Historic Underground Edinburgh Tour
Tour Description
Get exclusive access to the Blair Street Underground Vaults - the largest system of underground caverns in Edinburgh. Built in the 18th century beneath South Bridge, we're the only tour company with access.
Beneath the bustle of Edinburgh's Old Town you'll discover a dark, damp world unchanged since the 18th century. Your expert guide will lead you deep into the Blair Street Underground Vaults, and together you'll explore their history - including how they became home to the city's most destitute inhabitants.
Want to see Edinburgh's darkest secret?
It's a story rooted in Edinburgh's Georgian past - grand feats of engineering, the expansion of the city, and those who were left behind in its darker corners.
But why were the vaults built? And who used them? Save your questions for your local tour guide, a masterful storyteller who will bring the history of the vaults to life - and talk you through some of the artefacts that have survived.
The walking tour takes 1 hour and 15 minutes, with time at the end in our Discovery Room - complete with 3D model, artefacts, and a short presentation.
BOOK THIS TOUR IF YOU'D LIKE TO...
- Get exclusive access to the city's oldest, deepest vaults
- Discover secrets and stories of Edinburgh's underworld
- Enjoy a personal tour in a small group
- See and touch 19th century artefacts
- Visit our Discovery Room with 3D model and display
Edinburgh Historic Underground
Prices & Dates
Tour Times
10:00Am, 12:00Pm, 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm daily
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Tickets:
£14 adults, £12 concession, £9 child
Start: Mercat Cross, High Street
Finish: Discovery Room, Blair Street, off Hunter Square
What's Included
Visitor Comments: The tour guide was very knowledgeable and appeared to enjoy his time with us.
Departure & Map
Terms & Conditions
Terms and Conditions
We are confident you will be delighted with your tour. However, there are some terms which we’d like to draw to your attention...
1. What You Can Expect of Us
- A warm welcome from our staff
- A guide dressed smartly and appropriate to your type of tour
- Staff whose Mercat Tours name badges are clearly visible
- A tour which starts promptly and lasts the time advertised
- A tour which takes you to a variety of locations in and around the High Street
- Stories which are based on the authentic history of Edinburgh
- Stories which are told, as far as possible, in the locations where they occurred
- Stories which are told in an engaging and entertaining way
- A guide who makes an effort to involve the group actively
- A guide who answers your questions or who directs you to where you can find answers to your questions
- A guide who is attentive of your health and safety
- A guide who is unwilling to accept behaviour from any individual that disrupts and spoils the experience of the many
- A company which refuses admission to anyone deemed under the influence of alcohol or drugs
2. What We Expect of You
- That you turn up at the Mercat Cross fifteen minutes before the start of the tour
- That you enter into the spirit of the tour, listening and responding to the stories the guide tells you
- That you reserve questions for the end of stories
- That you are mindful of the health and safety warnings issued by your guide
- That you do not behave in any way that disrupts the tour and impairs the enjoyment of others
3. Your Tickets
- Your ticket is valid only for the tour on which you have booked. It is not transferable. If you miss your tour we will attempt to place you on a later one but customers who have pre-paid for those tours have priority.
- Your ticket is non-refundable. Monies are only re-imbursed when a tour is cancelled by Mercat Tours.
4. Payment
- All pricing is in pounds sterling (GBP). If you have paid from overseas your payment card is charged in pounds sterling at your card issuing bank’s current exchange rate to your local currency. Our tickets include UK Value Added Tax.
- Your personal details and payment card information are held securely and encrypted by our payment card service provider.