Reviews of The Real Mary King's Close. (Other) in Edinburgh (Edinburgh).

The Real Mary King's Close

0 Reviews

379 Comments

Other

Tourist attraction

Warriston's Close, 2, High St, Edinburgh EH1 1PG, United Kingdom

Description

Information of The Real Mary King's Close, Other in Edinburgh (Edinburgh)

On this page you’ll find the address, open hours, more popular times, the contact, photos and real reviews of this business.

We don’t have any review or comment on this place.

Map

Open hours of The Real Mary King's Close

Popular times

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Reviews of The Real Mary King's Close

E.

Just about worth seeing for the price, tour guide had great acting and was entertaining. Good level of restoration and preservation throughout albeit a bit commercialised in some aspects. Would give 5 stars but tickets are a little pricey at £19 each.

A. L.

Story and history are great in this place. The guide Cal is very professional and entertaining who told the story vividly. You will never believe it is just right underneath the center of the city. Only drawback is that I think the ticket is a bit expensive and the whole tour has to follow the guide. But otherwise it is still worthwhile visiting if you are first time here in Edinburgh.

A. C.

Very interesting and factual tour. Katie L, our tour guide, was brilliant. So friendly and very funny. If you're in Edinburgh, I would definitely recommend giving it a go!

L. L.

After watching this on Most Haunted I knew I had to visit. The tour was led by a lovely member of staff who was very animated and clear during the tour I had my photograph taken in the spooky corridor as a souvenir by the company (as cameras are not allowed to be used by yourself during the tour) and there was a lovely gift shop at the end of the tour If I'd remembered beforehand I would of have taken a small cuddly toy for the resident ghost a little girl who haunts the place as there are ghostly goings on and soft toys are distributed around one particular room but I made a voluntary donation instead I'd highly recommend this tour to others 😊

P. T.

Great attraction, priced as expected. Tour guide matt was brilliant,and I have to say I can't remember any where more accommodating to people with mobility issues. Wouldnt be suitable for wheelchair users, but not too difficult a walk. A must do when visiting Edinburgh

N. H.

So interesting to find out about the labyrinth of homes that existed below the city. Our guide Michaela was wonderful, very engaging. Until you see it for yourself you cannot imagine it. A definite must do in Edinburgh

N. R.

I did this tour as well as some other tours of the underground vaults. The Real Mary King’s Close did a good job at showing what life may have been like when these underground areas were used. The guide did a great job at sharing the history.

K. Q.

This attraction is a great way to spend an hour of your afternoon being guided through one of Edinburgh's historic sights. We were cotemplating between this and the Dungeons, but I'm glad we chose this instead. Our tour guide, Al, was really energetic and informative which brought a great atmosphere to the tour. Our group was around 15 people which meant we could all hear and see Al and all that they were saying. I do think it would be a nice touch to meet different people/characters along the way instead of just a prop of them. This would bring the tour to life a bit more and possibly be a bit more engaging with the group. Overall, I was super happy we made the decision to do this tour, and I genuinely found it really interesting and eye opening. Would highly recommend!

S.

This was my first time in Edinburgh so Mary kings close felt like a must-see. I enjoy history and this was a great experience, felt like going back in time. Incredible that places like this still remain. Our guide Ash was a great story teller who made history come alive, while guiding the group safely through the tunnels. Both me and my company were very happy with the tour!

C. M.

Fabulous tour underneath the modern streets of Edinburgh. Would really recommend it. Adam was a very knowledgeable tour guide.

R. H.

An absolutely wonderful attraction! Lovely tour guide, she was very knowledgeable and told the history of the close/s in great detail! It really felt like we had stepped back in time. The tour was very much dedicated to the historical side which was brilliant, there was obviously a touristy side and (well stocked) gift shop, but the site obviously takes money to maintain and the staff have to be paid! I felt the prices were reasonable and reflected this. As for ghosts...I do pick up on energy, I'm by no means a psychic, but could feel a strong presence in the last room and onto Mary Kings Close and smelt herbs! Hands down, and being honest. I smelt sage/lavender strongly and felt a cold draught, the guide actually asked a few people if they'd sprayed anything. Very strange! I felt something "connect" with me as the guide was showing us the replica of the Plague Dr's costume. A very sad tale of the Dr himself, I wonder if his soul sensed the empathy... In Annie's room, I sensed only calm, and in the kitchen area, I felt the presence of a small dog (random). He wanted to be warm by the fireplace. Believe me if you will, or don't, this was just my personal feelings. Definitely pay this place a visit.

M. L.

We were a little doubtful there'd be much to see, but it was actually really fascinating. Lots of history intertwined with personal stories, and our guide was excellent. He was partially in character and really knew his stuff. It was a decent length tour, and you get a real feel for life in those times. Well worth the money!

G. L.

Great experience. I usually avoid tourist tours but went with TRMK . My guide Matt was brilliant a real actor putting life into his stories. That's what made this different.. real stories, real people. Price 19.50 was fine, I know there are costs to produce and maintain a good 'show' so fair for an hour and optional photo was good value. Highly recommend. Thanks everyone

T. P.

Well worth an hour of your time. Our tour guide, Ash, was very knowledgable and fun to follow along with. No photos are allowed once you enter, sadly, as there’s plenty to see with some sections dating back 100s of years. We really enjoyed the tour and learning about the history of this part of Edinburgh. There’s a coffee shop to wait in before the tour and a gift shop at the end. You can also get a souvenir photo taken at the end of the tour for £10 for 1 or £20 for 3 copies. Buying tickets in advance is highly recommended at any time but more so during holiday season.

H. H.

Amazing visit here! Fascinating trip with lots of great information. Our guide was brilliant. She really had all our family listening to every word. Thank you so much Becca. You really brought the experience to life. Would definitely recommend coming here for a visit!

L. W.

This was interesting and informative. However guide was a little lack lustre and lacked a bit of oomf. This really does make a difference to the experience. Maybe it was the wearing of a thick mask in that her voice didn't travel and this made it, at times, difficult to hear. Still a very interesting thing to do in Edinburgh though.

J. S. M.

I liked the tour and would definitely recommend it for the fans of history. The way the tour was presented was very entertaining and the actors were great. Our group was lucky to have Amber as our tour guide, she was very knowledgeable, fun and great at improvising and keeping all our attention. The tour felt a bit short at the end, I guess time flies when having fun.

S. 1.

Fantastic! We had a great time here... My partner and I really enjoyed our tour. Our guide Ben did a great job even with covid requirements. If you are in Edinburgh, this is a must!! Awesome!

i. c.

A nice tour that brings you back to the past. Carl is a very good guide. To do if you love history with a bit of entertainment and also if you like a bit of ghost story. 4 start and not 5 due to problems with the app. It didn't allow me to book one day in advance so I went to the place in the morning and booked directly there.

H. C.

Visited today, was the choice of a friend as I'm not overly interested in history. The whole tour was actually very interesting, but our tour guide Amber was the real star of the show. She was funny, knowledgeable, and clearly knew her stuff. She read the room well, and was so energetic and enthusiastic, a real asset to the tour. An educational and unusual hour well spent.

N. B.

Great tour, well worth the visit. To be honest, I was expecting the guide to be in character the whole time or to meet more costumed characters, as that was the impression the website gave me (you just follow your one guide and bar a quick "hi I'm ___ from ___ century", he's very much a modern man). Otherwise, the tour was really interesting and the staff were lovely.

V. C.

Really interesting tour with the super enthusiastic tour guide that was Katy L. As I was a party of 1 I was able to just join a tour on the day without booking. Quite a lot of steps and uneven ground so wear sensible shoes! A good way to spend an hour in Edinburgh!

K. B.

This tour was so fun and we learned so much. We weren't sure what to expect initially but this was such a cool and unknown part of Edinburgh's history that you can't miss if you are visiting. It's very kid friendly but I was with a group of friends (20's) and we all really enjoyed the experience.

K. C.

It was ok. I enjoyed the experience, and the guide was decent, but in the same hand, I think it is overpriced for the experience, and a bit of a tourist trap. I have done underground tours in other cities that were a better experience. The underground here is a little bare, and they've added props to help fill out the empty underground spaces, but I still was left feeling a little wanting for there to be more. They don't really let you take photos either, though they can sell you a souvenir photo at the end.

D. C.

I've always been interested in Scottish history so being able to see it up close and personal in the heart of the capital was an absolute treat. I learnt many new things in a fun interactive way. Our tour guide, Becca, was absolutely excellent. She was very friendly and light hearted with a good sense of humour which made the experience very enjoyable. Would definitely recommend

R. B.

Very insightful tour, fascinating history of how Edinburgh used to be. Lots of research has been conducted in order to tell the most in depth stories possible. Our guide, Ash was very knowledgeable and was on hand to answer other questions. I'd recommend it but agree with other comments that it is a little pricey and I've also heard since they pay guides and staff minimum wage, which is not really on given the price and the number of people who attend the tours (there were 18 people on our tour).

A. W.

Well worth a visit if you go to Edinburgh. The tour took about an hour and was full of interesting facts about the history of the closes, its residents and information about the plague. Our tour guide Ewan(apologies if spelled wrong) was super enthusiastic and made the experience all the more enjoyable with his narration and energy.

S. M.

We've now been twice. Really good tour, and a fascinating view into Edinburgh during its somewhat gruesome history. Some walking up and down, buy nothing too troublesome. Would definitely recommend.

J. R.

Good fun and very informative. Small tour groups with our guide Adam who was amusing and educational. Would have liked to be left to wander around on my own but sadly I suspect not allowed by Health & Safety.

C. S.

Great experience with Matt the tour guide. Learnt so much and the underground village was fascinating. Wear sensible shoes, it’s quite dark and since you’re wearing a mask you can just about see your step.

L. B.

First of all out Tour Guide was called Stephen & he was brilliant. He was full of knowledge of Edinburgh's history helping with the whole experience. This is our third time going and it never gets boring.

D. D.

Great experience! Very fun and a lot more educational than expected! All staff were friendly and knowledgeable. Our guide, Katie L, did absolutely amazing. Only con is wishing it could go on longer :)

P. S.

A bit touristic for sure but definitely worth doing it. Probably the best way to really understand how the city was built on the top of many streets and how people were living back in time. We did like it. A nice experience

V. J.

This is a great tour, very informative and makes history interesting. Our guide was Adam, he was brilliant. The whole story of what happened there is just fascinating. Loved it, though I dont think it would keep young children occupied more teenage and upwards.

B. K.

It was OK and Our guide was great. He had plenty of enthusiasm and was great at his script, but sometimes I feel awkwardly around actors as I don't find their interest in the subject genuine. There were a few missed opportunities throughput the attraction, we got the sights yes by the limited props, but the attraction did not give a full immersive experience which could of been made all the better with sound effects and smells from the past - something Merlin do very well at their dungeon attractions. The tour did feel slightly like a "get them in and out again" business model affording 15 minutes between groups as they moved through the rooms and corridors. One point we were reminded we needed to hurry along. The story content was Interesting and relevant, not being able to take photographs was fine for me, but I can see it disappointing others. I did buy souvenirs from the shop at the start, but you should spend some time to keep your stock dust free (especially the shelving under the counter where you purchase your photograth) The Teddy bears there are sat in a thick layer of dust, and they themselves are wearing a dusty hood. For £19.50 the price is about right. But anymore I would of felt hard done by.

A. J.

If youre a history buff this is a good and interesting tour. It takes over an hour and will give you a really good, detailed account of what life in edinburgh was like during the days of the plague. Hard to imagine people could actually live like that. Its pricey for what it is. Worth it if you love history. But if you only have time for one thing to see, Id recommend the surgeons museum.

M. S.

Our guide Amber was very entertaining. She never broke character once and I loved how dark the humor got from time to time. But the tour was not only entertaining but also educational. I loved learning about the pest doctors clothing and Queen Mary's stay in the Close.

T. V. L.

Loved this tour! It was very cool to see the real close. Our guide was fantastic but I can't remember her name, unfortunately. The French girl from Aberdeen!

G. G.

A really interesting tour which was conducted by Rob who was very knowledgeable. This underground medieval network of streets lies below the Royal Exchange Chambers on the Royal Mile ..an enjoyable way to spend an hour and a half.. one of Edinburgh's hidden gems..!👍

D. U. (.

It was a really cool experience. My guide Carl was playing a 1600s doctor which was pretty dope. This gives you a bit of a glimpse into 15-1600s Edinburgh and you get to see a part of the city that perhaps you otherwise you wouldn’t get the chance to. And you learn a bit about history and how people used to live as well. Shame you can’t take photos inside.

A. J. (.

Good experience knowing the history of close in Edinburgh. Our guide Ben was quite knowledgable. While the trip is informative it’s surely not worth the high ticket prices- should reconsider the right value for attraction. Cheers

A. B.

What a great tour this was. Love Edinburgh and this tour just added to its charm. Our guide was excellent and the whole thing was very well done.. Interesting informative and fun. A great way to learn more about the places you visit.

J. I.

Really good and informative attraction with amazing guides. Didn't feel rushed and was an interesting historical tour. Usual clobber of no photos and sell you a photo at the end.

J. U.

A well organized tour. The tour guide and staff were exceptionally courteous and friendly! A visually fascinating and informative glimpse back into Edinburgh's not so glamorous history.

H. H.

Superb tour, really interesting. The history is bought to life through the interactive instalments and set pieces. Our tour guide Matt was exceptional, knowledge and humour made the tour a great memory.

E. P.

Our fab guide Matt showed us round this fascinating part of Edinburgh history. Loads to see and lots of great info given in a fun but informative way. Thanks Matt!

J. F.

Very interesting, loved the history and the ghost stories. Our guide Karl was amazing and very funny. Well worth a visit. Don't forget to bring a dolly for the little ghost girl.

D. I.

First things first, easy booking a ticket and when you arrive the staff and tour guides are most welcoming and friendly. About the tour, you get into the flesh of Edinburgh's past, you can witness aspects of people's lives back then combined with local stories and tales. I humbly consider it a must when you visit the Scottish capital. No photos allowed, some common sense care when walking in the close and you'll enjoy it

N. W.

Great tour! Definitely worth the money although the whole not being able to take your own photographs wasn't on. They said it was due to being underneath a government building, that was rubbish they just wanted to sell you souvenir photos! Other than that the tour was great, the guides really got into character and it was great to see how people lived in those days. A few more ghost storied would have been great. But all in all a definite recommend!

C. B.

Adam, our tour guide, was a very nice knowledgeable guy! The tour itself was interesting and I felt steps we're being taken to make it all covid friendly..

A. H.

Great experience. History brought to life. The guided tour (1 hour) was very informative, and hopefully they will open up further areas in the future, which will make it even better. No photos allowed in there but a photo opportunity at the end if the tour.

T.

Really interesting tour which takes you through the 17th century houses of the poorest in Edinburgh. Our guide, Ashe, was knowledgeable, friendly and obviously very invested in the exhibits.100% worth visiting!

P. B.

I highly recommend The Real Mary King's Cose if you're visiting Edinburgh. Get transported into the past and relive/experience the old streets of the city. The guide was funny, polite, enthusiastic and brilliant overall. Please don't miss this out of your itinerary!

A. T.

Great tour lasted about 1 hour,our guide was very knowledgeable and got really into character,worth a visit to see how lower classes had to live.

T. D.

Really interesting place to visit. Tour guide was very good. Only thing that let it down was that we sat for 10 minutes afterwards hoping to get a coffee, but the staff couldn't find anyone to help us. Nevertheless, would totally recommend.

A. T.

AMAZING! I definitely recommend doing this when visiting Edinburgh! I loved our guide, Katie. She was very knowledgeable and offered us a sarcastic informative tour. I had lots of fun! Make sure you're on time, we were a bit early and we had to wait around and we were lucky because a man was playing the bagpipe just a few minutes away and we enjoyed the show.

C. M.

Absolutely brilliant. Love hearing about history. But this was a new experience. Mikayla (I may have spelt incorrectly) she was a fab tour guide. Very detailed and welcoming too. Would recommend to anyone.

a. a.

Wonderful experience! Very informative tour, enlightening about the city's history. Incredible presentation skills by our lovely guide, Raffi (probably not how the name's spelled but I sadly forgot to ask how to spell it... Hope it's close enough... tried googling it), who made the tour so fun and worth it 💯. Would deffinitely recommend!

T. C.

Not allowed to take photos of the close but the tour was well-planned. Our guide Ash is a superb story teller and we had an enjoyable evening. This is one of those things that you must see in person in order to really register how it was like back in the days.

D. F.

Amber was a lovely tour guide. Funny and energetic for such a downer era. Better to do at night so it is much more eerie. Loved this tour

P. A.

Went last week. Ewan was amazing as tour guide. I love the history and the mystery of it all. Especially the ghosts.. highly recommend

T. W.

It was very interesting and brought to life by our tour guide. Hard work to get around if you have mobility issues - lots of steep inclines and narrow steps.

A. C.

A really unique experience, an incredibly authentic tour, visiting a hidden piece of Edinburgh’s history. Mary King’s Close is fascinating and like nothing else I’ve ever seen before. Real stories are told and brought to life by an amazing and lovely tour guide, she was fun and engaging throughout.

L.

Amazing guided tour. Ms Ale was a real Scott from the era. Immerse in the act. We all felt like living in the past and learn loads of cool facts.

B. J.

We went on this tour as recommended by our daughter and it exceeded our expectations! Great storytelling by Raffi and gave a great insight into the living conditions and problems experienced by those living in the Close. Can thoroughly recommend.

C. C.

Not bad. Yet it would be great if the members of the staff in charge of the tour guide speak more slowly. This is about the tourists making the most, not about delivering an speech as fast as possible.

F.

Very informative and interesting. Our tour guide Ruby (?) was lovely. It was a bit expensive and if your English isn't that good it might be difficult to understand some things since the guides talk quite quickly bc the tour has to be done in 1h.

C. D.

Great historical landmark, incredible that such a place could be preserved! The guide was quite colorful and really took his job at heart! Thanks Steven/Frank :)

P. R.

Nice little visit into Edinburgh/Scottish history. Make sure you can handle a good walk with stairs and have about an hour spare. Guide was knowledgeable as you would expect, but worth the visit. We were also told to visit the Vaults, which we shall do on our next trip up.

d. m.

An enjoyable hour spent listening to Euan telling us the tales of life in Edinburgh in the 17th century during the plague. A different take on historical tours. Not cheap but definetly worthwhile, and really brought it all to life with an easy going presentational style.

P. M.

Great tour! Lots of info on 17th century Edinburgh life. Highly recommend!

A. P.

My pal was over in scotland visiting and wanted to go see Mary King’s Close, we booked a tour and had a wonderful guide called Adam. He really enhanced the experience and his enthusiasm was infectious. Would highly recommend it to anyone visiting.

J. G.

Good knowlegable guide , told some stories of the lives and times of the Close. Visited many, many years ago when it was still being used for Council storage. Good to see what they have done to it.

N. A.

We booked this activity last minute on our first evening in Edinburgh. I'm glad we did! It was a super interesting tour. Our guide, Katie G., was very good. Very enthusiastic and a great speaker. It was very helpful to learn right away about Edinburgh's Closes, since we spent the rest of our trip passing so many! Thankfully we knew what they were about back in the 17th century! Definitely a recommended activity while in Edinburgh!

L. S.

If you go to edinburgh and don't have much time, definitely give this tour a shot. Perfect mix between history and creepy. Loved it!!

H. B.

Brilliant Tour, really enjoyed it. So interesting and informative. Our tour guide Ash was great. Would highly recommend if you are interested in the old Edinburgh.

J. R.

Meh. This tour was a bit confusing. They have made many modifications and set up many mock scenes that they sorta rush you through. The only redeeming part are the true stories of people you hear, and the guides themselves are doing great. But we were really confused most of the time about what exactly is real in terms of the structures, rooms and artifacts placed therein, and how old each are. I think a little less theatrics and more facts from a more archeological perspective would improve this tour quite a bit. But I guess a lot of tourists just want a spooky cheesy experience.

J. P.

Amazing! I had a coworker who found out we were coming to Edinburgh before Christmas and told me this was the most fascinating thing she did in her time here. She was not wrong! The visit to the Real Mary King's Close was a fascinating step back in time and changed the way we looked at everything on the Royal Mile! Our guide (Katy G. I think?) was superb! Entertaining and informative. The staff could not have been more accomodating. We arrived a bit late because we had another event across town and traffic was horrendous. They were very nice to let us join the tour a few minutes late, but that being said - Don't be late!! This is not like your tours of Edinburgh Castle or Holyrood Palace where you have a window you can enter in and you tour on your own. This is a guided, group tour, so you need to be there before the time indicated on your ticket! Plus, you definitely do not want to miss any part of this experience! One caveat: the tour does involve some discussion of haunted rooms, ghosts, and some details of beheadings and such. My kids *loved* it, but if you've got sensitive little ones, be aware and perhaps prep them beforehand. It is not a fright tour or ghost tour by any means, but good to know going in.

D. P.

really enjoyed the tour the guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining fascinating piece of history strongly recommended

S. P.

An interesting hour spent underground in the old close. Our extrovert guide ensured we got a good understanding of how difficult life was here 300 years ago, with a lot of focus on the plague. However, the tour is totally overpriced for the actual experience of walking through four or five old cellars and briefly onto the close itself while being hurried along as you are sandwiched between other tour groups. To charge more to enter than Edinburgh Castle, with all that that offers, is not tremendous value. No photos allowed (clearly stated before the tour starts) allegedly because of government buildings and their security requirements, but this does not stop them pursue the traditional marketing upsell of taking a photo of you on the close for another tenner.

R. L.

Very cool tour, to be honest I was expecting to meet more characters, that was the impression I got from the website. Still very interesting and certainly an insight into old Edinburgh

N. W.

Great tour! Definitely worth the money although the whole not being able to take your own photographs wasn't on. They said it was due to being underneath a government building, that was rubbish they just wanted to sell you souvenir photos! …

V. J.

This is a great tour, very informative and makes history interesting. Our guide was Adam, he was brilliant. The whole story of what happened there is just fascinating. Loved it, though I dont think it would keep young children occupied more teenage and upwards.

B. J.

We went on this tour as recommended by our daughter and it exceeded our expectations! Great storytelling by Raffi and gave a great insight into the living conditions and problems experienced by those living in the Close. Can thoroughly recommend.

S. M.

Really good visit . The price was a wee bit high - 20 pounds for a tour that did not even last an hour . The tour however was very well constructed and put together with enough detail on the history of the closes. Our tour guide , Katie was the standout . Amazing narration, great wit and enthusiasm and brought the tour to life. Everyone was dead because it was the last tour - 9pm but Katie continued to liven up the tour and it was a really really fun and informative tour. Just a wee bit of feedback, maybe there could be a bit of a video or the like included in the tour - I think it’d add a nice touch. That said, definitely worth a trip here. At least once but I can see myself doing it again.

N. H.

My family and I really enjoyed it our tour guide was amazing would definitely recommend

D. G.

Great and interesting tour. Frea is an awesome guide and actress

E. U.

Ben did a fantastic job, and we enjoyed our time very much.

H. C.

A wonderful tour guide Matt...very knowledgeable and patient. Just a most lovely and fascinating tale.

M.

It's a guided underground tour with some stories of history It is a quite good experience, with lovely guides

N. R.

Fabulous tour, great tour guide and so full of enthusiasm. This is the second time Ive been and loved it - so informative and also funny. thank you

S. T.

Really facinating history of the real Mary kings close - the guide Caroline was very good in Charecter and very informative . Well worth booking in advance to avoid disappointment and a must do when in Edinburgh.

M. D.

Adam, our guide, gave us very interesting explanations and answered all our questions. The King's close is a must see in Edinburgh. Quite expensive but worth the price.

L. M.

We absolutely loved our time here. The guided tour was an hour of incredible stories and sites, seeing real, preserved history beneath the streets of Edinburgh. Our guide, Ceara, was a delight and answered any questions we had, whilst making the tour really fun and interesting to experience. Definitely worth a visit when you're in Edinburgh - make sure you book it though! Groups are much smaller with the current COVID-19 restrictions, which actually makes the experience much more intimate.

T. S.

Fantastic experience. Very interesting. The place is completely untouched and preserved. Definitely worth a visit, our tour guide Matt was fantastic

N. H.

My family and I really enjoyed it our tour guide was amazing would definitely recommend

A. R.

Wow, what an insight to our history. 2nd time l've been took my son & he was fascinated. Steven the guide was amazing with his knowledge & story telling, clearly loves his job.

L. L.

We had Pedro as a guide. Really nice guy, very funny and interactive. Overall the whole experience is amazing. Would definitely recommend. 👌

S.

We had Amber as a guide for the tour and we really loved it. Thank you Amber for your energy and your smile!

T. s. w. A. I. l.

Very enjoyable but you're not allowed to take photos. These are from the shop and outside.

L. K.

It was amazing our tour guide (i think her name was Ashley) was really lovely. She told where some old sayings came from was funny. Well worth a visit.

M. V.

We were there and it was great. The guide presented the history very well. If you are already in Edinburgh, you must see it. You won't regret it.

A. H.

Excellent guided tour of approx 1hour. Informative, interesting, funny, sad , scary ( but only in a made you jump sort of way by our guide ).

I. K.

Interesting insight into Edinburghs underground history. Easy to find entrance on the Royal Mile best to book in advance though as size of each group is limited. Tour is more about personal histories of people that were known to live there. Tour guide (Caroline) dressed in period costume & acted the part of Mary Kings daughter. Little bit of history involving Mary Queen of Scots & vivid desriptions & exhibits of life during the plague. Tour more about the history rather than things to see. Towards to end of the tour you are directed to a section of the close where you get an idea of how steep & enclosed it must have been. A lot of information given by Caroline good tour to do if Edinburghs history appeals but a lttle pricey.

G. S.

Nice and fun with a good impression of how people lived back in the days in Edinburgh. Although might think it is a tourist trap, I would recommend to go!

L. K.

Really interesting, an unusual piece of real history, while made to feel a bit touristy, definitely worth a visit.

A. M.

Very interesting, very well presented tour. So glad I didn't live in 17th century Edinburgh

A. E.

Great to see the real attraction guide was full of great information made the trip come alive

A. B.

The staff was lovely and the tour was very interesting. I highly recommend it.

H. M.

'Al' (Alex?) was a great quality tour guide for the visit, very enthusiastic and well informed - exactly what you want when going underground!

m. p.

A great insight of how people used to live..you have a wonderful guide to explain what went on in mary kings close many years ago..a must visit..really enjoyed it..well worth the money spent....another reason why Edinburgh has do much to offer

A. M.

Fantastic place to visit. Very historic. You can experience what it's like to have lived in Edinburgh during the 1600s, 1700s and 1800s. Learn about how people lived and worked there and the plagu6that killed two thirds of them. Excellent.

M.

It's a guided underground tour with some stories of history It is a quite good experience, with lovely guides

J. D.

WOW! I've been to Edinburgh a number of times before but wasn't aware this even existed. A "Should See" if you visit Edinburgh. The only disappointment was, we were not allowed to take photographs on the tour! If all the Tour Guides are as good as ours was, then all visitors are in for a treat! Our Guide brought the warren of hidden streets, frozen in time since the 17th Century, to life. An excellent tour ending (or starting, if you arrive early) in the shop/cafe.

B. H.

Fun place to visit and get to know the history of Edinburgh abit better. You're guided round by someone who knows what they're doing and talking about. No photography allowed though

K. D.

Fun tour with lots of history but be ready to walk some steps.

L. P.

So exciting and very interesting, history at its best . Our guide Al was wonderful

T. E.

Very good tour , Ash the tour gide was very helpful and knowledgeable and funny. I would deffo recommend this as a must see for anyone visiting Edinburgh.

M. M.

Fantastic experience. Great to get a bit of the unknown history of Edinburgh and Caroline our guide was fantastic and really engaging.

S. M.

Really good visit . The price was a wee bit high - 20 pounds for a tour that did not even last an hour . The tour however was very well constructed and put together with enough detail on the history of the closes. Our tour guide , Katie was …

M.

Very interesting and informative tour, social distancing measures a impeccable. Don't worry if you have more than 5 people as every group on each time goes on the same tour. Our guide Caroline was very good, and gave us detailed information on each part of the tour. Would highly recommend!

l. w.

Was a really interesting insight to what life was like in Edinburgh in the past. Tour guide was very cheesy not my thing but others may enjoy the commentary. That aside was a good attraction.

s. T.

It's beautifully architectured I can't even describe this city under huge castles I love it here I feel like walking on Harry potter sets

O. P.

Had an amazing tour at The Real Mary King's Close - our tour guide Ash was enthusiastic, friendly, and informative, knew answers to every question, extremely professional. You get to learn a lot about not only Mary King's Close, but also the people who lived there, the jobs they had, and stand in the exact same streets and houses they stood in hundreds of years ago. Preserved beautifully and presented respectfully, but still entertaining - any history lovers or families visiting Edinburgh should definitely check it out :) No photography allowed but you can get a souvenir photo taken at the end for an extra charge.

J. A.

Excellent tour with lots to learn and see. The tour guide was excellent and we all loved how he stayed in character. It's a shame your not allowed to take photos though, also the photo at the end of the tour they charge you for is very overpriced.

J. P.

Really quite good. A nice tour of the streets covered over by newer construction. Gives the visitor a nice glimpse into how people of the time lived. You can't take pictures which is a shame. The only critique I could give is that the site is rather bare. They should bring in more furniture and items from the time. Fir instance the close was once lined with shop stalls, why not add those so the visitor diesnt have to imagine them?

M. M.

Awesome place. Very authentic and creepy at times. A must-see in Edinburgh. It's recommended you book tickets online and check in at the admission desk 15 minutes prior to your tour start time. Our guide, Caroline, was fantastic. She clearly loves her job and is very knowledgeable. The tour lasted about 1 hour which was sufficient. There's a gift shop where you can also buy drinks and snacks. You can't take pictures during a tour but they take a picture of you at the end which you can buy. Overall, it was a great experience.

Z. E.

Great place to visit. Information and historical facts very interesting. There is a few stairs to go up and down but not to many

V. A. B.

Really interesting, educative and funny! Michaela was a sweetheart and made the time fly with the explanations and the jokes. Totally recommended!!

F. D.

Extremely interesting tour. Some of the rooms are re-created and some are authentic from the period. The tour guide was also amazing funny. Definitely worth coming. Also, maybe bring a spare small toy? Who knows.

M. S.

Was high on my tourist to do list. We went in the evening. There us not much to see underground and many changes have been made over the years.. but worth a visit. The guides make the whole experience a treat. Downside, i found it a bit expensive for a ticket. Very funds driven, tour ends bang in their gift shop.

P. K.

Great experience, must do for anyone visiting. This is not some gimmicky tourist trap of a ghost tour you can find many of in the city - this is fun, informative and interesting. Brilliant insight into the history of Edinburgh without the tacky add-ons from other experiences.

J. D.

James was fantastic. Great humour & knowledge. Brilliant tour

S. S.

Was a great tour plenty information and you got the experience of how people lived in them days would recommend it 👍.

H. C.

A wonderful tour guide Matt...very knowledgeable and patient. Just a most lovely and fascinating tale.

J. H.

Worth seeing, but not necessarily worth going to see. I think all tours are given by a tour guide - you can't just wander about by yourself. As such, the quality of your experience will depend on your guide. Ours tried hard, but was a bit flat. Not huge amounts to see, but interesting never the less.

A. M.

Very interesting place..lots of stories and history..the guide Ash made the whole thing very entertaining and humorous. I would recommend.

K. G.

I loved it down here. Its under ground and tells the story of how the people lived here. It must have been like hell. There are steps and they can be awkward but I have chronic back problems and managed slowly. So we'll worth the visit, not something you will see again most probably. Great tour.

S.

As a local I was surprised how much I enjoyed this tour. Amber was great, engaging, knowledgeable and funny. Great insight into life in times gone by. Well worth a visit, didn't feel touristy at all. No photography allowed only downside.

S. S.

A very enjoyable, brisk tour of what is now an underground world. Our tour guide, Katie, was excellent, witty and well trained. I loved the way the tour covered ordinary life with links to the bigger picture of Edinburgh's history. Came away deeply grateful I could walk about in relative peace, security and cleanliness.

J.

A bit of a Horrible Histories style guide to what life was like back then. It was enjoyable and Amber was a great host. Wish there was a little more freedom to roam and, I understand why it was there, but the scaffolding detracts a little from the overall look and feel of the place. Enjoyed it nonetheless. Bit annoying you can’t take photos though.

C. R.

I thoroughly enjoyed this tour. Our tour guide was extremely helpful, cheerful and very clear with the information she was providing. I felt very lucky to be able to see the preserved Close in all of its glory and I really felt like I was in amongst history. I would've loved to have taken some photos of some of the exhibits but regardless, this was a fantastic tour and can't fault the price, there is a lot of interesting information crammed into an hour.

G. M.

Just done the tour Katie L was fantastic very informative and a lot of fun. Definitely will recommend to friends

J. G.

Brilliant experience and a highlight of a trip to Edinburgh. Katie G was our tour guide and made the experience informative and at the same time entertaining. It was well planned and delivered, definately something I'd recommend as it includes lots of history but is made very accessible by the hosts.

J. D.

Absolutely surreal experience. Our tour guide Pedro was fantastic and had a great sense of humour. Unfortunately the same didn't apply to the rest of the group, perhaps it's our Portuguese humour. Would definitely recommend. You get a real sense of how people lived down there

L. M.

Great visit, amazing guides ! We really enjoyed our visit.

s.

3 stars because I could not understand 50% of what our Tour Guide spoke. He spoke so fast, half of the things did not make sense.

D. C.

This has now been crossed off my bucket list. Really enjoyed my visit. Very informative and the tour guide, Caroline was lovely. Definitely worth a visit if ever in Edinburgh

J. D.

I highly recommend this underground tour. It last about and hour and for me it was worth every penny. Our guide Katie was a ghost from 1600, very knowledgeable and entertaining.

R. W.

Loved it! We had no idea what we were booking when we signed up but we were so glad we did. A really good way to get a bitesize history of Edinburgh. Very little history like this available anywhere else and fascinating to see the city through the ages. Becca was a great guide 5/5

M. M. Y.

This attraction was recommended by the receptionist at the hotel and I am glad I visited. The tour guide Katie L was amazing. She was very knowledgable and she along with her colleagues Pedro - witch pricker and Becca - langmeg made it much more interesting. A must visit when in Edinburgh..

D. K.

It was a great tour and the guide was incredibly knowledgeable. It would have been great if we could have walked around more than we did. It is also quite pricey and you have to pay extra for any photos they take.

M. C.

Fascinating tour under the new Edinburgh to see what the streets used to be like. Lots of real people stories. Our guide Adam took great care of everyone and the pace was kept right for all young and old. This is a must do tour if you are in Edinburgh.

a. b.

We had a great time, what made it for us was our guide by the name of Ash, she was truly great and put everything into it, informative/ sad and funny moments so we would like to say Thanks Ash!

J. N.

We had a fantastic time here. An excellent history tour that was really interesting. A special mention to our guide Carl who was so enthusiastic & informative. A must see if you are in Edinburgh.

S. M.

Brilliant! Highly reccomend! We decided to go on this tour as a family of four following a reccomendation from someone and we were not disappointed. We went in the evening. No pictures are allowed on the tour. The rooms can get a bit warm but it was manageable. Masks were required throughout. There was just enough spook and gore to keep the 6 and 11 year old kids engaged and excited without being scared. This was a fabulous insight in to the history of Edinburgh, it's people and architecture. The guides were knowledgeable and friendly. Megan was fantastic xx

s. r.

I was quite annoyed with our visit. Had been before but it was more sanitised ,and I think this has detracted from the unique quality that that it had before also way too much emphasis on the picture being taken at the end ,cost wasn't mentioned but I am sure would have been at least £6. We opted not to have this taken as had no intention of buying Considering the cost I was quite disappointed

r. a.

Amazing guided tour! Very interesting stories, informative and funny. Our guide was Laura L., absolutely fantastic! Very recommended! Also very flexible with the booking as we had to reschedule for a later time and they promptly responded my email changing the time. 10/10

A. G.

Great experience, a touch of real life history about "ordinary" people . Our guide on our tour Mikayla(?)playing an Italian immigrant was both informative and funny. As they are at most places the photos available at the end are overpriced but no-one is forced to buy them .

D. Y.

Fascinating,well explained by our tour guide Becca,thoroughly enjoyed our tour would definitely recommend to others

S. M.

Great experience. I've been to many attractions around the world and this is unqiue. Very interesting to see and be part of the history. It's not a scare experience (if you are of the nervous type) and even if your not into your history it's still facinating. Our guide Mikaela was superb and really made the experience. It was obvious that she enjoyed what she did. We would throughly recommend this and at the time booking was essential and although we booked in the morning by 2pm the whole day was sold out. A must do in Edinburgh

m. f.

Not cheap but well worth the money. A long tour of one of Edinburgh's hidden closes, now part of the foundations of the City Chambers. I knew there was a lot of the old city beneath the later buildings and streets, but to see earlier whole streets and buildings buried from view beneath 18th century construction was amazing. The guide was also particularly informative and friendly.

d.

An interesting insight into an old part of Edinburgh which is now under the Exchange building, no photography is allowed.

A. F.

Mary King's Close is a historic close located under buildings on the Royal Mile, in the historic Old Town area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It took its name from one Mary King, a merchant burgess who resided on the Close in the 17th century. The close was partially demolished and buried due to the building of the Royal Exchange in the 18th century, and later closed to the public for many years. The area became shrouded in myths and urban legends; tales of hauntings and murders abounded. However, new research and archaeological evidence has revealed that Mary King's Close actually consists of a number of closes which were originally narrow streets with tenement houses on either side, stretching up to eight stories high[citation needed]. Mary King's Close is now operated as a visitor attraction where guests can take guided tours and learn about Edinburgh's hidden history.

G. C.

Really interesting to know about the history of Edinburgh. Ticket is a bit pricy. Similar price as visiting Edinburgh Castle which is bigger. But worth going to visit.

J. R.

Went here not knowing what to expect, great piece of history, very interested in what happened in yesterday years, would recommend

L. D.

Loved this tour, far better than certain other tours in Edinburgh. Thankyou Ash for showing us around today! Our favourite part was hearing all about the plague.

C. L.

Very interesting and the tour guide was very knowledgeable. For all the years I have visited Edinburgh, I was not aware of some of the historical facts our guide was telling us. We'll organised tour and a very special place and piece of history.

R. W.

I had been wanting to visit here since seeing it on Most Haunted. I found it fascinating. the staff informed you of what was to come; how far underground we were going, how many flights of steps, the conditions etc. The staff member leading the small group was informative and knew her history. She answered questions from group members well. There was an opportunity to have a photograph taken too. The gift shop was filled with amazing copies of history. I enjoyed it and will go again if I visit Edinburgh again. Thank you the Real Mary King's Close.

M. C.

An interesting tour of the underground buildings along the Royal Mile, full of historical tales of real people that lived centuries ago. Caroline was especially engaging and friendly, thank you!

T. M.

Tour Guide Olivia was informative, inclusive, friendly and loved sharing with us the history of the Real Mary King's Close. And most importantly a great engaging story teller

L. H.

One of the best tours/ guided museums I’ve been to! Our guide was Michaela and she did a great job of telling the story making it both interesting yet funny. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone visiting the city

A. C.

Interesting to take a peek into the lives of Scots of the past. Was a bit confused with the underground housing vs being at street level etc. Was recommended this tour by my uber driver. I was able to get a ticket for about 2 hours later without a reservation prior. Tour lasts one hour. A bit dark to see but fine for kids. There where three elementary aged boys in my group who did great.

K. K.

Very entertaining and fun way to learn the history of Edinburgh. Our guide/actor was very interactive and the entire tour was quite interesting! You are taken through what a 'close' would have looked like in the past, from the poorest of people right up to the elite status. There are many character stories to help tell tales from old town Edinburgh. Please note: You are NOT allowed to take pictures or film while you are on the tour. I wished I had looked that up as I did this tour to get content/photos for my blog. They DO take a photo of you that you can purchase afterwards, but it wasn't the kind of candid content I was looking for. Otherwise super interesting for anyone who enjoys history!! Glad we did it! Adults are 15.50 pounds, hours change depending on season so be sure to check the website. Tours last 1 hour and they do have handheld translators for anyone who doesn't speak English. There is a gift shop at the end for pictures, souvenirs and even a cafe.

C. W.

Euan was great and I really enjoyed this slightly gruesome tour!

P. W.

Great history and excellent guide. The info was really fascinating and the back history was really helpful.

p. h.

Really good insight into Edinburgh's past. Good tour guide (her name is Ash) who put her information across in a really entertaining way. Would have loved to have been able to explore further but it was money well spent on this hour long tour.

r. r.

fascinating place and tour. Caroline was our guide. lots to learn and see. no pic's allowed during tour which last about 1hr.

L. W.

Great underground tour of the old city of Edinburgh. Tour guide was very informative and knowledgeable about Mary Kings Close and answered questions that were asked. Wish we had been able to see more of the area though.

J. (. F. P.

Great little guided tour, much better than expected. There is some interesting history to be learned here and it's presented well. Our tour guide Becca was really entertaining and helpful with answering questions, though they seem to run a tight ship here and can't stay and natter for too long.

G. C.

Spooky and shes a great light on how Medieval times in Edinburgh and Scotland used to be,a real Close that has been preserved by time only opened to public in 2003 or 05

C.

Very intetesting. It was nice to see how the everyday person lived and learn some of the history of the town. Learnt loads about Edinburgh. I would say a must see.

J. P.

Enjoyed the experience. Very good guide (Ben) .Have been meaning to do this tour for a long time and glad we did!

D. G.

Great and interesting tour. Frea is an awesome guide and actress

A. G.

Gorgeous architecture. If you are a Harry Potter fan, JK Rowling has her hand print on the floor in 2008 here.

L. G.

Attended the tour today, it was very enjoyable. I did not know all of that was still there in Edinburgh! I found the set up with Covid very well organised too. Our guide, Amber, was excellent. Very knowledge and cheerful. The way she presented all of the content was fantastic.

D. B.

Great bit of crack done the night tour

J. O.

Very enjoyable tour. A little more leisurely would be in order.

S. L.

Great tour, our guide was Katie L who was fantastic. Very knowledgeable and held your attention for the whole time

A. B.

Amazing attraction based on historical structure and events! A city beneath! Not to be missed when visiting Edinburgh. Booking in advance is advised especially in July/August and audio guides available for foreigners. Staff is generally friendly and will accommodate .

M. C.

We visited the castle a couple if months ago and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The history is wonderful the castle is well worth a visit. I would advise you buy your tickets online it is much better as there are long queues Just a note for those using wheelchairs the castle is cobblestone

Z. M.

We had great fun on this tour and loved hearing the true stories surrounding the real people that lived, survived rather, here. Everyone should go on this tour.

A. W.

Exciting and awesome tour! The tour guide was also very talented and enjoyed her job. I wish so much wasn't closed off though.

N. V. D. M.

What an absolutely amazing experience. Eery, yet informative - I would most definitely recommend doing this tour!

W. P.

A very good tour of Edinburgh in the earlier years living quarters, lifestyle etc.

V. M.

A great glimpse into Edinburgh's hidden city! The stories about the residents of Mary King Close were expertly delivered by our guide, French Sara.

G. B.

You have to go, very interesting and informative and your guides have fun with you

G. R.

What a great tour! Not fond of “organised fun” usually but this tour quashed that theory! Kirsty, our tour guide was excellent and really fit the role she played! Very interesting and will be coming back! Thank you!

a.

Our tour guide was very knowledgeable. The tour its self was really interesting and showed a great range of time periods so we had a better understanding of the close. Would definitely recommend to anyone wanting a tour of history

C. T.

Not to be undertaken if you're not hot on your pins, lots of uneven walking surfaces and lot of steps. But the tour is interesting and informative, you'll never say 'they did things better in the old days' again.

E. U.

Ben did a fantastic job, and we enjoyed our time very much.

A. T.

It was ok. I couldnt understand the girl taken us around and she talked very quiet. She was lovely. So missed the photo at the end as i couldnt hear her. 😊

R. K.

Very intresting tour explaining the life and times in Edinburgh in the 1700' s

J. B.

Brilliant, very infomative, the guide was really good 👍👏👏👏

M. F.

Great experience, tour guide knowledgeable and funny (in a positive way). The tour was very interesting as we learnt a lot about the past of the city of Edinburgh. Definitely recommended!

J. M.

This was a fun experience! Our tour guide, Ash, enhanced it! She was so nice and funny, her delivery on her lines was amazing too! It was so cool seeing everything from back then. 5/5!

M. S.

Great insight into life in the old city

h. 1.

Funny tour guide lots of fun the pics are pricy if you want them.

L.

Enjoyable eirie experience of old Edinburgh. A visit to the way life was in those living not so long ago was almost unbelievable. A must visit. Great guide with an encyclopedia of knowledge.

R. A.

I was torn between three and four stars for this, it wasn’t quite what I expected. At the start you walk though a series of what can be best described as cellars with a few props here and there and an explanation of what life would have been like. It’s hard to imagine you are walking through an old street or people’s homes, it feels nothing like it. Only at the very end do you step out into a proper street as I’ve pictured here. Do not expect the tour to be walking down streets like this from start to end, it’s walk though a cellar like room, watch a recording before walking into the next identical cellar and another fact or two. Something you’ll do once, be glad you’ve done it but wonder was it really worth it.

J. M.

Loved this guided tour through history. Guide (Megan) was brilliant at evoking times past. Could have listened to her all day. Made me very grateful to live in the 21st century.

D. C.

Thoroughly enjoyed the tour, Adam was a brilliant guide Thanks Adam

D. F.

Amazing to hear about the high rise living and squalid conditions of the 17th century in Mary King Close, Edinburgh... delivered by the amazing tour guide Laura.

J. M.

I meant to leave a review on my experience here 2 years ago! Our tour guides name was Mark and he left such a amazing impact on us. He was energetic, friendly , informative and fun! Felt like we were on an interesting, historical tour with a great mate! I cannot applauded Mark enough. My boyfriend and I still reference what a great time we had years later! Phenomenal staff and unbelievable experience!!!

A. D.

Spot on. Great place, interesting story and history. Informative. Creepy place that shows how hard life used to be!!

C. D.

Fascinating insight into the way people lived in Edinburgh before the New Town was built. Guides are enthusiastic and knowledgeable. I liked the way the horrific impact of the plague was covered sensitively.

A. M.

Parts of this tour are a bit scary and gory for some people. The tour is interesting as it takes you through the life in a close, as it was. The guides are great but I felt it was a bit overpriced for what it offers.

l. c.

Amazing and educational tour, with tour guide Amber! She was so full of knowledge and made the tour really interesting and pleasurable. Would recommend if in the area as it’s great to learn about the past.

D. S.

Absolutely incredible tour! What an interesting and insightful look at a snapshot of Edinburgh throughout the last few hundreds of years. Our brilliant tour guide Kira told the story of each room enguagingly and kept us on the edge of our toes the while time!! Would absolutely reccommend to everyone!

M. i.

Loved it! Pedro really gave life to the tour with the way he told the stories and showed us around! It was fascinating to walk around such an old place and try to imagine that people used to live in such circumstances. There is a little room that is said to be haunted by a little girl, you can bring a plushie and leave it there for her if you want. It will make her hapopy :) There really isn't much else to say but get a ticket and enjoy it yourself if you’re a history fan like I am

S. H.

A great historical experience. Learned a lot about the history of the close and the city of Edinburgh. I recommend buying the book as well. Book online, there's often a promotional offer for an above ground tour at a discounted rate. They take your picture during the tour; it's worth the purchase. Fascinating experience overall.

A. M.

Very informative and interesting. Makes you glad to be alive today and not in the 17th or 18th century.

L. C.

Our tour guide Amber was fantastic! Really brought the tour to life, enjoyed every second and learned so much about Edinburgh! Thanks again Amber! Would definitely recommend to anyone thinking of doing it!

M. C.

An interesting undercover guided tour which provides a fascinating insight into the lives and living conditions of Edinburgh people in previous centuries. It also provides a good understanding of the development and construction of this part of the city.

R. C. (.

These photos are close by. We didn't go to it

C. M.

Amazing experience and a nice place to learn a bit of history. The tour was amazing, and the guide, Michael ,was amazing 👏. We'll done! Made us feel like we went through time.

G. S.

Some friends suggested visiting here and I was a bit skeptical but absolutely loved it in the end. Our guid, Freya, did an excellent job. I was also a tiny bit late and a very helpful person on the desk took me to catch up with the group. I would definitely recommend.

D. C.

I IMPLORE you to take this tour. If you do one thing in Edinburgh , make it this. Fascinating, eye-opening, mysterious. Big thanks to our guide Pedro from making it charming and witty!

r. a.

Amber (sorry if I got ur name wrong!) Was soo lovely, amazing actress and speaks clearly. The tour itself is intriguing, I found myself suprised, disgusted, impressed but never confused since she explained so well. Defo worth a visit!

D. H.

Great tour, lovely tour guide Katy L made it fun and amusing.

J. K.

Great experience in history. Highly recommend!

L. O.

Excellent tour guide, really fascinating place and one of the best interactive museums I've been to! Would highly recommend to friends visiting Edinburgh!

c. u.

We really enjoyed this,a great insight into the way people used to live well explained with some interesting facts. I think I enjoyed it more than the ghost and ghouls tour we did

S. B.

Very interesting tour to learn about the old town of the city

S. L.

A great visit. Our tour guide Matt was great and very knowledgeable.

I. K.

Carl was a fab tour guide and the whole experience was extremely insightful and enjoyable. It really made our trip to Edinburgh memorable 😀 Thanks!

P. R.

Went with my mum sister and nephews something I've always wanted to do definitely worth going to we learned some interesting facts and our tour guide David west was brilliant i would definitely recommend visiting I've your in Edinburgh looking for something to do

K. C.

Highly recommend! John was a great tour guide!

M. G.

Really cool to learn about how life was back then! Our guide Pedro was really funny, and very knowledgeable. Covid measures were very well implemented (but some people did not respect them, as usual...)

A. M.

Very informative and interesting tour. Well worth a visit.

L. S.

Very good tour, and Becca was a great guide. Interesting to see how the city used to be and how it was just built upon. A tad pricey, but I'd say it was worth it.

m. M.

Myself wife and brother went today..... Euan was a great guide today will definitely recommend

T. G.

Our guide Katie G was superb and bought the whole experience to life.

T. W.

Surely one, if not the best, historically based attraction in the country. Don't miss out on it.

A. B.

Fascinating tour. Great tour guide who explained all.

J. T.

A great look into the development of Edinburgh old town. Super tour guide. If you have a spare hour highly recommend.

E. A. J. R.

Really enjoyed the tour, we had the added bonus of a fire alarm, where we had to evacuate the premises, but this was well executed and Adam provided extra information while detouring back to the entrance

D. C.

Well worth a visit, even during the Covid restrictions. Our guide was informative and had a lovely sense of humour. This attraction, however, is definitely not suitable for people with mobility issues as there lots of stairs and very steep slopes. But a great way to spend an hour or so.

A. S.

I give the site and tour guide 5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour. The guide did outstanding job. You cannot take photos as it is under a government building. Yet a photo is take of you and whoever you are with and then you are charged £10 if you want it. I fail to see how it is a security issue when you could easily take a photo yourself from the same spot to avoid been scammed £10. Sorry but been charged £10 after paying about £19 is a rip off.

E. O.

The tour is in general great. Super interesting to see how was poor life in earlier times in Edinburgh. However, they can make the tour a bit slower, taking more time to appreciate the visit. I felt we were running from one room to another. Also a bit expensive for what it is. But as I said, more interesting than the castle, palace or other tours around there.

M. C.

Really interesting view of Edinburgh's undercrackers. Worth doing if you're in the area.

R. V.

This place was amazing! If I ever go back to Edinburgh I will revisit. The staff was amazing and made the experience what it was. So much fun. Definitely recommend!

L. S.

I think this experience is over priced and due to covid restrictions you are put in to A B C D E groups if in E don't get good views stuck in corners most of the time Can't take pictures but the will take one for you at a cost . The usal enter though gift shop and leave though gift shop History of the plage standars of living in 16th century ect spoke about history interesting 🤔

M. B.

This was brilliant had a great tour are guide was very knowledgeable. Would recommend it. Don't think its suitable for little ones or people with breathing difficulties

J. C.

I had a lovely tour guide Becca, who was enthusiastic, bubbly, knowledgeable and made sure we were all having a fantastic time. I couldn't have asked for a better start to my 1st trip to Edinburgh

A. N.

An absolute must do when in Edinburgh. It is quite claustrophobic as you are underground with low ceilings. That aside i loved it walking underground in Edinburgh amazing history and the staff are brilliant at what they do.

J. N.

It was an interesting tour through the old streets of Edinburgh. Lots of good stories. The stories about the bubonic plague seemed very relevant as we were separated into social bubbles and wore face masks. The tour guide was good, but wasn't happy when we were asking questions. We had 6 and 11 year old boys with us and they liked it.

n. b.

Our tour guide Rafi was really good, lots of info and enthusiasm. Great Covid guidance keeping us all in order as we walked round. Would recommend to all!

L. A.

Interesting, but I was expecting way more for the price. There other tours that take underground with great actors that make you enjoy the tour. I would recommend other tours before this one.

M. G.

For what it was in my opinion very overpriced...a family ticket was £47 to essentially be taken from one dark stone room to another. Dont get me wrong out guide Meghan was knowledgeable and entertaining bit it definately wasn't worth the 50 quid....no way

A. S.

Great tour, interesting and informative. Took the kids round and they all enjoyed it.

M.

Amazing tour that really makes you feel the weight of history in Edinburgh's Old Town. If you're looking for history/culture while in Edinburgh this is a must. It's right on the Royal Mile so easy to get to.

H. S.

Me and my partner thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Mary's kings Close. We found the tour very interesting walking through history. Our tour guide was brilliant with a good sense of humour and despite Covid 19 restrictions we felt totally at ease I would 100% return! However I would not recommend this attraction for children as it is quite dark and dinghy and it certainly isn't wheelchair/pushchair accessible.

T. A.

Fabulous historical tour, Meghan certainly knows her stuff, and was very charming. Fascinating insight into the rich history of the old Edinburgh, highly recommended...

D. S.

It was good going to the Lower streets,finding out how they lived & the stories but struggled to hear from the tour guides mask over her mouth with her fast scotish accent which I am not used to but otherwise a very good tour.

J. W.

Really great tour led by Adam! Would definitely recommend if visiting Edinburgh. Adam was very knowlegable and enthusiastic and did a brilliant (and COVID safe) tour for us.

J. L.

Great place to visit while In Edinburgh. Takes you under the buildings of Edinburgh to rooms and a street from 400 years ago. When they built the new buildings they simply used the buildings underneath as foundations. The guide was good, clearly spoken dispite the facemask. Sadly you can't take any photos down there which we were told no cameras allowed due to a government building above or something, however they take a souvenir photo and want to charge a tenner for it. strange then that I have just seen on the news a five minute piece about the place where they have filmed in another of the rooms. This said its an interesting place to visit

c. c.

Caroline the tour guide was excellent. Really brought the tour to life

J. G.

Olivia did an amazing job explaining everything and her enthusiasm carried over all through out the visit. Thank you!

A. D.

This offers a great alternative place to visit if you have done all the main things in Edinburgh and in my opinion not publicised well enough. The tour takes you on a great historical adventure through the hidden old town & streets and is put together superbly. The guide really makes the experience and has lots to tell in the way of stories and pointing out historical facts. Well worth the price and the time it takes to go round. We booked a day in advance which may well be advisable especially during the festival period

S. A.

Had an amazing tour .. bringing the old heritage of Edinburgh .. liked the way our tour guide gave references to events and storytelling .. well done #Ash 👏👏

A. C.

Fun and informative tour of a old traditional part of the city. Hugely enjoyable!

A. M.

It was really informative about how they used to live some people never saw daylight there entire life hard to imagine definitely worth a visit when in Edinburgh.

C. W.

Enjoyed the tour, but woukd be nice to have some time on your own to have a look about although I think it was to do with covid

R. R.

A bit pricey, but our guide, Amber, made our visit very interesting and enjoyable. We learned quite and lot and would definitely recommend the tour.

Д. В.

Great place, interesting tour, but the price is quite high

N. C.

Great window into historic Old Town, enthusiastically hosted by David West. Fascinating original condition in places, let down slightly by the Ikea laminate flooring in others! Well worth a visit.

I. B.

Great place never knew there was a underground city in Edinburgh. Tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly would definitely recommend this experience

m. w.

Good experience, glad i got to see it, probably a bit overpriced for what it is but would recommend you see it whilst in town. Bit annoying that you cannot take pictures but they offer to take a picture of you and sell it back to you for £25.00!

K. H.

Second time I have visited. Last time was about 12 years ago and this time was very different. More focus on the history and less on the haunted aspect of the place. Well worth a visit.

S. K.

Great tour, fascinating location and history expertly and entertainingly guided by Katie. Spot on, thoroughly recommended.

J. H.

Interesting tour round the old streets and housing of Edinburgh during the time of the plague and some of it's interesting and influential citizens. Our tour guide had a very dry sense of humour and made it enjoyable as well as informative. There's a lot of steps and a steep street to walk up.

P. S.

My nephew and I were on the 12.15 tour today and were really enjoying it ( it was my nephew's first time visiting) I began to feel a bit hot and dizzy and fainted,I would just like to thank the tour guide who promptly called for medical assistance,a lady first aider came to check how I was along with the duty manager Paul, I would've just like to thank them both so much for the attention given to both myself and my nephew who was a bit upset ,he took us outside to get fresh air and reassured me,he also took us back in and took our photos as we,d missed the last part of the tour,apart from feeling groggy I enjoyed the tour as did my nephew who will be returning with his Mum and Dad to visit,once again,can't thank you enough

D. C.

The tour is really fun and the staff are very invested in making it great to visit. Really neat to see how life was for people back then.

J. C. I.

Great tour guide, provided a thorough history of the closes. Very intriguing and interesting hour; money well spent!

G. D.

Very interesting with a good tour guide.

F. R.

Truly fantastic experience very humbled well worth going to see tour guide was very knowledgeable Ewan awesome work 👍🏼

J. K.

Much more historical and interesting than I'd expected, not all that touristy and our guide Pedro was very charismatic

D. S.

Very good tour worth a visit Edinburgh's underground street

M.

Probably the best visitor attraction in Edinburgh. Social distancing when you enter the close is impeccable, you are given a letter from A to E when you start and in every room you have to stand on your letter to ensure the 2 metre rule. Tour is given by a guide/actor in period costume. We had a girl called Ash who was excellent and made the place come alive. Highly recommended.

S. S.

Very interesting going back in time to see Edinburgh street life. walking tour, on uneven surfaces some steep flat shoes recommend

T. M.

Well worth a visit. A really interesting place. For me the guide Laura really added a lot to the experience, she was knowledge brought things alive.

M. R.

Edinburgh is my favourite city. I'm from Barcelona. I want to go again!.Mary King's close is beautiful site. I don't have words. The assistants very good!! Gracias a todos los artistas que escenifican la época!!

G. L.

Excellent experience overall. Very well organised. Would have been nice to be allowed to take your own photos rather than rely on the "official one". Recommended!

J. D.

Absolutely brilliant tour, Raffi was our guide and she was magic. Entertaining and historical as well as funny

J. T.

Fun and informative underground tour around a warren of now subterranean residences, which were built upon during the 18th century. The residences and pathways are well preserved, but the highlight was our informative and entertaining tour guide, who provided a detailed and engaging history behind the famous close. The tour lasted just over an hour and it is recommended to book in advance, so as not to avoid missing out. They go frequently throughout the day and run into the late evening as well. A worthwhile attraction and all credit to the brilliant staff.

K. B.

Overall the tour was a bit of a let down especially for the price. Only lasted about an hour. However our tour guide was great.

S. C.

Very interesting visit to the underground tour whilst on holiday in Edinburgh. Becca, our guide was very informative and a lovely person 😊

c. p.

Mat is a great guide. A must see of the royal mile and Edinburgh

p. g.

Loved the old history of Scotland's tenements and slums ... virus and diseases etc

P. M.

A brilliant tour lasted just over an hour. Pedro was fantastic . If going to Edinburgh a must visit.

J. O.

Excellent tour Becca the tour guide was very good full of information. It was fun and educational for all the family . Would highly recommend

D. E.

A very obvious tourist destination. I wouldn't call it a tourist trap, but it is pretty expensive for what you get. I did enjoy the experience, but I would've loved a little more. Staff are great, tour guide was fantastic and knowledgeable. I was just yearning a little more. I think around 10 pounds would've been my sweet spot to get in. However, I also understand that the money goes towards preservation, and I do appreciate that, but I feel a lower ticket price but also a donation box would've been better for me.

C. D.

Interesting tour. Not the greatest guide - a bit quiet and fast. Not very engaging.

R. B.

Absolutely loved this experience. The rich history and culture that's hiding under your nose in Edinburgh is outstanding. I'd recommend this tour to anyone interested in what Edinburgh has grown from. The tour was shorter than expected, distance wise, but was worth it all around. The group sizing and frequency was perfect, never felt cramped in the rooms and never caught up to another group. Beautiful establishment, wonderful hosts.

E. D.

Good way to kill an hour in Edinburgh. Very touristy but still interesting.

R. R.

Highly recommend - very interesting and well preserved to mirror the actual era - our tour guide Rosaleen was only new but was fantastic

A. C.

Adam was a fantastic guide who went the extra mile, not only in answering our questions and pointing out other exciting historic places in Edinburgh, but also in how he communicated with people on the tour in several languages. Very accommodating and friendly. The tour itself was intriguingly informative. I am not much for tours generally, but The Real Mary King’s Close takes you down into several of the covered closes that you would otherwise never get the chance to experience. It provides a grounding knowledge for the entire layout of the Royal Mile with its surrounding buildings and closes, giving new context to visitors of old Edinburgh. Definitely worth a visit, I would recommend using this tour as a precursor to your Edinburgh experience as a whole.

H. F.

Such a great tour! Our tour guide, Tom was really knowledgeable and kept the group engaged. A real eye opener into how people used to live in underground Edinburgh. I recommend it to anyone visiting the city to do. This is the second time I've done it in the last 7 years and I've loved it both times.

Y. B.

Just finished our tour. Raffy was a great tour guide, she was enthusiastic, witty, funny and gorgeous! Will visit again

t. b.

Great tour, very informative guide (carrie), let's you get a real feel of how it was back in the day.

L. M.

Great attraction, worth a visit if in Edinburgh. Very informative about how people lived back in the day. It’s great getting to go down and really get a feel for what life would have been like. It’s dark and gloomy inside but this really sets the atmosphere. The guides are very friendly and full of information. They are more than happy to answer any questions asked. The way they have maintained and kept up the attraction is great, I always enjoy visiting here

N. P.

Our tour guide Ash was brilliant, very informative and very conscious towards keeping every member of the group safe. I would recommend this to anyone visiting as it gives you a detailed history of what's underneath the Royal Mile.

D. S.

Interesting to see the street below, if I'm honest I would like to of heard more on the architecture. It's very interesting, but I'm not so much a fan of the tour guide pretending to be from ye olden day, I like more info about the buildings, how it was built, why etc. Definitely think it's worth a visit tho! Plus side, staff very friendly and welcoming!

M. B.

Excellent tour Amber was great very informative and enthusiastic

A. S.

If you want to know how people of Edinburgh have lived their lives in the basement of the city. THIS IS THE PLACE.

S. D.

This is an excellent tour of what life in late Medieval/Early Modern Edinburgh would have been like. The tour is full of excellent information and the guides are well informed and knowledgeable. It can be a little creepy since the whole tour is underground in the dark, but it is not a ghost tour. Their tours fill up fast especially at the height of tourists season in the summer so they recommend you book ahead. It is well worth your time to take the tour.

A. M.

Great tour! The price is a bit high (around £16 per adult) but our guide Joanne did an amazing job. The close itself is well preserved but what's actually worth it is the history lesson. I won't be doing it again, but if you are a first timer in Edinburgh and don't know much about the history of this gorgeous city, it will be worth your while.

E. L.

I was on the 13:30 tour 6/11/19 with an amazing guide (I’m sorry I didn’t catch her name) and really enjoyed it. The guide had a great use of her voice and made it carry really well for all to hear even when we were in the back. She also carried off a lot of the “bantery” bits well even though the crowd were sedate. I can imagine her really entertaining a group who all know one another well and are up for banter 10/10. As I travelled by myself it was a great tour because she made everyone included which can really be a tough gig with such a diverse crowd. The history of Mary King’s Close was really surprising and very interesting. The tour was very interactive if you wanted it to be and still interesting if not. The tour are not allowed to allow pictures below but it’s fascinating in the old Close. I didn’t opt to buy the picture I had taken as it was a bit spooky looking (which some people may like) as it’s taken in infrared. The prices for this were quite typical for tourist attractions (£10roughly). Overall the tour is 10/10 for experience and definitely 10/10 value for money in my opinion.

P. S.

Loved this place, no photography but the best underground tours in Edinburgh we saw, and we did the vaults too. If you had to choose this is the one to go with. We had Katy as the guide and she was brilliant. You get to walk down the remains of the original close and see inside preserved buildings and hear of how people lived 300 years ago. The comprehensive narrative was excellent and was the best tour we did in Edinburgh.

L. O.

Wow. What a place absolutely steeped in history. The guide that took us around was fantastic and if in Edinburgh it is a real must see.

L. N.

Enjoyed the tour very much, it was fun, informative and entertaining. The guide was great!

R. H.

Great tour with hidden gems of history great knowledge and guide.

N. H.

We really enjoyed this. Very interesting and the tour guide Ernest was brilliant. Amazing to see this part of Edinburgh and I would definitely recommend it! The price is very worth it for what you get to see. The your lasts an hour and you go across a number of the different 'closes' and heat about the kind of people that used to live in them.

J. C.

Chris T our guide was brilliant taking us through the fascinating history of Mary King's Close. A great attraction to visit.

D. V.

I wasn't sure what to expect from The Real Mary King's Close. Some friends were showing me around Edinburgh and this was on the itinerary. I'm glad it was because it was really interesting. It's quite a special thing to have the original old town preserved like that and they have really made the tour interesting with various props and multimedia elements. The tour guide was also very informative and enthusiastic (despite having done the tour a million times, I'm sure). I do recommend this to all people visiting Edinburgh. I can't think of anyone who would not enjoy this journey into the early days of the city of Edinburgh.

E. W.

How far we've come that we can learn about the plague amidst a pandemic and still feel perfectly safe. It's certainly an entertaining way to learn about medieval Edinburgh. Megan was a very animated and informative guide and I'd recommend this attraction to anyone visiting Edinburgh, even on the shortest of trips.

S. S.

We enjoyed the character experience and seeing the locations.

E. C.

Victoria gave us an amazing tour and the whole experience was absolutely outstanding!! We had a brilliant time, will be back.

A. K.

Remarkable to see how people lived 100s of years ago and actually walking about in history was fantastic. Your you love the history 9fbthings you will absolutely love this. Our guide Paul was great and was really good and made the walkways come alive. Would I recommend it yes I would it was great please do it go along and walk in the footsteps of history

L. W.

This is a must stop tourist attraction if you are visiting Edinburgh. We heard about it from our tour guide at the Edinburgh castle and thought it sounded really cool. Basically it's an underground tour that takes you through what life was like in the 17th century. Instead of demolishing old buildings and roads/alleys when they outgrew them, builders would chop off the top, fill in what would have been the ceilings and build on top of them. So the Mary Kings Close is a Close (small alleyway) of a few different houses and buildings grouped together that have been preserved throughout the years. It was absolutely mind boggling and when you go back above ground, it's weird to place it. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and interesting throughout his story telling (and yes, some of it was cheesy, but it was all in good fun as well). And each of the stories he tells, is something that they have record of happening on Mary Kings Close. The conditions that these folks lived in was just awful and it makes you so grateful for modern day amenities like running water and a city that won't allow feces to get more than a foot deep on the main roads before doing something about it. Gross right? We purchased the package deal instead of individual tickets which came with a history book, and a complimentary photo. Photography is not allowed on the tour so if you want one, they will do one photo in the Close before you come back above ground. There is also a small gift shop and deli upon exiting the tour.

J. Y.

An amazing story of the history of Edinburgh as told by our guide Amber.

R. L.

I find the history of the under city of Edinburgh fascinating so this was a perfect find. You will go trough the whole history of the city with friendly and knowledgeable guide trough excavated rooms from the closed of and long forgotten underground of the old town with a touch of ghost stories as well. We were very happy with our experience, well worth a visit!

J. H.

A good history of Edinburgh city development and living conditions. Tour guide was knowledgeable and fun. Tour moved a bit slowly (1hr) and was mostly in rooms adjacent to the close. Props were old and dusty. Photos were not allowed and a one time photo-op cost additional £. Would recommend only for historical info. Would not go again.

k. v.

A good way to find out about Edinburgh's history.

J. P.

Getting a tour of this place was very special and something that I will remember. The tour staff were very well educated and attentive to answer any questions or queries. The models and architecture of the buildings are very accurate and really show the living situation of people living back in this time period. 100% would recommend for a day out!

G. H.

A big thanks to the staff here for their help when we came in. Mary king's was a lot of fun but be careful if you have trouble with stairs! Lots of fun, not too scary for kids.

L. J.

Excellent tour. Very informative really interesting to see how people used to live . Caroline was very good , kept us intrigued.

S. C.

There is a balance needed for reviewing certain places and this is one of those. Your expectations will dictate how much you enjoy or don't enjoy your visit. It wasn't all that I expected. It wasn't long enough for me (the tour is an hour) and felt a bit underwhelming, even rushed. I prefer sites that I can wonder around freely and really get into the history. Understandably, that is not possible here. However, although not what I expected and less enjoyable than I hoped for - especially for the price - it gave an opportunity to see a side of Edinburgh's history I'd not have seen otherwise. Possibly more enjoyable with friends too (I went alone).

M. H.

Great place to visit and our tour guide was fantastic and he helped us out after with the family crests and history of our names about 6 times

P. L.

Really interesting and you definitely get a feel of the history of Edinburgh. I would highly recommend this tour.

P. H.

Interesting and well guided. Personally I would have liked slightly more staged equipment in some of the rooms to depict living arrangements. Lots of steps and steep walks. But enjoyed it.

E. L.

Very well organised and very interesting and the staff Is very nice. Highly suggested :)

L. L. G.

Really interesting learning about the history and it's even more better to know it's all correct and true information. Michael is an amazing tour guide

K. B.

One of the best experiences in Scotland so far. Highly highly recommend to anyone. If you’re in Edinburg, don’t miss it! The history is so fascinating, our tour guide was unbelievably good, just absolutely amazing to see everything. So, so very glad we went!

B. E.

Very cool to see and imagine how life used to be here before it was closed up and underground. But the tour felt very impersonal and more like we were cattle than guests. Overall, I still would recommend. It's worth it to see the history and put your self back in time.

J. A.

If you want to find out how the other half of Edinburgh lived back in the day you must visit this attraction Its dark, it's gloomy but I had a cracking time and the staff played their parts to perfection. It seems strange to say in view the suffering those people went through, but I was really well entertained. This is a must see attraction for all of the family, except under 5's who are not allowed in.😊 This is Not an attraction which is in anyway suitable for wheelchair users due to the numerous stairs and very dim lighting. Open daily with the first tour starting at 9am and lasting for an hour. Good cafe with reasonable prices and the usual facilities 😊. There is no dedicated car park attached to this attraction, check out the Edinburgh Council website for car parks and which roads are closed etc.

H. C. H.

A lot of fun. Scary but not very scary. If you are interested in the history of Edinburgh, particularly the Old Town and how people lived their lives 100s of years ago you will enjoy the tour. Have been several times over the years and always enjoyed it.

m. h.

Great attraction the guide was excellent well worth it learnt so much would recommend it.

A. M.

Went on a recommendation from a friend and it was well worth the visit. The tour guide was knowlageable and personable and able to have a laugh with guests. The tour offers a unique insight into the life of old Edinburgh and the difficulties faced by tenement housing. Beware that the tour is not accessible if you cannot cope with steps or walking a long distance

M. H.

Great and interesting experience, Amber was a great guide

g. c.

Great tour, learned a lot even as a local.

C.

This tour is expensive but it's worth it. It's very well planned and you don't have time to get bored even though it's quite informative/educational. We were guided by Nora who made a really good effort in keeping her Irish accent as neutral as possible and never got out of character.

M. V.

Must stop attraction where you'll hear some interesting stories. And maybe you can take some small thing for a spirit of girl that live there (they will tell you story about it) 🙃

P. B.

Brilliant. I would guess that the experience might vary with the guide you have but the visit is extremely well choreographed, with numbers kept to a sensible 20. The 'close' is an alleyway covered over when a new large building was built above - effectively the existing structures and alleyways became part of the new building's foundations. The rooms and the atmosphere are enthralling, it would be easy to be a little cynical but a good guide (and we had a great guide) makes it all so believable.

H. C.

Really good and very interesting. Never knew all that happened in Edinburgh.

F. D. K.

Absolutely amazing. Such a wonderful experience. I was nervous about how good it would be, because it is expensive, but I wasn't disappointed. The tour guide played her role to the tiniest detail. When the tour was over, I wished for it to not be. Money well spent. And I would definitely recommend it to others!

A. W.

Visited with my friends while showing them around Edinburgh. Our guide did a good job but the attraction itself is not worth the ~£17. When I thought "oh, this is getting interesting" it turned out it's the end of the tour.

R. C.

A fascinating look into Edinburgh's history! It'll take you underground through some tight and narrow passages to see a preserved old street which was built on top of. You'll go into old houses and hear some stories of how folk used to live. The guides are very informative and always willing to answer more questions. Nice little coffee shop at the end too. They even have mini lockers (£1 to use at time of writing) before the tour for your bags and such. Definitely worth going!

J. H.

Very interesting, if you've never been before 100% would recommend, but it's not the kind of thing you would do more than once.

A. T.

Fascinating tour of an atmospheric location. Our guide was excellent and very knowledgeable, and gave a highly engaging and informative tour. The Close itself was impressive to see and sits underneath the Exchange building. Tickets seemed a little expensive compared with some of the other attractions in Edinburgh, but The Real Mary King's Close is nevertheless well worth seeing for anyone interested in history.

D. L.

Great experience, I definitely recommend it. The history of Edinburgh is incredibly rich and fascinating and this is one of the places where you can learn the most. The staff is very well prepared and they're incredibly entertaining. Walking through the remains of the old city is both chilling and exciting

K. S.

We loved this, our tour guide was great (Tom, I believe) - wasn't too over the top which was a relief to us! Although plenty of energy and lots of information given. Found the tour really interesting.

D. A.

Unbelievable that all that is underneath old town. Great fun, really interesting history. It adds an extra dimension to Edinburgh. Cyle was great.

B. A.

We were recommended this tour "200%" by our hotel concierge which of course peaked our interest. We were unable to attend until the last day of our visit as one thing to note is that you would benefit to book yourselves onto a tour beforehand as the slots get full quickly (as we found out!) I get anxious being in small spaces and generally being underground however this experience did not stress me out at all (although there were a few loud noises that made me jump). The tour lasted about an hour and was a good use of time. Everyone working there seemed very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about what they did which I always find is important and can make a good adventure a great adventure. Definately worth the visit, discounts for students available. Clean toilets.

M. K.

Very fun and interesting little attraction. Our tour guide Carl, was witty and knowledgeable of the area and time period. Definitely would recommend to anyone looking for something to do. It gives you a look into the lives of people from 400 years ago.

P. M.

A good hour well spent underground. Our guide Carl was really fun, easy going and knowledgeable. You end up much lower than you initially think it would be. Fascinating to be in all the small rooms and see how the original St Mary's Close was nevermind imaging the smell! If you're approaching 6ft then be ready to duck. Also if you're unsteady on your feet take extra care on the steps

F. a. F.

This tour sells out fast and frequently and I’ll be honest I don’t really know why. It doesn’t feel real at all and is honestly quite “manufactured” for the public. There is little authenticity to the tour other than a few items and the stories being told. I was underwhelmed by the visit based on the quality of what you receive. I would not add this to the top of my list of things to do in Edinburgh.

L.

A short but fascinating, well-executed guided tour that takes you underground into the history and experiences of everyday people living in Edinburgh in the 18th century. You can book your tours online, and it's recommended to do so, as these tours fill up fast. The tour highlights include walking you through what it would have been like for someone living in these closes during the 1700s, as well as the terrible experiences of people during the plague outbreak in the same century. The tour lasts an hour. My group's tour guide - Adam, I believe his name was - did outstanding, so kudos to him. I felt this tour helped to shed light on the other side of historical Edinburgh not seen in exhibits such as Edinburgh Castle or Holyrood Palace, and I would strongly recommend it.

M. B.

Really cool experience and a great guide too. Robbie I think his name was

J. R.

Second time here, a few differences but nonetheless incredibly covid safe. Well worth a visit!

N. R.

Great tour - very interesting - thanks Carl (with a C 😁).

R. R.

A bit pricey, but our guide, Amber, made our visit very interesting and enjoyable. We learned quite and lot and would definitely recommend the tour.

W. H.

Katy with an L was a brilliant tour guide. Gave great insight to 16th century Edinburgh.

J. w.

Visit the past under our feet...well organised, fascinating and worth the money.

C. M.

Excellent tour really informative.

N. B.

Robbie the tour guide was amazing! Great experience to fill an hour.

S. M.

Great tour and thoroughly enjoyable

P. B.

We took family from down south they absolutely loved it and our guide Becky was outstanding..

Contact

Photos