Scotland · CITY TOURS
17 reviewed
Here are the 15 city tours that stand up to a full day out: what each costs, how long you are on the road, and which suits a first trip. Number one is first for a reason.
Open-top bus, 24-hour hop-on hop-off pass, and kids commentary in Edinburgh, with frequent departures and big family value.
“Great way to get an overview of Edinburgh! Love Hop On Hop Off! Also you can hop off and on to your favorite spots for 24 hrs.”
Hop-on hop-off Glasgow bus with open-top views and Red or Yellow route commentary, electric Yellow buses in season, flexible 1-2 days.
“Unlike Hop on Hop off buses in other cities, you have to prearrange your stop or flag them down to get picked up at a stop. Unfortunately they don’t advertise this so we were left in the rain by the first two buses that came to our stop. However commentary was good and I learned a lot about Glasgow. And the tour operator is absolutely unresponsive if you try to chat about a problem. They just do not answer so don’t waste your time!”
A 90-minute Glasgow city-center walking tour with a local guide, George Square to the Gallery of Modern Art, plus street art and smart tips.
“Dress warm, light shower was annoying! Tour guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining. Walking uphill was quite difficult for this old lady!”
Edinburgh Double Dead tour links South Bridge Vaults and Greyfriars Kirkyard with a witty guide and admission included, $31.90.
“Thanks to the great guide Ben, the tour was amazing and we got a big dose of history and humor! Highly recommended!”
Inverness City Daily Walking Tour is a 90-minute small-group walk with expert storytelling, River Ness myths, and top sights.
“We took this tour with our guide Elaine who was an exceptional teacher of the history of Inverness in particular and Scotland overall. She delighted in sharing stories and accounts as she stopped at a particular point of interest. Thank you Elaine! We recommend this tour completely!”
A small-group guided walk into Edinburgh’s Underground City, exploring the South Bridge Vaults for 1 hour 20 of dark history.
“The underground vaults were very cool and creepy! The tour guide, Ben was very well versed in the history!”
Cruise Edinburgh by bike in a small group, with an e-bike option for 14+, plus stops from Union Canal to Leith and Portobello.
“Ricky was a great bike tour leader that took us through city and country side on a sunny day! He is knowledgeable and full of stories that give you a wonderful flavor of this beautiful city! We did about 13 miles with lots of stops for explanations and questions. I highly recommend this tour as a way to round out a visit to Edinburgh. Thank you!”
Small-group haunted Edinburgh walk to Greyfriars Kirkyard and Covenantor's Prison. English guide, admission included, about 80 minutes.
“Even though our tour was on a cold, wet, rainy, windy ‘Scottish’ July night, Ross made our tour excellent! He did a great job of getting to know each person and introducing the groups so we made friends along the way. Although I didn’t get any paranormal experiences, the history was great and the stories were brought alive by Ross. Bravo!! I hope to come back one day with more ‘paranormal enthusiasts’ from the US 👻”
2pm Aberdeen city centre walk with local stories, street art, witch trial tunnels, and key granite sites. 90 mins, mobile ticket.
“Our Viator tour guide, John, was very knowledgeable, impressive with his local background and insights. Loved the tour and will recommend…. Also, thankful that the weather cooperated…. Cheers!”
Big Bus Edinburgh hop-on hop-off pass gives you 48 hours to ride key landmarks, with audio in 9 languages and Britannia transport included.
“The actual tour was fine. However, there was confusion on where to pick up the tour...much more walking to get there than expected.”
A short open-top bus loop with recorded audio and a 24-hour ticket, letting you hop around Inverness highlights like River Ness and the castle area.
“Excellent views of Inverness from the top deck with useful information over the speakers. Driver was freindly and journey very smooth.”
Private Inverness day tour to Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle, Culloden and Cawdor with pickup, guide stories, and scenic photo stops.
“This was the best tour on our week trip to Inverness. Mike was an exceptional tour guide. He was knowledgeable, kind and courteous throughout our trip, always communicating timelines and giving us options on the sites we were visiting. I can’t recommend him enough. I wish I would have booked all our tours through him as he was head and shoulders above the others tours we took. Book him, you won’t be disappointed.”
Cath's 90-minute Inverness City Centre walk: castle views, markets, oldest house and River Ness wildlife, small group, $21.
“Cath was amazing! Such a knowledgeable and fun guide. We learned a great deal on our walking tour. Cath was accommodating and friendly”
Explore Edinburgh’s haunted Underground City on a small-group vault tour in Damnation Alley, guided in English and timed for a 3:30 pm start.
“On March 19th, 2025, our small lovely group led by charismatic guide Joshua descended into the dark and mysterious vaults of old Edinburgh. I was rather sceptical - until Joshua started telling us his bone-chilling stories, in the complete darkness, illuminated only by the faint light of a lantern. I still get goosebumps when I remember that strange sensation of being in the presence of something dead and ghostly! The frightening reality of the past intertwined with horror. A brilliant and fascinating tour, played out like a small performance. Bravo, Joshua! For the first time in many years, I went to bed that night with the lights on!”
A 2-hour Glasgow Merchant City music walk with local guides, famous venues, and stories from Clutha to The 13th Note.
“Phil our guide was full off information not only about the music culture but also our beautiful city of Glasgow. Visiting the Panopticon Music Hall was the highlight of the tour. Definitely will do the afternoon tour.”
