Harry Potter in Edinburgh: 9 Walking Tours

1.Original Harry Potter Locations Tour in Edinburgh : Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4,236 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $19Our pick

Start at William Chambers Monument for a two-hour, easy-paced walk through Edinburgh’s Harry Potter connections and Old Town sights. Your English-speaking guide shares Rowling-related stories, local history, and trivia, with stops including a graveyard and a Diagon Alley-like facade. Expect about 1.5 miles on foot, a group of up to 25, and an ending near Edinburgh Castle.

“10/10 tour with our brilliant guide Jenny. It was really interesting and interactive. You learn so much about Harry Potter and the history of Edinburgh too.”

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2.The Potter Trail Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,353 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $104

Follow a private, English-language walk through Edinburgh’s Old Town, linking Greyfriars Kirkyard, Potterrow, the National Museum of Scotland, the Elephant House and Victoria Street with J.K. Rowling’s writing life and Harry Potter inspirations. Your guide can tailor the conversation to your interests. Bring a wand-shaped pen or umbrella for the spellcasting fun.

“Roisin was a really good guide. During An hour she showed us a lot of places in Edinburgh that were important to JK Rowling. It was very interesting.”

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3.JK Rowling’s Harry Potter Walking Tour in Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 547 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $24

Walk Edinburgh’s Old Town with a guide who links Rowling’s life to Harry Potter landmarks, including Victoria Street, Greyfriars Kirkyard and the place where she wrote the final book. The two-hour tour starts on the Royal Mile at 3:30 pm, costs $24.19 per person, and may be led by guides such as Sarah, Kristel or Callum.

“Finding all the places that gave rise to Harry Potter stories. Adalais was a great guide! He was funny and made the tour very interesting!”

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4.Harry Potter’s Alnwick Castle and Scottish Borders Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 431 reviews · 9 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $88

Travel from Edinburgh to Bamburgh Castle, Alnwick Castle, and Coldstream on a guided day trip of about nine and a half hours. Expect coastal views, castle history, and Harry Potter filming connections. Castle admission costs extra, and the group is usually limited to 16 people.

“Our tour guide, Tom, was knowledgeable and funny. The sites were beautiful and we enjoyed walking through both castles. Highly recommend paying the extra bit to get inside the castles.”

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5.Harry Potter Tour & Edinburgh Castle Visit

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 340 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $102

Join a small group of up to 15 for a two-hour walk from Tron Kirk Market through the Royal Mile, Greyfriars, Victoria Street and other Harry Potter-inspired corners of Edinburgh. Guides such as Jackson, Hazel, Kirsty and Paul have led the route. Then use your included ticket to explore Edinburgh Castle on your own for about two hours.

“We are traveling in Scotland with the whole family, from my ten year old twins to my eighty year old parents, and everyone loved this tour. Our kids are Harry Potter diehards and Hazel was incredibly knowledgeable about the places and things that inspired JK Rowling in writing the books. But she also knows her Scottish History so even those in our group who don’t know Harry Potter learned and enjoyed. There’s a lot of walking which we loved. We went in the winter so it was chilly. Dress warmly if you do the same with lots of layers. There were so many surprises and delights packed into two hours.…”

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6.Edinburgh’s Amazing Harry Potter Walking Tour – Kids Free!

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 238 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $20

Walk from Tron Kirk Market to Edinburgh City Chambers with a local guide, connecting Harry Potter names and inspirations to real city history. The two-hour route includes Greyfriars, Victoria Street, Waverley Station and views of Edinburgh Castle. Groups are capped at 15, and children can join free.

“Jackson is knowledgeable and has enthusiasm. He is a keeper. His style matches the customers interest.”

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7.JK Rowling’s Edinburgh & the Writing of Harry Potter 4½hrs

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 213 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.)

Follow guide Sam through Edinburgh’s Old Town on a private, 4.5-hour walk about J.K. Rowling, the writing of Harry Potter, and the city’s literary past. Stops include Greyfriars Kirkyard, Victoria Street, the Writers’ Museum, and the Balmoral. Expect hills, more than 5 km on foot, detailed stories, and occasional wizardly surprises.

“Sam was very knowledgeable and excited to share it with us. It would be helpful if he spoke a bit slower, but we got used to his cadence. He even bought us ice cream. It did. It feel like 4 hrs because we had a great time.”

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8.Guided Harry Potter Tour in French

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 57 reviews · from $43

Walk Edinburgh’s Old Town with a French-speaking guide from Tours et Détours d’Edimbourg. In two hours, hear about J.K. Rowling’s life in the city, explore streets and a graveyard linked with the books’ atmosphere, learn the stories behind character names, and see Rowling’s handprints. The walk starts and ends outside City Chambers on the Royal Mile.

“Very interesting. We discover the city at the same time as JK Rowling's anecdotes.”

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9.Harry Potter’s Edinburgh: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 42 reviews · 40 minutes to 1 hour (approx.) · from $11Best value

Follow an English-language VoiceMap audio tour from Castlehill to the Elephant House, with stops near Edinburgh Castle, the Writers’ Museum, Victoria Street and Greyfriars Kirkyard. It takes about 40 minutes to an hour if you keep moving, but you can pause to explore. Download the audio, maps and location data for offline use.

“We absolutely loved this self-guided tour! The insider information, little tid-bits, and narration are fantastic! Great for adults and children; I highly recommend!”

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