Ghost Tours
2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 95% of travelers
95% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$27
per adult
SANDEMANs NEW Europe - Edinburgh
SANDEMANs NEW Europe - Edinburgh
5
City ToursHistoric Walking AreasWalking ToursSightseeing ToursGhost Towns
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About
The best Tours in Edinburgh City! Free Walking Tours, Craft Tours, Bike Tours… We combine ecologically friendly tourism with social responsibility to give back to our beloved city of Edinburgh what offers to us. Come check out City of Edinburgh with us!
Edinburgh, Scotland
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Improve this listingTours and Tickets by SANDEMANs NEW Europe - Edinburgh
Cultural Tours
2–3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 100% of travelers
100% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$5
per adult
Literary Tours
2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 96% of travelers
96% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$23
per adult
Likely To Sell Out
1–2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 95% of travelers
95% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$55
per adult
Cultural Tours
2–3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$23
per adult
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
25,197 reviews
Excellent
22,638
Very good
1,872
Average
318
Poor
157
Terrible
212
Abigail W
3 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
I love a free walking tour because I know the guide will put their best foot forward which is exactly what Cameron did. He had an infectious enthusiasm for Edinburgh. He told great stories and projected well and consistently made sure everyone could hear despite being surrounded by lots of other tours. Definitely would recommend this.
Written September 23, 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.
eoghanoflainn
Dublin, Ireland6 contributions
Mar 2023
The free walking tour was excellent and I highly recommend Alasdair (I hope I spelled that correctly) as your tour guide. His storytelling ability is brilliant and he really draws you in so much so you can't help but immerse yourself in Edinburgh's dark past. Fantastic stuff altogether, well done.
Written March 19, 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.
Catherine M
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Family
We had a fantastic Royal Mile tour with Brian. As someone from Edinburgh, who has lived and worked there most of his life, he was clearly drawing on a real depth and breadth of knowledge. He was able to pitch things at just the right level and pace for us, tell some great stories, weave in some personal anecdotes and make us laugh! It was fascinating to see and hear things we'd have otherwise missed. The tour with Brian was a real highlight of our stay in Edinburgh - would highly recommend!!
Written November 13, 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.
J. E.
4 contributions
Dec 2021 • Solo
I went on the free tour guided by Angus and he was a joy. Due to COVID, it was a slightly abridged version of the tour (no break for tea) but it lasted about 2 hours and was a great introduction to the city. Angus did a wonderful job at engaging everyone in the group, being mindful of safety precautions, kept the tour lighthearted and funny, but was also very knowledgeable. I was also impressed at how well he related to everyone in the group and helped with their individual needs/questions. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a fun daytime activity to learn a bit more about the history of Edinburgh.
Written December 28, 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.
Krlova00
33 contributions
Mar 2022
We did the Free walking tour with Angus and it was just amazing. He managed to show us all the important spots within the city, give us a sneak peak on local customs and culture, all while making the visit really really funny. By the end, we didn't even realise we'd been walking for so long.
The Free tour (which is donation based) is a good way of ensuring you don't get scammed. The tour guides really make an effort to make sure you learn and have a great time. I've been doing Sandeman's donation-based tours for years now and they never disappoint.
The Free tour (which is donation based) is a good way of ensuring you don't get scammed. The tour guides really make an effort to make sure you learn and have a great time. I've been doing Sandeman's donation-based tours for years now and they never disappoint.
Written March 20, 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.
Russell M
1 contribution
Jul 2023
As mentioned in a number of previous reviews, Mhiari was a most informative and entertaining guide for our walking tour. She is an absolute delight to be with, as she led us through the history of Old Town with engaging and humorous stories about the buildings, statues and sites of many historical events and the people whose lives were associated with them. She even entertained us with singing "My love is like a red red rose" in her beautiful Scots voice ! Thank you, Mhiari !
Written July 28, 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.
Rebecca H
5 contributions
Jul 2022 • Couples
We did the free walking tour of Edinburgh with Jen earlier today and would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to know a bit more about the city’s history. The tour was informative but also informal (in a good way!) and Jen was very welcoming and knowledgeable. A lovely way to start our holiday
Written July 18, 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.
Sara_PRV
London, UK6 contributions
Mar 2020
We took a Free Walking Tour in Edinburgh on the beginning of March with a guide nicknamed "Katy".
Katy started her tour saying she expected at least 10 pounds per person as a tip, and if we didn't agree she and her colleague could easily recommend us another free walking tour in Edinburgh, since there were many. Although she said she volunteered for some kind of women's shelter back home, I really don't think this is the right way to start a FREE walking tour (and I have done countless throughout Europe).. If I wanted a fixed priced tour, I would have done it. I like the freedom to judge my tour guide and give them what they deserve, so I found it extremely rude.
Second of all, I truly believe Katy is not good at public speaking, because everything she said felt memorised and as if she was reading something, even her jokes, which was extremely awkward for everyone.
Also, it was considerably windy and cold in Edinburgh that day, and perhaps the tour should be a bit tailored for those days? Maybe enter a church for 5 minutes? It was excruciating to be stopped in a place for 20 minutes while Katy explained something. So much so that we and other people had to leave before the tour ended. I would say though that the information was interesting, if only she would motivate us to hear it.
Katy started her tour saying she expected at least 10 pounds per person as a tip, and if we didn't agree she and her colleague could easily recommend us another free walking tour in Edinburgh, since there were many. Although she said she volunteered for some kind of women's shelter back home, I really don't think this is the right way to start a FREE walking tour (and I have done countless throughout Europe).. If I wanted a fixed priced tour, I would have done it. I like the freedom to judge my tour guide and give them what they deserve, so I found it extremely rude.
Second of all, I truly believe Katy is not good at public speaking, because everything she said felt memorised and as if she was reading something, even her jokes, which was extremely awkward for everyone.
Also, it was considerably windy and cold in Edinburgh that day, and perhaps the tour should be a bit tailored for those days? Maybe enter a church for 5 minutes? It was excruciating to be stopped in a place for 20 minutes while Katy explained something. So much so that we and other people had to leave before the tour ended. I would say though that the information was interesting, if only she would motivate us to hear it.
Written March 18, 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.
Hello Sara_PRV,
Thank you for taking the time to review us on TripAdvisor and for choosing us in Edinburgh. We really appreciate your feedback as it helps us to continue making improvements and ensure that tours and experiences promoted by SANDEMANs NEW Europe meet the high standards that travellers expect.
We are concerned to learn that your tour with Katy did not meet your expectations. The Free Tour is described as such because there is no maximum or minimum amount any guest is expected to tip; the idea is that every guest should feel comfortable to tip in such a way that reflects their individual budget and what they thought the tour was worth. Any guest who does not wish to tip may decline to do so, and the guides we work with are aware that pressuring guests to tip goes against the Free Tour philosophy. We are truly sorry if your experience did not reflect that. This is not only detrimental to your enjoyment of the tour, but undoes much of the hard work of ourselves and the other guides we work with to promote the concept of a free tour.
Thank you once again for reviewing us on TripAdvisor and for joining the tour. We hope to see you again soon on other tours, so we may show you that this experience does not reflect the usual standard of service.
Kind regards,
The SANDEMANs Team
Written March 25, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Meklit D
1 contribution
May 2023
Great walking tour of Old Town with Mhairi! Her passion for Edinburgh's rich history was contagious, and she made the tour fun and enjoyable. I definitely recommend going on this tour (with Mhairi) to get a basic understanding of Edinbugh's Old Town history.
Written May 23, 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.
Amita
Oxford, UK2 contributions
Jun 2022 • Friends
Walking around the Royal Mile with Australian David was as informative as it was fun. If there’s one thing a visitor must do if they are spending whatever amount of time in Edinburgh (or any new European city that offers this tour)- it’s book the most convenient Sandeman’s walking tour. This was our 3rd Sandeman tour in Europe/UK and we loved every minute of it.
Written June 27, 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.
How do I get in contact with this company to swap the date of my tour? The number doesn't work. Thanks
Written December 5, 2022
Is the Dark Side of Edinborough tour dog friendly?
Written August 21, 2019
I think so! You are not entering anywhere closed, it's all the tour at open spaces. Anyway, you should ask before at the office when you are asking for the tour tickets :)
Written August 21, 2019
I've booked a tour with Sandemans New Europe for Edinburgh and am wondering what places the tour covers, so that I don't go to those places prior to the tour.
Written June 26, 2019
Each guide does slightly different routes, but we all cover; St Giles Cathedral, The writers museum, the front of Edinburgh Castle, the Grass Market and Greyfriars Kirk. The rest of the sights differ depending on the guide :).
Written June 26, 2019
Hi, we (2) will be in Edinburgh in November and would like to join your "Free Tour of Edinburgh". Is it recommended to book the tour in advance or is it OK to just show up in time? Thank you for your help!
Written May 30, 2019
We booked the tour ahead of time just to be on the safe side in case they were busy. Booking ahead is free and very easy so you might as well take advantage of the service. The tour we booked for ended up being so full that they broke it into two groups because they did have another guide available at that time. If that extra guide had not been there, I'm sure that some of the people would have had to wait for a different time slot.
Written June 9, 2019
Debido a dificultades de movilidad de mi se#ora necesitaria una silla de ruedas para realizar el tour,
Uds pueden proveer una. ????
Written March 2, 2019
Nosotros hicimos un free tour de la ciudad antigua en edimburgo y venĂa una niña en silla de ruedas y sin ningĂşn problema. Con sandeman
Written July 18, 2019
vIAJO EN 20 DIAS A LONDRES, EDINBURGO Y DUBLIN- Tome en otras ciudades de Europa el SANDERMAN'S TOUR hace un par de a#os.
Hoy necesitaria una silla de ruedas para trasladarme durante el tour. Uds. pueden proveer una ? Gracias por pronta respuesta-
Written March 2, 2019
Buenos dĂas, ayer hice el free tour por Edimburgo con MarĂa, comprĂ© tickets para el Castillo y la New Town, es posible hacer el Castillo en español a las 13h es que la chica sĂłlo me apuntĂł la hora de la 10 pero he visto en la web que tambiĂ©n disponĂ©is de visita a las 13. Gracias
Written December 5, 2018
Wir haben die Tour ganz frĂĽh morgens gemacht und einen Audio Guide in unserer Sprache genommen
Written December 5, 2018
Jonathan B
Reims, France
Hello
Do you offer visits in French?
thank you .
Jonathan
Written October 23, 2018
Hi Jonathan,
Thanks for your question and your interest in our tours.
I'm afraid that, at the moment, we don't run any tours in French, only in English and Spanish.
I apologise for the inconvenience caused and hope you can still join us.
Kind regards,
Roberto
Written October 23, 2018
Am I able to pay the gratuity at the end of the free tour by credit card or PayPal?
Written August 10, 2018
Hi Jasmine,
Many thanks for your question!
I'm afraid that the guides don't carry card machines, so if you do wish to leave them a tip, the best way to do so is in cash.
If you need to know anything else, please don't hesitate to ask!
All the best,
Roberto
Written August 13, 2018
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.