Underground Walking Tour in Edinburgh
4.5
BEST SELLER
Underground Walking Tour in Edinburgh
By Auld Reekie Tours
About
The Edinburgh Vaults, one of the city’s most fascinating sights, can only be accessed on a tour. This one focuses exclusively on the vaults, an underground warren below South Bridge in Edinburgh’s Old Town. Step inside with a local guide who’ll reveal tales of hardship and struggle in 18th-century Edinburgh, grisly stories from the city’s dark past, and lead you to a hidden witchcraft temple.
from per adult
£20.00
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 5-99, max of 36 per group
Duration: 1h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
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Highlights
- Get access to the fascinating and rarely visited Edinburgh Vaults
- Enter a sinister underground world beneath Edinburgh’s Old Town
- Travel back to the 18th century, when crime and disease ruled the city
- Discover a side of the capital many visitors—and even locals—miss
- Professional guide
What's not included- Gratuities
- Greet your guide on the Royal Mile and escape the tourist trail to discover Edinburgh’s deepest secrets on this underground walking tour through the Edinburgh Vaults. These infamous vaults fill all 19 arches of South Bridge in Edinburgh’s historic Old Town. As you walk, you’ll learn the hideous conditions in which Edinburgh’s poorer citizens lived during the 18th century. Descend into the dark, dank vaults and learn what it was like to live in the darkness—and which criminals sought their prey there. You’ll explore candlelit Niddry’s Wynd, visit a witchcraft temple with a haunted stone circle, and brave the Haunted Vault, where a myriad mysterious events have occurred.
- Departure details
- 300 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2PH, UK The tour starts from the Tourist Information Police Box, outside of 300 Lawnmarket, EH1 2PH. This is on the opposite side of the road from Deacon Brodie’s Tavern. Please be there at least 5-10 minutes early as we depart promptly at the tour time and will not wait for latecomers.
Return details- 45 Niddry St, Edinburgh EH1 1LG, UK
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 8752P1- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travellers can participate
- 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.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 36 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- Which attractions will I visit with Underground Walking Tour in Edinburgh?
- During this experience, places you will visit include:Discover and book Underground Walking Tour in Edinburgh on Tripadvisor
- How much is Underground Walking Tour in Edinburgh?
- Underground Walking Tour in Edinburgh price starts from £20.36. Discover and book Underground Walking Tour in Edinburgh on Tripadvisor
- What is the Underground Walking Tour in Edinburgh cancellation policy?
- Underground Walking Tour in Edinburgh cancellation policy: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Discover and book Underground Walking Tour in Edinburgh on Tripadvisor
- Which company provides Underground Walking Tour in Edinburgh?
- Underground Walking Tour in Edinburgh is hosted by Auld Reekie Tours. Read reviews, discover additonal experiences or contact Auld Reekie Tours on Tripadvisor. Discover and book Underground Walking Tour in Edinburgh on Tripadvisor
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 8752P1
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About the operator
- rebeccawR7296QN00Brilliant tourAmazing tour guide, James was brilliant. Loved his enthusiasm and energy. Really informaton and everything was well described.
- G2921WNjoanneb00Vaults experienceAlly was great and very knowledgeable, And was great explaining how Edinburgh was years ago, she was very polite and was not rushing the tour
- lucypA7370YB00SO GOOD WOOOOOA super interesting tour! I didnt know much about the vaults or history of edinburgh for this tour and it really helped me get a nice overview of it all! Felt like i learnt so much. Our tour guide kieran was absolutely incredible, he was funny, engaging and super friendly - he made us feel very comfortable which is really important as some bits can be quite creepy. Felt very safe with him and would highly recommend!
- louiserF1685PC00Fantastic infoKieran was a brilliant tour guide although he was a little too fast walking about struggled to keep up thought I was going to get lost
- Ariana A00Pure facts without any actors, costumes, or haunted house vibesI thoroughly enjoyed the underground tour of Edinburgh for its commitment to pure facts without any actors, costumes, or haunted house vibes – precisely what I was looking for. Our guide, Darren, was exceptionally knowledgeable, patient, and kind. He even checked in on us after a minor jump scare, demonstrating genuine concern for our experience. My only wish is that the tour could have been longer; I was left wanting more. Highly recommended for a factual and engaging exploration of Edinburgh's underground history.
- LearnByTravel-Jane00Sid Rocks!This tour provided an interesting piece of Edinburgh history. Our guide Sid was spirited and knowledgeable. ‘Twas a fun tour which I would highly recommend!
- Crosby449500BrilliantWent last night with the very excellent James,it was a small group of 4 of us and fair play to James he entertained us with factual information and highlights that would be missed had we not gone. We went to the graveyard and then to the vaults. Health and safety was paramount and we really felt it was value for money and well worth it. We would highly recommend. Make sure you arrive as informed 10 mins before.
- savvytraveler432200Great fun and informative too! Thanks to Kieran!Kieran was our tour guide, he was absolutely fantastic and really good fun. I haven't been on a tour like this before so wasn't sure what to expect, but this definitely exceeded all expectations! Really informative and spooky too. Can definitely recommend for tourists as a fun way to get to know parts of the city you wouldn't usually see!
- marlia171700Would really recommend!The tour was really great and atmospheric. Keiran, our tour guide, was very knowledgable and really set the scene. If you don’t like spooky things, this probably won’t be for you. The tour guide made everybody feel comfortable to leave if they felt they needed to.
- emmanuelcM6222MD00I recommendOur guide was James. We had a great time, he was very kind and interesting. The tour was superb, we laughed, we were scared and we learned a lot. Sincerely, thank you James for a great time !
- heatherjarcher00Great tour with Fraser (and his fabulous head of hair)!We had a brilliant evening with Fraser as our guide on the graveyard and vaults tour. Fraser was very knowledgeable and entertaining… not forgetting the ‘Prince Charming’ hair which he seems very proud of!!! I would highly recommend the tour (and Fraser as a guide)! It was well worth the money and I wouldn’t hesitate to book on to one of the other tours.
- I9440XQkevins00Fun, informative, and a little spooky :)So there we were… it was pouring down rain in the streets of Edinburgh. But that didn’t stop Sophie from giving us our favorite tour in all of Edinburgh. Seriously, 10/10 would recommend. Learned a lot of great history and local facts and saw a lot of cool and spooky things. Favorite part of our trip!
- samwood044700Underground terror tourSid was a great guide, he was really informative, friendly and funny. He made the tour entertaining while still sharing historic stories and information about the conditions of the vaults. You spend most of the time in the vaults which is what we wanted after not doing in a previous tour we did! Would recommend! And thank you to Sid for being a great tour guide!
- Elisha P00This tour was 10/10This was one of the highlights of my holiday. Darren our tour guide was amazing, made the experience so much fun and he was so informative. I would highly recommend this tour
- guptaeti00UninterestingI travelled 1.5 hours for this trip but it was not worth the money or time! The tour was unreal, cold and exaggerated. The narrator tried was good, trying to be witty but overall uninteresting. Overall I'd say waste of time. Expected it to be more fun, exciting.
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Gianni P
1 contribution
Nov 2022 • Couples
We booked this tour expecting a more historical approach to the Edinburgh vaults than some of the other tours which market themselves as ‘ghost’ tours. Unfortunately, this tour fell flat as both a historical and a ghost tour.
On the historical side, the facts given were entirely superficial. The tour guide spent most of the tour telling us that she’d later expand on the history without ever providing any meaningful insight into the goings on in the vault.
As far as it worked as a ghost tour, the guide never delved any deeper than telling us that there have been alleged paranormal occurrences. She explicitly said that the intention of the tour wasn’t to provide any jump scares but the lack of both horror and history left the tour without much content, particularly for its price.
Overall, we were left feeling that we could have had a better experience of the vaults by spending the hour at the underground pub next door.
On the historical side, the facts given were entirely superficial. The tour guide spent most of the tour telling us that she’d later expand on the history without ever providing any meaningful insight into the goings on in the vault.
As far as it worked as a ghost tour, the guide never delved any deeper than telling us that there have been alleged paranormal occurrences. She explicitly said that the intention of the tour wasn’t to provide any jump scares but the lack of both horror and history left the tour without much content, particularly for its price.
Overall, we were left feeling that we could have had a better experience of the vaults by spending the hour at the underground pub next door.
Written 19 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
psully136
Leeds, UK2 contributions
Aug 2021
This tour was brilliant. Our guide Aimee was excellent. She's a knowledgeable story teller with just the right amount of darkness and humour. With two kids age 9 and 12, the Vaults Tour seemed the most age appropriate from the info on the website. The kids (and the adults) were spooked but thoroughly enjoyed being scared by Aimee's stories of torture and the supernatural and the eerie atmosphere of the underground vaults. It really is somewhere you should see whilst you're in Edinburgh. Thanks for the experience.
Written 13 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AuldReekieTours
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We are so glad that you had a brilliant experience on your tour with Aimee and we will pass along your kind words.
Written 20 August 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lisa G
1 contribution
Nov 2022 • Couples
We booked onto the tour less than 24 hours in advance as we had enjoyed our experience at Mary Kings close the day before. This was definitely less touristy and more personal. We were a group of 6 in total making the experience even more enjoyable without the large groups usually gathered at tourist trails. Our guid was Markus ( I think I’ve spelt that right given he was Irish!) me and my partner could of listened to him talk all day! Brilliant knowledge of not just the vaults but areas around the royal mile as we made our way down!
Once inside there was a great eerie atmosphere which is great if that’s what you’re looking for. We were shown multiple vaults, each one with thier own stories and history. If you want to be scared then this one is for you. My partner opted to go inside a stone circle, he even laid down in it!! Let’s just hope nothing malevolent follows us back home.
Such an enjoyable and energetic hour, highly recommend you book this on your trip to the old town
Once inside there was a great eerie atmosphere which is great if that’s what you’re looking for. We were shown multiple vaults, each one with thier own stories and history. If you want to be scared then this one is for you. My partner opted to go inside a stone circle, he even laid down in it!! Let’s just hope nothing malevolent follows us back home.
Such an enjoyable and energetic hour, highly recommend you book this on your trip to the old town
Written 8 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KEELAN B
Belfast, UK1 contribution
Feb 2022 • Friends
I brought my American friends on this tour as I had heard great things about it and it did not disappoint or I should say Frazer did not disappoint. He kept everyone gripped on his storytelling and was also able to lighten the mood with his charm and humour. Edinburgh city is full of beauty breathtaking views but it was great to learn of her darker colourings. Would thoroughly recommend if not for the spooky side, Frazers cheekbones and accent are more than worth it 😅
Written 28 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephanie
3 contributions
Sep 2021 • Family
Our guide Stewart was superb and really knowledgeable, making the whole experience fun yet informative. Beforehand, we had people in our group who weren’t keen in taking part in the tour, yet their opinions were soon changed. The tour was great value for money and is a must to anyone visiting Edinburgh, as you learn much more than you would as opposed to walking around yourself!
Again, a massive thanks to our tour guide, Stewart for making it so enjoyable!
Again, a massive thanks to our tour guide, Stewart for making it so enjoyable!
Written 8 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wildheart
1 contribution
Sep 2021 • Family
Andrew was our tour guide and he was lovely. Knowledgeable and very good at telling the story of such a fascinating city, it's infamous villains and ghosts. A great balance of knowledge and humour, tour was conducted in a way that it could hold the attention of the two teenagers I had brought with me. The vaults were super interesting and I would highly recommend this for anyone with an interest in history or even the paranormal.
Written 4 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AuldReekieTours
Thank you so much for your nice review! It makes our day when we see customers enjoy their experience here :)
Written 5 September 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Cat S
7 contributions
Nov 2021 • Couples
Tour guide Andrew was brilliant. He made the tour come to life with his excellent story telling. His knowledge was second to none and he was able to answer all our questions with confidence and throw the odd joke in there too. The tour itself felt quite short as part of it was above ground with a bit of history about the surrounding area. Id have liked to spend a bit more time actually in the vaults but thats just my personal preference. I would gladly recommend auld reekie tours and will be using them again the next time i explore more of the city.
Written 16 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tobias
2 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
1 hour was a perfect amount of time for this kinda thing and James was exceptionally good at storytelling and feeling the mood of the crowd. He made everything interesting and fun and I can only recommend this tour if you want to check out some of the city's vaults and history. Great fun!
Written 1 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rachel
Milton Keynes, UK1 contribution
Perfectly pitched tour with many interesting stories from Darren our tour guide which he delivered brilliantly, along with a good dose of humour. Group was big but this didn’t matter as Darren was very conscientious in ensuring everyone was gathered around him before he started any talks which were always very clear and easy to hear. Highly recommend this tour for anyone looking for a little bit of scariness without too much horror.
Written 27 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gemma R
1 contribution
Aug 2023 • Family
Ive done this tour before once and a night tour and loved it so I wanted to bring my kids who have never been. My daughter (10 yrs) loved it, my youngest (7) was a little bit scared he said but he was fine going round, he just held my hand. We met by a tourist info booth/ telephone box at Lawnmarket/the royal mile and took a little bit of different walk to the vaults due to the royal mile being so busy with the fringe, there was a steep road to walk down but it was fine for us. Paige our tour guide was great, came across as very friendly and was enjoyable to listen to. This one isn't a ghost tour but paranormal activities are mentioned and the setting just makes the tales more eerie compared to a walking tour outside. The underground streets and vaults are fairly spacious so you don't feel claustraphopic and are quite dark and damp in places, lit by emergency lights. I do wish the tour was a little cheaper at nearly £60 for the 3 of us for an hour but I do recommend it as a unique interesting addition to your visit to edinburgh.
Written 11 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Are 16 and 17 years old to join?
sillysull
Salisbury, NC1,283 contributions
Yes, great for all ages.
Hello does this tour use people who jump out at you
WicklowTownTilly
Dublin, Ireland40 contributions
There isn’t actually anyone hiding who jumps out at you but the guide we had engages in a little fun where he turns out the light and then chooses someone to stand directly in front of when he turns the like back on - stuff like that !
Where do I come to to start the tour
You meet on the Royal Mile, directly opposite Deacon Brodie's pub. There is a tourist booth there.
Hola, la autoguia es en español? gracias
Julia C
Madrid, Spain15 contributions
Hola, no y no es el tour the mary king close
Emma W
1 contribution
What times are the tours please?
sandi s
Berwyn, IL134 contributions
When you go to purchase tickets and pick a date it will show you the times they have available. But I remember they basically had a tour about every hour starting around 10am and even haunted night tours after dark. However since it is underground it not one of the tours that you have to wait till dark to do!
Horshamdeano
Horsham, UK122 contributions
Can you book this tour last minute, say about an hour before it’s due to start, please?
Alan M
3 contributions
We booked well in advance and people trying to book on the day were turned down
ricard mila
1 contribution
la visita se puede realizar con autoguia
Julia C
Madrid, Spain15 contributions
No estamos hablando del mismo Tour, en Mary King’s Close por supuesto y además merece mucho la pena; pero el tour que yo he comentado es uno que intenta hacerse pasar por este y nada que ver, es bastante engañoso
aramis8
Gloucestershire6 contributions
A two foot step seems challenging to even the fittest, we are in out 70`s
Is this a sheer drop or is there a second smaller step ?
Is there a handrail
Regards
Roger
BogratNorthYorkshire
North Yorkshire233 contributions
The step is quite high, no handrail but the guides and fellow tourists are very helpfully provided you are not too precious about covid rules and accepting a helping hand.
