Edinburgh Old Town and Royal Mile Walking Tour

Walk Edinburgh's historic Old Town with an expert guide, uncovering local legends and literary links on a guided walking tour.

Getting started

Meet your expert guide at the starting point in Edinburgh Old Town and join your group for the walking guided tour. After a short introduction to the route and pacing, set off on foot toward the Royal Mile. Your guide leads the way through the historic streets so you can focus on the surroundings and storytelling.

What to expect

Edinburgh Old Town and the Royal Mile

This guided route takes you into Edinburgh’s historic Old Town and along the famous Royal Mile, the spine of the medieval city. You follow your guide through its closes and main thoroughfare as the story of the city unfolds around you.

Features

• Walking through Edinburgh Old Town and the Royal Mile, you pause at key spots while your guide shares stories of kings, philosophers, writers, and legends that once shaped these streets.
• An expert, professional guide is included for this walking guided tour with local storytelling, helping you connect the buildings and lanes you see with the events that took place here.

St Giles Cathedral

Located on the Royal Mile, St Giles Cathedral is one of Edinburgh’s most recognizable landmarks. You visit its exterior as part of the Old Town route, learning why it has been central to the city’s story.

Features

• From your vantage point at St Giles Cathedral, your guide explains how this church fits into the wider history of Edinburgh, setting the scene with tales tied to royalty and religious change.
• The stop at St Giles Cathedral is part of the included visit to Edinburgh Old Town, the Royal Mile, and St Giles Cathedral on this guided tour.

Victoria Street

Curving down from the upper part of the Old Town, Victoria Street is one of Edinburgh’s most photographed streets. It is also closely associated with modern literary culture.

Features

• As you walk along Victoria Street, your guide points out details that are linked to Harry Potter and wider Scottish literature connections, highlighting how these colorful buildings inspired and hosted writers.
• The route includes a dedicated visit to Victoria Street, where literary anecdotes sit alongside stories of local trades, everyday life, and the evolution of the Old Town.

Greyfriars Kirkyard

Greyfriars Kirkyard is an atmospheric historic graveyard on the edge of Old Town, known both for its memorials and its legends. Your guide brings you inside its gates as part of the tour.

Features

• In Greyfriars Kirkyard you hear the tale of Greyfriars Bobby, the city’s famous loyal dog, and learn about Edinburgh’s darker secrets that are tied to the graves and surrounding area.
• This stop includes stories of writers whose names appear on headstones, adding further Harry Potter and Scottish literature connections to what you see among the kirkyard monuments.
• A visit to Greyfriars Kirkyard is included in your walking guided tour, giving your expert guide space to share some of the most memorable legends from the Old Town.