Royal Mile Small Group Walking Tour - Optional Edinburgh Castle

Perfect way to see Edinburgh.

The tour of Edinburgh Old Town and visit to Edinburgh Castle was perfectly conducted by Joe our tour guide, his knowledge of Edinburgh`s history was amazing and delivered in a most interesting way. The use of ear phones enabled every word to be heard. Would certainly recommend Mercat Tours to friends.

Perfect balance of intrigue, engagement, and humor

This was such an intriguing and amazing tour. Linda was fantastic with our tour group keeping everyone engaged with cool facts, visuals, and unique stories. Her stories were easy to follow, she had a great sense of humor, and the quality of information was superb. I would highly recommend taking this tour through Edinburgh, it did not disappoint

Great tour with lots of history! Despite the weather we had a nice day!

Had a great day on our walking tour and visiting Edinburgh castle...even on a rainy and windy day lol. Joe our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. Would highly recommend this tour!

great tour, even greater tour guide

Linda was our tour guide, she was funny, kind, and intelligent. I really enjoyed learning the history of Scotland alongside my friends, and Linda is a great and knowledgeable speaker.

Great Tour even in the Rain

What a great walking tour! And our guide Roger was FANTASTIC! Engaging, entertaining, informative without being boring. And as the Scottish skies opened up and poured down the rain, he just reminded us, "Today's rain is tomorrow's whisky." Highly recommend this tour.

Wet, but entertained & educated

The tour was great, with individual hearing devices, making it easy to hear the excellent tour guide, Roger. That was a good thing, especially as it was pouring rain for most of the tour- eh, Edinburgh. Roger was lovely throughout, however, and made an effort to be sure we were all doing ok.

Great guides!

Veni was an excellent tour guide. She was kind and such a good story teller - and very engaging and knowledgeable. The tour is very informative- we learned a lot. Keep in mind that the distance is not long, but the hills are challenging for some.

Excellent tour

What an amazing tour highly recommended and Linda was an amazing tour guide we 100% recommended this tour and we will definitely be booking with Mercat tours again.

Amazing :)

I did have a great time. Marina is very knowledgeable, and very kind. I learned a lot about the history of The Royal Mile. I recommend this tour for anyone who loves history or wants to know more about this part of Edinburgh.

Mercat tour of the Royal Mile

This month my wife and I had the pleasure of joining a Mercat Tour In Edinburgh. The knowledge and presentation of our guide was very good. We especially appreciated that we had ear phones and could easily hear the information imparted by our guide. We would highly recommend Mercat tours if you are in Edinburgh. L & L

A rainy but fun day in Edinburgh

Nicola was a lovely tour guide! She was knowledgeable and fun, and kept our tour entertained despite the Edinburgh rain

Very informative tour

We booked a tour with an entrance to the castle. Our guide Marina was great. She told us a lot of stories about the Edinburg and its buildings and people. She provided us with headphones, so even when we walked through the crowd from one place to another, we could hear her and she was talking all the time. We saw a lot of groups that were just walking past and were listening to their guides only when they stopped, we were listening to Marina all the time and I liked it a lot. No time was wasted. She also walked us around the castle and explained what buildings are there, so we could go where we want to go after she left us. Will definitely recommend the tour. Mарина, огромное спасибо.

Fun in the rain!

What a great experience, even in the rain. Nicola was the best! Knowledgeable, enthusiastic and fun! I highly recommend this tour.

An interesting couple hours learning about Edinburgh

It was a very informative and interesting tour. My husband and I enjoyed hearing about the history of Edinburgh and the sights that we saw.

Entertaining and educational tour!

We are glad that we went on the Royal Mile and Castle tour with Mercat Tours. Even though there is so much available about the area to read - it was of value to hear about the area from our excellent guide (Nicola). We had not planned on going on a tour and thought we could walk the area on our own - after spending a bit of time in the area on our first night in Edinburgh, it was obvious we were missing a lot. We felt very lucky to get the last 2 spots on a tour for the next day and it was an excellent value. Great information, fun asides and Nicola was able to work us through the crowds, so we could concentrate on the sites and on her presentation. The headphones they provide do a great job of keeping the ambient noise out and you don't miss any of the guides narration. We got so much more out of our visit to Edinburgh by participating in this tour.

Excellent tour guides and great information

Our tour guides, Joe and Samantha were excellent. They added just the right amount of drama to the history, places and people they spoke about to keep you entertained and less aware of that you were walking uphill! We really enjoyed the tour.

Linda is the best

We loved our tour so much we booked a the vault tour for the next day and were THRILLED to find out Linda was our tour guide again. Linda is an amazing story teller and really captured our attention. I didn't want either tour to end.

Informative history tour.

Very informative walking tour of the Royal Mile, pointing out hidden spots that would have otherwise been overlooked. Both of our guides had a sense of humor and kept us engaged.

A Great Introduction to The Royal Mile and the Castle.

Linda was excellent. She was knowledgeable and spoke well. This tour and guide are highly recommended. A minor quibble that the microphone needs to be centered so that we don’t lose the narration as the speaker’s head turns sideways. She solved this quickly.

Expert hosts

Such knowledgeable hosts! Had a wonderful time learning about Edinburgh, its history, and colorful characters. This tour was an excellent introduction to the city.

Highly recommended!

Wonderful tour of the royal mile and Edinburgh castle!! Linda was a great and informative guide. Highly recommend!!

Enjoy the untold stories of the Royal Mile

Fantastic tour “Edinburgh’s Royal Mile” with guide Nicky. Very interesting historical anecdotes. Nicky's engaging storytelling made the history come alive. I highly recommend this tour!

Fun Guide!

Veni was a fun and knowledgeable guide. The tour was informative and wasn’t to be spoiled by the haar! I would definitely recommend!

Informative, fun tour

This tour was so informative, and our guide, Linda, made it fun with her telling of the stories. It was a great way for my mom (75y/o) and I to see some highlights of this beautiful city.

Great overview of Royal Mile

Stephanie was a great tour guide. The weather was a bit drizzly and chilly( not unusual). Stephanie did a great job and her memory of all the details and stories is very impressive.

Day in Edinburgh

We really enjoyed this tour. Linda and Mark were great guides. They gave us a lot of history which I really enjoyed. Edinburgh is beautiful and we had a nice sunny day. Before our tour started my husband and I walked to Dean Village and it was a beautiful area in Edinburgh. Would definitely recommend this to anyone!!

Worse than BAD!!!

TOTAL waste of time! Although our guide was good at telling a story, it was silly, boring, and a total waste of 44 lbs. She basically walked us around the old town area; stopped to tell us a fable which she admitted was made up; and, repeated this over and over. Truly, a total waste of time. I would give it a zero, but didn't have the option!

Secrets of the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle tour

Brilliant! The best tour I have ever been on. Linda was amazing, a natural story teller. She is so full of knowledge, so friendly, and just a joy to spend time with! I would go on any tour she did!

Well worth the money

Excellent value for money. Veni was a very friendly and knowledgeable guide, we enjoyed the whole tour and we learned a lot about Edinburgh.

Great Information delivered by great tour guides

great informative, good pace tour.. the headphones made it very good as you never missed any information.

Quick day trip

Loved our tour. Only reason I gave it a 4 is we would have liked walking the while mile strip to see things. But for a quick day trip from London we saw and learned som great things from our guides!

Royal mile tour

First time visitor to Scotland. We really enjoyed the royal mile and castle tour. Veni was very informative. You learn a lot about the history of many buildings and the people back in the early days. I like that the tours supply you with headsets so you can easily hear what the tour guide is saying.

Great tour

Brilliant tour. Nicky & Nicola did a great double act. Technology worked well so we could hear everything being said. We paid for the optional castle tour which was well worth it.

Very professional tour

Very professional tour….wish the wind didn’t disrupt the mics so much. Good information and guide was knowledgeable.

Great outing

Linda did a wonderful presentation and made it personal with the different scenes kept it moving but not to fast and left room to catch up was very helpful

History and more

The tour guide was very knowledgeable on the history of everything on the Royal Mile, however, the tour may not have been my style. I wish there was a more ind with of stops and descriptions of the tour before booking. Due to the weather, I cannot speak much on the castle portion as I cut that short. However, if you are a history buff, this tour is for you.

Mercat beat bad weather

Charles was great, despite heavy rain and cold wind he kept us entertained for 21/2 hours and made Edinburgh much more fun than the weather did! Headphones and microphone kept every word and belch clear.

Good value for money.

Good value for money. Great guide. First time I’ve had headphones for a guided tour but helpful given ven the size of the group (about 18) and the crowds on the Royal Mile.

Great, Informative Tour

This was a great tour, with some amazing history and details, and the views from the Castle are spectacular. If you are into Scottish history & culture (or want to be), this is a great tour. A very special shout out to Linda, our guide, who was so funny, informative, charismatic, and just overall made the experience something we won’t forget. Be sure to dress for the weather and the terrain.

Linda was an amazing tour guide!

The tour guide was amazing! Brought so much fun and entertainment to the tour and made me feel at ease. The history was very interesting and not too serious! Fully enjoyable!

Fun tour through old town Edinburgh that ends inside the castle

Our tour guide was engaging and she shared many secrets of old town Edinburgh. Although the weather was cold and rainy, she was able to keep us engaged with the interesting stories from the past and showing us locations on interest along the royal mile.

Exploring the Royal Mile

Enjoyed walking the Royal Mile in Edinburgh with our knowledgeable guide. She used a microphone and everyone in the group had headsets, so it it was easy to hear everything she said. It would have been nice if she could explored Edinburgh Castle with the group, but the information she gave us about the castle was interesting and informative. It was a good tour.

Great Experience of The Secret Mile

Our guide Linda was friendly, informative and helpful throughout and after our tour! Showing us some great locations, sharing some stories and doesn’t stop there 😄

Fantastic way to spend a few hours

Had a great time with Stephanie learning about Edinburgh and strolling the Royal Mile. Learned a lot about the history of Edinburgh and really had a very enjoyable time.

Brilliant walking tour of the Royal Mile

Linda the guide was knowledgeable, professional and passionate about Edinburgh history which made the tour interesting and fun.

Highly recommend!

Best tour guide I’ve ever had! Very knowledgeable and so fun to listen to. Can’t wait to go back! Very enjoyable.

Great tour with Linda

Linda was an absolutely fantastic tour guide! Linda tailored topics to our group, based on the interest we expressed in various areas (in part made feasible by the fact we were a small group, so we all got to know each other a bit). I’d definitely recommend including the optional castle portion (you can always do the “official” audio tour there later if you want to), but it was so helpful having someone to help orient us to the castle and the broader history of Edinburgh before doing some independent exploring. I got so much more out of the sites I visited on my own after the tour (e.g. the Royal Palace at Holyroodhouse) thanks to everything I learned from Linda. Would definitely encourage my friends and family to do this tour to get the most out of time in Edinburgh - it certainly allowed me to make the most of a short trip!

Amazing experience!!

We absolutely loved our tour! Our tour guide Nicky was absolutely phenomenal! We learned so much & she made the experience so fun!

Linda was an exceptional storyteller and brilliant guide!!!!

Our family with our 8 year old did the the secrets of The Royal Mile Mercat Tour with the legendary Knower of things and oozer of joy Linda. The tour guide everyone must go with in Edinburgh. She is beyond brilliant! We’re going on another tour with her tomorrow! She is that astounding! Everyone needs a Linda! So much joy! Not only did she make it a day of intrigue, love and learning for us adults but our 8 year old was absolutely besotted for the entire 2.5hours! Holding hands and discovering ancient secrets of Edinburgh and combing the castle after with us recounting the facts gleaned from Linda with vast pride! Not bad for auDHD and speaks to Linda’s prowess! What a day! Can’t wait for ghostly ghouls in the vault with Linda again tomorrow @mercattours We spent the afternoon at the castle basking and reflecting in the stories and secrets shared with Linda and all agreed that we simply MUST go with her again tomorrow night for ghosts because she brings such a warmth, kindness and a gift for storytelling that is unsurpassed. We aren’t big review writers but she is exceptional and we will be be telling all our friends to seek her out in Edinburgh. She has truly made our trip. Definitely worth it if you are considering! Just incredible and brilliant even for our wee one!

Do not miss!

Linda was a great guide. We really learned a lot of history. Walking around the ancient buildings and the old streets put things into context whereas other tours told of the same but it was a lecture. This was more interactive and we left with a better understanding. Totally recommend