Edinburgh

Skip-the-Ticket-Line Edinburgh Castle Walking Tour

Edinburgh, Scotland
Likely to Sell Out

From $53.10

Select Date and Travelers

-You will not receive a refund if you cancel.

  • 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Save valuable vacation time with skip-the-line access to Edinburgh Castle on this walking tour. Avoid hours of waiting in line and breeze right inside with your priority admission ticket. Then, listen to your guide's commentary about the Scottish landmark's history as you walk through one of Scotland's most famous landmarks.
  • Edinburgh Castle tour with skip-the-line access
  • Learn the history and the secrets of the castle
  • See the National War Museum and the National Monument
  • Continue to explore the castle independently after the tour

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

Skip-the-line entrance means more time inside and you can stay as long as you like after the tour ends.

What's Included

  • Skip-the-ticket-line entrance to the Castle
  • Local guide
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Food and drinks

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • 130 High St, Edinburgh EH1 1QS, UK

    Your Edinburgh Castle Walking Tour starts on 130 Royal Mile, on the corner with Stevenlaw’s Close (Please do not go straight to the castle). Look for our staff with red jackets and red umbrellas branded with SANDEMANs logos.

Start time

02:00 PM

End point

  • Castle Terrace, Edinburgh, UK

    Your Edinburgh Castle Tour finishes inside the castle grounds.

What To Expect

Meet your guide in central Edinburgh to begin your tour. Skip the often long entry line and proceed directly into the castle for your walking tour.

During the walking tour, learn the secrets of this famous castle, including seeing one of the world’s few official dog cemeteries and the smallest shrine in the world. Walk through Crown Square, the main courtyard of the castle. See the Crown Jewels of Scotland, including the Stone of Destiny, used in the coronation of Scottish monarchs. Visit the National War Museum, which enables you to learn more about battles that have shaped Scottish history. 

After the conclusion of your walking tour, you are free to stay and explore the castle independently for as long as you like.

Edinburgh

Admission Ticket Free

Royal Mile

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

National War Museum of Scotland

15 hours • Admission Ticket Included

St. Margaret's Chapel

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Edinburgh Castle

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Most travelers can participate
  • Please be aware that Edinburgh Castle stays open until 5pm and your Castle Ticket is only valid on the day of purchase.
  • Children (4 or under) can join the Edinburgh Castle Tour for free. We reserve the right to ask for a valid ID for children joining our tours.
  • Our tour starts at 130 Royal Mile on the corner with Stevenlaw’s Close. We don't allow guests to join after the start time, and we don't allow guests to join the tour if they don't show up in our current start point at 130 High Street.
  • The independent guides who employ us to market their tours have your best interests in mind; while the tour usually includes the sites & stories mentioned and lasts about 1.5 hours, your tour may vary depending on what your guide thinks is best for your group
  • No bags or backpacks over 30L are permitted for security reasons
  • Unfortunately, the steep hills and uneven ground mean that this tour is not suitable for pushchairs or those unable to walk unassisted
  • Children under 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travelers

Cancellation Policy

This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

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      Reviews

      4.5
      1,206 reviews
      Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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      Reviews by Viator travelers.
      Showing 1-10 of 1,206 reviews
      Alisdair-Great tour guide
      Dan_I, May 2024
      Alisdair was an amazing tour guide! He was so friendly from the start, very good to ensure everyone could hear him in the group and was still with us as it was very busy that day. He was full of such amazing information and definitely made a difference in touring the castle. Would highly recommend doing this tour!
      Engaging tour
      Jacqueline_J, May 2024
      Alyster was a very engaging tour guide. The tour was informative and a nice small group of about 10.
      Extremely disappointed in the lack of professionalism.
      janncruttenden, May 2024
      I was extremely disappointed with this tour as I was unable to locate the tour guide after we entered the Portcullis Gate. He did not have a red umbrella instead a black one and only ever showed the black handle. I only found the group again in the Square where he gave a final talk on finishing the tour. Definitely not value for money and feel that the tour leader should have been much more aware in relation to the number of people in his group. I spoke with another couple on the group and she was only able to stay in touch because her partner was talk. Definitely not a tour suited to a solo traveller. Very, very disappointed and upset with the lack of professionalism of the tour leader.
      Good tour
      Paula_B, May 2024
      G, the guide, was very knowledgeable. Shared good information. I didn’t see that we skipped a line but still good.
      Edinburgh tour
      Linda_G, May 2024
      Gavin was great! Knowledgeable and insightful on the history of Edinburgh Castle. The memorial is am amazing tribute to the fallen heros.
      Our guide was excellent...
      John_E, Apr 2024
      Our guide was excellent knew a lot about the tour and answered questions about everything. He was great, showed us a wonderful time.
      Edinburgh castle local guide
      Danielle_Z, Apr 2024
      Our tour guide was great, I loved that he was a local guide and was very well versed in Edinburgh castle history along with a magazine of pictures and explanations. Thank you for making our tour amazing!
      Wonderfully macabre
      April_B, Apr 2024
      Loved our tour guide giving us some of the more macabre details of the place. I was very entertained and I usually can’t stand history!
      Our guide Alaidair was...
      Alan_W, Apr 2024
      Our guide Alaidair was informative, humorous and thoughtful. His careful presentation of the castle’s changes over the decades and centuries brought history to life for us.
      Great afternoon at the Castle
      Carla_P, Jan 2024
      Alistair did a great job of giving us context as we walked through the Castle and its features. We did not know much about the history- so his insights were very interesting.
      Be forewarned: This tour does NOT go inside any of the sites included on the itinerary!
      Ursula_H, Dec 2023
      Extremely disappointing… From the description and the photos of prior participants in this tour I assumed the tour included the guide leading us into the War Museum, the chapel and/or the castle itself. But no. The tour was entirely outside — and on a very cold day. I hate to say anything negative about the tour guide, Alasdair who was very sweet, but given the cold weather he could have sped up some of his commentary, which included references to old tv shows that contributed little to nothing to one’s appreciation of these historical sights. At $50+ this tour is vastly overpriced for an exclusively outdoors tour. At the very least, it should have been made expressly clear in the description that the guide would not be taking participants into ANY of the sites noted on the itinerary and it was just a walking tour of the exterior of the castle grounds. Be forewarned…. This was a waste of time and money.
      Still had fun on my own!
      Georgina_C, Dec 2023
      The operator cancelled a few days before the tour and offered me an alternate day which, unfortunately, was for a few days after I would have left Scotland. I paid to get in using the Edinburgh Castle web site and found I could have had a guided tour a little bit earlier on the original day but it was probably for a different operator so they didn't tell me about it. While I understand they were unable to deliver the tour, I was disappointed they didn't refer me on. I did enjoy touring the castle on my own so if this happens to you, check out the self-guided audio tours on the castle's web site
      Great tour guide
      Peggy_D, Oct 2023
      Castle & it’s were interesting & the view was amazing. Our guide Alisdair was terrific. Knowledgeable & funny. One of our group has trouble walking & he took time to let her keep up. Asked her several times if she was okay. Very thoughtful!
      Enjoyable. Highly recommend.
      Karen_O, Oct 2023
      Alasdair was friendly, knowledgeable, funny and a great explainer. Highly recommend this tour. Skipping the line was bonus.
      Fantastic guide! Alasdair...
      Jake_F, Oct 2023
      Fantastic guide! Alasdair was great. Knowledgeable and entertaining. Your was a great length. Felt like covered the castle well and did not drag on
      Never again with Viator
      Darren_T, Oct 2023
      Terrible tour company with extremely poor customer service. There was no "line." They charge you more for no gain. Bus was an hour late and we had to rush through the castle to stay on time. Beautiful place - horrible tour service.
      10/10
      Rebecca_S, Oct 2023
      Very interesting tour. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable. I loved all the fun facts along the way. Would definitely recommend!
      Great tour and guide!
      SEAN_L, Oct 2023
      Our guide was fantastic. He had a great deal of knowledge and stopped at all the best spots to share the history with us. He was funny and made the tour a blast.
      Well Worth the Money
      Karen_G, Sep 2023
      The tour was everything I hoped it would be. The guide Alisdair was friendly, funny and ver knowledgeable. He kept the tour going at a good pace and was very approachable.
      Amazing tour!!
      maha_a, Sep 2023
      I had a great time visiting the castle and learning more about the history. Our guide alisdair was very knowledgeable, funny and engaging. I really enjoyed my time!!!!
      ...

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