Underground Vaults Walking Tour

Embark on an eerie journey through the haunted vaults beneath Edinburgh’s Old Town. Discover the dark history of crime, witchcraft, and spirits that lurk within. Step into a genuine witchcraft temple and dare to enter the infamous stone circle.

Duration: 1 hour
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights

The infamous vaults hidden under the South Bridge in Edinburgh Old Town fill the nineteen stone arches of this underground architectural wonder. Join our knowledgeable guide to hear why the vaults were built and why they were eventually abandoned…
Hear tales of how the homeless and destitute community of Edinburgh sought refuge in these former slums….

What's Included
  • Professional guide
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Embark on a journey along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile to uncover some of the city’s darker history before venturing into the notorious hidden and allegedly haunted vaults beneath the South Bridge in Edinburgh’s Old Town. Discover stories of the impoverished and unfortunate who once inhabited these former slums. Navigate these dimly lit vaults by candlelight,…

Location
300 Lawnmarket
Lawnmarket
The tour starts from the Red Telephone Box and Tourist Information Police Box, outside of 300 Lawnmarket. This is on the opposite side of the road from Deacon Brodie’s Tavern. Please be there at least 5-10 minutes early as the tour will always depart on time.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.7
(8686 Ratings)
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Georginae401
Apr 8, 2026
Interesting entertaining tour! - I took a friend and my 12 year old daughter on the Vaults tour and we all loved it! Our tour guide Stewart was extremely knowledgeable, as well very engaging, expertly bringing the past to life. It was a real eye opener to see so much history at street level that previously we'd walked past without knowing, as well as then being guided through the actual vaults. I did wonder if the dark damp vaults and grisly stories may be too much for my daughter, but she found the tour fascinating and fun too :⁠-⁠) Definitely a very enjoyable and worthwhile tour, thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Amanda_h
Apr 6, 2026
Fun way to learn a little... - Fun way to learn a little history of the city and Aimee was great! I wish they would open up more of the vaults to be seen!
Review provided by Viator
Julieoy2928jg
Jan 31, 2026
Great experience , factual and engaging from beginning to end. A perfect trip for a glimpse into the past. - Great experience! During the walk to the vaults Emma our guide set the seen for what life was like in the past, she pointed out facts while keeping the experience fun. Our group in total was five people which was a perfect size, but i believe smaller or larger groups would also work well in obtaining a good atmosphere. The vaults themselves are 100% worth a visit. Emma (oscar star in the making) was a great tour guide. Loved this experience , made our day
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ed
Dec 24, 2025
The vaults were awesome! - Awesome experience. Nick, our guide, was enthusiastic, engaged, and knowledgeable. We learned, we had fun, and experienced a part of edinburgh that we would have never seen otherwise. Couldn't ask for more.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Debralee_t
Dec 23, 2025
Entertaining guided tour - A little pricey but nonetheless very informative and our guide, Louisa, was very entertaining and well versed
Review provided by Viator
986dearbhlaa
Dec 13, 2025
Late night tour with James! - Myself and my friend went on late night tour with James and was great! James was so enthusiastic and funny, it really added to our experience. We came over from Ireland and both had never been on any sort of walking tour. James provided so many facts and his enthusiasm about it really added to the overall experience. Would definitely recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Captin_jane
Jan 26, 2026
Something to do on a wet day - Our guide was nice and told us a few interesting facts about Ediburgh and the vaults that we didnt know about. Lots of key info missing though which we had to piece together online later. They're serously milking a bunch of damp and dingy old cellar rooms!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bob_b
Jan 9, 2026
Too large of a group! - I loved the tour of the vaults! Guide did a great job explaining the history of the vaults and the city. The problem was the group was too large. We had 40 people in the tour. Made it difficult to get around in the vaults and even harder to hear the tour guide. People would talk constantly and the guide couldn’t control such a large group.
Review provided by Viator
Traveler64762890562
Nov 30, 2025
Not quite what we expected - The tour was ok but there was a big emphasis on ghosts, witchcraft and haunting which wasn’t quite as it was billed. Our guide was enthusiastic but a bit over the top in terms of her acting, especially around the “scary” stories. Not really our thing as would have preferred more history and less dramatics
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Eva_g
Apr 6, 2026
Not worth the price… - The tour had some interesting bits however it is definitely not worth the price. Half of it is through the Royal Mile (there’s loads of free tours across this route that will tell you all you need to know about the street), and for the remaining 30 minutes they took us through a couple of rooms on the vaults. That part was interesting, but for the price I would have expected a lot more. Also please give the tour guide her Oscar and let her go!! Such dramatic antics were unnecessary!
Review provided by Viator
From $32
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).