50+ languages
Edinburgh · United Kingdom Edinburgh Audio Tours
Discover Edinburgh with self-guided audio walking tours
headphones
6 tours
pin_drop
20 landmarks
translate
Edinburgh tours
Pick a Edinburgh worth walking.
Self-guided audio tours written by people who actually live there.
Edinburgh Audio Tour: Bridges, Burials & Monumental Mysteries
A black Gothic spire needles the Edinburgh sky, and the Scott Monument casts long shadows over stories that refuse to stay buried. This self guided audio tour leads through the Old Town and beyond, pairing famous sights with overlooked corners like Moubray House and the National Archives of Scotland. Hear the city speak in rebellions, scandals, political battles, and forgotten moments most visitors walk straight past. What desperate message could turn a crowd near the Scott Monument from admiration to alarm? Which sealed record in the National Archives of Scotland hints at a mystery no one wanted solved? Why does Moubray House keep reappearing in oddly specific tales of vanished papers and names crossed out at midnight? Move from stone steps to hidden closes, from grand façades to quiet doorways. Feel Edinburgh tighten and open again with every turn. Start now, and follow that spire into the shadows.
Edinburgh Audio Tour: Monuments, Myths & Mysteries of the Old Town
A spire pierces the Edinburgh sky, blackened by centuries of secrets and storms. The city below shudders with history both whispered and shouted. Uncover a side of Edinburgh most never see on this self-guided audio tour. Move from the looming Scott Monument to the timeworn stones of Greyfriars Kirk, through the halls of New College and beyond, chasing the tales that haunt every step. Why did a silent midnight duel near the kirk change the fate of a nation? Which monument conceals the scars of a forgotten rebellion? What odd ritual once echoed through New College’s secluded courtyards? Wander ancient closes and grand crescents. Trace the city’s shadows and scandals in corners tourists rush past. Every moment here tilts between awe and revelation, promising fresh eyes on a living legend. Take the first step into Edinburgh’s tangled heart and let its true story unfold.
Edinburgh Audio Tour: Underground Echoes and City Secrets
Beneath the cobblestones of the Royal Mile, cries of rebellion, sermons, and secret agreements still echo. Edinburgh looks proud. But the city hides a darker and stranger layer. Follow a self-guided audio tour through alleys and squares, from St Giles' Cathedral to the Old College at the University of Edinburgh and on towards St Cecilia's Hall. Hear the stories most people walk past, the scandals that were polished away, and the forgotten moments that shaped power and faith. Who dared defy the crown when conflict brewed at St Giles, and what did it cost in blood and reputation. What trace of a lost secret is still said to be hidden in the university courtyard's stone. Why did a certain concert in St Cecilia's Hall let a wrong note turn into a political dispute. Wander from the cathedral's shadows to the academy's light, between intrigues and hymns. See Edinburgh anew. Press start, and let the stone speak.
Edinburgh Audio Tour: A Sojourn through New Town and Broughton
A thousand eyes have stared up at Edinburgh’s monuments, but few have seen the city’s shadows hiding behind marble and stone. Peer beyond the grand facades on this self-guided audio tour, uncovering tales that slip by unnoticed as you roam from the Scottish National Portrait Gallery to the mighty National Monument and through hidden corners near the National Archives. What drove a secret society to meet under starlit columns in defiance of their rulers? Which lost masterpiece vanished for decades, only to resurface with a scandalous twist? And whose voice echoes in hushed government corridors, holding clues to an unsolved Edinburgh mystery? Move through majestic halls and wind-swept hilltops, your footsteps tracing forgotten rebellions and whispered conspiracies. Feel history’s pulse and discover the artful secrets stitched into every stone. Unlock what others overlook. Press play and reveal Edinburgh’s hidden faces now.
Edinburgh Audio Tour: Echoes of Intrigue from Holyrood to Hermits
In Edinburgh, secrets linger on every cobbled corner—one moment whispers of medieval treachery, the next, coded messages echo from modern labs. Beneath these gothic spires, tales of ambition, scandal, and silent rebellion shape the city you see. This self-guided audio tour threads through back alleys and iconic halls. Uncover unexpected histories and campus secrets that many wander past without ever knowing. What drove a royal murder plot just steps from a university classroom? Which hidden passage still guards traces of student mischief that no faculty ever resolved? Why did a 19th-century discovery at the School of Informatics vanish overnight with no explanation? Trace dramatic footsteps from palace intrigue to computer revolutions. Feel history shift under your feet as you move between legendary events and overlooked mysteries. Edinburgh changes when you see it this way. Take your first step into the shadows—the city’s untold stories are waiting.
Edinburgh Audio Tour: The Story-Walk Through Edinburgh’s Intellectual Mile
A city where the past and future collide, Edinburgh hides its boldest secrets behind glowing glass towers and stone-walled legends. This self-guided audio tour is your key to discovering what most visitors miss—hidden rebellions, pranks that fooled professors, and revolutions started by students beneath the very streets you walk. What royal tragedy haunts the National Museum’s foundation stone? How did disaster strike the School of Informatics and unite world-leading minds through fire and resilience? Who smuggled forbidden goods over the museum’s “Bridge of Sighs,” and why did a student song ban once send headlines spiraling? Move through bustling university corners, echoing student halls, and awe-inspiring galleries where old scandals meet new innovation. Every turn brings a revelation—walk the pulse of invention, power, mischief, and world-changing ambition. Unlock the city’s hidden depth. Your story-laced journey begins now.
Top landmarks
The Edinburgh everyone knows.
The landmarks in every guidebook — and the tours that tell you what guidebooks don't.
A few words on Edinburgh
A volcanic city that decided to become an idea.
Edinburgh sits on the remains of ancient volcanoes. Castle Rock, where the castle has stood since at least the twelfth century, is a volcanic plug, a column of hardened magma that resisted the grinding of glaciers while everything around it was scraped flat. Arthur's Seat, the extinct volcano to the east, gives you a 360-degree view of the city and the Firth of Forth from 251 metres for the cost of an hour's walk. The city grew outward from that geological accident, down from the rock along the Royal Mile to Holyrood Palace, and then sideways as the medieval closes and wynds filled in with centuries of tenement life.
The New Town, designed in 1766 by the twenty-three-year-old architect James Craig to relieve the Old Town's extraordinary overcrowding, represents the other Edinburgh: rational, Georgian, gridded, built on the confidence of the Scottish Enlightenment.
David Hume, Adam Smith, and James Hutton were all working in this city at the same time in the second half of the eighteenth century, producing philosophy, economics, and the foundations of modern geology simultaneously. The nickname 'Athens of the North' came from that generation, and the Parthenon-referencing folly on Calton Hill, which they ran out of money to finish, keeps the comparison visible.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh FAQ
Before you walk.
Very. The Royal Mile from the Castle down to Holyrood runs downhill, which is manageable, but the close-packed lanes off it often drop steeply. The New Town is flatter. Arthur's Seat is a genuine hill walk. Wear proper walking shoes rather than sandals, as some of the older closes have uneven stone steps. The city's terrain is what makes it beautiful, so it is worth accepting the workout.
Layers, always. Edinburgh's weather changes quickly, and the wind off the Firth of Forth can arrive at any season. A waterproof outer layer, a mid-layer for warmth, and comfortable walking shoes are the standard kit. Even in July, a jumper in your bag is not paranoia.
Edinburgh Waverley station sits in the valley between the Old Town and New Town, within walking distance of both. Buses serve the Royal Mile and the Grassmarket area. The city centre is small enough that most tour starting points are accessible on foot from the station.
Yes, but entrance requires a ticket, currently around 19 pounds for adults. The castle is open daily and contains the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny. It is worth building in two hours if you plan to go inside. Many walking tours are designed to explain the castle from outside as part of the Royal Mile route, without requiring entry.
Every Edinburgh tour, in your language.
All 50+ languages, included with every booking.
🇬🇧 English🇫🇷 Français🇪🇸 Español🇩🇪 Deutsch🇮🇹 Italiano🇯🇵 日本語🇨🇳 中文🇰🇷 한국어+ 41 more
star AudaTours Unlimited
Visiting more than one city? Subscribe.
Unlock every Edinburgh tour — plus thousands more worldwide. Cancel any time.
$4.99/week · Cancel anytime
More in United Kingdom
Explore United Kingdom arrow_forwardOther cities to walk in United Kingdom.
Loved by travellersThousands of tours started.
Thousands of tours started.
Plenty of opinions.
4.8 across the App Store and Google Play. Here's a few we keep coming back to.
starstarstarstarstar
This tour was such a great way to see the city. The stories were interesting without feeling too scripted, and I loved being able to explore at my own pace.
Jess
Tbilisi Tourstarstarstarstarstar
This was a solid way to get to know Brighton without feeling like a tourist. The narration had depth and context, but didn't overdo it.
Christoph
Brighton Tourstarstarstarstarstar
Started this tour with a croissant in one hand and zero expectations. The app just vibes with you, no pressure, just you, your headphones, and some cool stories.
John
Marseille Tourdownload Get the app Pop your headphones in.
Pop your headphones in.
Step outside.
Free to download. Tours in every city. Start in 60 seconds — no account, no card.
headphones
~ 4 min until your first tour starts
public
1,000+ cities worldwide
all_inclusive
AudaTours
Unlimited
Every tour. Every city. One subscription.
3097 tours2273 cities138 countries50+ languages
$39 /year
all_inclusive Explore Unlimited