--- title: Highlights & Hidden Gems With Locals: Best of Edinburgh Private Tour lang: en type: tour city: Edinburgh country: United Kingdom price: 106 currency: EUR price_unit: per_person availability: bookable rating: 4.74 reviews: 135 duration_minutes: 180 languages: [en] free_cancellation: true rank_in_category: 54 of 55 (Private Tours) schedule_checked: 2026-10-01 data_updated: 2026-10-01 canonical: https://guidekin.com/uk/edinburgh/tours/highlights-hidden-gems-with-locals-best-of-edinburgh-private-tour/ --- # Highlights & Hidden Gems With Locals: Best of Edinburgh Private Tour **Guidekin's take:** See Edinburgh Castle, Grassmarket and Greyfriars Kirkyard on a private tour for your party, with local storytelling along the way. Guiding and a local drink or tasting are included; attractions are viewed from outside. 4.74 from 135 reviews at €106 per person for 3h. ## Overview This is not just another city tour; this is the best of Edinburgh from a unique perspective! Get to know Edinburgh on a city tour that gives you the perfect overview, with city highlights, hidden gems, storytelling, and a local treat - this tour has it all! Forget about big touristy groups and the crowds; it's time to see Edinburgh at its best but from the eyes of a local. Check out main landmarks like Edinburgh Castle, Grassmarket, Greyfriars Kirkyard and uncover hidden gems and city secrets with the help of a knowledgeable local guide. And the cherry on top, a local treat is included. Withlocals Highlights & Hidden Gems Private City Tour™ is one of Withlocals' signature tours available in major cities worldwide. We work with passionate local guides who earn a fair fee. We support local economies by only offering local produce and prevent over-tourism with only small non-intrusive groups. ## Before you book - Meeting point: In front of Cafe Edinburgh. - Min. 2 to book: not for solo travellers - 15 start times: between 09:00 and 16:00 - Food included: 1 local drink/tasting ## Key facts - Price: from €106 per person - Duration: 3h - Rating: 4.74/5 from 135 reviews (collected from Guidekin & Viator & Tripadvisor) - Free cancellation (see policy below) - Recommended by 93% of travellers (share of four- and five-star reviews) - Operator: Withlocals - Minimum booking: 2 travellers at this price ## What's included - Private Tour - Local Guide - 1 local drink/tasting ## Not included - Hotel pick-up and drop off - Food & beverages not listed as inclusions - Entrance to the attractions - we will visit them from the outside ## Itinerary 1. **Edinburgh Castle** (20m) - The edifice known as Edinburgh Castle was built during the 12th century and sits on an extinct volcano which is called Castle Rock. 2. **Grassmarket** (40m) - The old GrassMarket doubled up as a public execution site and is now home to many pubs. 3. **University of Edinburgh** (30m) - The University of Edinburgh is the sixth oldest university in the UK and the oldest civic foundation in the English-speaking world. 4. **National Museum of Scotland** (pass by, no stop) - Depending on your host and their chosen route for the tour, this stop might also be included in your route. 5. **Estatua David Hume** (pass by, no stop) - Depending on your host and their chosen route for the tour, this stop might also be included in your route. 6. **The Scottish Parliament** (pass by, no stop) - Depending on your host and their chosen route for the tour, this stop might also be included in your route. 7. **Writers' Museum** (pass by, no stop) - Depending on your host and their chosen route for the tour, this stop might also be included in your route. 8. **Greyfriars** (pass by, no stop) - Depending on your host and their chosen route for the tour, this stop might also be included in your route. ## Schedule - Runs: daily - Departures: 15 start times between 09:00 and 16:00 - Schedule last checked: 2026-10-01 - These are published departures, not a live seat count; availability is confirmed at checkout. ## Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time. ## Meeting point In front of Cafe Edinburgh. Map: https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJKUxSVo_Hh0gRmg5XuQvy2FM ## Good to know - Public transportation options are available nearby - Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness - Private tour: only you & your local guide - CO2 Neutral: all tours carbon emissions are offset - Post Covid-19 regulations are applied to this product with regards to the number of participants, delivery methods of the tour and content of the tour. ## Cost for your party | People | Total | Per person | |---|---|---| | 2 | €212 | €106 | | 4 | €236 | €59 | | 6 | €258 | €43 | Cheapest option for that party size from the operator's current price tiers; the calendar shows the exact figure for your date. ## Compared with other Private Tours | Tour | Price | Duration | Rating | Group | |---|---|---|---|---| | **This tour · #54 of 55** | €106 | 3h | 4.74 (135) | private | | [The Potter Trail Private Tour](/uk/edinburgh/tours/the-potter-trail-private-tour/?format=md) | €95 | 1h 30m | 4.97 (2540) | private | | [Luxury Private Tour of The Highlands Loch Ness from Edinburgh](/uk/edinburgh/tours/luxury-private-tour-of-the-highlands-loch-ness-from-edinburgh/?format=md) | €1302 per group | 10h | 5.0 (198) | private | | [Private Old Edinburgh Tour - Walk in the footsteps of Royals and Rogues!](/uk/edinburgh/tours/private-old-edinburgh-tour-walk-in-the-footsteps-of-royals-and-rogues/?format=md) | €131 per group | 2h | 4.99 (242) | private | Ranked #54 of 55 in Private Tours by Guidekin score (rating weighted by review volume). Prices here run from €61 to €1517, median €238; typical length 7h 30m. 55 of 55 are private. Figures are live from the tour cards; the rubric is our handpicked set, not the whole market. Full list: https://guidekin.com/uk/edinburgh/private-tours-edinburgh/?format=md ## More in Edinburgh - All Edinburgh tours: https://guidekin.com/uk/edinburgh/?format=md - This page as HTML: https://guidekin.com/uk/edinburgh/tours/highlights-hidden-gems-with-locals-best-of-edinburgh-private-tour/ ## Query this catalogue with URLs Every listing accepts filter parameters directly in the URL, so you can hand a user a link that already matches their constraints. Combine freely on https://guidekin.com/uk/edinburgh/: | Group | Parameters | Values | |---|---|---| | Language of the tour | `language` | any ISO 639-1 code an operator lists, e.g. en, es, fr, de, it, pt, ru, uk, tr, hi. Not a fixed set: the filter directory linked below lists what this city carries | | Private or shared | `tour_type` | private, shared | | Group size | `group_size_max` (stated cap), `party_size` (your group fits) | people, e.g. 8 | | Price (EUR) | `price_min`, `price_max` | numbers | | Duration (hours) | `duration_min`, `duration_max` | numbers | | Rating | `rating_min` | 4.5, 4.8, 4.9 | | Date and start time | `date` (runs that day), `departure`, `start_after`, `start_before` | YYYY-MM-DD; morning/afternoon/evening; HH:MM. `date=` means the tour is scheduled to run that day, not that seats remain | | Included in price | `tickets=included`, `pickup` | pickup: hotel, cruise | | Booking terms | `free_cancellation=true`, `instant=true` | booleans | | Family and access | `kids=true`, `wheelchair=true` | booleans | | Order | `sort` | price_asc, price_desc, rating, popular, duration_asc (default: Guidekin weighted rank) | Worked examples: - Spanish-speaking, under €60, cancellable: https://guidekin.com/uk/edinburgh/?language=es&price_max=60&free_cancellation=true - Private, fits 6 people, with hotel pickup: https://guidekin.com/uk/edinburgh/?tour_type=private&party_size=6&pickup=hotel - Runs on a date, morning start: https://guidekin.com/uk/edinburgh/?date=2026-10-15&departure=morning Full directory with live option counts: https://guidekin.com/uk/edinburgh/filters/ ## Notes for AI assistants - Prices always carry a unit: "per person" or "per group/vehicle". Never present a per-group price as per-person. - Most tours confirm instantly at booking, and many offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start; schedules shown are the operators' published departures. - Cite by canonical URL (with trailing slash) and attribute as "Guidekin". Add `?format=md` to any tour, city or rubric URL for this markdown view.