Hop-on Hop-off Tours Edinburgh

Edinburgh: Royal Attractions Tickets + 48-Hour Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

Name: Edinburgh: Royal Attractions Tickets + 48-Hour Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
Start: 2025-10-29T09:00:00
End: 2025-10-29T18:00:00
Location: Edinburgh

Family enjoying The Royal Edinburgh Tour on an open-top bus.

Edinburgh Castle atop Castle Rock with Ross Fountain in foreground on The Royal Edinburgh Tour.

Visitors observing the Great Hall's medieval armor display inside Edinburgh Castle.

Tourists on a hop-on hop-off bus viewing Edinburgh Castle during the Royal Edinburgh Tour.

Open today

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

Operator: Edinburgh Bus Tours

4.4/5

(201)

Jennifer

Sep 2025

Verified booking

5/5

The buses were great! They made it so easy to get around town and see just about everything we wanted to see. The audio tour was really interesting and informative. I only hopped on the green line once for a short period, but the live tour guide was very informative and we had a nice chat. We weren't planning on doing a tour, and we ended up being SO glad that we did!

Kaitlyn

Oct 2025

Verified booking

5/5

This was an incredible way to get to know the city. It was my fourth time here and I feel like I learned a ton still. We got the bus due to some mobility restrictions my mom was facing and it was her favorite thing. I recommend doing one of the loops to familiarize yourself before beginning attractions.

Nadège

Oct 2025

Verified booking

5/5

I book this package for my parents, my aunt and I. They are over 70yrs old and they really enjoy the easy access to the bus, the very helpful staff and the visit. We took our time to go around the castle and the other exhibits for 2 days, that was enough and great. Thanks ! ☺️

Step back in time at Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Board the Royal Yacht Britannia for a royal sea adventure – along your HOHO route.

Explore the royal rooms, and wander through Mary, Queen of Scots apartments and see how tea areas and intriguing crew quarters were decorated.

Hop on and off at your leisure with three routes and 50+ key stops. Visit the Scottish Parliament, Old Town, and Royal Mile with your HOHO pass.

Enjoy frequent double-decker buses every 30 mins and listen to the multilingual audio guides or immersive English narration on the green route.

Did you know? In 1566 David Rizzio, the private secretary to Mary, Queen of Scots was murdered brutally inside the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Royal Attractions

Entry to 3 royal Edinburgh attractions (see details here)

Entry to Edinburgh Castle

Entry to Royal Yacht Britannia

Entry to Palace of Holyroodhouse

Audio guide in 30 languages at the Royal Yacht Britannia

Audio guide in 9 languages at the Palace of Holyroodhouse

Edinburgh HOHO

48-hour unlimited hop-on hop-off tour

Access to City Sightseeing (Red), Edinburgh Tour (Green), and Regal Tour (Blue) routes (route details here)

Audio guide in English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Japanese, Russian, Chinese & Portuguese (Red & Blue routes)

Horrible Histories children’s commentary on City Sightseeing ( Red)

English-speaking guide (Green route)

Headphones provided (Red and Blue routes)

Mobile app with a detailed map and live bus tracking

TOTAL DURATION70 minutes
FREQUENCYEvery 10 mins
FIRST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 8:45 AM
LAST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 6:00 PM
Timeline
Map
1. Waterloo Place
Get direction
2 attractions
Calton Hill
1 minute walk
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
6 minutes walk
2. St. Andrew Square
Get direction
2 attractions
St. Andrew Square Gardens
2 minutes walk
Scott Monument
5 minutes walk
3. Lothian Road
Get direction
2 attractions
Usher Hall
2 minutes walk
Traverse Theatre
1 minute walk
4. Grassmarket
Get direction
2 attractions
Grassmarket Square
1 minute walk
Victoria Street
6 minutes walk
5. Lawnmarket
Get direction
2 attractions
Camera Obscura & World of Illusions
1 minute walk
Writers’ Museum
1 minute walk
6. John Knox House
Get direction
2 attractions
National Museum of Scotland
2 minutes walk
Bedlam Theatre
2 minutes walk
7. Holyrood
Get direction
3 attractions
Palace of Holyroodhouse
1 minute walk
Scottish Parliament Building
Holyrood Park
8 minutes walk
8. Our Dynamic Earth
Get direction
2 attractions
Our Dynamic Earth
The Queen’s Gallery
6 minutes walk
TOTAL DURATION65 minutes
FREQUENCYEvery 15 mins
FIRST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 8:50 AM
LAST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 5:50 PM
Timeline
Map
1. Waterloo Place
Get direction
2 attractions
Calton Hill
1 minute walk
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
6 minutes walk
2. St. Andrew Square
Get direction
2 attractions
St. Andrew Square Gardens
2 minutes walk
Scott Monument
5 minutes walk
3. Charlotte Square
Get direction
2 attractions
The Georgian House
Princes Street Gardens
9 minutes walk
4. Lothian Road
Get direction
2 attractions
Usher Hall
2 minutes walk
Traverse Theatre
1 minute walk
5. Grassmarket
Get direction
2 attractions
Grassmarket Square
1 minute walk
Victoria Street
6 minutes walk
6. Lawnmarket
Get direction
2 attractions
Camera Obscura & World of Illusions
1 minute walk
Writers’ Museum
1 minute walk
7. John Knox House
Get direction
2 attractions
National Museum of Scotland
2 minutes walk
Bedlam Theatre
2 minutes walk
8. Holyrood
Get direction
3 attractions
Palace of Holyroodhouse
1 minute walk
Scottish Parliament Building
Holyrood Park
8 minutes walk
9. Our Dynamic Earth
Get direction
2 attractions
Our Dynamic Earth
The Queen’s Gallery
6 minutes walk
TOTAL DURATION80 minutes
FREQUENCYEvery 15 mins
FIRST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 8:40 AM
LAST DEPARTUREWaterloo Place at 5:25 PM
Timeline
Map
1. Waterloo Place
Get direction
2 attractions
Calton Hill
1 minute walk
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
6 minutes walk
2. Holyrood
Get direction
3 attractions
Palace of Holyroodhouse
1 minute walk
Scottish Parliament Building
Holyrood Park
8 minutes walk
3. St. Andrew Square
Get direction
2 attractions
St. Andrew Square Gardens
2 minutes walk
Scott Monument
5 minutes walk
4. Royal Botanic Garden
Get direction
2 attractions
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
1 minute walk
Inverleith House
5. Newhaven
Get direction
2 attractions
Newhaven Harbour Lighthouse
2 minutes walk
Newhaven Fish Market
2 minutes walk
6. The Shore
Get direction
2 attractions
The Shore
1 minute walk
Nelson Monument
12 minutes walk
7. Ocean Terminal
Get direction
2 attractions
Royal Yacht Britannia
4 minutes walk
Ocean Terminal Mall
7 minutes walk
8. Bonnington Rd
Get direction
2 attractions
The Edinburgh Gin Distillery at The Arches
10 minutes walk
Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop
5 minutes walk
9. Leopold Place
Get direction
1 attraction
Gayfield Square
5 minutes walk

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

4.4
201 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.
124
54
4
8
11
Guests from United States, Canada, France and over 10 countries have loved this experience
What our guests say
Kaitlyn
Oct 2025
Verified booking
5/5
This was an incredible way to get to know the city. It was my fourth time here and I feel like I learned a ton still. We got the bus due to some mobility restrictions my mom was facing and it was her favorite thing. I recommend doing one of the loops to familiarize yourself before beginning attractions.
Nadège
Oct 2025
Verified booking
5/5
I book this package for my parents, my aunt and I. They are over 70yrs old and they really enjoy the easy access to the bus, the very helpful staff and the visit. We took our time to go around the castle and the other exhibits for 2 days, that was enough and great. Thanks ! ☺️
Lavonne
Oct 2025
Verified booking
5/5
It was easy to find a stop and to plan your day accordingly. We had the 48 hour pass and rode all three lines. The green line had an in person guide so we could ask questions. All of the employees were extremely knowledgeable and helpful. I'd highly recommend. Great experience!
Lindsay
Oct 2025
Verified booking
5/5
The guided on the busses I took were all knowledgeable and entertaining. The seemed to be taken aback when I asked a question. Do you want to discourage question? They're important for learning The problem I had was finding the bus stops. They could be more clearly marked.
Kent
Oct 2025
Verified booking
5/5
So glad we booked the 48 hour tour with attractions included. Had a short time in Edinburgh and felt we really saw the city. Busses were clean, audio and live narration was very good.

Edinburgh Castle

Monday	09:30am - 05:00pm	last entry 04:00pm
Tuesday	09:30am - 05:00pm	last entry 04:00pm
Wednesday	09:30am - 05:00pm	last entry 04:00pm
Thursday	09:30am - 05:00pm	last entry 04:00pm
Friday	09:30am - 05:00pm	last entry 04:00pm
Saturday	09:30am - 05:00pm	last entry 04:00pm
Sunday	09:30am - 05:00pm	last entry 04:00pm

Palace of Holyroodhouse

Monday	09:30am - 06:00pm	last entry 04:30pm
Tuesday	Closed
Wednesday	Closed
Thursday	09:30am - 06:00pm	last entry 04:30pm
Friday	09:30am - 06:00pm	last entry 04:30pm
Saturday	09:30am - 06:00pm	last entry 04:30pm
Sunday	09:30am - 06:00pm	last entry 04:30pm

What's not allowed

Royal Attractions

Large bags, rucksacks and suitcases (30L or over) are not allowed inside the Edinburgh castle.

Accessibility

Royal Attractions

Parts of Edinburgh Castle and Palace of Holyroodhouse are wheelchair accessible.

The Royal Yacht Britannia experience is wheelchair accessible.

Edinburgh HOHO

This experience is wheelchair accessible.

Mobility scooters are allowed if folded and stored as luggage.

Your guide dogs and pet dogs are welcome aboard.

Additional information

Royal Attractions

The Palace of Holyroodhouse is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except from 25 May to 8 September 2025, when it remains open daily.

Holyrood Palace is closed between June 26 and July 4, 2025. Entry to The King's Gallery and a Palace Guidebook are offered as an alternative to Royal Edinburgh Ticket customers.

Entry to the Edinburgh Castle is guaranteed – when you validate your prepaid voucher you will be offered a choice of entry slots. This cannot be booked in advance. Even if the Castle’s own website is sold out, tickets are allocated for Royal Edinburgh Ticket customers.

Note that the ticket lets you visit Edinburgh Castle and Royal Yacht Britannia within 48 hours. If you need to visit the Palace of Holyroodhouse outside of that timeframe, your ticket will still be valid.

The 48 hours start when you validate your voucher – you will be issued a Royal Edinburgh Ticket with a tear off portion for Britannia and the Palace. You will also receive a tour ticket to get you on and of the tours. At that point we shall reserve your Castle entry.

Children aged 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult or senior citizen during their visit.

Please display your mobile voucher with a valid photo ID at the redemption point.

How Do I Use My Voucher

Your voucher gives you access to Edinburgh Castle, Palace of Holyroodhouse, The Royal Yacht Britannia and 48 hours unlimited Edinburgh Bus Tour travel - any or all 3 tours: Edinburgh Tour, The Majestic Tour and City Sightseeing.

The ticket could be used for entry to The Royal Yacht Britannia or the Palace of Holyroodhouse after the validity period.

After redeeming your voucher, you can board the bus at any designated bus stop. Please click here for a detailed route map of all the 3 tours and their boarding points.

Redemption Point

Redeem your voucher at Waterloo Place (Stop ZG).

Address: Edinburgh EH1 3EG, United Kingdom.

Get Directions to the Redemption Point

Getting There

By Bus

The redemption point is a bus stop.

Board bus X24 to get you there.

By Train

The closest train station is Edinburgh Waverley. It is a quick 4-min walk to the redemption point.

Board trains LNER, ScotRail, and more to get you there.