---
title: Old Town Historical and Underground Tour
lang: en
type: tour
city: Edinburgh
country: United Kingdom
price: 24
currency: EUR
price_unit: per_person
availability: bookable
rating: 4.82
reviews: 1952
duration_minutes: 90
languages: [en]
free_cancellation: true
guidekin_pick: Old Town and vaults
rank_in_category: 26 of 33 (Walking Tours)
schedule_checked: 2026-10-01
data_updated: 2026-10-01
canonical: https://guidekin.com/uk/edinburgh/tours/old-town-historical-and-underground-tour/
---

# Old Town Historical and Underground Tour

**Guidekin's take:** Follow the Royal Mile into closes and courts off the High Street, then explore the South Bridge vaults. Guiding and access to a dedicated underground section are included, with time for questions; moderate fitness is required. 4.82 from 1952 reviews at €24 per person for 1h 30m.

## Overview

Led by either the holder of a PhD in Scottish history or a guide with decades of experience providing historic tours in Scotland’s capital, this 90-minute tour is a fascinating journey through Edinburgh’s celebrated Old Town. Revel in the majesty of the famous Royal Mile with its stunning architecture, but also visit the secluded closes and courts lying just off the High Street and discover their dramatic stories. Find out about the world famous poets, novelists, philosophers and inventors who called this neighbourhood home but also the notorious thieves, murderers and bodysnatchers who stalked the streets after dark. The tour includes a trip through Canongate Kirkyard and a visit to our underground vaults below South Bridge, where you will find out how it came to be and who used to live there.

## Key facts

- Price: from €24 per person
- Duration: 1h 30m
- Rating: 4.82/5 from 1952 reviews (collected from Guidekin & Viator & Tripadvisor)
- Free cancellation (see policy below)
- Recommended by 96% of travellers (share of four- and five-star reviews)
- Operator: City of Edinburgh Tours

## What's included

- For those who want to learn more about Edinburgh’s past this tour is a must do!
- Access to our exclusive section of underground.
- Learn about the extraordinary events which shaped this great city.
- 90 Minute tour of Edinburgh’s Old Town and South Bridge vaults.
- Relaxed nature of the tour allows for plenty of questions and further discussion.
- Tour led by a well trained, highly knowledgeable and personable guide.

## Not included

- N/A

## Itinerary

1. **City of Edinburgh Tours** (45m) - Tron Kirk Niddry wynd Vaults Canongate Kirkyard

## Schedule

- Runs: daily
- Departures: 11:00, 14:15
- 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.

## Good to know

- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

## Compared with other Walking Tours

| Tour | Price | Duration | Rating | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **This tour · #26 of 33** | €24 | 1h 30m | 4.82 (1952) | shared |
| [Edinburgh Old Town: Historical Guided Walking Tour](/uk/edinburgh/tours/edinburgh-old-town-historical-guided-walking-tour/?format=md) | €24 | 2h | 4.97 (1669) | shared |
| [The Mountebank Comedy Walk of Edinburgh](/uk/edinburgh/tours/the-mountebank-comedy-walk-of-edinburgh/?format=md) | €31 | 2h | 4.96 (2008) | shared |
| [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 #26 of 33 in Walking Tours by Guidekin score (rating weighted by review volume). Prices here run from €4 to €114, median €31; typical length 2h. 9 of 33 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/walking-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/old-town-historical-and-underground-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.
