Explore Edinburgh’s hidden history beneath the Royal Mile on a fully-guided tour of the Real Mary King's Close. Discover what it was really like for the people who lived, worked, and died on the Close.

About this activity

Free cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund
Reserve now & pay later: Keep your travel plans flexible—book your spot and pay nothing today.
Covid-19 precautions: Special health and safety measures apply. Learn more
Duration 1 hour: Check availability to see starting times.
Live tour guide: English

Highlights

Discover Edinburgh's only preserved 17th-century street
Follow former residents and uncover their real stories
Experience over 400 years of history
Relax in the Burgh Courtroom with speciality drinks
Explore all things Mary King in the gift shop

Full description

Step down into Edinburgh’s hidden history at The Real Mary King’s Close, voted Scotland’s Best Heritage Tourism Experience. Discover over 400 years of history and learn about the intriguing stories of Edinburgh’s past residents. From the deadly plague epidemic to a famous royal visitor, there is a myriad of tales just waiting to be told. Journey through time and find out why the Close, once open to the skies and bustling with trade, came to be underground. An experience rooted in social history, this 1-hour character-guided tour also includes an immersive walk-through of the city’s uniquely preserved streets and spaces, all located underneath Edinburgh’s famous Royal Mile. Expect a truly unique glimpse into the city’s past.

Includes

Entrance fee to the Real Mary King's Close

Food and drinks
Photographs

Not suitable for

Children under 5 years
People with claustrophobia
Wheelchair users

Covid-19 precautions

You must book this activity online because the ticket office is closed

Safety measures in place

All areas that customers touch are frequently cleaned
The number of visitors is limited to reduce crowds

Meeting point

2 Warriston's Close, Royal Mile, High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1PG.

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Important information

Not allowed

Pets
Cameras
Smoking
Intoxication
Unaccompanied minors

Know before you go

The Real Mary King's Close is unsuitable for wheelchair access
Due to uneven surfaces and some steep inclines, sturdy footwear is recommended
There are 58 steps to climb down and 38 to climb up as part of the tour
Many areas are dimly lit, and some visitors may experience disorientation or claustrophobia
Due to the site’s underground nature, visitors with asthma are advised to bring any medication/inhalers
For health and safety reasons, children under 5 years old cannot be admitted. Children under 16 years old should be accompanied by an adult
Visitors under the influence of alcohol will not be permitted
Tour guides are equipped with a radio, so any visitor needing to leave may do so under escort from the duty manager
No photography is permitted during the tour

Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.4 /5

based on 958 reviews

Review summary

Guide
4.6/5
Value for money
4.2/5
Service
4.5/5
Organization
4.5/5

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A beautiful immersion in the depths of the city of Edinburgh. We used audio guides, not sure we had done the same visit as the guide in English (in terms of anecdotes) but these allowed us to understand life in the "closes". A very nice discovery, to be made without hesitation.

July 15, 2022

The tour is an excellent way to understand how people lived in Edinburgh from the 1500's. Good scripting and acting from the host, atmospheric, and good value for around 20 GBP. Lasts an hour, and you go in small groups. Highly recommend - book early as the times do sell out in the height of the summer season. We did this at the end of our stay, so we had a good idea from our walking tours etc, the context of what we were seeing and experiencing. Great finish to a great city!

July 7, 2022

The tour itself is great! The tour guide really performed ;-). However, it could have been a little slower, so that you could have looked at the rooms better and let everything sink in. Maybe the size of the group was just a hindrance. Unfortunately, there was no German audio guide. Without knowledge of the language, I can imagine it being a bit difficult!

June 20, 2022

Edinburgh: Real Mary King's Close Guided Tour

Edinburgh: Real Mary King's Close Guided Tour

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