Mercat Tours
Mercat Tours
4.5
City ToursGhost & Vampire ToursWalking ToursSightseeing ToursPrivate Tours
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
About
'History is a damn good story, what it needs is a damn good telling!' We're an independent family business and simply love sharing Edinburgh's stories. We're the original, largest, and first 5 star walking tour company in Scotland giving guaranteed quality. With guaranteed daily departures, year round we offer exclusive access to Blair Street Underground Vaults, Edinburgh Castle, Palace of Holyroodhouse & National Museum of Scotland. Our tours run 10am-10pm, daily so we're sure you'll find a match to suit your tastes!
Edinburgh, Scotland

Awards
Travellers' Choice
2023

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Tours and Tickets by Mercat Tours
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Travellers talk about
(573 reviews)
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
9,314 reviews
Excellent
6,931
Very good
1,558
Average
417
Poor
216
Terrible
193

SimonY1969
Billericay, UK116 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
More shocked by the smell of wee in the bus, this performance was absolutely diabolical. 18 plus, really!

Do yourselves a favour and do something else with your hard earned money.
Written 30 November 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.

Abby G
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Couples
My partner and I went on this tour recommended by a friend. Martin was our guide and he was the best! We learned so much from him and he made the tour so much fun! We had such a great time!! It was cool to see the south bridge vaults and learn about them. Also definitely was spooky with the different dark stories about Edinburghs past. We highly recommend to anyone to check it out! The whiskey at the end was definitely needed!
Written 30 November 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.

Daniel H
Bath, United Kingdom100 contributions
Nov 2023 • Friends
Interesting tour visiting the vaults under the streets of Edinburgh. Linda, our guide, was very good - friendly, passionate and knowledgeable. She took time to answer any questions we had at the end of the tour. Thank you Linda for a great experience!
Written 29 November 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.
Thank you for joining us on tour and for taking the time to leave us a review! We love hearing from visitors who have enjoyed our storytelling, especially when we can share with the team directly—Linda will be thrilled and we'll be sure to pass on your kind words. The Blair Street Underground Vaults are such an interesting part of the city and we're glad we could introduce you to Edinburgh's hidden side. Hopefully we can welcome you back again soon, and be sure to stay in contact on our socials until then! All the best, Megan
Written 30 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Kate
United Kingdom15 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
We went on the Dead and Buried tour with Mercat. It was really entertaining and great fun. Emily our guide clearly loves her job - she was fantastic. Highly recommended to anyone with an hour to spare.
Written 28 November 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.
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review, and we're so pleased to hear you enjoyed your tour with Emily. We'll be sure to pass on your kind words. Edinburgh has so much to show, and we're glad we could reveal some of its interesting stories for you. Hopefully we can welcome you back again soon, and be sure to stay in contact on our socials until then! All the best, Megan
Written 30 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

tina n
Ammanford, UK13 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
Excellent experience with a kniwlegeable guide who also had a good sense of fun. Will definitely be booking a different tour on our next visit..thank you Michael
Written 27 November 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.
Tina, thank you for taking the time to leave us a review, and we're so pleased to hear you enjoyed your tour with Michael. We'll be sure to pass on your kind words. We're glad we could illuminate some of Edinburgh's most interesting stories and places for you. Hopefully we can welcome you back again soon (and don't forget to redeem your returner's discount!). Be sure to stay in contact on our socials until then. All the best, Megan
Written 30 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jrdn0
Lincoln, UK1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Couples
A very fun and educational tour! Our guide Veni was friendly and knowledgable about the Edinburgh as a whole, and was an even better story teller. The whole tour was professional but relaxed (as relaxed as you can be in a spooky setting) and was smartly delivered by wireless headphones so we could hear everything being said.
Thoroughly enjoyed, the vaults themselves very well preserved and would love to come back for another of their tours.
Written 27 November 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.
Many thanks for taking the time to get in touch, we're so pleased you enjoyed your tour with Veni, and we'll be sure to pass on your kind words. The TourTalk devices and headphones are certainly a lifesaver, especially during busy times on the Royal Mile. Hopefully we can welcome you back again soon (and don't forget to redeem your returner's discount!). Be sure to stay in contact on our socials until then. All the best, Megan
Written 30 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Michelle B
Staffordshire, UK8 contributions
Nov 2023 • Friends
From start to finish with Emily our tour guide it was a fantastic 1 hour 15 mins spent discovering historic facts about Edinburgh, living conditions, rituals and ghots of time forgotten. Emily was knowledgeable, good humoured, and had the ability to add drama and suspense just in the right places.

5 stars to Mercat Tours for ease of booking, instructions for meeting points and equipment.

Definitely value for money, thank you.
Written 27 November 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.
Thank you for such a wonderful review! We're so pleased you enjoyed your tour with Emily, and we'll be sure to pass on your kind words. Our team love to share their passion for Edinburgh and help visitors connect with our remarkable past and people, and we're glad we could reveal some of the city's interesting stories for you. Hopefully we can welcome you back again soon, and be sure to stay in contact on our socials until then! All the best, Megan
Written 30 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

M G
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Couples
Fantastic tour led by Linda from the Mercat tour team. The audio headsets made the experience more immersive, taking you away from the noise of High street. Linda was very knowledgeable about the city and tailored the information to the countries of origin of the tour participants. Highly recommend ! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏰
Written 27 November 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.
Thank you for joining us on tour and for taking the time to leave us a review! We love hearing from visitors who have enjoyed our storytelling, especially when we can share with the team directly—Linda will be thrilled and we'll be sure to pass on your kind words. The TourTalk devices and headphones are certainly a lifesaver, especially during busy times on the Royal Mile. Hopefully we can welcome you back again soon, and be sure to stay in contact on our socials until then! All the best, Megan
Written 30 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Abigail L
2 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
A great tour with Nicola! Informative about Edinburgh history. Also meeting up point was easy to find.
Written 27 November 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.
Many thanks for taking the time to get in touch, we're so pleased you enjoyed your tour with Nicola, and we'll be sure to pass on your kind words. We're glad we could illuminate some of Edinburgh's most interesting stories and places for you. Hopefully we can welcome you back again soon, and be sure to stay in contact on our socials until then! All the best, Megan
Written 30 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Angela Z
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Family
Our guide Anastasia was fantastic and gave a wealth of information on the history of the vaults. Her enthusiasm and story telling was captivating as well.
Written 26 November 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.
Many thanks for taking the time to get in touch, we're so pleased you enjoyed your tour with Anastasia, and we'll be sure to pass on your kind words. The Blair Street Underground Vaults are such an interesting part of the city and we're glad we could introduce you to Edinburgh's hidden side. Hopefully we can welcome you back again soon, and be sure to stay in contact on our socials until then! All the best, Megan
Written 30 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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MERCAT TOURS (Edinburgh) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go