Underground · EDINBURGH CAVE TOURS
The vaults under South Bridge and the closes off the Royal Mile, sealed for a century and reopened as a walk. These 15 compare the historical tours against the after-dark ones, with prices, stairs and how long each runs.
Walk beneath Edinburgh’s Old Town into the candle-lit South Bridge vaults, dating from the 1700s. Guides such as James, Jordan, Dom, and Louisa mix grim facts, humor, ghost stories, and tales of poverty, crime, witches, and disease. Choose the standard tour or add the Torture Exhibition for darker material.
“Informative, interesting, not too long. Stewart the guide made it funny and entertaining.”
Walk Edinburgh’s shadowy closes, visit Greyfriars Kirkyard, and descend into historic South Bridge vaults on a 75-minute evening tour. Guides such as David, Jamie, Maggie Dickinson, Fred Knox, and the Fairy Wife use comedy, audience participation, and macabre stories to bring the Old Town’s past to life. Expect steps, outdoor walking, and theatrical surprises.
“Great experience, interesting history lessons . Unforgettable memories and great stories . Definitely worth”
Meet your English-speaking guide on the Lawnmarket, walk through Edinburgh’s Old Town, then descend beneath South Bridge into chilly 18th-century vaults. Hear stories of poverty, crime, ghosts, and alleged witchcraft before finishing on Niddry Street. Guides may include Josh, James, Louisa, Kieran, or Nick.
“Great tour that gives a great insight into the history of the vaults as well as being slightly spooky. We couldn't have asked for a better tour guide than Kieran. He was knowledgeable, entertaining, funny and friendly!”
Walk from Edinburgh’s Lawnmarket to Greyfriars Kirkyard, hearing about Greyfriars Bobby, Burke and Hare, witches, criminals, and notable burials. Then step into the South Bridge Vaults, where guides such as Jordan, James, Darren, and Louisa bring grim tales and reported paranormal activity to life. Expect English-only storytelling, stairs, and a few jump scares.
“Ally was very knowledgeable and get dry wit added to the atmosphere. I very much enjoyed this tour. It was creepy in the vaults though. Definitely some strange stuff happened there.”
Follow an English-speaking guide beneath Edinburgh’s Royal Mile into the South Bridge vaults, where stories of poverty, murder, body snatching, and ghosts meet a torture exhibition and the symbol-marked Stone Circle Vault. Guides such as James, Charlie, Darren, and Dom bring the dark past to life with humor and theatrical storytelling.
“Stewart was absolutely brilliant, really informative and very funny 😁 clearly enjoys himself sharing his knowledge and plenty of laughs were had. Thoroughly recommend”
Walk from the Royal Mile into Greyfriars Kirkyard and Edinburgh’s underground vaults on a 75-minute English-language tour. Expect local guides such as David Rizzio, Maggie Dickson, or Robbie Diggs, who mix tales of Burke and Hare, witchcraft, murder, and torture with theatrical humor. Wear good shoes, and note the steep, narrow steps underground.
“our Guide David was awesome so funny and engaging we really enjoyed it thank you”
Meet your English-speaking Mercat guide at Mercat Cross, walk through Edinburgh’s Old Town, then enter the Blair Street Underground Vaults for 45 minutes of true tales, torture, murder, hangings, and hauntings. Guides such as Aniela, Jack, Linda, Marie, and Shannon are known for strong storytelling. Audio devices keep every word clear.
“our tour was fantastic from start to finish. our tour guide Marie really made the experience 10 out of 10 she really got into character and was just lovely”
Join a cloaked Storyteller at Mercat Cross for two hours of Edinburgh murder tales, witchcraft, executions, and restless spirits. You’ll walk through the Old Town, descend into the Blair Street Underground Vaults, then gather in Megget’s Cellar for Ballantine’s whisky, Scottish beer, or a soft drink. TourTalk devices help you hear every story.
“Sophie was an amazing story teller. We felt were in the 1600s.. Overall a must try.”
Follow an English-speaking local historian from the Royal Mile into Edinburgh’s 400-year-old Underground Vaults, then through historic closes and Old Town sites. Hear stories about Burke and Hare, Jekyll and Hyde, Scrooge, Edinburgh’s early skyscrapers, and the city’s darker past. The tour costs $27 and lasts 1.5 hours.
“Saturn was an excellent guide, with such a quirky sense of humour he made the tour really entertaining and interesting, who knew Edinburgh had such a macabre history! thoroughly recommend for anyone looking for something a bit different to do in the city.”
Walk Edinburgh’s Old Town with a guide such as James Douglas, Robbie Diggs, or Mary Queen of Scots, then descend into the vaults beneath South Bridge. Expect dark history, ghost stories, grim tales, humor, and a short but atmospheric look at underground chambers. The tour is in English and costs $22 per person.
“a bit of a last minute booking but my mum and i had the most amazing time on this tour ! our guide, fred knox, was incredibly knowledgeable and very entertaining. we were in quite a small group (4 in total) but he was able to build an effortless energy which we all thoroughly enjoyed. the stories were spooky and engaging and we definitely learnt a lot ! a great little gem of a tour in the heart of the city and absolutely worth the money :))”
Follow a cloaked Mercat Tours guide from Mercat Cross through Edinburgh’s Old Town, then descend into the Blair Street Underground Vaults. Expect true tales of murder, torture, body snatching, and restless spirits, told in English for groups of up to 18. Guides such as Steph, Shannon, Mike, and Marieh are known for dramatic storytelling.
“Shannon was a very good storyteller and made the tour really intriguing! Very interactive tour and had a lot of fun. Thank you!”
Meet your costumed guide at 9:15 pm for an 80-minute walk through Edinburgh’s Old Town, Greyfriars Kirkyard, and the South Bridge vaults. Expect chilling tales, theatrical humor, narrow passages, and a late-night atmosphere. Guides such as David Rizzio, Lafayette, Dr Knox, and Raticus have all led this experience.
“David did a great job! He was in character the entire time. The tour was a good history lesson. Make sure you wear good walking shoes.”
Walk Edinburgh’s Old Town with guides such as Holly, Chihon, Emily, and Alex, then enter an exclusive section of the South Bridge vaults. Expect Scottish history, city stories, Canongate Kirkyard, winding steps, and time for questions. The small group has a maximum of six people, and the tour runs in English.
“Chihon was an excellent guide. He was very engaging, knowledgeable and had us laughing throughout the tour. Our 10yo loved hearing about the history of Edinburgh just as much as we did. Highly recommend!”
Walk Edinburgh’s Old Town after dark, visit Greyfriars cemetery, and descend a spiral stairway into the Underground Vaults. Your period-dressed guide may be Dr Knox, Agnes, James Douglas, or another character from the rotating cast. Expect grim tales, dark humor, steep cobbled streets, and a lively theatrical performance.
“Tour was lovely, “captain gray was.. okay “ & Malcom was an amazing wee guy. ( odd name for a rat tho, I must admit ) 😂”
Meet your English-speaking guide outside John’s Coffee House & Tavern, behind St Giles Cathedral. Then head below Edinburgh’s Old Town for four Scotch whiskies from major producing regions, whisky stories, and a close look at regional styles. Upgrade to rarer intermediate drams or five high-end pours. Guides include Mark, Rosie, Eleanor, Sarah, and Nikki.
“this was so well done and Haley was a wonderful host”
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