What are the most popular first-day activities for sightseeing tours starting in Edinburgh?

Your first day in Edinburgh usually starts with a walk down the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle, which sits on top of an old volcano. Many tours kick off with dinner at places like the Radisson Blu, where you can get to know your group and maybe try some Scottish whisky. As one traveler told us: "the tour guide was phenomenal and made sure everyone had a great time from day one."

Which months offer the best weather for sightseeing tours starting in Edinburgh?

Plan your trip between May and September for the nicest weather, when temperatures are usually between 59-66°F (15-19°C) and you get lots of daylight. You'll likely stay at places like the Mercure Edinburgh Haymarket or Radisson Blu during these busy months. One traveler who went in July said they "had great weather with only one rainy day, perfect for exploring the Highlands."

What type of accommodation can I expect on sightseeing tours from Edinburgh?

You'll stay in nice hotels like the Voco Edinburgh Haymarket and DoubleTree by Hilton. In Edinburgh, you'll be close to the Royal Mile, while in the Highlands you might stay in beautiful old buildings like the Atholl Palace Hotel in Pitlochry. One happy traveler mentioned that "the hotels were all centrally located and of high quality, making it easy to explore each destination."

What are the most visited landmarks on sightseeing tours starting from Edinburgh?

You'll see the big ones like Edinburgh Castle, Palace of Holyroodhouse, Stirling Castle, and Loch Ness. Most tours also take you to Culloden Battlefield, Eilean Donan Castle, and the Glenfinnan Viaduct - you might recognize it from the Harry Potter movies. According to one traveler, "the variety of castles, lochs, and historic sites exceeded expectations, with Edinburgh Castle being a definite highlight."

What's included in meal plans for sightseeing tours from Edinburgh?

Your tour typically covers breakfast each day and some dinners at your hotel or local restaurants. You'll get to try traditional Scottish food, including haggis, often paired with whisky at places like the Kailyard by Nick Nairn restaurant. One traveler mentioned that "the included Scottish dinners were excellent, especially the welcome dinner with whisky tasting in Edinburgh."

How much free time is typically available during sightseeing tours from Edinburgh?

You'll usually get 2-3 hours of free time each day, with some afternoons completely open in bigger cities like Edinburgh and Glasgow. If you're staying at the Radisson Blu Edinburgh or Leonardo Royal Glasgow, you'll have plenty of time to explore on your own. One traveler said there was "a good balance between organized activities and free time to explore on our own."

Sightseeing Tours from Edinburgh

See the best Sightseeing trips from Edinburgh, Scotland. We have 72 adventures that range from 2 days up to 23 days in length. The most popular time for tours leaving Edinburgh is June.

10 best Sightseeing tour packages from Edinburgh

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Explorer
Puffin Island Hopper
5.0 (4 traveler reviews)
"Loved it!!! Treat yourself and go. You won't regret it."
Cilla, traveled in June
Duration
4 days
Destinations
Edinburgh, Luss, Inveraray, Oban, Isle of Mull,Isle of Iona,Glencoe+2 more
Age Range
Ages 18-35
Operated in
English
Operator
Haggis Adventures
From
US$705per person
Price based on Private Double Room
- Booking needs min. 2 travelers
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In-depth Cultural
Mull, Iona & Staffa Puffin Experience
4.5 (4 traveler reviews)
"The tour was a late decision but proved to be a great choice. Loved it!!!"
Cilla, traveled in June
Duration
4 days
Destinations
Edinburgh, Luss, Inveraray, Oban, Isle of Mull,Isle of Iona,Glencoe+2 more
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Operated in
English
Operator
Highland Explorer Tours
From
US$705per person
Price based on Private Double Room
- Booking needs min. 2 travelers
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In-depth Cultural
Scottish Highland Fling
5.0 (251 traveler reviews)
"Pleasantly surprised."
Duration
10 days
Destinations
Edinburgh, St Andrews, Pitlochry,Cairngorms National Park,Inverness,Culloden,Dunrobin,Thurso,Orkney Islands,Kirkwall,Skara Brae,Durness,Scourie,Ullapool,Isle of Skye,Mallaig,Fort William,Glencoe,Isle of Mull,Isle of Iona,Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park,Falkirk,Glasgow+20 more
Age Range
Ages 8+
Operated in
English
Operator
Globus
13% Off
From $3,999
US$3,499per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Explorer
Scotland end London
Duration
7 days
Destinations
Edinburgh, Stirling, Pitlochry, Culloden, Inverness,Fort Augustus,Loch Ness,Spean Bridge,Fort William,Inveraray,Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park,Glasgow,Lichfield,London+9 more
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Operated in
English
Operator
Europamundo
13% Off
From
US$1,944per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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In-depth Cultural
Scots Irish Tour - 15 Days/14 Nights (31 destinations)
4.4 (143 traveler reviews)
"CIE Tour was top notch. I strongly recommend CIE."
Mrs., traveled in August
Duration
15 days
Destinations
Scotland Northern Ireland Ireland
Age Range
Ages 9+
Operated in
English
Operator
CIE Tours
10% Off
From $5,445
US$4,901per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Explorer
British Landscapes featuring England, Scotland and Wales (Edinburgh to London) (2025)
4.4 (68 traveler reviews)
Duration
10 days
Destinations
Scotland England Wales
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Operated in
English
Operator
Collette
10% Off
From
US$3,499per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Explorer
Premium Scotland (from Edinburgh to Glasgow)
Duration
8 days
Destinations
Edinburgh, Stirling, Stonehaven, Isle of Skye, Portree,Glencoe,Balloch,Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park,Glasgow+4 more
Age Range
Ages 15+
Operated in
English
Operator
Intrepid Premium
10% Off
From $7,195
US$6,476per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Explorer
Exploring Scotland & Ireland featuring The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (Edinburgh to Dublin)
4.5 (15 traveler reviews)
Duration
13 days
Destinations
Scotland Northern Ireland Ireland
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Operated in
English
Operator
Collette
10% Off
From
US$6,299per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Explorer
Outlander TV Trail - 4 days
4.0 (2 traveler reviews)
"The itinerary and overall organization was good. I felt we did a lot more Outlander heavy stuff on day 1 and day 4 which I loved."
Lisa, traveled in September
Duration
4 days
Destinations
Edinburgh, Stirling, Doune, Glencoe, Fort William,Glenfinnan,Loch Ness,Inverness,Drumnadrochit,Culloden,Aviemore,Perth,Falkland,Culross,Linlithgow+10 more
Age Range
Ages 18+
Operated in
English
Operator
On The Go Tours
15% Off
From $1,375
US$1,169per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Explorer
Edinburgh, Hebrides & Highlands - 5 days
5.0 (3 traveler reviews)
"The accommodations were very clean and tidy with a good location to town."
Victoria, traveled in September
Duration
5 days
Destinations
Edinburgh, Ullapool, Stornoway, Inverness, Loch Ness,Cairngorms National Park+1 more
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Mountain
Scottish Highlands
Operated in
English
Operator
On The Go Tours
15% Off
From $1,900
US$1,615per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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In-depth Cultural
Isle of Skye, Loch Ness & Inverness
4.7 (119 traveler reviews) award winner
"No shortage of food, stories, entertainment, and the most beautiful scenery imaginable."
Kimberly, traveled in September
Duration
5 days
Destinations
Edinburgh, Stirling, Glencoe, Oban, Fort William,Glenfinnan,Mallaig,Isle of Skye,Portree,Loch Ness,Inverness,Beauly,Culloden,Dunkeld+9 more
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Regions
Scottish HighlandsIsle Of Skye+1 more
Operated in
English
Operator
Highland Explorer Tours
15% Off
From
US$1,199per person
Price based on Private Double Room
- Booking needs min. 2 travelers
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Explorer
Outer Hebrides & Skye Explorer - 6 days
4.6 (5 traveler reviews)
"The scenery was spectacular and we were lucky to have perfect weather the whole trip."
Brenda, traveled in May
Duration
6 days
Destinations
Edinburgh, Loch Ness, Ullapool, Stornoway, Luskentyre,Portree,Isle of Skye,Ben Nevis,Glencoe+4 more
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Regions
Scottish HighlandsNorthern Scotland+1 more
Operated in
English
Operator
On The Go Tours
15% Off
From $2,280
US$1,938per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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$Scotland\'s Far North - 10 days Tour$
$Scotland\'s Far North - 10 days - 24 destinations$
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Explorer
Scotland's Far North - 10 days
4.3 (4 traveler reviews)
"The places visited were special, especially the Orkneys and Western Hebrides islands which did not disappoint me."
Elizabeth, traveled in August
Duration
10 days
Destinations
Edinburgh, Doune, Callander, Glencoe, Loch Ness, Inverness,John O'Groats,Orkney Islands,Kirkwall,Skara Brae,Stenness,Ullapool,Stornoway,Carloway,Luskentyre,Portree,Isle of Skye,Kilt Rock+12 more
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Country Region
Northern Scotland
Operated in
English
Operator
On The Go Tours
15% Off
From $4,155
US$3,532per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Explorer
Scotland and Ireland with London
Duration
16 days
Destinations
Scotland Northern Ireland Ireland Wales England
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Operated in
English
Operator
Europamundo
15% Off
From
US$4,001per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Explorer
Scotland and Ireland (Classic, Summer)
4.9 (21 traveler reviews)
"Splendid, absolutely marvellous!"
Tommy, traveled in July
Duration
13 days
Destinations
Scotland Ireland Northern Ireland
Age Range
Ages 18-35
Operated in
English
Operator
Contiki
10% Off
From $2,995
US$2,696per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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