Every tour we list is run by an established Edinburgh operator with a long public track record. The table below shows how those operators are rated by guests across the tours featured on this site. Ratings and counts are the operators' own figures and move over time.
| Operator | Guest rating | Reviews | Tours featured here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auld Reekie Tours | 4.6–4.8 | 23,287 | Vault walking, haunted vaults, graveyard and late-night terror tours |
| City of Edinburgh Tours | 4.6–4.9 | 15,299 | The world-famous ghost tour plus afternoon and Spanish-language walks |
| Mercat Tours | 4.7–4.9 | 3,878 | Multi-sensory, small-group graveyard, kids' and exclusive history tours |
| The Lost Close | 4.8–5.0 | 658 | Underground whisky and gin tastings in the vaults |
| The Real Mary King's Close | 4.7 | 4,352 | Guided tour of the preserved 17th-century close |
| Scotland City Tours | 4.6 | 2,297 | Above-ground Old Town dark-history walking tour |
What guests praise
The best feedback is remarkably consistent: guides who blend real history with humour and genuine atmosphere, the thrill of seeing parts of the Old Town normally closed to the public, and small-group tours where you can actually hear the storyteller. Names come up again and again in the write-ups — a sign of guiding that guests remember.
The honest criticism
We keep the critical notes in, because they help you choose well. On the busiest evening ghost tours, some guests find the groups large, the chambers warm and the pace rushed, and a few feel a tour leans more on 1990s witchcraft lore than on the vaults' documented history. The fixes are simple: pick a small-group or history-led tour if you want depth and space, and an early slot if you want it quieter.
Choosing on the ratings
A very high rating on a small number of reviews (the kids', gin and luxury tours) reflects a niche, well-run experience; a slightly lower rating on tens of thousands of reviews (the flagship ghost tours) reflects scale, not a worse tour. Read them together.
Compare the tours behind these ratings, side by side, on Edinburgh Underground Tours.