One of my favorite things about Edinburgh is its relatively spooky history. Throughout several centuries, this city has been the site of many terrifying moments, and many locals claim that some areas are haunted!
As a tour guide myself, I have led and taken multiple haunted history tours in this city and others, and I want to tell you about the best ways to take a ghost tour in Edinburgh for free!
Cheapest Ghost Tour in Edinburgh
If you don't feel like trying to figure out how much to tip your tour guide, I recommend considering this option instead. But we also list the free Ghost tours available below. Just keep in mind that the name your own price tours only run on select days.
The Old Town Ghost Tour by Scotland City Tours is reasonably priced and offers one of the best Ghost Tours.
This is essentially the same price as a good tip-based tour, and it is very well-rated. Guests on TripAdvisor thought highly enough of the company to give them 5 out of 5 stars!
The best part about this Edinburgh ghost tour is that it's available every evening! Both current free tours are only offered on specific nights, but this outing is provided much more frequently.
Are These Tours Actually Free?
Technically, yes.
This is a very common question, and the reality is that these tours are tip-based. However, your tip should always depend on how much you actually enjoyed the tour.
Most people will tip £5-£15 depending on how much they got out of the experience, but it's entirely up to you!
If you're wondering how much it would cost for a tour that is not tip-based, Edinburgh ghost tours typically run from £15-£30.
All you need to do is book your tour ahead of time and meet your tour guide at the starting location 15 minutes before the outing begins!
In addition to free Edinburgh ghost tours, we will also include one of the cheapest options currently available from Scotland City Tours. This service is comparable in price to what you might tip a free tour guide!
Free Ghost Tours of Edinburgh
The history of this city is filled with legends and myths, but there’s also a darker side to Edinburgh’s past.
Learn about some of the creepier and more disturbing aspects of Edinburgh’s past, including tales of witchery, body-snatching, assassinations, and even the plague.
You can expect to see or hear about some of the following subjects:
- Haunted Graveyards
- Burke and Hare Murders
- History of Public Executions
- The Real Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
- History of Witch Trials
- And more!
Consider one of the following pay-what-you-wish ghost tours if you want to discover the haunted history of this city.
Ghosts and Ghouls, Vampires and Cannibals - Edinburgh's dark history with Brian Pendreigh
This 2 hour name your own price ghost tour is highly reviewed but does not run daily.
Like most evening ghost tours in Edinburgh, it covers the witches and other darker side aspects of Edinburgh history, not just ghost stories.
If you can't attend the free tour, check out our ticketed Ghost Tour which runs every night.
Bonfires of Modernity: Edinburgh Demonologists, Witches, and Wizards
Although it's not strictly a ghost tour, this outing will cover some of the more disturbing and frightening aspects of Edinburgh's history.
You can expect to learn about the burning of witches, King James' interests in the studies of Demonology, and the occult origins of the symbolism behind bonfires in this part of the world.
This outing is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes in length, and it is offered Thursday - Monday at 18:00 (6 pm).
Book this Edinburgh ghost tour or learn more.
