Combos

Combo (Save 8%): Edinburgh Castle Guided Tour & City Sightseeing Hop-on Hop-off Bus Experience

Name: Combo (Save 8%): Edinburgh Castle Guided Tour & City Sightseeing Hop-on Hop-off Bus Experience
Start: 2026-06-20T10:00:00
End: 2026-06-20T11:00:00
Location: Edinburgh

Visitors walking near the Ross Fountain with Edinburgh Castle in the background.

Family exploring Edinburgh Castle courtyard, Scotland.

Red double-decker bus on Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off Tour near historic stone building.

Edinburgh Castle viewed from a hop-on hop-off tour bus with tourists.

Open today

9:30am - 6:00pm

Explore at your pace

Choose your entry time, stay as long as you like

Free cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience

Audio guide

Enhance your experience with multilingual audio guide

4.5/5(821)

Michelle G

Family

Verified booking

6 days ago

We loved the tour of the castle and although Vox Tours was a relatively new player in the market we found our guide to be incredibly informative and just an all round nice fella. As 6 other tourists didn't show for the alotted time, we ended up being the oly people on the tour, so everything was at our pace. We equally loved the dungeons, although a little disappointed that the 'ride' wasn't in operation.

Paul L

Couple

Verified booking

4 days ago

We got out of the rain. And everything else went really well. The guide was friendly and helped us a lot. The only downside was a sick family—they were coughing a lot—but everything went smoothly on every trail after that.

Roberta P

Couple

Verified booking

May 2026

Great service for exploring the city with a brief tour. The ability to hop on and off as often as you like is fantastic for getting around comfortably. I recommend this service to everyone, especially those who have trouble walking long distances. The bus runs every 5–10 minutes at each stop; we never had to wait more than a few minutes to get back on. I’ll definitely use it again in the future, even in other cities!

Glenda N

Couple

Verified booking

May 2026

This is an amazing experience, it starts at the city with a small walking tour and stops at iconic places and stories told by our guide in an incredible way, after that, we went to the castle and the guide took care of everything, we entered and the guide told us some stories, shared information about the castle. After that, you have plenty time for checking the castle by yourself. Highly recommended experience indeed.

Anna M

Couple

Verified booking

May 2026

ANDREW IS A NICE PERSON. HE TAKES PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN OUR TOUR AND HE HAS PERFORMED INTERESTING ALL PEOPLE INVOLVED. DUE TO POLICE CONTROL THE TOUR HAD A DELAY, BUT ANDREW WAS VERY NICE AND HE HAS TRANSFORMED THE DELAY IN A PEACEFUL HISTORY

Thomas L

Couple

Verified booking

May 2026

Disaster!! Had to wait 20 minutes for guide to go and get the tickets . He came back with 12 tickets for 13 people so I had to buy a ticket from a tout to get in to the castle. The guide promised that I would be reimbursed. Hope that I will get the US D 100 reward.

Combine a 45-minute guided tour of Edinburgh Castle’s exterior with a 24-hour hop-on hop-off bus pass for a flexible city adventure.

Walk the castle exterior with a local English-speaking guide and hear fascinating tales of royalty, sieges, and legendary events.

Explore the Great Hall, St. Margaret’s Chapel, and Scotland’s Crown Jewels at your own pace with the included city audio tour app.

Access the Red Route with 14 stops across the city, hopping on and off at your leisure as buses arrive every 20 minutes.

Learn Edinburgh’s history via a multilingual audio guide, enjoy 360-degree open-top bus views, and visit iconic stops including John Knox House, Grassmarket, and Holyrood.

Edinburgh Castle Guided Tour

Entry to Edinburgh Castle

45-min express guided tour of Edinburgh Castle (outside the castle)

Free time for independent exploration of Edinburgh Castle

Expert local English-speaking guide

Edinburgh city audio tour (digital app)

Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

24-hour unlimited hop-on hop-off pass

Access to Red Route

Audio guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, and Russian

Horrible Histories' kid's commentary

Headphones

Free kids' tickets

Flexible validity for up to 12 months from your selected date

Edinburgh Castle Guided Tour

Headset and mobile device

Edinburgh Castle internal audio guide (£3.50)

Transportation

Gratuities

You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

821 reviews
How do we collect reviews?
These ratings include verified reviews from both Headout guests and our trusted partners who operate this experience locally. All reviews come from real travelers who've taken this experience.
496
270
39
7
9
Guests from United States, Germany, Canada and over 33 countries have loved this experience
What our guests say
Michelle G
Family
Verified booking
6 days ago
We loved the tour of the castle and although Vox Tours was a relatively new player in the market we found our guide to be incredibly informative and just an all round nice fella. As 6 other tourists didn't show for the alotted time, we ended up being the oly people on the tour, so everything was at our pace. We equally loved the dungeons, although a little disappointed that the 'ride' wasn't in operation.
Paul L
Couple
Verified booking
4 days ago
We got out of the rain. And everything else went really well. The guide was friendly and helped us a lot. The only downside was a sick family—they were coughing a lot—but everything went smoothly on every trail after that.
Roberta P
Couple
Verified booking
May 2026
Great service for exploring the city with a brief tour. The ability to hop on and off as often as you like is fantastic for getting around comfortably. I recommend this service to everyone, especially those who have trouble walking long distances. The bus runs every 5–10 minutes at each stop; we never had to wait more than a few minutes to get back on. I’ll definitely use it again in the future, even in other cities!
Glenda N
Couple
Verified booking
May 2026
This is an amazing experience, it starts at the city with a small walking tour and stops at iconic places and stories told by our guide in an incredible way, after that, we went to the castle and the guide took care of everything, we entered and the guide told us some stories, shared information about the castle. After that, you have plenty time for checking the castle by yourself. Highly recommended experience indeed.
Anna M
Couple
Verified booking
May 2026
ANDREW IS A NICE PERSON. HE TAKES PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN OUR TOUR AND HE HAS PERFORMED INTERESTING ALL PEOPLE INVOLVED. DUE TO POLICE CONTROL THE TOUR HAD A DELAY, BUT ANDREW WAS VERY NICE AND HE HAS TRANSFORMED THE DELAY IN A PEACEFUL HISTORY

Enjoy a day of convenience with a guided tour of Edinburgh Castle paired with a 24-hour hop-on hop-off bus pass.

Getting started

Meet your castle guide at the location listed on your voucher for check-in. Walk to the entrance together, with security and entry handled as part of the group flow. For the bus, show your voucher to the driver to collect your ticket before boarding.

What to expect

Edinburgh Castle Guided Tour

Explore Edinburgh’s most famous fortress with a guided tour of the castle exterior, giving context and orientation before exploring the interiors independently.

Features

Guided walk: Discover key viewpoints and learn the castle’s role in Edinburgh’s royal and military history.

Independent exploration: After the tour, explore highlights such as the Great Hall, St. Margaret’s Chapel, and Scotland’s Crown Jewels at your own pace.

Audio tour: Extend your city exploration with the included Edinburgh audio tour app.

Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

Make the most of your day with a flexible 24-hour pass along the Red Route. Stay on for a full loop or hop off at any stop to explore landmarks and viewpoints, then rejoin when ready.

Features

Flexible sightseeing: Hop on and off at 14 stops across the city, including Grassmarket, Holyrood, and John Knox House.

Multilingual audio guide: Learn Edinburgh’s history and stories with commentary in multiple languages.

Panoramic views: Enjoy 360-degree perspectives from the open-top double-decker bus.

What to bring

Edinburgh Castle Guided Tour

Bring a valid photo ID, as it may be requested at the entrance.

Download the audio app before arrival to avoid network issues. Scan the QR code on your voucher to access the Vox City app and city map in your preferred language.

Carry earphones for the best audio guide experience.

What’s not allowed

Edinburgh Castle Guided Tour

Large luggage, bags over 30L, and suitcases are not permitted inside the castle.

Pets are not allowed.

Drones are prohibited.

Roof access may be restricted in poor weather conditions.

Accessibility

Edinburgh Castle Guided Tour

The castle is not fully wheelchair-accessible due to uneven terrain and steps around the grounds.

Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Tour

Edinburgh buses are fully wheelchair accessible.

Wheelchairs must not exceed 70cm wide, 120cm long, and 135cm high. Contact the provider if unsure.

Only one wheelchair can be accommodated per bus; if occupied, please wait for the next one.

Additional information

Edinburgh Castle Guided Tour

Guided tour takes place outdoors; interior buildings are not included.

Stops are determined by castle authorities and may vary.

Minors must be accompanied by an adult.

Arrive 10–15 minutes before your scheduled start time.

If the castle is unexpectedly closed, Holyrood Palace tickets may be offered if available.

Meeting points may vary; confirm in your booking.

The Honours of Scotland (Crown Jewels) will be closed from January 12 to Easter 2026.

Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Tour

Children aged 3 and under travel free, but child tickets must be added at checkout.

Well-behaved dogs are allowed onboard.

Your voucher will be emailed to you shortly.

Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the starting point.

Please check your final voucher for the starting point details & specific instructions.