The 16 Best Edinburgh Vaults Tour in 2026

Are you looking for the best Edinburgh vaults tour and unsure which one is for you?

Do you want to make your Edinburgh underground tour extra spooky with tales of ghosts and dark history? Or would you prefer a tour that only focuses on Edinburgh’s history?

Whether it is your first visit to Edinburgh’s underground vaults or your tenth visit – there is a tour made just for you!

Some tours include trips to a haunted graveyard, a tour that ends with a stiff drink at a local pub or a tour just for kids. This list will help you pick the best Edinburgh Vaults Tour for you.

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The 16 Best Edinburgh Underground Vaults Tours

History Only Edinburgh Vaults Tour (No Ghosts)

If you want to take an Edinburgh Vaults Tour without all the ghost stories, I recommend booking one of these two tours. Both of these tours offer small group vault tours as well.

1. History Walk: Historic Underground

If you want to take an Edinburgh vaults tour without the ghost stories, the History Walk Historic Underground tour is for you.

The Historic Underground tour takes you around Edinburgh’s Old Town as you learn about the day-to-day history that occurred right at the sites you visit. Next, you will visit the dark and damp Blair Street vaults that have remained unchanged since the 18^th century.

Your cloaked storyteller takes you deep into underground vaults, where you will witness the perfectly preserved history and how it became a breeding ground for some of Edinburgh’s most shady citizens.

I love the Edinburgh Vaults Tour because you can get up close and personal with the authentic 19th-century artifacts they found in the vaults.

Also, if you hate having to strain to hear tour guides on Edinburgh vault tours, Mercat Tours provides you with audio devices so you can listen to your guide loud and clear and won’t miss a word of the tour.

If you prefer to take this tour with a smaller group, they have a small group ghost tour for up to 18 guests. Book the small tour here: Small Group Edinburgh Underground Vaults Historical Walk.

Book here: History Walk: Historic Underground

What you need to know

• There is a maximum of 30 guests on this tour (The small tour has a maximum of 18 guests)
• Book in advance so you don’t miss out because tours will book quickly!

2. Edinburgh: Old Town and Underground Historical Tour

If you want to take an underground walking tour in Edinburgh without the paranormal aspect, take the Old Town and Underground Historical Tour.

The tour guide is a historian (usually) who takes you around Edinburgh’s Royal Mile and talks about the history of Edinburgh’s famous writers, a criminal that inspired Jekyll & Hyde, and hidden Victorian gardens most tourists miss.

Next, walk through the historic Canongate Kirkyard, where you will learn about the unfortunate death of Mary Queen of Scots’ secretary, David Riccio.

The last stop is the Edinburgh underground vaults tour, with a stop inside the Niddry Wynd Vault, where you will learn about the dark history of the nearly 400-year-old chambered vaults.

The guides, especially Natalie and Ben, are enthusiastic, passionate, vibrant and knowledgeable about Edinburgh’s history. Edinburgh’s history is long and fascinating, made even more special when told by our enthusiastic and passionate guides.

The Old Town and Underground Historical Tour is a small tour with around six people max, but often there are more people on the tour.

Book here: Edinburgh: Old Town and Underground Historical Tour

What you need to know

• The tour has between 6-30 guests
• Book in advance so you don’t miss out because tours will book quickly!

Adult Only Edinburgh Vault Tour

3. Edinburgh: Underground Vaults & Graveyard Evening Tour

Are you looking for a frightening tour that takes you through Edinburgh’s most haunted locations, where you will hear stories about cannibals, body snatchers and ghosts? Look no further than the Edinburgh: Underground Vaults & Graveyard Evening Tour.

The tour takes you through the Blair Street Underground Vaults and the Canongate graveyard, where you will hear tales of the horror and hauntings that happened all over Edinburgh.  

The Edinburgh: Underground Vaults & Graveyard Evening Tour begins with a dark walk through Edinburgh’s Old Town while being told stories about the criminals that used to roam the same streets you are walking along.

Next, enter the dimly lit Blair Street Underground Vaults, where the damp dark lingers, and you may feel a cool breeze or whisper in your ear. The vaults are lit by candlelight which makes the atmosphere feel even spookier as you are told about the spirits that still linger within the vaults.

But the tour doesn’t stop there! After the vaults, the tour heads to the Canongate Graveyard, where you will hear tales of cannibals, crime and ghosts as you visit the graves of some of Edinburgh’s most famous residents.

The tour guides are wonderful. They are animated, knowledgeable and full of information about Edinburgh’s spooky history. However, if you want a tour that takes you to the most haunted places with the best guides, you must take the Edinburgh: Underground Vaults & Graveyard Evening Tour.

Small-Group Tours are Available

If you prefer to take this tour with a smaller group, they have a small group ghost tour for up to 18 guests. Book the small tour here: Small Group Edinburgh Underground Vaults and Graveyard Ghost Tour.

Also, I have a full post about fun things to do in Edinburgh for adults if you want to visit places without children running around!

Book here: Edinburgh: Underground Vaults & Graveyard Evening Tour

What you need to know

• There is a maximum of 30 guests on this tour (The small tour has a maximum of 18 guests)
• This is an adult-only tour
• Book in advance so you don’t miss out because tours will book quickly!

4. Hidden and Haunted Vaults Tour

The Hidden and Haunted Adults Only tour uncovers Edinburgh’s ominous history. The tour is one of Mercat Tour’s most graphic, gory and terrifying ghost tours.

This tour is for you if you want the scariest and spookiest tales straight out of Edinburgh’s Old Town and Blair Street vaults.

All the stories on the Hidden and Haunted Tour are true, making them even more chilling. Hear tales of treason and death and learn about the tormented spirits left behind in the dark of the most haunted vaults in Edinburgh.

The guides are brilliant, and their stories are just the right amount of spooky, humour and history. So if you want a night of fright you won’t soon forget, be sure to take the Hidden and Haunted Edinburgh vaults tour.

Book here: Hidden and Haunted

What you need to know

• There is a maximum of 30 guests on this tour (The small tour has a maximum of 18 guests)
• This is an adult-only tour
• Book in advance so you don’t miss out because tours will book quickly!

5. Edinburgh: Late-Night Underground Vaults Terror Tour

Visit the hunting grounds of The Watcher with the Late-Night Underground Vaults Terror Tour. The tour takes you to the world’s scariest place, deep under the streets of Edinburgh. This tour is perfect for people who want to get away from younger kids, as it is an adult-only tour.

The Terror Tour begins with a walk around Edinburgh’s Old Town, where you will learn the horrible history of some of Edinburgh’s most haunted locations. Next, you will stop at Auld Reekie’s Medieval Device Exhibit, which features gruesome devices used in the 16^th & 17^th centuries.

Then visit the atmospheric vaults where your guides regale you with tales of Edinburgh’s history with a spooky twist. You will stop by three to four vaults, including one with a stone circle that you should not step inside (PS. I stepped inside the stone circle, and I am still okay…I think.)

I recommend taking the Edinburgh vaults tour with Andrew or Frasier. They have the perfect mix of humour while telling some pretty ghastly stories. You will feel fully immersed and will be able to visualize the history as though you were living through it right now.

The tour gets progressively spookier as you get deeper into the vaults. Don’t worry if you can’t book with Andrew or Frasier. All of the guides at Auld Reekie are excellent storytellers and amazing tour guides! I just have my personal favourites.

Book here: Edinburgh: Late-Night Underground Vaults Terror Tour

What you need to know

• There is a maximum of 32 guests on this tour
• This tour is for adults only
• Book in advance so you don’t miss out because tours will book quickly!

Edinburgh Vault Tours that include Alcohol

6. Evening of Ghosts and Ghouls

Do you want a night full of dark history, ghosts, ghouls and free whisky? Then, the Evening of Ghosts and Ghouls Edinburgh Vault Tour is the one to book!

Start with a walking tour through Edinburgh’s dimly lit closes, hearing gory tales of Edinburgh’s past before heading into the haunted Blair Street Underground Vaults.

Mercat Tours’ expert storytellers will fill you with tales of blood, guts, gore and ghosts as you stand in the dark and extremely haunted underground vaults.

End the night with more spine-chilling ghost stories in the candlelit Megget’s Cellar, where you can lose yourself in some of the delicious Dewar’s Scotch Whisky. But, of course, if whisky isn’t your thing, you can opt for a soft drink of your choice (I highly recommend Irn Bru!) If you love whisky, I recommend taking one of the best whisky tours in Edinburgh.

If you prefer to take this tour with a smaller group, they have a small group ghost tour that includes a drink in Megget’s Cellar! Book the small tour here: Small Group Ghost Tour in the Underground Vaults.

Book here: Evening of Ghosts and Ghouls

What you need to know

• There is a maximum of 30 guests on this tour (The small tour has a maximum of 18 guests)
• The tour ends with a drink of whisky in Megget’s Cellar
• Book in advance so you don’t miss out because tours will book quickly!

7. City of the Dead’s Double Dead Tour

Want to take an Edinburgh underground Tour with a trip into the most haunted section in Greyfriars Kirkyard? City of the Dead’s Double Dead Tour is the only tour that takes you into the fenced-off Covenanters Prison, which is home to the Black Mausoleum.

After the graveyard tour, follow your tour guide into the atmospheric South Bridge Vaults, where you will hear tales about the ghosts that linger in and out of the vault’s stone walls.

I loved the tour guides, Ian and Grant. They were funny and knowledgeable, and there won’t be a moment where you are not laughing or learning about Edinburgh’s spooky history.

Worry not if you find the tour too scary, as it ends in a bar where you can drink your fears away!

Book here: City of the Dead’s Double Dead Tour

What you need to know

• There is a maximum of 36 guests on this tour
• Book in advance so you don’t miss out because tours will book quickly!

Edinburgh Underground Vault Tour & Old Town Tours

8. Edinburgh: Underground Vaults Tour

Auld Reekie Tours takes you deep under the streets of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile into one of the scariest places on earth with the Edinburgh Underground Vaults Tour. The tour features paranormal stories and a creepy medieval device exhibition where you will learn about witches and criminals that once inhabited the dark South Bride vaults.

The Underground Vaults Tour is one of Edinburgh’s best vault tours and begins with a walking tour through Old Town. Then the tour ventures through the dark, candle-lit underground and hear about Burke and Hare and the persecution of witches.

The Edinburgh haunted vaults known as the South Bridge Vaults are also home to the former witchcraft temple once used by a real coven and a stone circle with so much terrifying history you will not want to step inside.

The guides are incredible at making the tour as scary as possible while treating you to tales of gruesome drama and real historical facts that leave you wanting more. I highly recommend tour guides Anya, Fraser or Megan. They are all hilarious and knowledgeable and make the tour feel really spooky.

Just be aware that this tour isn’t for the faint of heart. Someone on my tour fell ill and fainted in the museum before even going down to the vaults!

Book here: Edinburgh Underground Vaults Tour

What you need to know

• There is a maximum of 32 guests on this tour
• Book in advance so you don’t miss out because tours will book quickly!

9. Haunted Vaults Walking Tour in Edinburgh

Do you want to go on one of the best ghost tours in Edinburgh? If you love haunted and dark history, take the Haunted Vaults Walking Tour for a spooky evening. The tour contains paranormal stories and tales about the ghostly apparitions that haunt the vaults.

The Edinburgh underground ghost tour starts above ground in Edinburgh’s Old Town, where you will hear the haunted history of Edinburgh’s dark past.

The next step? Venture down into Edinburgh’s haunted vaults, once the breeding grounds for crime.

The Niddry Street Vaults have tales of paranormal activity and are still the haunting grounds of several creepy ghosts. Stick close to your tour guide to ensure you aren’t the target of one of the evil ghosts lurking in the shadows.

Speaking of guides – all of the tour guides at Auld Reekie are knowledgeable, lively, interactive and fill you with loads of dark history. The guides bring the experience to life, and the tour flows really well.

The Haunted Vaults Tour is the best Edinburgh Underground Vault Tour if you love ghosts. However, the Edinburgh underground tour is super scary, so if you are a bit skittish, this isn’t the tour for you.

Book here: Haunted Vaults walking tour in Edinburgh

What you need to know

• There is a maximum of 32 guests on this tour
• Book in advance so you don’t miss out because tours will book quickly!

Edinburgh Vault Tours that Visit Graveyards

Want to add a visit to a graveyard on your vault tour? Here are a few tours that include a visit to either Greyfriars Graveyard or Canongate Kirkyard.

The tours that include visits to graveyards do spend less time in the vaults than other tours, so just be aware when booking these tours.

If you want to take a tour inside the extremely haunted Covenanters Prison in Greyfriars book, the City of the Dead’s Double Dead Tour, which is included in the Edinburgh Vault Tours that include an Alcohol section.

10. Haunted Vaults and Graveyard Walking Tour in Edinburgh

Want to visit the world’s most haunted graveyard to go alongside your haunted vaults tour in Edinburgh? If you want to double up on the haunted history in Edinburgh with the Haunted Vaults and Graveyard Walking Tour in Edinburgh.

The tour explores the haunted streets of Edinburgh, where you will hear stories about Edinburgh’s notorious criminals and ghosts. The Haunted Vaults and Graveyard tour visits Greyfriars Kirkyard, where you will learn about the dog who spent his life in the graveyard next to his deceased owner.

Explore the gothic mausoleums, including the one that belongs to the terrifying Mackenzie Poltergeist. Next, you will hear the horrors that took place at the Covenanters Prison just a few steps away. Be aware that this tour company doesn’t take you into the Covenanters Prison. Book this tour with the City of the Dead Tours if you want to visit the prison.

The last stop takes you into the South Bridge Edinburgh Underground Vaults. Here you will visit the former Hellfire Club and the vault possessed by an evil entity.

The tour moves quickly as there is more to see than the regular Haunted Vaults Tour, but the tour guides will wait for the tour group to catch up before diving into more haunted history so you won’t miss out.

The guides are fantastic, humorous and very knowledgeable. If you want to experience the dark side of Edinburgh, be sure to book this tour.

Book here: Haunted Vaults and Graveyard Walking Tour in Edinburgh

What you need to know

• There is a maximum of 32 guests on this tour
• Book in advance so you don’t miss out because tours will book quickly!

 11. Fright Night Tour

Take an Edinburgh Underground Tour with the City of Edinburgh Tours Fright Night Tour. What makes the Fright Night Tour one of Edinburgh’s best underground vault tours?  The tour guides.

All guides are dressed up based on someone in Edinburgh’s real gruesome history, including Dr. Knox, Agnes the Witch, the “Hangman,” and so many more.

The tour is loads of fun and is not too cheesy or theatrical if that isn’t your thing. The guides are excellent storytellers who bring the horrors of Edinburgh’s history to life with chronicles of ghosts.

The Fright Night Tour brings you to Edinburgh’s High Street, Greyfriars Kirkyard, the underground street Niddry Wynd, and South Bridge through the skylight from the vaults.

The underground tour of Edinburgh makes you feel like you are stepping back in time as you walk along the cobbled roads under the cover of darkness.

Book here: Fright Night Tour

What you need to know

• There is a maximum of 30 guests on this tour
• Book in advance so you don’t miss out because tours will book quickly!

12. Edinburgh: Extreme Paranormal Underground Ghost Tour

Are you looking for an extreme ghost tour deep within the Edinburgh vaults? Whether you are a non-believer (who may be swayed!) or a ghost hunter who loves to get scared, the Extreme Paranormal Underground Ghost tour is for you.

The tour is in the dead of night, where a costumed guide will walk you through Edinburgh’s dark shadowy closes regaling you with dark tales of Edinburgh’s history. The tour then ventures into Edinburgh’s most haunted graveyard, where you will be told about the ghosts that wander through the gravestones.

As the clock strikes midnight, head down to the creepy Edinburgh underground vaults, where your tour continues with tales of the supernatural, crime and body-snatching in the same vaults you are standing in.

We heard noises from within the children’s vaulted room during my tour. It was pretty terrifying but cool at the same time.

The Extreme Paranormal Underground Ghost Tour is a small group tour that usually maxes out at 15 guests, but on occasion, there can be up to 30 people at times. Plus, the tour is incredibly spooky, so it is for adults only.

Be sure to bring your camera because people get weird photos with dark figures and orbs throughout the graveyard and the underground vaults in Edinburgh.

Book here: Edinburgh: Extreme Paranormal Underground Ghost Tour

What you need to know

• There is a maximum of 15-30 guests on this tour
• Book in advance so you don’t miss out because tours will book quickly!

Small Group Edinburgh Vault Tours

If you prefer a smaller group setting when taking a tour inside Edinburgh’s haunted vaults, I highly recommend booking one of these tours.

However, there are a lot of other tours that do have small group options, which are mentioned in the tour information above.

Some tours include history-only tours, adult-only tours and tours that finish with a bit of whisky. Check out the other categories for other small group vault tours.

13. Edinburgh: Old Town and Underground Ghost Tour

Follow a costumed guide from Edinburgh’s history, like Agnes the Witch, on one of the best Edinburgh vault tours. The Old Town and Underground Ghost Tour walks you through the shadowy closes on the Royal Mile, where you will hear spooky stories full of horror and humour.

The early afternoon ghost tour is suitable for all ages, but book the night tour if you want something a bit scarier. The Old Town and Underground Ghost Tour is usually billed as a small group tour for up to 6 people but will often have up to 30 guests on busy days.

The tour will continue with a visit to Edinburgh’s famous underground Vaults, where you will hear about the bloody history deep beneath Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. The vaults on this tour consist of a small portion decorated with scary dolls.

The tour guides are friendly, engaging, and entertaining and have a ton of knowledge of Edinburgh’s exciting and dark history.

Book here: Edinburgh: Old Town and Underground Ghost Tour

What you need to know

• There is a maximum of 6-30 guests on this tour
• Book in advance so you don’t miss out because tours will book quickly!

14. Underground City of the Dead Tour

Venture into the most haunted section of Edinburgh’s underground city, Damnation Alley, on the Underground City of the Dead Tour. Within these shadowy vaults lives an evil presence known as the South Bridge Entity.

The Edinburgh Vaults Tour begins above ground in Edinburgh’s Old Town before heading down to Damnation Alley, where you will be told grim stories about the people who once lingered in the dark vaults that were recently uncovered.

The tour guides are a lot of fun, entertaining and spooky. However, I would consider this ghost tour fun and dramatic as it has a jump scare at the end, so if this isn’t your thing, I recommend picking a different tour.

Also, please note that this tour generally runs long, so don’t book it if you have a tight schedule.

I spent the night in Damnation Alley when they first unleashed it to the public. It just had two empty vaulted rooms at that time, and they were working on tearing down more walls to find more vaults. Of course, this was long before the discovery of the South Bridge Entity, but it was still pretty spooky.

Book here: Underground City of the Dead Tour

What you need to know

• There is a maximum of 36 guests on this tour
• Book in advance so you don’t miss out because tours will book quickly!

Family Friendly Edinburgh Vault Tours

Do you want to tour Edinburgh’s haunted vaults with the whole family? Book one of these fantastic, family-friendly Edinburgh Vault Tours.

15. The World Famous Underground Ghost Tour

Do you want to go on an Edinburgh underground ghost tour with the World Famous Underground Ghost Tour?

The Edinburgh Vaults Tour starts above ground with a guide dressed in historical fancy dress, taking you through Edinburgh’s Old Town and Greyfriars Kirkyard. You will hear stories of evil poltergeists and body snatchers running rampant through the city streets.

Then the tour heads into the underground vaults. With over 400 years of gruesome history, the chambered rooms are now inhabited by ghostly spirits often heard, seen, or known to touch guests.

The guides are funny, informative and a little bit scary! I loved the tour guide who played Scotland’s infamous Sawny Bean – he was a blast!

The tour is not too scary, so it is suitable for children and families.

Book here: The World Famous Underground Ghost Tour

What you need to know

• There is a maximum of 30 guests on this tour
• Book in advance so you don’t miss out because tours will book quickly!

16. Ghostly Underground (Daytime Tour)

If you are looking for a daytime Edinburgh Vaults Tour, go on the Ghostly Underground Tour with Mercat Tours. The tours from Mercat are full of real stories – nothing made up or fake, just real history from Edinburgh’s dark past.

Follow a cloaked tour guide through the dark streets and closes of Edinburgh’s Old Town before heading down to Edinburgh’s best and most extensive vaults.

The Blair Street Vaults are the most haunted in Edinburgh. As you descend the stairs leading to the vaults, the darkness sets in, and you will feel like you are being watched. That is because you are being watched by the resident ghosts who always remain in the vaults.

The storytelling on this tour is amazing as the guides are lively, entertaining and fun as they regale the fantastic ghost stories that have occurred within the dark walls of the Blair Street Vaults. 

Book here: Ghostly Underground

What you need to know

• There is a maximum of 30 guests on this tour (The small tour has a maximum of 18 guests)
• Book in advance so you don’t miss out because tours will book quickly!

More Haunted History and Spooky Things to Do in Edinburgh

• Halloween in Edinburgh: 26 Scary Things to do in Edinburgh
• Mary King’s Close – Edinburgh’s Plague-Infested Underground Street
• Historic Edinburgh Cemeteries to Explore
• 28 Unusual Things to do in Edinburgh
• The 13 Best Ghost Tours in Edinburgh
• Best Haunted Pubs in Edinburgh
• Burke and Hare Edinburgh Tour
• The 8 Best Pub Crawls in Edinburgh
• The 10 Best Cemetery Tours in Edinburgh
• Fun Things to Do in Edinburgh for Adults
• Spooky Things to Do in Edinburgh Scotland
• Edinburgh Castle Ghosts

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