Department Of Magic
Department Of Magic
5
Escape Games • Bars & Clubs • Game & Entertainment Centers
Read more
10:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday
10:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday
10:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday
10:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday
10:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Saturday
10:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Sunday
10:30 AM - 10:00 PM
About
The home of witchcraft & wizardry. Take on the Dark Lord in our spellbinding escape rooms, brew up a potions cocktail in our Magic Potions Tavern. Cloaks and wands provided!
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingFull view










What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
The area
Address
Neighborhood: Old Town
Few Edinburghers live in the Old Town, but its labyrinth of dank alleys and steep streets suggests this was not always the case. Today, it’s mostly visitors, tartan-flavored souvenir shops, and pipers that you’ll find on its cobbled streets. This is the place to get a feel for Auld Reekie (Old Smelly), as the town was once nicknamed, and stroll the Royal Mile, the thoroughfare that links the castle with the royal palace – two of Edinburgh’s great set-piece attractions. But there’s lots more exploring to do here down dozens of little alleys, or wynds, while at night the city’s busiest clubs erupt along the Cowgate which is closed to traffic for this purpose.
Best nearby
Restaurants
1,995 within 3 miles
Attractions
506 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- Rie018Gloucester, United Kingdom48 contributionsMagical joy!We were an adult family of 3 celebrating a birthday and seeing as we are all Harry Potter fans we thought we'd give the Escape room and potion making a try. We all thought the entrance, tavern and the explanation of the quest from Daniel built up our anticipation to what we hoped would be a fun experience. It was very weird to be touching objects at first, because this is what we'd all been told not to do because of Covid, however with a little help from the 'aether' we soon got over this and thoroughly enjoyed our experience. I don't want to give anything away but we completed the quest with 0 seconds to spare. We threw ourselves into the quest and thought the potion making would be a more low key experience but our bar host was fab (the Australian guy, sorry forgot your name) and we got a real buzz from the whole thing. After Covid lockdowns etc doing this experience was a real joy and we didn't stop smiling and giggling throughout. I recommend you enter with a child like sense of fun, don't take it too seriously and just go for it!Visited November 2021Written November 5, 2021
- GorseLilyMadison, Wisconsin9 contributionsMagical Escape Room in EdinburghHow fun was this Very Definitely Not Harry Potter(TM) experience? Super fun! Went with my teen and preteen, neither of whom are more than casual HP fans. It didn’t matter though, as the magic is all in the not too challenging, yet just challenging enough puzzles. Caroline was a fun (and very patient) room mistress, giving us helpful hints and clues while never crossing the line to cheating, and ensuring we made it out with seconds to spare—something that made my anxious 10 year old super happy. We didn’t try the Potions but saw many who did while we waited (we got there early). They looked amazing! If you’re looking for something the whole family can do that isn’t a huge time suck but is loads of fun, this fits the bill. Recommend for those with small kids or preteens, so long as you’ve got a couple of adults or older kids along to puzzle out the harder clues.Visited July 2022Traveled with familyWritten July 18, 2022
- Tomy C2 contributionsFantastic Escape Room and Magical DrinksThis place is such a hidden gem! We did one escape room as a couple and the game master was really fun and helpful. We ended up completing the escape room so don't be shy to come with 2 people only! (It is definitely a bit harder though.) We decided to stay for some drinks and the experience was magical. (Literally.) You get to make your own potion (drinks) and there's different price range, all pretty affordable considering the experience. We even came back the next day to try more drinks. We had a really enjoyable couple hours here and recommend it to any Harry potter Fan or just Magic fans in general!Visited January 2022Traveled as a coupleWritten January 18, 2022
- Mark PAbergavenny, United Kingdom224 contributionsSimply brilliant fun a must when in Edinburgh!Absolutely Brilliant, the magic potion cocktails were a stroke of genius. Very well though out and superbly done, and the taste was sensational. Both alcoholic and non alcohol drinks were available, and the setting was fab, so very well done. We then went to the escape room, and with the help of our wizard Georgoia Lee we managed to escape in a reasonable time. We had never been to an escape room before so wasn't sure what to expect, but we loved it. So well thought out and presented it was great. Georgia Lee was just brilliant, so entertaining and enthusiastic she made the experience come to life. Anyone with any interest in magic and the world of wizards will love these experiences, make sure its on your to do list when in the city you won't be disappointed!Visited August 2020Traveled with familyWritten August 10, 2020
- Suzie W19 contributionsSuper fun potion makingThis is a hidden gem of a bar! After heading in we were quickly sat by super friendly staff who explained the menu and how everything worked really well, and they definitely made the experience. We ordered a couple of the potion cocktails which came out pretty quickly, considering all the components the staff have to put together for each one. We followed the instructions provided and our cocktails were delicious. We also tried a couple of the shots which were great, and they have a fun menu for non alcoholic drinks too which made the whole thing super inclusive. We felt really comfortable and would highly recommend the bar to anyone but especially HP fans!Visited June 2022Traveled with friendsWritten June 16, 2022
- Savannah I1 contributionA gem for all harry potter fans!Me and my three friends came here on our week away and did the “prophecies quest”. Prim took care of us and was absolutely amazing! She was so friendly and made our experience. The attention to detail was amazing, both props wise and the way that Prim took on the role was very believable; we felt like we were in the movies! The escape room was the highlight of my trip to edinburgh, i definitely recommend this to any harry potter fan! you will not be disappointed. We are definitely coming back to do the “dark lord resurrection”. This is one of Edinburgh’s secret gems! Thank you so much Prim! - Order of the forksVisited July 2021Traveled with friendsWritten July 18, 2021
- Rue1 contributionOur host JoeThere are two rooms on offer, the difference between the rooms is essentially the choice between good or bad! We got there early and they kindly offered for us to do both! Turns out being evil is more fun! Our host for that room, Joe, was absolutely hilarious and very helpful. The host for the other room was also very helpful and lovely. But we recommend the exploring you dark side! We were a group of 4. 2 of us are big potter-heads and 2 not so much yet all of us equally enjoyed the whole experience.Visited February 2020Traveled with friendsWritten February 8, 2020
- Emma JDarlington, United Kingdom2 contributionsHad a blast.We did the prophecy escape room at 9:15 pm on Sunday the 3rd of October as part of our mini break away and had an absolute blast. They give you 50 minutes and as a team of 2 we made it with 01:40 left on the clock. It's really immersive and our host/ guide Elanor was fabulous, really enthusiastic and gave us a few (very welcome) hints along the way! Highly recommend giving this a go.Visited October 2021Traveled as a coupleWritten October 3, 2021
- Becci MCardiff, United Kingdom5 contributionsMagical experienceLily made this a magical experience, you feel as though you are truly part of the Harry Potter series and the puzzles weren’t too hard or too easy. The special effects are engaging (and sometimes jumpy!). The rooms are dressed to look straight out of HP. couldn’t recommend this highly enough, great experience!Visited August 2021Traveled soloWritten August 24, 2021
- J BLivingston, United Kingdom3 contributionsFab night out with the teenagers!We had a brilliant time tonight. The deal was fantastic for 6 people. Ryan was massively patient and encouraged the teens in our party to have fun. They really did! Highly recommend for 12-16s and parents. You also don’t need to know about Harry Potter to love it! PS highly recommend taking time to have potion cocktails before or after. They look awesome and really made our night.Visited September 2021Traveled with familyWritten September 19, 2021
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
1,114 reviews
Excellent
1,020
Very good
54
Average
13
Poor
10
Terrible
18
Mark P
Abergavenny, UK224 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
Absolutely Brilliant, the magic potion cocktails were a stroke of genius. Very well though out and superbly done, and the taste was sensational. Both alcoholic and non alcohol drinks were available, and the setting was fab, so very well done.
We then went to the escape room, and with the help of our wizard Georgoia Lee we managed to escape in a reasonable time. We had never been to an escape room before so wasn't sure what to expect, but we loved it. So well thought out and presented it was great. Georgia Lee was just brilliant, so entertaining and enthusiastic she made the experience come to life. Anyone with any interest in magic and the world of wizards will love these experiences, make sure its on your to do list when in the city you won't be disappointed!
We then went to the escape room, and with the help of our wizard Georgoia Lee we managed to escape in a reasonable time. We had never been to an escape room before so wasn't sure what to expect, but we loved it. So well thought out and presented it was great. Georgia Lee was just brilliant, so entertaining and enthusiastic she made the experience come to life. Anyone with any interest in magic and the world of wizards will love these experiences, make sure its on your to do list when in the city you won't be disappointed!
Written August 10, 2020
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.
Suzie W
19 contributions
Jun 2022 • Friends
This is a hidden gem of a bar! After heading in we were quickly sat by super friendly staff who explained the menu and how everything worked really well, and they definitely made the experience. We ordered a couple of the potion cocktails which came out pretty quickly, considering all the components the staff have to put together for each one. We followed the instructions provided and our cocktails were delicious. We also tried a couple of the shots which were great, and they have a fun menu for non alcoholic drinks too which made the whole thing super inclusive. We felt really comfortable and would highly recommend the bar to anyone but especially HP fans!
Written June 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.
Savannah I
1 contribution
Jul 2021 • Friends
Me and my three friends came here on our week away and did the “prophecies quest”. Prim took care of us and was absolutely amazing! She was so friendly and made our experience. The attention to detail was amazing, both props wise and the way that Prim took on the role was very believable; we felt like we were in the movies! The escape room was the highlight of my trip to edinburgh, i definitely recommend this to any harry potter fan! you will not be disappointed. We are definitely coming back to do the “dark lord resurrection”. This is one of Edinburgh’s secret gems! Thank you so much Prim!
- Order of the forks
- Order of the forks
Written July 18, 2021
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.
Rue
1 contribution
Feb 2020 • Friends
There are two rooms on offer, the difference between the rooms is essentially the choice between good or bad! We got there early and they kindly offered for us to do both! Turns out being evil is more fun! Our host for that room, Joe, was absolutely hilarious and very helpful. The host for the other room was also very helpful and lovely. But we recommend the exploring you dark side! We were a group of 4. 2 of us are big potter-heads and 2 not so much yet all of us equally enjoyed the whole experience.
Written February 8, 2020
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.
Emma J
Darlington, UK2 contributions
Oct 2021 • Couples
We did the prophecy escape room at 9:15 pm on Sunday the 3rd of October as part of our mini break away and had an absolute blast.
They give you 50 minutes and as a team of 2 we made it with 01:40 left on the clock. It's really immersive and our host/ guide Elanor was fabulous, really enthusiastic and gave us a few (very welcome) hints along the way!
Highly recommend giving this a go.
They give you 50 minutes and as a team of 2 we made it with 01:40 left on the clock. It's really immersive and our host/ guide Elanor was fabulous, really enthusiastic and gave us a few (very welcome) hints along the way!
Highly recommend giving this a go.
Written October 3, 2021
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.
Becci M
Cardiff, UK5 contributions
Aug 2021 • Solo
Lily made this a magical experience, you feel as though you are truly part of the Harry Potter series and the puzzles weren’t too hard or too easy. The special effects are engaging (and sometimes jumpy!). The rooms are dressed to look straight out of HP. couldn’t recommend this highly enough, great experience!
Written August 24, 2021
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.
J B
Livingston, UK3 contributions
Sep 2021 • Family
We had a brilliant time tonight. The deal was fantastic for 6 people. Ryan was massively patient and encouraged the teens in our party to have fun. They really did! Highly recommend for 12-16s and parents. You also don’t need to know about Harry Potter to love it! PS highly recommend taking time to have potion cocktails before or after. They look awesome and really made our night.
Written September 19, 2021
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.
A. Hutchinson
1 contribution
Nov 2022 • Couples
I attended on the 11th and it has genuinely let me down so much. There was only 6 people inside when we arrived and we were sat straight away. we had booked a pre-paid package which included 1 cocktail and 1 shot each in our party of two. Once seated it took 30 minutes for cocktails to arrive and then a further 50 minutes for the shots to arrive. In the meantime several customers were seated and served. I tried several times to flag down a waitress but none were willing to come over and I watched them talking and laughing in the bar area. Do not waste your time coming here, it will do nothing but disappoint.
Written November 11, 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.
dfergenson
Oakland, CA3 contributions
Jan 2022 • Couples
We took part in the Dark Lord Resurrection and it was wonderful!
Four of us took part. One was a middle aged married couple and the other was a married couple in their early twenties. I wouldn’t attempt this with fewer than 4 people but up to 6 would work well and you could probably have 8 working in parallel without confounding each other. In our case, each couple tended to work as a unit about half of the time and we’d all cooperate as a team the other half.
I dare not give too much away. It’s not an escape room per se as the goal is not to escape the room (which is never locked) but rather to complete a series of complex tasks by solving practical challenges.
Hannah, our puzzle master, was a brilliant combination of a non-playing character and coach. She jumped in when we were clearly stuck but left us to our own devices otherwise. She made the experience appropriately challenging and neither frustratingly impossible nor unsatisfyingly easy.
Afterwards, we met up with a third couple to mix potions in the pub, also a wonderful experience.
I’d recommend these activities for anyone who wants to have fun in Edinburgh.
Four of us took part. One was a middle aged married couple and the other was a married couple in their early twenties. I wouldn’t attempt this with fewer than 4 people but up to 6 would work well and you could probably have 8 working in parallel without confounding each other. In our case, each couple tended to work as a unit about half of the time and we’d all cooperate as a team the other half.
I dare not give too much away. It’s not an escape room per se as the goal is not to escape the room (which is never locked) but rather to complete a series of complex tasks by solving practical challenges.
Hannah, our puzzle master, was a brilliant combination of a non-playing character and coach. She jumped in when we were clearly stuck but left us to our own devices otherwise. She made the experience appropriately challenging and neither frustratingly impossible nor unsatisfyingly easy.
Afterwards, we met up with a third couple to mix potions in the pub, also a wonderful experience.
I’d recommend these activities for anyone who wants to have fun in Edinburgh.
Written January 3, 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.
Becky
31 contributions
Sep 2022 • Friends
Very cool interesting Harry Potter themed cocktail making place in the heart of Edinburgh.
For £15 each we got to make a magic Potion (cocktail) and got a shot, which was fairly priced. Making the drinks was very interesting as there was a lot of things like smoke and colour changing. As well as this, there are the options of other cocktails you can buy.
I would recommend looking up the menu if you're slightly fussy with your drinks (I think it's the £10.50 cocktails) to make sure you'll probably like one before going.
It's amazing for the Harry Potter fans, but I think it's a cool thing to do regardless of your love or knowledge of Harry Potter. Definitely recommend!
(For Photo reference I had The Dark Lord)
For £15 each we got to make a magic Potion (cocktail) and got a shot, which was fairly priced. Making the drinks was very interesting as there was a lot of things like smoke and colour changing. As well as this, there are the options of other cocktails you can buy.
I would recommend looking up the menu if you're slightly fussy with your drinks (I think it's the £10.50 cocktails) to make sure you'll probably like one before going.
It's amazing for the Harry Potter fans, but I think it's a cool thing to do regardless of your love or knowledge of Harry Potter. Definitely recommend!
(For Photo reference I had The Dark Lord)
Written September 24, 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.
Mrsellyule
3 contributions
Hi, my daughter is about to turn 11 and is a total potterhead!! We thought about a family visit with our sons who are 9 and 4 1/2. Would this be suitable for us all? Also thought about asking if 2 more adults could join us......
Department of Magic
Edinburgh, UK
Not to worry, we usually recommend this experience for ages 10 and up, but only as it gets a little tricky, rather than it being scary or anything. The younger children would no doubt still enjoy being immersed in this magical world. The maximum we can take in the room is 5 people, so so long as there's no more of you than that, a family should fit fine, and there is always a Department wizard on hand incase anyone gets stuck!
Natasha1049
Aberdeen, UK14 contributions
Hi, can we take our kids along to this? Both HP fans, 5 and 8 years old.
Andy C
Gold Coast, Australia70 contributions
yes, they'll love it. The game master will essentially feed you the answers in the prophecies room, but the kids will leave feeling like they solved it
Sarah T
Chesterfield, UK55 contributions
Is this suitable for couples aged 25+?
CakeLady2012
Dyffryn Ardudwy, UK66 contributions
We were two fiftyish Mothers with daughters of 26 and 19, we all had a great time.
Virginia A
1 contribution
Hi everyone, I booked the escape room for 2 people and we are both non-native speakers. I was just wondering whether any non-native speakers managed to complete the game on time? And also do you believe that language competency may be a barrier towards solving the riddles?
Eilidh D
2 contributions
Hello,
I think being English speaking is definitely an advantage! You do have a games master going round the rooms with you and I’m sure they’d be happy to repeat the information/ help you understand.
Hope this helps, I’m sure you’ll enjoy your day😊
Recently viewed
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listingDepartment Of Magic (Edinburgh) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Department Of Magic
- Department Of Magic is open:
- Mon - Mon 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
- Tue - Sun 10:30 AM - 10:00 PM
- Hotels near Department Of Magic:
- (0.01 mi) ibis Edinburgh Centre Royal Mile - Hunter Square
- (0.02 mi) Blair Street 1, just off Royal mile
- (0.02 mi) Lovely one-bedroom apartment just a few yards off Edinburgh’s famous Royal
- (0.02 mi) The Blair Street Residence
- (0.02 mi) Blair St Scott apt, just off Royal Mile
- Restaurants near Department Of Magic:
- (0.01 mi) The City Cafe
- (0.02 mi) The Tron
- (0.02 mi) The Advocate
- (0.02 mi) Zenobia
- (0.03 mi) Paradiso Takeaway
Department Of Magic Information
| Excellent Reviews | 930 |
|---|---|
| Very Good Reviews | 50 |
| Department Of Magic Photos | 509 |













































































