Feel free to contact me via email to gareth@edinburghexpert.com if you have any queries not covered here...

• Private tours for up to 8 people can be booked online directly.
• For groups of 9 or more, please contact me to discuss your booking.

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Q: Are Edinburgh Expert Walking Tours public or private events?
A: All my tours are guaranteed private to you, but I run  combination of fixed route options and fully customised tour packages.

Q: How much are your private tours?
​A: I price my tours by the number of people and the length of the tour, and all tour pricing can be found here.

Q: How long are your private tours?
​A: All customised tours are tailored to your needs, from 2 hours up to a full day. There are some sample tour itineraries here.

My three fixed-route options, the Royal Mile, New Town  and Old and New Towns tours, are all 3 hours in length.

Q: Are tours suitable for children and families?
A: I generally suggest tour content is suitable for ages 12 and up, and is probably most likely to engage teens and older children with an interest in history.

Q: Do you offer driving tours instead of walking tours?
A: No - all my tours are on-foot around Edinburgh's city centre. Edinburgh is best explored on foot, and it's small enough to be able to do so relatively easy. 
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Q: Can you take us into Edinburgh Castle?
A: I don't take tours into any of the paid entry attractions - Edinburgh Castle in particular limits where guides can operate, with only six points around the grounds (and not inside any of the buildings) where guides can stop with groups. I don't feel I can add much value to a visit on that basis - far better to take advantage of their free introductory tours, and/or their great audio guide option, and plenty of staff who are always happy to answer your questions!

I'd prefer to use our tour to show you areas of the city you wouldn't necessarily find or explore by yourselves.

Q: What about taking a tour out of Edinburgh - can you take us to Loch Ness?
A: I only offer walking tours of Edinburgh, but if you wanted to explore other areas of Scotland then I can recommend these driver-guides who may be able to help you:

• Andy at Edinburgh Cab Tours
• Chris at Monarch Tours
• James at James Campbell Tours​

Q: What happens if our travel plans change at short notice?
A: My terms and conditions have full details of my refund and data protection policies, but broadly I am happy to be as a flexible as possible in offering you the opportunity to rearrange private tours if your plans alter. Contact me as soon as possible to discuss the options.​​​

Q: What languages are your tours available in?
​A: I have some rudimentary French and very basic German, but all my tours are conducted in English.

​Q: Are you able to advise on things to see and do in Edinburgh?
A: Absolutely! I'm very happy to offer advice and suggestions to help you plan your visit, find things to do in Edinburgh, make the most of your time, and have a memorable experience in the city - just email me with your questions and I'll be happy to help!

For example, if you're looking for an excellent local shop to offer a whisky tasting, or to buy a gift/souvenir to take home, check out Jeffrey Street Whisky!

​Q: What about restaurant recommendations?
A: Food is such a personal thing that I'm wary of recommending the 'best' places to eat, but I'm happy to give you details for places that I enjoy eating at - all independent restaurants and cafes - and some less familiar local eateries that you may not otherwise find.

Q: What happens if we get bad weather?
A: In Scotland, they say there's no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes! Rain, snow, thunder and lightning, or zombie apocalypse... tours will go ahead as booked. :)

Q: Can you help us book our accommodation?
​A: I generally suggest that you need to have your accommodation confirmed before planning your tour with me.

Q: How fit do I need to be to take a walking tour?
​A: Because of Edinburgh's steps, hills and cobbles, it can be a challenging city to explore, so my tours are not generally suitable for people with below average levels of mobility. I usually suggest we'll cover a minimum of 1 mile of distance for each hour we walk, so longer tours cover greater distance.

Q: I'm only in Edinburgh for one day - is that enough?
A: No!
Longer A: No, but... check out my suggested itinerary for a cramming as many of the iconic highlights of the city into a single marathon visit. (I don't actually suggest you attempt to plan any such day - broadly my advice is to do less in order to enjoy it more!)