Your free walking tour of Edinburgh, custom-built around what you actually want to see. Tell us a neighbourhood, theme, or vibe and your audio walking tour is ready in 30 seconds. Works offline, 9 voiced languages, 30 free minutes on signup.
Royal Mile, the Castle, the closes. Medieval Edinburgh.
Georgian grid, Charlotte Square, where Edinburgh moved in 1767.
Port Edinburgh. The Shore, Royal Yacht, Trainspotting territory.
Village Edinburgh. The market, the colonies, the Water of Leith.
Hidden mill village in a ravine. Five minutes from Princes Street.
Extinct volcano in the middle of the city. 45-min climb, 360 view.
Tenement Edinburgh. Cafés, indie shops, the Meadows.
Public executions, then pubs. The view up to the Castle.
The Queen's palace, the Parliament, the abbey ruins.
The unfinished Parthenon, the Athens of the North view.
Type a theme, vibe, or street - we'll build the walk in 30 seconds.
Edinburgh picks
Six shortcuts to the Edinburgh you didn't know you wanted to see.
Tasting at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (Leith and the Vaults). Haggis, neeps and tatties at Whiski or Howies. Single malt nightcap at The Bow Bar or Bennets. Skip the kilted bagpipers on the Royal Mile - that's tourist theatre.
Build this walkA preserved 17th-century street buried under the Royal Mile. Plague, ghosts, a real slice of the medieval city most people walk over without knowing. Book ahead.
Build this walkThe National Museum of Scotland (free, brilliant). National Gallery on the Mound (free). The closes off the Royal Mile - dry shortcuts to almost anywhere. Or any pub - that's exactly what they're for.
Build this walkEdinburgh Castle (the One O'Clock Gun, the dungeons, the Crown Jewels). Camera Obscura. Dynamic Earth. Climbing Arthur's Seat. The Meadows for picnics, the National Museum's animal galleries.
Build this walkCalton Hill at sunrise. Victoria Street's curve. Dean Village from Dean Bridge. Arthur's Seat at sunset. The Vennel for the postcard Castle shot. Circus Lane in Stockbridge.
Build this walkCocktails at Panda & Sons (speakeasy behind a barber shop). Whisky at Devil's Advocate. Pints at The Cumberland Bar (Stockbridge). The Pleasance during the Fringe. Hive on Niddry Street if you must dance.
Build this walkHow it works
Three things, in 30 seconds.
01
Any neighbourhood, theme, or vibe. "Harry Potter Edinburgh", "Whisky crawl", "Arthur's Seat sunrise". iWander writes you the walk in 30 seconds.
02
Body snatchers, Enlightenment thinkers, Trainspotting locations - Edinburgh's stories in your ear as you walk the Royal Mile. Hands-free.
03
What's that close called? Who's buried in this kirkyard? Point your camera, ask out loud, or type.
Works offline · 9 voiced languages · 30 free minutes on signup
Local knowledge
The stuff you only learn after you've walked it.
01
Edinburgh weather changes every 20 minutes. Bring a coat with a hood, not an umbrella (the wind off the Firth will snap them). Layers.
02
The Fringe and the International Festival overlap with the Tattoo. The whole city is comedy, theatre, bagpipes. Book accommodation 6 months ahead - prices triple in August.
03
The Old Town's narrow alleys (called "closes") all link to the Royal Mile. Most are open, named, and shave 10 minutes off a route. Advocate's, Anchor, Fleshmarket - all good.
04
Old Town (medieval, cobbled, atmospheric) and New Town (Georgian, gridded, elegant). 1km apart. Walk both - they're completely different cities.
05
August is the Fringe (mad busy). May has the best weather odds. November is cold, dark, atmospheric, half-empty. December is Christmas markets and Hogmanay.
06
Unlike English pub culture, Edinburgh barstaff don't expect tips. Round up for table service if it was good. Restaurants: 10% if not on the bill.
Questions
Practical info
Also walking in
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Updated 14 May 2026 by the iWander local team · Curated for accuracy