Underground Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh Old Town
Description
Journey along Edinburgh's Royal Mile hearing some of Edinburgh's darker history before visiting the infamous hidden and supposedly haunted vaults beneath the South Bridge in Edinburgh Old Town. Hear tales of how the poor and unfortunate lived in these former slums. Explore these dimly lit vaults by candlelight, once the haunt of criminals, body snatchers and witches alike, said by some to now be occupied by a few of the spirits of these inhabitants long since dead. Each vault has stories of crime, disease, death and lots more... with which your guide shall enlighten you in all the gory details! You will see a genuine witchcraft temple, recently used by a Wiccan coven and you will enter their former temple. Join us to learn why it is no longer safe for them to practice their craft in that vault. DARE you step inside the infamous stone circle?
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- not suitable for children under 5 years of age, children under 2 years of age are not allowed on tour.
- Entrance/Exit to the vaults is via a 2 foot tall step followed by single flight spiral staircase.
- Mezzanine staircases of 5-7 steps inside vaults between levels.
- Alcohol/Drugs are strictly forbidden and anyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be turned away.
- Non-service animals are not allowed.
- • Some historical content may be of a distressing nature with regards but not exclusively to Torture, Hangings, Death
- The walking pace and terrain may not be suitable for those with any difficulty walking.
- We do not have any luggage storage so please make alternate arrangements.
- No toilet stops or toilets available during tour.
Reviews(9,071)
Really had an amazing time with Stuart as our guide! I especially liked when we entered the dark room.
Spent the first half an hour on the Royal Mile which we had just done with a walking tour so that was a wasted bit. The vaults were ok, guide overacted somewhat, all in all was not worth the £24 price tag. Maybe half that.
Jordan was informative and entertaining while illuminating hidden aspects of Edinburgh history.
Diva was an excellent guide. She was very funny, engaging, and she made the history of the vaults really interesting. It was cool to see the underground tunnels and hard to imagine people once lived there. That said, we were expecting a much scarier or more haunted experience, and it just didn’t deliver. While we’re glad we did it, we didn’t feel it was worth the price we paid. Diva made the tour enjoyable, but overall it was more interesting than spooky.
Daniel Downie operates Mountbank Tours in old Edinburgh. He is an accomplished nightclub comedian and conducts walking tours of the town accompanied by his dog. His knowledge of the area and it's history are extensive ( his university subject ) and liberally sprinkled with his nightclub humor. He is entertaining and informative. If you decide to make use of his services, make sure to wear comfortable walking shoes.
Our tour guide James was fabulous. He had such passion and excitement for the history of Edinburgh and of the vaults. Great information and fun.
The underground vaults tour is a fascinating experience. Learning some history and factoids about what’s right beneath your feet. The tour guide James makes all the difference, a larger than life character who is full of knowledge and takes pride in his job. I would recommend this tour.
This tour unfortunately felt a little bit like a tourist trap. We’ve taken several history, walking, eating and pub tours through Viatour which were excellent but this one fell short.
James was an excellent guide and the tour was worth every penny!
Stewart was excellent! Packed a lot of information and even more laughs into just an hour. Super nice and personable, and was overall a great guide. Would recommend!!
