John Knox House Tours and Activities

An Edinburgh bus tour is the perfect way to hear commentary on city sights and get a panoramic overview. This City Sightseeing tour of Edinburgh lets you hop on and off at several strategically placed stops as many times as you like. Board the open-top double-decker bus and travel the entire route, or stop at Edinburgh Castle, the National Museum and many more. Buses depart regularly and tickets are valid for 24 hours from first use.

See the best of medieval yet modern Edinburgh on this walking tour with optional skip-the-line access to Edinburgh Castle. As you walk, listen as your guide shares the history of this formidable city with ancient Roman roots and UNESCO-listed pockets. Explore atmospheric cobbled walkways along the Royal Mile, breeze into Edinburgh Castle to witness royal opulence (if option selected), and pass iconic locations like St. Giles Cathedral, Parliament Square, and John Knox House.

We’ve got the best seats in town! This tour is the number one way to explore Scotland’s Capital. Hop on and hop off as much as you like to truly take in the sights of our city tour, including Edinburgh Castle, The Royal Mile (or as we locals call it, The High Street!), Dynamic Earth, The National Museum, Greyfriars’s Bobby, Grassmarket and so many more! We have ticket options to suit you, with validity for 24 or 28 hours allowing you to squeeze in as many of the sights as possible from the best seats in town! We're the not-boring bus tour, and our friendly team are here to ensure you have the very best experience of Edinburgh during your time on board, and beyond!

Feast your senses on the diverse cuisine of Edinburgh during a private food tour that allows you to tailor your itinerary according to personal tastes. As well as receiving undivided attention from a private guide, you’ll discover eateries and restaurants that you may otherwise have missed, and collect food recommendations for the rest of your vacation.

Some shore excursions can feel rigid and impersonal. Tailor your visit to your own interests on this hop-on, hop-off bus tour. Travel around the city and leave the bus to explore at any of the 14 designated stops, including Edinburgh Castle and Hollyrood Palace. You can get on and off the bus as often as you like in a 24-hour period.

We’ve got the best seats in town! This tour is the number one way to explore Scotland’s Capital and your combined two-tour ticket can be used on both routes we operate - Edinburgh City Tour and Edinburgh Britannia Tour! Hop on and hop off as much as you like to truly take in the sights of our city tour, including Edinburgh Castle, The Royal Mile, Dynamic Earth, The National Museum, Greyfriars’s Bobby, Holyrood Palace, The Royal Yacht Britannia, the Royal Botanic Garden and so many more! We have ticket options to suit you, with validity for 24 or 48 hours allowing you to squeeze in as many of the sights as possible from the best seats in town! We're the not-boring bus tour, and our friendly team are here to ensure you have the very best experience of Edinburgh during your time on board, and beyond!

Take the guesswork out of your 'Outlander' pilgrimage on this guided walking tour that takes you to the exact locations featured in the TV series and novels. In a small group of no more than 12 people, see such sites as Jamie's printshop and the Tolbooth prison while learning from your guide about life in Edinburgh during and after the time of the Jacobite uprisings.

Edinburgh's Old Town has a long and eventful past. Explore the area within the Old City Walls. Hear stories of our city's character, some real and some fictional. Walk Through the Closes and discover many hidden gems with a sprinkle of Harry Potter and Outlander too.

Embrace the best that Edinburgh has to offer on a 3-hour small-group walking tour of the Royal Mile. You’ll cover everything along the famous route, starting in the Lawnmarket and following it down to Holyroodhouse and Scottish Parliament. Listen as your guide tells you the little-known stories of the city’s most important people and events, before returning to a central location.

You can certainly wander around Edinburgh's medieval Old Town on your own, but for a more enriching experience, book this guided walking tour, which introduces you to the architectural concepts and history behind the curious buildings. Your guide leads you along the winding Cockburn Street, to the Royal Mile, and Canongate, delving into each street's architectural influences and the development of Scottish styles.

The Canongate was once a separate town. It's often overlooked, but is packed with hidden gems. Starting at the site of the Old City Gate, explore the Canongate part of Edinburgh's Royal Mile. Discover Gardens, Mansion Houses and hear how life has changed over the centuries. Ending outside the Queens Official Residence in Scotland, the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Get a richer experience of Edinburgh's fascinating architecture than possible alone on this private guided tour led by a local architecture graduate. In the company of just your party and guide, learn about such native styles as Scottish Baronial, as well as foreign architectural influences on the capital's buildings, as you walk through the Old Town, along the famed Royal Mile and dipping into hidden closes (alleys) and courtyards en route to the strikingly modern Scottish Parliament Building.

Join us for this half day tour of Scotland’s beautiful capital city, Edinburgh. Exploring the Old Town on foot, led by your local Blue Badge Guide, is the best way to soak up the local atmosphere. Starting on top of the volcanic rock, we will visit the iconic Edinburgh castle. Then we will follow the ancient path of a glacier all the way to bottom of the Royal Mile. Your guide will lead the you through narrow closes and beautiful buildings surrounding the Royal Mile, giving you the chance to discover the city’s history and its famous citizens along the way. Our tour finishes with a view of both the Royal palace of Holyrood and the modern Scottish Parliament, a fantastic introduction to the city of Edinburgh.

Spend the evening exploring Edinburgh's Old Town on a Private Walking Tour with a knowledgeable, friendly local tour guide. Hear about the characters and events that shaped this wonderful cities past. This is a great option if time is limited to get to know the Royal Mile and Old Town. A walking tour in the evening could give you more time during the day to visit some of our attractions. If you would prefer to focus on the top part of the Royal Mile just let your guide know, if not the tour will end outside the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Just one look at Edinburgh’s intriguing cityscape hints at all the secrets beneath… Are you curious to discover them? Follow in the footsteps of an enthusiastic history buff, Chris, and seek answers to location-based riddles he created. Wandering through obscure streets, you’ll find atmospheric gardens, intriguing statues and wicked delights along the way. Even long-time locals said they were surprised with hidden spots and stories they discovered on this self-guided walk! This playful walk across Edinburgh’s Old Town sharpens your senses and encourages you to appreciate the most wonderful – and often hidden – details around you. Whether you know Edinburgh or just start exploring here, this experience gives you a perspective on discovery that will inspire your curiosity wherever you go next. There are 12 fun location-based riddles to solve on this route. You can fully enjoy this experience of connecting with the city while staying in your own group.

The Highlands is the epitome of Scotland. Big skies, sparkling countryside, great food, friendly people and the Scottish Highlands. A natural playground that begs to be explored, with the finest and most romantic castles. Edinburgh is the inspiring capital of Scotland where hundreds of years of history unite an unforgettable world-class city. The magnificent architecture of the city is shifting from the enclosures of the medieval Old City to the grace of the new Georgian City. Above all, Edinburgh Castle stands with its magnificent splendour. Edinburgh is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a compact and lively town but home to the world's largest arts festival. Glasgow is true heaven with excellent food, drinks and unforgettable experiences as well. The lush and beautiful land is full of green areas, evergreen forestry of the Highlands with their sweeping mountains and deep “lochs”, and its compact wildlands, the islands with lots of beautiful beaches and vast views. Oh, what views!

Explore the Old Town of Edinburgh with a private guide leading the way during this walking tour. Hear stories about the people, history, and politics that shaped the city of Edinburgh. Go for a walk along the Royal Mile and see local landmarks including Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and Scottish Parliament.

COVID SAFETY MEASURES I provide only small group tours. Private tours also available. The maximum group size is eight. I wear a face shield from start to finish. You will also need to wear either that or a face shield. I will have hand sanitizer available for you. NOW ENJOY ...fascinating insights from an experienced tour guide and local historian - me!. There will be a fun quiz for children at the end of your tour. If they do well, they receive a special prize! You will hear and see amazing things. A castle on top of an extinct volcano. What we did to witches. We will also explore Many of our well-hidden closes and wynds. You will see a house once occupied by the wealthiest man in Edinburgh. You will learn of the man who challenged Mary Queen of Scots and won, but not in the way you might expect. Also, the story of a traitor who tried to crash the Scottish economy, but failed. Many of the true social stories you hear are mainly found in antique books. They tell it best!

Your tour will take you on a comfortable walk in the Old Town along the famed Royal Mile. Hear stories of the murderers, geniuses, body-snatchers, witch hunters, firebrand priests and philosophers. See the eerie site of witch burnings and the castle sitting high above the city on its volcanic rock, then it's down Victoria St and into the Grassmarket and up the "Candlemakers Row" to see the Greyfriars churchyard and a statue to Greyfriars "Bobby" before heading past the "Birthplace" of Harry Potter. After lunch, we continue on our walk with a visit to the High Kirk of St Giles a pre-reformation Cathedral. Further down see the former home of John Knox, the Calvanistic reformer, then it's on to the Canongate Kirk and graveyard, where Her Majesty the Queen worships when in Edinburgh. A little further down "The" Mile and sitting in the shadow of Edinburgh's extinct volcano, and across the road from the Scottish Parliament building sits Holyrood Palace & Abbey (12c).

Discover Edinburgh’s complex history through the lens of its most influential architects, on a 90-minute walk. If you’re curious about the origins of Scottish design then you'll enjoy this self-guided walking tour in the atmospheric Old Town. You’ll explore the fascinating historical buildings that give the area its character, and admire award-winning contemporary architecture like the famous Scottish Parliament. On this audio tour, you’ll meander through narrow closes, beneath stepped gables and turrets, pausing at breathtaking viewpoints. You'll be shown the easy-to-miss details on the buildings, and old maps and drawings. Downloading the tour onto the VoiceMap app to enjoy the tour on location or virtually at home.

What better way to acquaint yourself with the layout of Edinburgh's medieval Old Town than a private tour with your own experienced guide. In 3 hours your guide will cover all of the highlights of the Old Town as well as the hidden gems that the unwary visitor misses. Your guide will scratch under the surface of each location helping the visitor to understand why the city has such a gruesome history. Although many people think it is just about the Castle, it is much more than that. It is about the people who lived and died in the Old Town. You will hear stories of body-snatchers, of witches and the religious zealots that sent them to their deaths. We will explain how Scotland went from independent country to becoming part of the United Kingdom and its impact on Edinburgh The 18th century was a period that saw the rebirth of Edinburgh through learning and education. This period became known as the Scottish Enlightenment. Come on this tour to be entertained and enlightened.

Enjoy fascinating insights from an experienced tour guide and local historian - me!. There will be a fun quiz for children at the end of your tour. If they do well, they receive a special prize! You will hear and see amazing things. A castle on top of an extinct volcano. What we did to witches. We will also explore Many of our well-hidden closes and wynds. You will see a house once occupied by the wealthiest man in Edinburgh. You will learn of the man who challenged Mary Queen of Scots and won, but not in the way you might expect. Also, the story of a traitor who tried to crash the Scottish economy, but failed. Many of the true social stories you hear are mainly found in antique books. They tell it best!

The Highlands is the epitome of Scotland. Big skies, sparkling countryside, great food, friendly people and the Scottish Highlands. A natural playground that begs to be explored, with the finest and most romantic castles. Edinburgh is the inspiring capital of Scotland where hundreds of years of history unite an unforgettable world-class city. The magnificent architecture of the city is shifting from the enclosures of the medieval Old City to the grace of the new Georgian City. Above all, Edinburgh Castle stands with its magnificent splendour. Edinburgh is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a compact and lively town but home to the world's largest arts festival. Glasgow is true heaven with excellent food, drinks and unforgettable experiences as well. The lush and beautiful land is full of green areas, evergreen forestry of the Highlands with their sweeping mountains and deep “lochs”, and its compact wildlands, the islands with lots of beautiful beaches and vast views. Oh, what views!

Let’s Roam is the #1 app-led scavenger hunt company. Walk to all the best landmarks and hidden gems, answering trivia questions and solving challenges. Work with your team or compete against them, as you learn new facts and create memorable experiences. Let’s Roam Scavenger Hunts are great as an everyday activity, or for bachelorette parties, birthday parties, corporate team building events and more! Each player chooses an interactive role, with challenges varying by person.