Combos

Tourists enjoying a hop-on hop-off bus tour in Edinburgh with views of Arthur's Seat.

Family enjoying City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh hop-on hop-off tour bus in front of historic buildings.

Prisoner hammocks inside Edinburgh Castle's war room.

Explore at your pace

Choose your entry time, stay as long as you like

Free cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience

Audio guide

Enhance your experience with multilingual audio guide

4.4/5

(789)

George

Feb 2026

Verified booking

Linda was brilliant at giving insight and making it a fun and memorable experience. She went above and beyond to answer questions and make the day enjoyable. The tour was done really well with it starting outside the castle and touring through the castle walls and Linda finding quiet locations to give information so we could all hear. Would definitely recommend.

Breanna

Dec 2025

Verified booking

We had a great time and would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Edinburgh! It really helped us get a layout of the city and decide what attractions we wanted to visit. We loved that we could get off and explore and then come back to the bus to go to our next stop. It really cut down on transportation costs, and we weren't walking across the city all day. My boys loved sitting upstairs and looking out and listening to all of the history. It is great for all ages!

Stephen

Dec 2025

Verified booking

The ture guide was knowledgeable and accommodating. She made sure that everyone made it to the tour. Then she took is aside to set the seen and add to the mindset of the time period.she also involved the tourists in the story for the fun of it.

Stefano

Sep 2025

Verified booking

I used hop on for the first time in Edinburgh and in the 24 hours I could see how efficient the service was. Mine, however, in this case was a lucky day because the next day the route was completely turned around by a marathon run through the city. Had I not used the voucher immediately, I would have found myself listening to stories and descriptions of places totally different from the ones I was passing through at the time. Still, it was a good experience that we will do again in another city as soon as we can.

Christine

Nov 2025

Verified booking

Helpful staff, interesting stops and information throughout the tour. Great for the kids that there was a more "narrative" version of the information to listen to for them. Very convenient to have tickets valid for 24 hours! And great view from the front window upstairs!

Philip

Oct 2025

Verified booking

Easy to get a ticket. Audio guide is good but not quite in sync. We missed some sights because the guide mentioned things AFTER the bus had passed them! Bus seats are hard but it fun to sit upstairs outside in the sun! Overall a great experience. Will do it again.

Highlights:

Save by bundling Edinburgh Castle’s guided entry with City Sightseeing’s Red Route pass—one booking covers the city’s fortress on the rock and its hop-on hop-off loop.

Edinburgh Castle Guided Tour: Entry plus a 45-min express guided tour outside the castle, then free time to explore independently with an Edinburgh city audio tour app.

City Sightseeing: Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour: 24-hour unlimited rides on the Red Route with audio guide in 9 languages, Horrible Histories’ kids’ channel, and headphones.

Use both on the same day or split across your trip—the bus ticket stays valid for 12 months from your selected date.Additional Highlights:

Walk the castle grounds with your guide, then head into interior areas on your own time—ideal if you want context first, then space to linger.

The Red Route’s open-top deck is built for skyline views as you loop past central Edinburgh stops, with commentary running as you ride.

Edinburgh Castle Guided Tour

Entry to Edinburgh Castle

45-min express guided tour of Edinburgh Castle (outside the castle)

Free time for independent exploration of Edinburgh Castle

Expert local English-speaking guide

Edinburgh city audio tour (digital app)

City Sightseeing: Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

24-hour unlimited hop-on hop-off pass

Access to Red Route

Audio guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, and Russian

Horrible Histories' kid's commentary

Headphones

Free kids' tickets

Flexible validity for up to 12 months from your selected date

You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

789 reviews
How do we collect reviews?
These ratings include verified reviews from both Headout guests and our trusted partners who operate this experience locally. All reviews come from real travelers who've taken this experience.
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Guests from United States, Germany, France and over 38 countries have loved this experience
What our guests say
Ian
Mar 2026
Verified booking
Our guide Linda was fantastic! So knowledgeable about the history of The Royal Mile and the castle. Really enjoyed the experience and would highly recommend.
Grillier
Mar 2026
Verified booking
Linda is a very good guide. Very knowledgeable ands very enthusiastic. We truly enjoyed the tour with her
Susan
Mar 2026
Verified booking
Bus was very easy to access and the audio commentary very helpful to decide where to visit
Pablo
Mar 2026
Verified booking
Excellent tour to appreciate the icons of Edinburgh with audio guides in several languages
George
Feb 2026
Verified booking
Linda was brilliant at giving insight and making it a fun and memorable experience. She went above and beyond to answer questions and make the day enjoyable. The tour was done really well with it starting outside the castle and touring through the castle walls and Linda finding quiet locations to give information so we could all hear. Would definitely recommend.

Two Edinburgh essentials in one booking—start with guided context at Edinburgh Castle, then keep moving across the city on a 24-hour hop-on hop-off bus.

Getting started Meet your castle guide at the meeting point listed on your voucher for check-in. You’ll walk to the entrance together, with security and entry handled as part of the group flow. For the bus, show your voucher to the driver to collect your ticket.

Edinburgh Castle Guided Tour What to expect Your guided portion stays outdoors around Edinburgh Castle, built to give you the story and orientation before you head inside on your own. Features

A guided walk around the castle exterior, focused on key viewpoints and the site’s role in Edinburgh’s history.

Independent time after the tour to explore areas like the Great Hall and St. Margaret’s Chapel at your own pace.

A digital Edinburgh city audio tour you can use beyond the castle visit.

City Sightseeing: Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour What to expect You ride the Red Route as a flexible loop—stay on for a full circuit, or hop off for short walks and viewpoints, then jump back on when you’re ready. Features

Open-top double-decker views over central Edinburgh streets.

Multilingual audio guide plus Horrible Histories’ kids’ commentary for families.

Headphones included so you can plug in and start listening right away.

accessibility Edinburgh Castle Guided Tour

Not fully wheelchair-accessible (uneven terrain and steps within the castle grounds and surrounding areas)

City Sightseeing: Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

Wheelchair accessible

Wheelchairs must be no larger than 70cm wide, 120cm long, and 135cm high

Each bus can accommodate 1 wheelchair at a time

additional information Edinburgh Castle Guided Tour

The guided tour takes place outdoors around Edinburgh Castle; entry to interior buildings is not included during the guided portion, but you may explore them independently after the tour

Specific stops during the tour are assigned by castle authorities and may vary

Minors must be accompanied by an adult

Please arrive at the meeting point at least 10-15 mins before your scheduled start time

If Edinburgh Castle is unexpectedly closed on the day of your visit, tickets to Holyrood Palace will be provided instead if available

Meeting points may vary by tour; check your booking confirmation

The Honours of Scotland (Crown Jewels) will be closed from January 12 to Easter in 2026

City Sightseeing: Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

Children aged 3 and under travel for free (child tickets must be added at the final stage of booking)

Small and well-behaved dogs allowed onboard

what to bring Edinburgh Castle Guided Tour

Valid photo ID (if requested at the entrance)

Earphones (for the audio tour app)

City Sightseeing: Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

Child tickets in cart (children aged 3 and under travel free; tickets must be added at checkout)

whats not allowed Edinburgh Castle Guided Tour

Luggage, large bags, and bags over 30L

Pets

Drones

Roof access in poor weather conditions

City Sightseeing: Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

Unruly dogs (only small and well-behaved dogs allowed onboard)

Your voucher will be emailed to you shortly.

Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the starting point.

Please check your final voucher for the starting point details & specific instructions.