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Best Tours & activities in Edinburgh (2026)

Guided tours are one of the best ways to understand Edinburgh, whose history is layered beneath its streets. Mercat Tours has run walking tours since 1985 from the Mercat Cross on the Royal Mile, with history walks by day and ghost tours by night, several of which go into the Blair Street Underground Vaults. Invisible Cities offers a different perspective, with tours such as its daily Royal Mile walk led by guides who have experienced homelessness. For food lovers, Eat Walk Edinburgh visits four restaurants and pubs across the Old Town and New Town over about three hours.

If walking is difficult or time is short, Edinburgh Bus Tours runs hop-on hop-off routes with 24 and 48-hour tickets, and its buses are wheelchair accessible. To see more of Scotland, Rabbie's, founded in Edinburgh in 1993, runs small-group day trips to places such as Loch Ness and Glencoe, plus multi-day tours to the Isle of Skye, departing from the bus station on St Andrew Square. Book popular tours ahead in summer and around Halloween, wear comfortable shoes and bring a waterproof layer whatever the season.

5 places · Updated November 12, 2026

Our top 3 tours & activities in Edinburgh

  1. Mercat Tours History and ghost walking tours, Old TownEdinburgh walking tour company running history walks and ghost tours since 1985, including trips into the Blair Street Underground Vaults.
  2. Rabbie’s Small-group day and multi-day tours, New TownEdinburgh-founded small-group tour company running day trips and multi-day tours to the Highlands, Loch Ness and the Isle of Skye since 1993.
  3. Eat Walk Edinburgh Food and drink walking tour, TollcrossA three-hour food and drink walking tour visiting four restaurants and pubs across Edinburgh's Old Town and New Town, with cheese, beer and whisky tastings.

Tour operator

1. Mercat Tours

History and ghost walking toursOld Town

Edinburgh walking tour company running history walks and ghost tours since 1985, including trips into the Blair Street Underground Vaults.

View details — Mercat Tours

Tour operator

2. Rabbie’s

Small-group day and multi-day toursNew Town

Edinburgh-founded small-group tour company running day trips and multi-day tours to the Highlands, Loch Ness and the Isle of Skye since 1993.

View details — Rabbie’s