--- title: Underground Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh Old Town lang: en type: tour city: Edinburgh country: United Kingdom price: 29 currency: EUR price_unit: per_person availability: bookable rating: 4.7 reviews: 9483 duration_minutes: 60 languages: [en] free_cancellation: true rank_in_category: 33 of 33 (Walking Tours) schedule_checked: 2026-10-01 data_updated: 2026-10-01 canonical: https://guidekin.com/uk/edinburgh/tours/underground-vaults-walking-tour-in-edinburgh-old-town/ --- # Underground Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh Old Town **Guidekin's take:** Walk the Royal Mile before exploring candlelit vaults beneath the South Bridge, with stories about their former residents. The guided vault visit is included, but access involves a high step, a spiral staircase and further steps inside. 4.7 from 9483 reviews at €29 per person for 1h. ## Overview Journey along Edinburgh's Royal Mile hearing some of Edinburgh's darker history before visiting the infamous hidden and supposedly haunted vaults beneath the South Bridge in Edinburgh Old Town. Hear tales of how the poor and unfortunate lived in these former slums. Explore these dimly lit vaults by candlelight, once the haunt of criminals, body snatchers and witches alike, said by some to now be occupied by a few of the spirits of these inhabitants long since dead. Each vault has stories of crime, disease, death and lots more... with which your guide shall enlighten you in all the gory details! You will see a genuine witchcraft temple, recently used by a Wiccan coven and you will enter their former temple. Join us to learn why it is no longer safe for them to practice their craft in that vault. DARE you step inside the infamous stone circle? ## Before you book - Meeting point: The tour starts from the Red Telephone… - 13 start times: between 10:00 and 16:30 - Food not included: bring or buy your own - Age 5+: not suitable for children under 5 years of age,… ## Key facts - Price: from €29 per person - Duration: 1h - Rating: 4.7/5 from 9483 reviews (collected from Guidekin & Viator & Tripadvisor) - Free cancellation (see policy below) - Recommended by 93% of travellers (share of four- and five-star reviews) - Operator: Auld Reekie Tours Ltd ## What's included - Professional guide - Haunted vault visit - Live English-speaking guide ## Not included - Gratuities - Food and drinks - Transportation to/from meeting point ## Schedule - Runs: daily - Departures: 13 start times between 10:00 and 16:30 - 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 The tour starts from the Red Telephone Box and Tourist Information Police Box, outside of 300 Lawnmarket. This is on the opposite side of the road from Deacon Brodie’s Tavern. Please be there at least 5-10 minutes early as the tour will always depart on time. Map: https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJFT_yhTTHh0gR_SUQru4LMBI ## Good to know - Service animals allowed - Public transportation options are available nearby - Suitable for all physical fitness levels - Children must be accompanied by an adult - not suitable for children under 5 years of age, children under 2 years of age are not allowed on tour. - Entrance/Exit to the vaults is via a 2 foot tall step followed by single flight spiral staircase. - Mezzanine staircases of 5-7 steps inside vaults between levels. - Alcohol/Drugs are strictly forbidden and anyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be turned away. - Non-service animals are not allowed. - • Some historical content may be of a distressing nature with regards but not exclusively to Torture, Hangings, Death - The walking pace and terrain may not be suitable for those with any difficulty walking. - We do not have any luggage storage so please make alternate arrangements. - No toilet stops or toilets available during tour. ## Compared with other Walking Tours | Tour | Price | Duration | Rating | Group | |---|---|---|---|---| | **This tour · #33 of 33** | €29 | 1h | 4.7 (9483) | 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 #33 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/underground-vaults-walking-tour-in-edinburgh-old-town/ ## 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. 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