The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour
4.5
The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour
By Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour
About
from per adult
$25.89
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 18-105, max of 40 per group
Duration: 2h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
English
- By professional actors
- Entry/Admission - Edinburgh Old Town
What's not included- Alcoholic Beverages
- Departure details
- Beehive Inn, 18-20 Grassmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2JU, UK Look out for our Ticketing person wearing bright vest. The tour starts up the stairs at The Beehive on the top floor. Feel free to purchase a drink at the bar beforehand and bring it upstairs with you to enjoy the first scene!
Return details- Milnes Bar, 35 Hanover St, Edinburgh EH2 2PJ, UK The end point of the tour varies depending on group size and weather etc but generally we aim to finish up in The West-End in "The New Town". Please drop us an email if you need to know in advance or speak with our actors on the night.
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 170517P1- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travelers can participate
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- Which attractions will I visit with The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour?
- During this experience, places you will visit include:Discover and book The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour on Tripadvisor
- How much is The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour?
- The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour price starts from $26.15. Discover and book The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour on Tripadvisor
- What is the The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour cancellation policy?
- The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour cancellation policy: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Discover and book The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour on Tripadvisor
- Which company provides The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour?
- The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour is hosted by Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour. Read reviews, discover additonal experiences or contact Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour on Tripadvisor. Discover and book The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour on Tripadvisor
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 170517P1
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Itinerary
- You'll start atBeehive Inn18-20 Grassmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2JU, UKLook out for our Ticketing person wearing bright vest. The tour starts up the stairs at The Beehive on the top floor. Feel free to purchase a drink at the bar beforehand and bring it upstairs with you to enjoy the first scene!See address & details
- 1Edinburgh Old TownStop: 2 hours - Admission includedThe Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour is is a brilliant and witty dramatic romp through the wynds, courtyards and pubs of Edinburgh's Old and new Town.Read more
- You'll end atMilnes Bar35 Hanover St, Edinburgh EH2 2PJ, UKThe end point of the tour varies depending on group size and weather etc but generally we aim to finish up in The West-End in "The New Town". Please drop us an email if you need to know in advance or speak with our actors on the night.See address & details
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About the operator
Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour
498
Edinburgh, Scotland
Joined in February 2007
#98 of 554 Tours & Activities in Edinburgh
- diarmuidm250900Great atmosphere and good fun.Had a great tour today with Paul and Riley. The whole thing from start to finish was good fun, and the two lads worked well together. Would even recommend for people who might not be the biggest literature fans, because the storytelling was great throughout.
- lamurray2600Great literary tour with laughs and beer!My husband and I really enjoyed this tour and the two performers, Clart and McBain. The accents, the funny dialogue, the poetry, the tawdry tales, and even a joke about Donald Trump to finish the nightl! Okay, guys, I crossed an ocean to get away from that tawdriness, lol! I would go again, it was that good!
- Tim D00Funniest Scotlit course ever.Sparkling wit from extremely seedy characters provides a lot of entertainment, and quite a bit of education on Scottish literature, and history. It went a bit flat with an extended pub stop late in the tour, and then a lot of talk about authors I’d never heard of, but they got it together for a big finish. A highlight was the frequent and enthusiastic reciting of Scots poems. Didn’t understand a word of it but I loved every minute.
- D8019BClisaf00Entertaining and Intellectual Tour of Edinburgh's Literary Pubs in Old TownThis is a great way to have a look at the city and learn about the great writers who passed through or lived in Edinburgh. I found the tour so entertaining, this was my second time (separated by over ten years), but I wanted to take my husband along. It was even better than I remembered. The actors recite, sing, and even quiz you at the end, so pay attention and mind your pints!
- Lester H00ExcellentWe really enjoyed the tour. It was very entertaining and made us laugh. I would recommend this for solo, couples, or friends.
- Br0wnEyedGirl3500A great experience on rainy Tuesday night !Greatly enjoyed our experience with 2 great actors / storytellers who shared history and stories of Edinburg writers. Done on June 4 with small group of other travelers. Visited several pubs , given enough time to catch a pint or a dram ( and warm up at the last one) due to the evening dreary drizzle. Well paced, not rushed. They utilized great spots for their talks/ antics with good acoustics. Definitely recommend!
- mal072400What a great night/experienceSo enjoyed the two gentlemen who entertained me the night of May 16. They were so very talented and knowledgeable. I was hesitant to go, wasn’t sure what to expect, but so glad I did! Such a wide variety of authors presented in an amazing variety of “presentations!” All while walking around the city exploring new places.
- KnownTraveler2200A Masterpiece Adventure!One of our most enjoyable evenings in Edinburgh, marshaled by our fantastical guides who brought the history of Scottish literature to life. Highly recommended.
- Lizzy_dk00Fun and informative!Charming company and a nice way to spend an evening in Edinburgh with interesting information about Scottish writers and Edinburgh city.
- PatyVerb00Literary Pub CrawlOur guides were fantastic as they brought to life Burns, Scott, RLS, and others. It was a great night out on the town as we went from pub to pub. Finally, we closed with a quiz. Lots of fun.
- MadelineHealey0010 out of 10Wow. Good times. John and Dave were both informative and entertaining! Their performances were enthusiastic and intriguing but also they were friendly and personable between skits! Good for both drinkers and non-drinkers alike. You don’t need to know anything about books to do this but it’s definitely fun for literary enthusiasts too. A fun out of the box experience for both locals and tourists!
- Ullaelisa00Good fun if you haven’t got other plans2 actors took us through the lives of Burns, Scott and more Scottish authors while we visited a handfull pubs. Quite fun.
- footballkirk00Entertaining and Fun TourThis was not a typical walking tour. Educational? Yes, but so much more. The guides, Paul and Hazel, were excellent entertainers that brought the history to life. I highly recommend spending an evening with them.
- Cath T00Humour, pubs and writersThis is a tour with a difference. You don't really have to any knowledge of books but its a fun way to gain some knowledge. The tour guides were fantastic. Whilst this is a fairly flat walking tour there was one section that was a bit hard going if you have any ailments. Worth it though.
- helloAdelaide00Interesting and GenuineA pleasant evening out with two actors who enjoy what they do and provide and interesting background to the history of Edinburgh particularly in relation to its poetic links. They clearly love what they were doing and cared about the people they were presenting to. Highly recommended.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
364 reviews
Excellent
269
Very good
56
Average
13
Poor
11
Terrible
15
Samuel Y
2 contributions
Jul 2022 • Couples
Shower up on time to be informed by the ticket manager that the tour had been cancelled due to lack of interest. We were around the 7th/8th people on his list that were turned away after prepaying for our tickets, so apparently that is too few people for them.
Very disappointed. They offered to get us on a future tour but we are leaving town so obviously can’t reschedule.
I look forward to receiving the refund (hopefully it happens promptly), but we rearranged plans to make this tour and will instead miss out on things we would have like to have done.
It is absolutely understandable to need to cancel, what isn’t acceptable is waiting until we arrive to tell us instead of sending a text or email before. Very poor showing and it is a shame considering the many excellent tours other companies offer in the city.
Very disappointed. They offered to get us on a future tour but we are leaving town so obviously can’t reschedule.
I look forward to receiving the refund (hopefully it happens promptly), but we rearranged plans to make this tour and will instead miss out on things we would have like to have done.
It is absolutely understandable to need to cancel, what isn’t acceptable is waiting until we arrive to tell us instead of sending a text or email before. Very poor showing and it is a shame considering the many excellent tours other companies offer in the city.
Written July 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ELPTour
My sincere apologies for the inconvience we have caused you. We always aim to deliver a great experience, and we are gutted when we don’t meet expectations as on this occasion.
Please be rest assured your refund will be with you shortly.
And thank you for the feedback regarding texts and emails, we will use this feedback to improve our communication to ensure this does not happen again.
Written July 13, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Laurent C
Montreal, Canada5 contributions
May 2022
Really entertaining tour. Family and I came in on the train earlier that day and it was a perfect way to get a bit familiar with the city on night one.
Paul and Hazel are great and keep things moving at a nice pace in a whirlwind (and _slightly_ biased) tour of some literary greats and the dual high and low-brow nature of the city that inspired them.
Paul and Hazel are great and keep things moving at a nice pace in a whirlwind (and _slightly_ biased) tour of some literary greats and the dual high and low-brow nature of the city that inspired them.
Written May 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for the awesome review, LightCastle!! We work hard to meet expectations like yours, and we’re happy to hear we hit the mark for you. Paul and Hazel will also be delighted to hear this feedback. Come back and see us soon. Cheers!
Written May 31, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stacy T
Eagle River, AK21 contributions
Sep 2022
Great literary tour through the pubs and back alleys of Edinburgh. Much fun being led by two actors sharing dueling wits of long ago authors. Having this tour take place during the dark hours only added to the ambiance. Highly recommend!
Written October 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ELPTour
Thank you so much for your kind words, We really appreciate you taking the time out to share your experience with us. Happy travels!
Written April 26, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Megan C
7 contributions
Mar 2023 • Friends
I joined in with friends who were interested in this tour. I had no idea going into it how much I NEEDED this tour. I had no idea how much I would LOVE this tour. I know very little about Scottish history in general, but what I have learned here in Edinburgh is how inviting Scotland's people are. Hazel and Paul took us back in time and space. Not only did they teach us about Scottish literature, but they invited us bask in the beauty and wonder of their city, language, and culture. They were amazing guides and hosts. Thank you, Hazel and Paul, and thank you Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour
Written March 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ELPTour
Megan! Thank you very much for the awesome review. We are delighted that you enjoyed the tour and got to experience Scottish hospitality! Hazel and Paul are great actors and we are happy they delivered a fantastic performance for you, they were glad to hear your feedback and thank you for coming. Happy travels!
Written April 26, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jpmfoghorn
Duluth, MN6 contributions
May 2022
My wife and I had a fantastic evening with Paul and Hazel. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone who wants to learn more about Scottish literature and the history of Edinburgh. Paul and Hazel were very entertaining. A great way to spend an evening!
Written July 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ELPTour
Thank you very much Jpmfog for the kind review. Paul and Hazel were glad to hear you both had such a good time. We hope to see you again!
Written July 13, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kathleen O
1 contribution
Jul 2023 • Couples
We totally enjoyed the actors Blair and Dougal who kept us engaged and delighted for the entire two hour literary tour. They were both brilliant and so sure of their material which was fun and informative. A must see in Edinburgh for lovers of literature and thester
Written July 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ELPTour
Fantastic to hear this! Thank you kindly.
Happy travels!
Written July 31, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
akerrf10
Edinburgh, UK18 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
We really enjoyed this tour - it was relaxed, witty and really informative! Blair and Dougall had a great rapport and played off against each other well and I loved their delivery of the poems! The combination of exalting the literary brilliance of some of Scotland's most famous authors, some Scottish history, some good pubs and walking through some of the streets and closes of Edinburgh's Old Town, works so well and there was something really poignant and inspiring about finishing the Tour on the Mound discussing more contemporary Scottish author's while looking over to the New Town. The glorious sunset as the Literary Tour finished may not have been predicted but added to the atmosphere.
Written July 31, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sccrref
Tucson,Az1,680 contributions
Jun 2022
Many of the literary references were unfamiliar to me (unlike similar one in Dublin) but nonetheless John and Hazel did a great job educating us( in a very funny way) on Edinburgh's literary history. We got to visit pubs we might not have found. Made it to 3 pubs, the 4th was closed on the night we did the tour. It was a full 3 hours and it was very cold for a night in June. Wear layers. Worse way to spend an evening. Note- no food and when it ends not much open. Keep that in mind
Written July 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your kind review, Sccref. We really appreciate you taking the time out to share your experience with us — and we agree, John and Hazel are true gems! Sorry about the weather- that is what we refer to as a Scottish summer, haha. Happy travels!
Written July 5, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Isabel
1 contribution
Nov 2021
I had a great time, learnt a lot about Scottish writers and the actors were very funny. I recommend it. As a writer, I could not have had a better experience. The beers kept us warm when outside, it was quite cold. But could hardly feel it :)
I truly hope it gets back up and running. It was one of the coolest experiences I had in Scotland. And I love the Scots, cheerful, funny, and so kind. I wish you guys all the best and that loads of tickets are sold :)
I was there in October 2019, so no Covid measures in place.
I truly hope it gets back up and running. It was one of the coolest experiences I had in Scotland. And I love the Scots, cheerful, funny, and so kind. I wish you guys all the best and that loads of tickets are sold :)
I was there in October 2019, so no Covid measures in place.
Written May 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Portuguese Writer. We really appreciate you taking the time out to share your experience with us — and we agree, the Scottish weather can be unforgiving at times, but a good beeris all one needs to soldier on really...
You will be glad to hear that we are now up and running again Hooray! Celebrating 25 th annivassary this year too. Thank you so much for your well wishes, it is reviews such as this that have kept us going through a very challenging period. Best of luck to you too!
Written May 31, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
JKG
1 contribution
Jul 2022
We had a blast on the tour on 7 June -- our last evening in Edinburgh. We had planned to take the tour the previous evening but it was cancelled due to some technical issues. Paul (one of the guides) was very apologetic and graciously gave us great advice on other events that evening. THEN, the next evening, the tour itself was a blast. The two guides did an excellent job sharing information about major literary figures of Edinburgh. The tour group was only about a dozen people, which allowed us to get to know the others. I highly recommend this tour.
Written July 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ELPTour
Dear Ulysses, thanks for leaving us such a wonderful review. We are thrilled to hear that everthing worked out brilliant in the end, despite the cancellation.(our apologies)
We are also delighted to hear that our actors did an excellent job, I will definitedly be passing on this review to them. They work very hard to make the experience a success, and we are very proud to have them on our team. So thanks for your kind words and we look forward to seeing you again.
Written July 13, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
olenesen
Hellerup, Denmark2 contributions
Hello We would very much like to join on this tour, but are arriving late in the afternoon from Copenhagen. So I wondered if it is possible to join you at the first pub and pay you cash?
Hope to see you
Lene Olesen
Copenhagen
Holly K
Eugene, OR42 contributions
My decision to join this tour was affirmed when I read a recent TripAdvisor review from the "proud American woman" who was miffed that the Donald had been described as a criminal on her tour. I, too, disagree with the actors, but for a different reason. I disagree with the assertion that he is only a criminal by night, which is obviously untrue because it is his day job too. I hope you will correct this error in tomorrow night's show! Looking forward to attending!
Mary H
Rockville, MD14 contributions
They were talking about someone who had to leave Great Britain due to unsavory behavior, moved to Germany, and changed the family name to Trump. Some people are offended by this joke. Whatever. It does tell something about how he is perceived overseas. During our trip (not the pub tour) we had a couple of people express shock at the idea that he could possibly be re-elected.
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The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour provided by Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour
Product Overview: The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour
Prices From | $26 |
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Number of Reviews | 364 |
Number of Photos | 53 |
Duration | 120 minutes |



















































