Expert Local Guide
6 Years of Guiding Experience

Harry Potter & History Tour
Unique perspective of both worlds

Small Group Experience
Max 10-12 People

Edinburgh Walking Tour: Harry Potter & History

Small Group Walking Tours running all year round

The Best Edinburgh Harry Potter Walking Tour

Are you a Harry Potter fan with a passion for history? Then it’s time to connect your chimney to Diagon Alley’s Floo Network and secure your place on a unique small-group Edinburgh Harry Potter and History walking tour!

 

This Old Town tour brings together Edinburgh’s darker tales with classic Potter Trail sites. Showing how the city became the ‘birthplace’ of Harry Potter, uncover hidden viewpoints of Edinburgh Castle, meet the city’s beloved Greyfriars Bobby, and delve into stories of brutal executions and forgotten legends.

Harry Potter Walking Tour Itinerary

The Harry Potter tour will start at the National Library of Scotland. Here we will discuss the hardest period of J K Rowling’s life, how she began her venture in creating the Harry Potter books and what inspired her to create Diagon Alley. We will then find ourselves in the heart of the old town, where we will explore the gruesome history of public executions, find one of the most incredible viewpoints of Edinburgh Castle and navigate through the beautiful streets to arguably the most haunted graveyard in the UK, Greyfriars Kirkyard.

 

Set amidst the hauntingly beautiful gravestones and mausoleums we will firstly meet Greyfriars Bobby, the incredibly loyal dog who stole the hearts of the nation. Before discovering four gravestones (including the grave of Tom Riddle) which are believed by Harry Potter fans to have inspired J K Rowling to name some of the characters. On the way out of the graveyard we revisit the realm of dark tales this time featuring the notorious Burke and Hare, and the Covenantors Prison.

 

Towards the end of the experience, you will visit two cafes where Jo spent her time writing the early chapters of her iconic books. Before finishing up at the City Chambers. If you would like to try deep fried mars bar or/and haggis please ask!

Book an Edinburgh Walking Tour Today!

From £14 Per Person

Start Location: National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge Road

Start Time: 9am & 3pm

Capacity: Max 10

Duration: 2 Hours

English

Available: All Year Round

The Best Edinburgh Harry Potter Walking Tour

Are you a Harry Potter fan with a passion for history? Then it’s time to connect your chimney to Diagon Alley’s Floo Network and secure your place on a unique small-group Edinburgh Harry Potter and History walking tour!

 

This Old Town tour brings together Edinburgh’s darker tales with classic Potter Trail sites. Showing how the city became the ‘birthplace’ of Harry Potter, uncover hidden viewpoints of Edinburgh Castle, meet the city’s beloved Greyfriars Bobby, and delve into stories of brutal executions and forgotten legends.

Book an Edinburgh Walking Tour Today!

Important Information

From £14 Per Person

Start Location: National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge Road

Start Time: 9am & 3pm

Duration: 2 hours

Max 10-12 people

English

Available: All Year Round

Harry Potter Walking Tour Itinerary

Meet Rob at the National Library of Scotland

Arrive 5 minutes before the start time

Victoria Street

Talk about the real birthplace of Harry Potter & the believed inspiration for Diagon Alley

Grassmarket

Talk about executions and Scotland's National Bard, Rabbie Burns

The Vennel

One of the most beautiful views of the Edinburgh Castle is also home to the city wall

Greyfriars Kirkyard

Learn about Greyfriars Bobby and gravestones believed to have inspired Harry Potter character names

Elephant House Cafe

Learn about J K Rowling writing here and whether it is the real 'birthplace'

Balmoral Hotel

Learn about the ending of the Harry Potter Series

Finish at J K Rowing's Handprints

Outside the City Chambers on the High Street

👥 Max 8 People 5.0  185 Reviews

Edinburgh Harry Potter & History Tour

The Best Edinburgh Harry Potter Walking Tour

Are you a Harry Potter fan with a passion for history? Then it’s time to connect your chimney to Diagon Alley’s Floo Network and secure your place on a unique small-group Edinburgh Harry Potter and History walking tour!

This Old Town tour brings together Edinburgh’s darker tales with classic Potter Trail sites. Showing how the city became the ‘birthplace’ of Harry Potter, uncover hidden viewpoints of Edinburgh Castle, meet the city’s beloved Greyfriars Bobby, and delve into stories of brutal executions and forgotten legends.

Book an Edinburgh Walking Tour Today!

Don't See a Date That Works for you?

I regularly add new tour dates. Fill in my contact form below and I’ll let you know what’s coming up

Harry Potter Walking Tour Itinerary

Meet Rob at the National Library of Scotland

Arrive 5 minutes before the start time

Victoria Street

Talk about the real birthplace of Harry Potter & the believed inspiration for Diagon Alley

Grassmarket

Talk about executions and Scotland's National Bard, Rabbie Burns

The Vennel

One of the most beautiful views of the Edinburgh Castle is also home to the city wall

Greyfriars Kirkyard

Learn about Greyfriars Bobby and gravestones believed to have inspired Harry Potter character names

Elephant House Cafe

Learn about J K Rowling writing here and whether it is the real 'birthplace'

Balmoral Hotel

Learn about the ending of the Harry Potter Series

Finish at J K Rowing's Handprints

Outside the City Chambers on the High Street

Tour Photo Highlights

Top Rated Edinburgh Walking Tour

EXCELLENT
Based on 185 reviews
Posted on Tripadvisor Tripadvisor
Abby M profile picture
Abby M
Verified
Trip of a lifetime I found Rob on instagram after several tour companies said they couldn't help me with a custom tour route. It was the busy season when I first contacted Rob and he enthusiastically got back to me saying he would be able to take us wherever! We booked him for 5 days with 4 people total. He was able to pick us up from the airport and we were off for our first day. He put together a great itinerary that was a mix of the incredibly long list I sent him and some places I had never heard of. He was very thoughtful in his planning and letting us know what was a tourist trap and what was worth spending money and time on so that we could really maximize our trip. He truly drove us all over Scotland and was always in a good mood! We often started very early and ended very late getting nearly 20k steps each day and he never complained about anything! He showed us some incredible locations and even at the tourist traps he was able to take us away from the crowds to an even better photo op! I cannot express enough about how incredible Rob made our trip. Every time we saw one of the big tour busses I was SO grateful we found Rob and went with him instead, I cannot imagine ever going on a large tour bus again after the experience Rob gave us. We had so many inside jokes and incredible pictures and memories by the end of our tour with Rob and we were so sad to have to finish our trip without him!! His knowledge of not only the land, roads (often times backroads due to accidents and sheep blockades), land marks, and history was incredible. He is a fantastic story teller and a fantastic driver!! We always felt safe and he made sure we had what we needed for each day and itinerary! I am a very type A, planner, need to know every detail or I have a very stressful time but Rob made this trip seamless and we planned a great itinerary together. Even when we needed to change a few things once in Scotland it still seemed like everything was planned to begin with! Rob, thank you so much for the incredible and unforgettable experience!! I cannot wait to come back!
Posted on Tripadvisor Tripadvisor
Madison H profile picture
Madison H
Verified
Kieran the tour guide and Harry Potter!! Perfect!! Kieran was an excellent tour guide. He was full of information and a lot of fun too. I highly recommend this tour. Don’t bother walking around, trying to discover things on your own. It’s so much better to do this tour.
Posted on Tripadvisor Tripadvisor
Genene M profile picture
Genene M
Verified
Once in a lifetime This was the best time of my life. Rob was amazing. My daughter found him on Instagram and it's the best find ever. He took us to so many fun places. We did so many fun things. We were able to see and do way more than those big bus tours. Rob knows his way around Scotland like no other.I can't recommend Rob enough. If you're lucky enough to get him to be your tour guide, you're lucky enough ❤️
Posted on Tripadvisor Tripadvisor
Paula P profile picture
Paula P
Verified
A+ tour guide We had a great time with Rob as our guide. Highly recommended- we'd hire him again if we had the chance. Funny, informative, and quite the punster- lots of laughter.
Posted on Tripadvisor Tripadvisor
Jeffrey G profile picture
Jeffrey G
Verified
If you want to see the Scottish Highlands and have a great time, choose Rob Carr Experiences We did a three-day tour of the Scottish Highlands and Isle of Skye. Words can't describe how amazing it was! Rob was the best host/guide anyone could ever ask for. He was knowledgeable and kept the conversation flowing with stories and anecdotes. The planning process was easy and Rob was very accommodating and also offered great suggestions. We had a pretty packed itinerary and Rob still found time to take spontaneous detours and show us some amazing sights (dinosaur footprints). If you want to see the Scottish Highlands and have an enjoyable time, book with Rob.Rob started the trip as our guide, and ended our trip as a friend.
Posted on Tripadvisor Tripadvisor
Melissa M profile picture
Melissa M
Verified
Harry Potter and Highland Tour I recently did a Harry Potter, Highland and Isle of Skye tour with Rob and had a great time! We covered a lot of ground from Harry Potter filming sights, to checking out castles and several hikes. Rob is very knowledgeable in the history of Scotland and in Harry Potter. I liked how friendly, enthusiastic and funny he is. His dad jokes were great! His tour was also very engaging and inclusive. My friend and I stayed a couple of extra days in Edinburgh after the tour ended, Rob gave great recommendations on what to do and where to go eat on those last days. You can tell Rob is very passionate about what he does. I am really glad my coworker recommended Rob to me. Overall I would recommend Rob to anyone planning a trip to Scotland.
Posted on Tripadvisor Tripadvisor
Catherine B profile picture
Catherine B
Verified
Super Fun Time, Beautiful Views, & Yummy Food! I've joined my first tour group ever in the Isle of Skye with Rob as my tour guide & he had made it such a fun & memorable travel experience for me!He drove us to destinations like hikes with beautiful views like The Quiraing to bakeries & restaurants with some of the yummiest food l've ever eaten & he had told us so many educationalfun facts that made me appreciate & loveScotland even more!Overall, I highly recommend Rob as a tour guide because of how knowledgeable he was about the Scotland destinations & most importantly, he made sure we were all having an enjoyable & safe time all throughout the tour!
Posted on Tripadvisor Tripadvisor
Lilkaloo profile picture
Lilkaloo
Verified
Highly recommend! Rob was an amazing tour guide! Not only was he enthusiastic and knowledgeable about all things Harry Potter, but he also included history about the city of Edinburgh that added to the experience. He was prompt and kept to the scheduled times. I highly recommend this tour, especially if like me, you enjoy a good ‘dad joke.’
Posted on Tripadvisor Tripadvisor
Voyager39229069857 profile picture
Voyager39229069857
Verified
My favorite day of the trip I am so glad we booked our tour with Rob! We did a one day trip to the highlands and it was my favorite day of the whole trip. He took us to so many places I had never even heard of when doing research for our trip, and I loved that we were able to be the only group everywhere he took us. I was impressed with how much history he knew off the top of his head. Rob was so cool and the whole day truly just felt like hanging out with a friend. I will always recommend Rob to anyone traveling to Scotland!
Posted on Tripadvisor Tripadvisor
Grainne B profile picture
Grainne B
Verified
Great time! We had such a lovely time on this tour with Rob! He has lots of fun facts about Harry Potter along with knowledge of the city too. You can tell Rob really loves doing tours and makes sure everyone is having a great time

Tour Photo Highlights

Frequently Asked Questions

Start Location: National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge Road

Finish Location: City Chambers, High Street

Start Time: 9am & 3pm

Duration: Around 2 hours

Recommended: Waterproof jacket and comfortable shoes

Walking tours in peak months (May–October) can book out quickly, so earlier is better. For off-season dates, the sooner the better but flexible or day before bookings are usually more likely.