Edinburgh City Day Tour
Explore the sights and history of Edinburgh!
The Hairy Coo started life running free tours through the Highlands, and that founding spirit is what brought us here – with a free guided city bus tour of Edinburgh. In just two hours, we’ll take you beyond the Royal Mile to explore the capital’s most famous sights, historic streets and vibrant neighbourhoods. If you’ve enjoyed the tour, we’d love a contribution – whatever feels right to you.
DONATION-BASED TOUR
Duration: 2 hours
Minimum age: 4 years old
Group size: Up to 37 passengers
Get to know Edinburgh like a local!
Starting in the heart of the city, we travel along Princes Street with stunning views of Edinburgh Castle before heading to the charming neighbourhood of Stockbridge. Returning to the historic centre, we pass beneath the Castle along Castle Terrace and into the lively Grassmarket – once the site of public executions and now one of the city’s most colourful squares. Along the way we pass Greyfriars Kirkyard and the statue of the famously loyal Greyfriars Bobby.
Continuing along Lauriston Place, you may catch a glimpse of the school believed to have inspired Hogwarts before passing the green spaces of the Meadows and the historic buildings of the University of Edinburgh. From the Cowgate we head towards Holyrood, passing Arthur’s Seat, the Scottish Parliament and the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the end of the Royal Mile.
Our journey then continues up the Canongate past John Knox House, over the city’s famous bridges and by the National Museum of Scotland. We pass the Elephant House café – one of the places where J.K. Rowling wrote parts of Harry Potter – before catching sight of St Giles’ Cathedral. From here we descend the Mound, with fantastic views linking Edinburgh’s Old Town and elegant Georgian New Town.
Heading down Leith Walk we make our way to the historic port district of Leith, passing the Edinburgh Playhouse before arriving at the Shore and continuing to the Royal Yacht Britannia. Guests who wish can hop off here to explore Britannia and make their own way back to the city centre.
We then return to central Edinburgh via Regent Road, finishing the tour with sweeping views across the city skyline.
This is a two-hour guided tour rather than a hop-on hop-off service, designed to give you a fantastic overview of Edinburgh and its neighbourhoods in a short amount of time.
What will I see on this tour?
◊ Princes Street
◊ Dean Village
◊ Stockbridge
◊ Edinburgh Castle
◊ Grassmarket
◊ Greyfriars Bobby
◊ The Meadows
◊ Edinburgh University
◊ Cowgate
◊ Arthur’s Seat
◊ Palace of Holyroodhouse
◊ Scottish Parliament
◊ Cannongate
◊ Leith
◊ The Shore
◊ Ocean Terminal for The Royal Yacht Britannia (optional drop-off location)
DEPARTURE POINT
By the Burns Monument, Regent Road
We meet at 1759 Regent Road, in front of the Burns Monument. You can find more information here.
Google Map
TOUR TIMES
9:30 AM Departures: |
1:30 PM Departures: |
| Check-in: 9:15 AM |
Check-in: 1:15 PM |
| Drop-off: 11:30 AM* | Drop-off: 3:30 PM* |
*This is an estimate, and may be impacted by traffic.
TOUR CONCLUSION
The tour concludes back at Regent Road, Edinburgh.
If you’d like to depart the tour at The Royal Yacht Britannia, Ocean Terminal, please let your driver-guide know when boarding.
Looking to join one of our 1-Day tours as well?
Discover breathtaking Highland landscapes, explore historic castles and uncover the stories that have shaped Scotland’s past. Whether you have 6 or 12 hours, we’d love to welcome you on one of our 1-day tours.
Book a package of the Edinburgh Tour and receive a 15% discount on any of our 1-Day Tours!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you can find the answer on this page or in our general FAQs, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
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You are free to depart the tour early, as long as it is safe for the vehicle to stop.
Please let us know when you are looking to leave the tour, so that we can inform your driver-guide. The easiest way to contact us is by emailing contact@thehairycoo.com.
Feel free to also speak to the guide during the tour, to ensure that they do not report you as missing from the the tour.
Please note that we are not able to drop off passengers at specific locations such as hotels.
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We will not visit any Highland Cows during this tour.
If you are interested in a longer excursion, we always do our very best to stop for a visit of hairy coos on our longer Highland tours!
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We do not have any planned meal stops during this tour.
Your are welcome to bring snacks, drinks or even a cold packed lunch.
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Our buses are not wheelchair accessible, but we can store a folding wheelchair or walking frame in the luggage area. Please bear in mind that our team can’t provide physical help getting on or off the bus, so guests should be comfortable doing that on their own or with help from a travel buddy. If you have any special needs or are looking to bring a foldable wheelchair, please let us know before you book!
Entry to the coach is through the front left door using three steps (about 30cm high), with grab handles on both sides. You can find further information on the Accessibility page.
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All of our Edinburgh City Day tour departures require notice of cancellation at least 24 hours notice prior to your scheduled departure. You will be able to cancel your reservation from your confirmation email, or by emailing contact@thehairycoo.com
Late cancellations will be charged the £25 No-Show fee per person.
Should you book your tour within this period, your booking will be automatically eligible for the no-show fee.
While rare, should one of our tours be cancelled passengers will be offered alternative times and dates. As this is a free-to-book tour, refunds are not available.
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This is a donation-based, free-to-book tour. To make sure spaces are available for guests who genuinely plan to join us, a no-show fee applies to missed tours and late cancellations.
When making your reservation, you’ll be asked to provide card details to secure your booking. You will not be charged when booking, and your card will only be charged if you do not attend the tour or cancel within 24 hours of departure.
The no-show fee is £25 per person and will be processed within 48 hours after the tour. A receipt and confirmation email will be sent to the email address used when booking.