The 13 Most Popular Ghost Walking Tours in Edinburgh

1.Haunted Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,183 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $33Our pick

Follow a guide from 300 Lawnmarket down the Royal Mile to Edinburgh’s underground vaults. Expect a short city walk, a torture exhibition, steep stairs, dark rooms, and stories of poverty, crime, death, and paranormal activity. Guides such as James, Dom, Louisa, and Aimee bring the hour to life, but the pace and Scottish accents may not suit everyone.

“Absolutely amazing experiance. Chris give us a tour reach in history, haunted stories and fun. Definately recommended if you like a bit of thrill, we run off in the end:);)”

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2.Haunted Vaults and Graveyard Walking Tour in Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,702 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $36

Walk Edinburgh after dark with guides such as James, Diva, Darren, Jordan, and Brendan. You’ll visit Greyfriars Graveyard, hear about its famous dead, then descend into the South Bridge Vaults for tales of crime, death, and reported paranormal events. Expect a lively history tour with spooky moments, not a theatrical show or jump-scare attraction.

“Jordan was our tour guide. It was a great experience. It was very interesting hearing all of the stories and entertaining! If you love a good scare, my wife had to leave because she got too scared in the underground vaults! I finished the our and loved it. Recommend to everyone!”

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3.Dark Secrets of the Old Town Ghost Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,671 reviews · 2 hours · from $24

Follow a local English, German, or French-speaking guide through Edinburgh’s old lanes, Canongate Kirkyard, and Old Calton Cemetery. Hear the grim story of Burke and Hare, learn how witch trials shaped Scotland, and pick up myths, plague tales, and local jokes along the way. Guides such as Jen, Sonia, Gavin, Tommy, and Niamh bring plenty of personality.

“it was amazing, really interesting our tour guide was called Ignas, he was brilliant, full of some amazing history and facts, and was very funny too! Overall a brilliant experience”

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4.Witches & Haunted History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,290 reviews · 1h 15m · from $24

Walk Edinburgh’s Old Town for 75 minutes with a costumed guide such as Hazel, Juniper, or Angelica. Hear carefully told stories about Scotland’s witch trials, visit atmospheric closes and wynds, pass Castlehill and Victoria Street, and finish at Grassmarket, a former execution site.

“We had an amazing tour with juniper! It was very informative and fun, and our tour guide was the best coven leader!!”

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5.Witches & Haunted History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 632 reviews · 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $24

Walk from Parliament Square to Grassmarket with a costumed or theatrically presented guide such as Juniper, Hazel, or Angelica. Hear stories of Scottish witch trials, Mary Queen of Scots, North Berwick witches, accused women, warlocks, and Half-Hangit Maggie while crossing the Royal Mile, Victoria Street, and Edinburgh’s steep cobbled lanes.

“Excellent tour to take of Edinburgh Witch history. Juniper was a wonderful tour guide. She was friendly, funny and all about witches. Definitely would recommend tour. Cheers!”

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6.Multi-Sensory Night Walking Tour with Haunted Vaults in Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 596 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $37

Walk from Mercat Cross through Edinburgh’s old streets, then follow a guide such as Nicola, Emily, Ross, or Stephanie into the candlelit Blair Street Underground Vaults. Expect roughly 40 minutes above ground and 20 minutes below, with stories of murders, hangings, bodysnatchers, ghosts, and the city’s darker legends.

“Excellent tour well worth it. Especially at night when the atmosphere and darkness really makes it feel so spooky”

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7.Guided Ghost Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 289 reviews · 1h 15m · from $26

Follow a costumed Spanish-speaking guide from the Royal Mile's police box to Greyfriars Graveyard and Niddry's Wynd vaults. Expect grim city stories, paranormal tales, and an atmospheric look below South Bridge. Guides Lafayette and Rosa Mari have been praised for humor, suspense, and clear storytelling.

“Me ha gustado mucho, hemos recorrido diferentes puntos de la ciudad”

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8.Dark History Royal Mile Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 271 reviews · 2 hours · from $20Best value

Meet your English-speaking guide under the white All-Star Guides umbrella by St. Giles Cathedral. Walk Edinburgh’s Old Town and Canongate for two hours, hearing factual stories of murder, witch trials, plague, executions, cannibalism, and the city’s notorious characters. Guides including James, Robert, Lydia, Joe, and Kieran bring the past alive without costumes or cheap ghost-tour theatrics.

“Learnt lots on tour and were made aware of things that you would otherwise walk past and take for granted . Great factual content delivered in a way that kept us engaged.”

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9.Edinburgh Ghosts & Gore Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 208 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $22

Follow the deceased cemetery director Alexander Clapperton through Edinburgh’s Old Town for 90 minutes of witchcraft, plague, executions, invasions, and comic character appearances. Expect a lively English-language walk through courtyards and closes, with a few scares, some stairs, cobblestones, and the famous Jumper-ooters.

“This tour was great! Our eight year old son really laughed and learned. It was also so fun for the adults. Our guides were funny and very knowledgeable.”

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10.Haunted Histories walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 90 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $20

Join Hauntedburgh Tours for a 90-minute evening walk through Edinburgh’s Old Town. Guides such as Ross and Russ lead you from the Royal Mile to Greyfriars Kirkyard, sharing tales of ghosts, graverobbers, cursed bridges, treason, and Scottish humor. The group is capped at 20, with plenty of time for questions.

“Russ was very entertaining. Not scary at all. Toured different areas of the city and learned interesting facts”

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11.Ghosts, Ghouls & Gallows :The Original Bristol Ghost Walk

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 76 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $20

Meet your cloaked English-speaking guide by William III’s statue in Queen Square and follow Bristol’s darker past through torchlit streets near St Nicholas Market and the harbourside. Hear urban legends, crime stories, ghost reports, and tales of executions and plague pits. The $20 walk lasts 1.5 hours, includes an interactive quiz, and does not enter underground vaults.

“Our Tour guide made the Tour!!!!! Extremely talented on the way she shared the information and really kept my teen daughters interested . We even were inspired to go to the museum of surgery the next day based on what she had told us about Burke and I got the book about them while there ! Most grateful for keeping it real and truly a fabulous guide !”

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12.Edinburgh’s Dark History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 55 reviews · 1h 30m · from $21

Join Rob for a 90-minute English walking tour through Edinburgh’s darker past. Starting at the National Museum of Scotland, you’ll visit Greyfriars Graveyard, Grassmarket, Victoria Street, Edinburgh Castle, and the Royal Mile while hearing about witches, executions, plague, Burke and Hare, and Old Town tragedies. A digital guide is available in English, French, Spanish, and Italian.

“Excellent. I had the best time on this tour learning all about the dark side of Edinburgh as well as so many historical and local information. Rob the guide was really fantastic and easy to follow and relatable. I can’t recommend this tour enough. Well worth it, book now!”

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13.Immersive Old Town Ghost Walking Tour in Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 15 reviews · from $37

Follow a cloaked Mercat Tours storyteller from Mercat Cross through Edinburgh’s Old Town and along the Royal Mile. This 75-minute, above-ground walk uses TourTalk audio devices, hand-picked city sounds, and tales of criminals, victims, and restless souls. Small groups are capped at 18, with guides including Mark, Nicola, Sarah, Michael, and Jack.

“Never a big fan or organized tours but this one was amazing. Jack is great story teller. We’ve learned a lot. And the ghost setting gave that little extra. Will book another tour with them for sure if I ever get back to Edinburgh.”

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