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
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, Culross, Inverness, Culloden, Loch Ness,Fort William,Glencoe+2 more
Age Range
Ages 18+
Operated in
English
Operator
On The Go Tours
30% Off
From $1,375
US$963per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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In-depth Cultural
Scottish Highland Fling
5.0 (251 traveler reviews)
"The organized agenda and very knowledgeable and personable tour guide."
Leslie, traveled in September
Duration
10 days
Destinations
Edinburgh, St Andrews, Pitlochry, Inverness, Thurso,Orkney Islands,Durness,Ullapool,Gairloch,Isle of Skye,Fort William,Oban,Isle of Mull,Isle of Iona,Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park,Glasgow+11 more
Age Range
Ages 8+
Country Region
Northern Scotland
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
Puffin Island Hopper
5.0 (4 traveler reviews)
"Beaches were stunning and water so clear. Wow!!"
Roy, traveled in June
Duration
4 days
Destinations
Edinburgh, Tobermory, Oban
Age Range
Ages 18-35
Country Region
Northern Scotland
Operated in
English
Operator
Haggis Adventures
13% Off
From
US$705per person
Price based on Private Double Room
- Booking needs min. 2 travelers
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Explorer
Scotland end London
Duration
7 days
Destinations
Edinburgh, Stirling, Pitlochry, Culloden, Inverness,Fort William,Inveraray,Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park,Glasgow,London+5 more
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Operated in
English
Operator
Europamundo
13% Off
From
US$1,914per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Explorer
Exploring Britain and Ireland featuring England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales (Edinburgh to Dublin) (2025)
4.5 (76 traveler reviews)
Duration
15 days
Destinations
Scotland England Wales Ireland
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Operated in
English
Operator
Collette
13% Off
From
US$5,349per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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In-depth Cultural
Mull, Iona & Staffa Puffin Experience
4.5 (4 traveler reviews)
"The scenery was amazing! The puffins were gorgeous and the beaches on Iona were stunning."
Gillian, traveled in June
Duration
4 days
Destinations
Edinburgh, Luss, Inveraray, Oban, Isle of Mull, Tobermory,Glencoe+1 more
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Operated in
English
Operator
Highland Explorer Tours
13% Off
From
US$705per person
Price based on Private Double Room
- Booking needs min. 2 travelers
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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
30% Off
From $1,900
US$1,330per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Explorer
Loch Ness & Highlands Express (Hotel) - 2 days
3.0 (1 traveler review)
Duration
2 days
Destinations
Edinburgh, Pitlochry, Aviemore, Inverness, Loch Ness,Glencoe+1 more
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
National Park
Cairngorms National Park
Operated in
English
Operator
On The Go Tours
30% Off
From $715
US$501per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Explorer
Scotland Whisky Trail - 3 days
4.0 (1 traveler review)
"Excellent narration - just the right amount and tone. Excellent hotels. Great stops."
Deb, traveled in May
Duration
3 days
Destinations
Edinburgh, Cairngorms National Park, Grantown-on-Spey,Aberlour,Craigellachie,Pitlochry+3 more
Age Range
Ages 18+
Operated in
English
Operator
On The Go Tours
30% Off
From $1,035
US$725per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Explorer
Edinburgh, Hebrides & Highlands (Hotel) - 5 days
Duration
5 days
Destinations
Edinburgh, Ullapool, Stornoway, Luskentyre, Lewis,Inverness,Loch Ness,Cairngorms National Park+3 more
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Mountain
Scottish Highlands
Operated in
English
Operator
On The Go Tours
30% Off
From $2,515
US$1,761per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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In-depth Cultural
Isle of Skye, Loch Ness & Inverness
4.7 (117 traveler reviews) award winner
"The Scottish Highlands were simply breathtaking, and the tour was perfectly paced so we could take in every bit of the wonder."
Pamela, traveled in October
Duration
5 days
Destinations
Edinburgh, Glencoe, Oban, Fort William, Mallaig, Armadale,Portree,Isle of Skye,Kilt Rock,Dunvegan,Eilean Donan,Loch Ness,Fort Augustus,Beauly,Inverness,Culloden,Dunkeld+11 more
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Regions
Northern ScotlandScottish HighlandsIsle Of Skye+2 more
Operated in
English
Operator
Highland Explorer Tours
30% Off
From
US$825per person
Price based on Private Double Room
- Booking needs min. 2 travelers
View tour
$Scotland\'s Far North - 10 days Tour$
$Scotland\'s Far North - 10 days - 19 destinations$
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Explorer
Scotland's Far North - 10 days
4.3 (4 traveler reviews)
"From Inverness to Orkney, then from Lewis and Harris to Skye, we visited a lot of amazing places."
Mikhail, traveled in June
Duration
10 days
Destinations
Edinburgh, Glencoe, Loch Ness, Inverness, John O'Groats,Kirkwall,Orkney Islands,Ullapool,Stornoway,Lewis,Luskentyre,Portree,Isle of Skye,Ben Nevis+9 more
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Country Region
Northern Scotland
Operated in
English
Operator
On The Go Tours
30% Off
From $4,155
US$2,909per 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
30% Off
From
US$3,939per 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
30% Off
From
US$2,999per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Explorer
Scotland and Ireland (Classic, Summer)
4.9 (21 traveler reviews)
"All the places were fantastic and our tour guide Remi and driver Giuseppe were beyond amazing."
StephanieHooper, traveled in July
Duration
13 days
Destinations
Scotland Northern Ireland 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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