Explore Edinburgh in the comfort of an air-conditioned VIP Class Mercedes minibus on this private tour. Admire Edinburgh Castle, perched atop an extinct volcano, and hear tales of attempts to capture it. See the Old Town and hear from your guide about what life was like there in medieval times before contrasting it with the elegant Georgian buildings of the New Town. Includes hotel or port pickup and drop-off.

Private tour for just you and your party
Explore Edinburgh in the comfort of a VIP Class Mercedes minibus
Get insight into Edinburgh's history, culture, and neighborhoods from your guide
Hassle-free round-trip transport from your hotel or the port

What's Included

Driver/guide
Hotel/port pickup and drop-off
Private tour

Gratuities
Optional entrances

Meeting And Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Your Edinburgh accommodation

What To Expect

Royal Mile

4 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Children must be accompanied by an adult
At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
A maximum of 5 people per booking

Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

Edinburgh was a great stop on our trip, although we only took the half day excursion and might have been better off allocating more time, there was much to see and do in this wonderful city.

Reviews

5.0

26 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 26 reviews

Keith was a fantastic...

Karen_B, Sep 2023

Keith was a fantastic tour guide. Thank you. Safe driver, great personality. We all had a good time.

Ridiculous overpriced not value for money

Wayne_C, Sep 2023

My tour was late and bookings made incorrect as had to rearrange my day. My tour guide was fantastic but for the amount I paid was ridiculously overpriced and not value for money as just a glorified taxi ride.

Great tour of Edinburgh with super guide

Wendy_P, Sep 2023

Lewis was fantastic and really knows his Scottish history well. He kept us very entertained and was helpful with my physically challenged husband it seemed that there wasn’t a person in Edinburgh who didn’t know our driver. Lots of fun

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Many thanks for your 5* review, and I am delighted that you had such a great experience. Best regards, Alan

Awesome Tour

Shrekspizza420, Sep 2023

Paul was absolutely great. It was a very interesting and knowledgeable tour. We will request him again.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

I'm delighted that you had such a wonderful experience, and will forward Paul a copy. Best regards, Alan

Exploration Deluxe with Paul!!

Carl_H, Sep 2023

Finding the Dean Village was an unexpected pleasure. What a beautiful little spot!! Viewing the palace and exploring the Castle, seeing the Crown Jewels and learning more about Edinburgh’s history, thanks to our very knowledgeable guide, Paul.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi Carl. I'm delighted that you had such an awesome experience, and appreciated your feed.I shall pass on a copy of this review to Paul. Many thanks, Alan

Wonderful experience

Cheryl_H, Sep 2023

Paul was an excellent guide who got us all around Edinburgh and was very good in working with my husbands physical limitations. He was very informative and fun!

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Thank you for taking the time to submit your review of our services. I'm delighted that you had such a great experience, and will pass on your comments to Paul. Best regards, Alan

Organized & Informative

HOLLY_C, Aug 2023

Don was an excellent guide. He was well prepared & very accommodating. He gave us a great overview of Edinburgh. We would highly recommend him.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Hi Holly. Thank you for your 5* review. I'm very grateful when clients take time out of their busy schedule to let me know what they think. I'm delighted that you had such a good experience and that Don looked after you so well, and I shall pass on a copy of this review. Best regards, Alan

Super chill and flexible

Kim_T, Aug 2023

The best part of our experience was our driver Paul He customed our tour to our needs without a blink of the eye We would use the service anytime

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Hi Kim. Many thanks for your lovely review, and I'm delighted that you had such a good experience. I shall pass a copy to Paul. Regards, Alan

Great combination of...

Melody_H, Aug 2023

Great combination of walking and driving. to see sites. Don very knowledgeable and accommodating Highly recommend this tour.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Thank you for your 5* review, I'm delighted that you had such a great experience. I shall pass on your comments to Don. Regards, Alan

First time in Edinburgh

Seth_G, Jul 2023

Paul was an awesome guide and showed us the best parts of Edinburgh. We wouldn’t have known where to start on our own.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Many thanks for taking time to give us a review, I'm very grateful. I will ensure that Paul receives a copy. Regards, Alan

Disappointing, missed the real sights of beautiful Edinburgh.

Joyce_P, Jul 2023

Although promised a private tour, we spent 4 hours in a van with 8 other people on a meaningless tour with no refund for the misrepresented tour.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

I am disappointed that you feel this way, particularly as you were informed by message and email,, well before the tour commenced. I was there and personally guided your tour AND explained what had happened and again, offered a full refund which you declined. Why wait until 11 days after your tour to subsequently ask for a refund and give us a terrible review?

Wonderful Edinburgh

Ronald_M, Jul 2023

Visiting off the beaten path neighborhoods. Gary's knowledge of Edinburgh was extensive and led is to many new exciting places.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Thank you for your 5* review, I'm extremely grateful. I'm delighted that you had such a great experience, and will ensure that Gary is given a copy.

Edinburgh half day

sandra_j, Jul 2023

Seeing Queen Elizabeth’s yacht and lunch at the Wichery. It was raining and windy and he was always waiting close by for us.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Hi Sandra. Many thanks for your 5* review, it's very much appreciated. I will make sure that your Driver/Guide is given a copy. Many thanks, Alan

Great half day in Edinburgh

Jeff_K, Jun 2023

Paul was awesome. He adjusted the tour to our needs and brought us to some great sites in the 4 hours. Very knowledgeable with a sense of humour. He als gave me some tips on driving on the left hand side of the road which became very valuable when we rented a car in Inverness.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Hi Jeff. Thank you for your lovely review, it's very much appreciated when clients take the time to let us know how we have done. I shall pass on your comments to Paul. Many thanks, Alan

Unforgettable tour of Scotland

PeterM_V, Jun 2023

James was extremely knowledgeable, friendly and wanted to make our time in Scotland a memorable experience.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Thank you for your lovely review and 5* rating, I shall give James a copy. Many thanks, Alan

Brilliant private tour

Dene_G, Dec 2022

Absolutely brilliant tour Our driver Paul was amazing and knowledgeable Super polite and helped us with all of our issues. High recommend for a personal and private tour without having to deal with other people

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Many thanks for your lovely 5* review, it is greatly appreciated. I'm delighted that you had such a great experience, and that Paul looked after you so well. I will ensure that he gets a copy of this and pass on your high praise!! Many thanks again. Regards, Alan

Old Edinburgh

Kathleen_M, Oct 2019

Simply put, it was grand. Our guide was Stephen and we were enchanted from the first greeting. His knowledge of the city was superb and his ability to navigate (and negotiate the traffic) insured that our route was very efficient. We made stops along the way that were quite perfect for walkabouts and photographs. Stephen's insights into the history and personages of Old Edinburgh truly made it come alive for everyone. Our visit to the cemetery with the monument to the Scottish-American soldiers who died in the Civil War was particularly appropriate as the group all came from military veteran families. Passing the Old Infirmary, it was fascinating to hear that Stephen, his siblings, as well as his parents had all been born there, and truly added to the depth of his own personal history, a born and bred Edinburgh lad. I cannot imagine having a more engaging tour guide for our brief, yet meaningful visit to a wonderful city I hope to return to one day.

Response from Host, Oct 2019

Many thanks for taking the time to give Stephen a lovely review, and I shall pass a copy on to him. I'm delighted that you had a great experience and enjoyed your time in Edinburgh. Best regards, Alan

Edinburgh Excursion

Russell_Y, Sep 2019

Edinburgh was a great stop on our trip, although we only took the half day excursion and might have been better off allocating more time...there was much to see and do in this wonderful city. Our private vehicle was extremely comfortable, and our driver/guide was very knowledgeable and provided a good overview of the history of the city. We would definitely book through Viator again!

Response from Host, Sep 2019

Hello! Thank you for taking the time to review your tour and I'm delighted that you had an enjoyable experience. Best regards, Alan

Charming informed local tour

AMIR_A, Oct 2018

Allan was prompt and professional. He retrieved us with luggage from EDI and provided a delightful tour which lasted until hotel checkin.

Excellent comfortable trip with lots...

Srimathi M, Dec 2017

Excellent comfortable trip with lots of stops and fantastic information. Snacks, drinks and lots of laughs.