Private Walk: Edinburgh Old Town and New Town

Your guide was born here and has lived nowhere else.

A private guided walk through Edinburgh Old Town and New Town led by a guide born and raised in the city, customizable to your interests. The walk covers churchyards, Edinburgh Castle views, Grassmarket, Greyfriars Churchyard, Victoria Street, St Giles' Cathedral, the Royal Mile, and the 18th-century Georgian architecture of New Town. Pickup from central accommodation is included. The route adapts to your pace and what you want to see.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Edinburgh Old and New Town

• Visit churchyards and open gardens
• View Edinburgh Castle and Castle Rock
• Walk through Grassmarket and Greyfriars Churchyard
• See Victoria Street, West Bow, Upper Bow
• Explore Lawnmarket and side closes
• Visit St Giles' Cathedral and Law Courts
• Walk along Upper Royal Mile
• Explore New Town's Georgian architecture
• Learn about notable past residents
• Visit old villages if time allows

The experience

You arrive in Edinburgh with a free afternoon or a morning to spare, and the city is built on hills that reward walking but punish guessing where to go. This walk starts from your accommodation if you're staying centrally, and your guide (someone who has lived their entire life here) shapes the route around what interests you. You're not following a fixed itinerary. You're deciding as you go whether to linger in a churchyard, climb toward the Castle, or skip ahead to the next close. That flexibility is what makes three to four hours feel unhurried instead of rushed.

The Old Town unfolds as a sequence of places most visitors miss: the closes (narrow passageways) branching off the Royal Mile, Greyfriars Churchyard with its history and its Harry Potter connection if you want it, Victoria Street and West Bow, the Grassmarket, and views of Castle Rock from angles a tour bus never reaches. You stop when something catches your eye. You rest when you need to. The guide points out the architecture, the stories, the people who lived and worked in each space, not as a lecture, but as someone talking about their own neighborhood. Then you move into New Town, the 18th-century planned district with more Georgian properties than York, Chester, Bath and Chichester combined, and the guide tells you about the inventors, scientists, military leaders and writers who made their homes there.

The walk is designed for all fitness levels and can be adapted for wheelchair access if you need it. Small children can ride in a pram or stroller. Service animals are welcome. What you get is a route that reaches places tour buses cannot access, time to stop and photograph, and a guide who knows not just the facts but why the city is built the way it is.

What’s included

• Professional award-winning guide born and raised in Edinburgh.
• pickup from your central accommodation.
• small private group.
• customizable route adapted to your interests and pace.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Edinburgh Walks

Is this one for you?Three to four hours leaves room for lunch or shopping elsewhere in your day, and the customizable route means you're not locked into a fixed schedule. You linger where you want and move on when you're ready.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly is in Edinburgh Old Town that we'll see on this walk?

Edinburgh Old Town includes the Royal Mile, St Giles' Cathedral, the Law Courts, Grassmarket, Greyfriars Churchyard, Victoria Street, and the narrow closes (passageways) branching off the main streets. You'll also get close-up views of Edinburgh Castle and Castle Rock from vantage points that tour buses cannot reach.

Can we customize the walk if there's something specific we want to see?

Yes, you're in charge of the route. Your guide will adapt the walk to your interests, whether that means spending more time in one area, visiting Greyfriars Churchyard for the Harry Potter connection, or adjusting the pace to suit your group.

How long does the walk take and what's included in the price?

The walk runs three to four hours and includes a professional award-winning guide, pickup from your central accommodation, and a small private group. You choose what you want to see, and the guide leads you there.

What is New Town and why is it worth seeing?

New Town is an 18th-century planned district with Georgian architecture and open spaces. It contains more Georgian properties than York, Chester, Bath and Chichester combined, and was home to inventors, scientists, military leaders, writers and physicians who shaped Scottish history.