Edinburgh Walk: Historic Calton Hill & Arthur’s Seat

Explore Edinburgh’s iconic hills with a local guide, uncovering breathtaking views and hidden paths. Discover history and beauty beyond the usual tourist trails.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Calton Hill - Explore a variety of impressive landmarks and prime photography locations.
  • Palace of Holyroodhouse - Admire the grandeur of this palace from the outside and delve into its history and current ownership by King Charles III.
  • Holyrood Park - Arthur’s Seat is the central hill of the park. Enjoy a serene and scenic route away…
What's Included
  • Guided walk up Calton Hill and Arthur’s Seat
  • Visit to historic landmarks on Calton Hill
  • Panoramic views of Edinburgh and surrounding countryside
  • Peaceful and picturesque route away from the main tourist path
  • Plenty of stops for rest and photography
  • Local Expert Guide
Additional Information

This tour offers a wonderful chance to discover some of the UK’s most historic and well-preserved green spaces.
To start, the walk leads to Calton Hill, known for its historic monuments and breathtaking views. Next, visit Holyrood Palace before entering Holyrood Park, Edinburgh’s premier park, rich with thousands of years of natural and human history….

Location
29 Waterloo Pl
Waterloo Place
Please meet at the corner of Howies and the cobbled Calton Hill street on Waterloo Place.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(11 Ratings)
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1 star
M1812suryanb
Mar 15, 2026
Grand Time around Arthur's Seat & Calton Hill - I had an absolutely amazing time! The tour was beautiful and our guide, Lewis, was an upstanding man! He's very knowledgeable about the area and the history of the locations we saw. If my legs weren't still on fire 3 days later, I'd love to hike up again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marieccf
Mar 10, 2026
Arthur’s seat tour - Lewis is a knowledgeable guide, whiling to answer questions and share his passion for Scotland. The tour was very well organized.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
784ishitak
Mar 10, 2026
Fantastic experience! - It was such a great tour! Lewis had the most interesting facts and made the entire experience so fun and easy. He let us hike at our own pace, without any rushing which made it so comfortable and all the more enjoyable. Great experience with great views!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carolina_b
Mar 10, 2026
Great guide for a super worth it hike - Super friendly and knowledgeable guide! 100/10 would recommend his tour. Very patient on the hike up, answered all our random questions, and kept the energy light the whole time. We had a wonderful time.
Review provided by Viator
Berniac2026
Mar 8, 2026
Lewis was a great guide - Lewis was a great guide; he had a lot of information about both the city of Edinburgh and key points (plants, wildlife, etc.) along the hike to Arthur's Seat. The meeting place and drop-off were convenient - we booked Holyrood Palace tickets for our post-hike activity. The hike is definitely a challenge, so wear good trail/hiking shoes and bring water, but Lewis was great at setting a good pace and giving us time to take photos.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Z2105ohkatrinar
Mar 3, 2026
See above - Lewis was a very pleasant, personable and patient guide. It was obvious to us that he enjoys sharing his love of local history and knowledge with a group. The tour was interesting and varied, and definitely a lot of fun! Would highly recommend Lewis and this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carlo
Feb 10, 2026
Great Experience - Great experience with Lewis. Very knowledgable, kind, and patient. He is willing to answer all of your questions cheerfully. The tour was great! The sights were spectacular. I highly recommend this tour. If you go in the winter, like I did, I recommend bringing hiking shoes and a jacket. It can get cool up on Arthur's seat.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Yvonne_r
Feb 4, 2026
Top class tour with a top class guide!! - It helps if you have a good level of fitness although Lewis did go at a good leisurely pace. Definitely choose the right footwear not just for the comfort level but the paths (depending on the weather, I did it in late January and wore my hiking boots where muddy and slippy in parts). Plus as you reach the summit it is very rocky and it helped to have a good grip! Lewis is so knowledgeable and interesting! I learnt so much about all the areas we walked through before heading to start of Holyrood park such as Carlton hill and all the wonderful buildings plus the surrounding area across Edinburgh and then Holyrood palace! We lucked out with weather so it helped I was weathering layers and the sun shone through the whole route and you can see for miles! Amazing!! Definitely worth booking this trip than doing it solo!! Thank you Lewis for a brilliant 3 hours and one of the highlights of my weekend!
Review provided by Viator
Tracy_b
Nov 1, 2025
Very pleasant afternoon - Lewis was a very knowledgeable and friendly guide. He knew several routes and took me on the most manageable for me, being very patient along the way. He could answer all my questions and at the end of the tour was kind enough to set me in the right direction for my hotel. A very enjoyable afternoon.
Review provided by Viator
Allison_f
Oct 15, 2025
Couldn’t Have Asked for a Better Guide! - We had an incredible experience hiking up Arthur’s Seat with our guide, Lewis. From start to finish, he was a solid and reliable guide — organized, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about the area. He took time at several points along the way to share stories and history about Edinburgh and the landscape, which made the hike so much more meaningful. Partway up, my friend began experiencing anxiety as the climb got steeper, and Lewis couldn’t have handled it better. He was calm, kind, and supportive — never rushed us and made sure she felt safe and comfortable every step of the way. Thanks to him, we were able to finish the hike and really enjoy the experience. We could not be happier with how the day went and would absolutely recommend Lewis to anyone visiting Edinburgh!
Review provided by Viator
From $34
up to 10 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).