14 Edinburgh Audio Tours Worth the Walk

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

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

Use the VoiceMap app to follow an English-language, self-guided walk through Edinburgh’s Harry Potter connections. Starting near Edinburgh Castle, the route visits Victoria Street, the Writer’s Museum, Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, and the Elephant House. Pause, shop, or continue at your own pace with offline maps and audio.

“It was tricky to use as no road names in the map. We got lost a lot and gave up Not useful to help navigate”

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2.Edinburgh: Old Town Walking Tour with an APP

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 36 reviews · 5 hours · from $9

Use the Trippy Tour Guide app to explore Edinburgh’s Old Town at your own pace. Follow more than 40 GPS-triggered narration points from Calton Hill along the Royal Mile to Greyfriars Kirkyard, with audio in six languages and no in-person guide.

“Ottima guida che accompagna per le vie del centro città. Aggiungerei una parte più approfondita in merito alla storia (regnanti, rivolta dei giacobiti e così via) in modo da renderla più completa.”

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3.Ghosts of Edinburgh: Bloody Past Exploration Game and Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 25 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $7

Use your phone to guide a private, self-paced Edinburgh mystery game from The Mound through castle views, St Giles’, Mary King’s Close, Greyfriars, and historic college buildings. Solve location-based clues, pause whenever you like, and play without entering paid attractions or needing mobile data.

“It was interesting to find some things that we wouldn't necessarily have found. Some of the clues were too tricky to decipher.”

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4.Royal Mile, Edinburgh Walking Tour with Audioguide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 16 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $7

Follow a historian-written audio guide from Holyrood Abbey along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle. You’ll get 23 recordings, an offline map, landmark images, and one year of access. Start and stop as you like, but bring your own phone and headphones. No human guide or entrance tickets are included.

“Didn't get to do the tour but we walked a lot up and down the Royal Mile many many times. Put in a lot of miles.”

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5.Edinburgh Harry Potter Self-Guided Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 13 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $12

Use the Pandemic Tours app for a 2 to 3 hour self-guided walk through Edinburgh’s Harry Potter locations. Jule provides the recorded narration, directions, photos, videos, and local tips. Follow the route from Greyfriars Bobby to City Chambers, stopping for shops, coffee, and photos as you please.

“Loved the fact that I could take this tour at my own pace, gave me time to get a coffee when I wanted and look in shops. Two small complaints-the order seems a little chaotic definitely some back and forth whereas it would have been easier to do what’s closer to each other. Second one, if there’s a way to include a map or something at the cemetery-I wasted way too much time trying to find all the stones and still never found all of them. Otherwise I enjoyed it.”

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6.Edinburgh: Royal Mile Walking Tour & Exploration Game

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 7 reviews · 365 days

Follow a self-guided Royal Mile Quest from Edinburgh Castle to the Old Town, solving puzzles and challenges in the Go Quest Adventures app. You set the pace, stop for cafés, and play privately with up to five people. Allow 2.5 to 3.5 hours, wear good shoes, and bring a pen.

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7.Edinburgh Old Town Private Self-Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $12Top rated

Follow Jule’s human-recorded audio guide through Edinburgh’s Old Town, from Parliament Square and the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle, Grassmarket, and the Writers’ Museum. You get GPS directions, maps, videos, and three weeks of access, but entrance fees and an in-person guide are not included.

“Unable to do due to weather - really wish we could have explore at are own pace but definitely will on our next adventure here.”

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8.Highlights from Edinburgh’s Old Town: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours (approx.) · from $11

Use the VoiceMap app to explore Edinburgh’s Old Town in English, from the Royal Scottish Academy to the Scottish Parliament. Follow audio and maps through Princes Street Gardens, the Royal Mile, Riddle’s Court, St Giles Cathedral, and more, with lifetime offline access.

“It was our first time using the app. Overall, the experience was relatively good. Sometimes it knew exactly where we were, but sometimes it didn't, which was a bit challening. This particular tour was very focused on the city's architecture, which I didn't recall from the description, so if you aren't as interested in that aspect of the city's history, you may want to try another tour.”

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9.Edinburgh New Town: City Walking Tour & Exploration Game

★★★★★★★★★★3.4 · 3 reviews · 365 days

Use the Go Quest Adventures app to follow a 2.2-mile puzzle trail through Edinburgh’s New Town. Start at Calton Hill, pass Georgian streets and Princes Street Gardens, and finish at St Andrews Square. You solve clues at your own pace, with one ticket covering up to five people.

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10.Edinburgh Self-Guided Murder Mystery Tour by the Royal Mile

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 3 reviews · from $10

Take a self-guided, English-language murder mystery through Edinburgh’s Old Town. Collect the case materials, follow clues from Tron Kirk along the Royal Mile, solve tasks tied to the surroundings, and finish in Grassmarket. Allow about two hours and four miles of walking.

“So, we booked our mystery trail over a weekend in Edinburg and were given a pickup point. Went there and no one was able to deliver the package. No one knew what we were looking for. After some discussion we were asked to go to anotRead more”

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11.A History of Witchcraft in Edinburgh: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $9

Follow Kat’s professionally narrated VoiceMap tour from Holyrood Palace to Castlehill, tracing Edinburgh’s witchcraft past through closes, churches, and Royal Mile streets. Download the audio, map, and route for offline use, then walk at your own pace in English for about 60 to 90 minutes.

“I had a great time with the narrated tour by Kat. The facts were interesting but not overly dry and "textbook"-focused. Focused more on the storytelling aspect, which I really liked.”

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12.Edinburgh City of Wizards Exploration Game and Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3 reviews · from $8

Follow Eladora through Edinburgh on a self-guided Harry Potter-themed city game. Use your phone to solve clues at City Chambers, Riddle’s Close, Grassmarket, Greyfriars Bobby, and other stops before finishing at the Old Medical School. No guide or attraction tickets are needed.

“The adventure was fun, the only negative comment would be that I purchased four tickets to be able to put on four different phones, and with the link we were sent, we were only able to put it on one phone.”

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13.Edinburgh Harry Potter Self Guided Tour for Muggles

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3 reviews · 45 minutes (approx.) · from $6Best value

Follow a 45-minute Tourific audio walk from Greyfriars Bobby to the Royal Mile. You’ll search for Harry Potter-inspired names in Greyfriars Kirkyard, explore Lawnmarket, walk Victoria Street as Edinburgh’s Diagon Alley, and finish near J. K. Rowling’s handprints.

“We found it a very good experience and a great tour. Above all, we liked the opportunities to participate. In addition, it is associated with a small city tour, as you are guided to various places in the city center. The navigation and sound quality were very good. I can highly recommend it.Auto-translated”

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14.Highlights from the Royal Mile: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3 reviews · 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $19

Follow an English-language VoiceMap audio tour from the Witches Well to Holyroodhouse. You’ll hear stories of witch trials, Deacon Brodie, John Knox, Mary Queen of Scots, old punishments, and the Royal Mile’s four historic sections while using offline maps and audio.

“We loved the ability to set the pace and enjoy stopping to shop or take in scenery. Loved hearing all of the history”

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