 April 2024

We really enjoyed our morning with Alice exploring Edinburgh and hearing stories. Although it was foggy and misty, we really feel like we had a great tour of old town and learned a lot of history and tales. Great overview