9 Fun Edinburgh Harry Potter Tours for Literary Muggles in 2023

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.

All Potterheads come to Scotland wanting to go on one of the Edinburgh Harry Potter tours! However, there are so many tours that it can genuinely be hard to choose which one is worth doing. Throughout this post, you’ll learn all about the best Harry Potter tours in Edinburgh.

These tours are a must for any fan of the series. Not only can you explore your favorite locations from the movies, but there are tons of other things to do as well. From souvenir shops to cafes to plenty of sites that appear in the books but not on the screen, Edinburgh is the perfect destination for Potterheads! Whether you’re visiting Edinburgh for a day or longer, try to fit one of these into your schedule.

Read on to learn more about the best Edinburgh Harry Potter tours for your epic trip to Scotland!

Editor’s Choice: The Top Edinburgh Harry Potter Tour

9 Best Edinburgh Harry Potter Tours

Original Harry Potter Locations Tour

⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars (896 reviews) | ⏳ Tour length: 2 hours | ✅ Includes: Professional guide | ⚡ Book now

This tour is one of the more unique Edinburgh Harry Potter tours! In the Original Harry Potter Locations Tour tour, which is about 2 hours long, you’ll go on a fun walking tour of Edinburgh while partaking in a quiz that you can do along the way.

“My daughter and I loved this tour. Monique did a fabulous job making the tour informative and very, very fun. If you are a Harry Potter fan, this tour is a must.”

Anna P (see more reviews)

The tour starts right in Edinburgh’s Old Town and includes multiple Harry Potter spots along the way like Castlehill, Victoria Street, the Royal Mile, and of course, Edinburgh Castle. Plus, the fun quiz will keep your attention the entire way.

If you’re a Harry Potter fan at all, then this is one tour that you won’t want to miss out on!

Harry Potter’s Edinburgh Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour

⭐️ Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars (16 reviews) | ⏳ Tour length: 1 hour | ✅ Includes: Access to tour audio, offline access to voice & map, app for Android and iOS | ⚡ Book now

One of the top self-guided Edinburgh tours for Harry Potter fans is this one! It’s only $7.99 per person, and the tour takes around 45 minutes to an hour to complete. Since it’s self-paced, you have a lot more control over how long the tour takes.

“We had a great experience! Everything worked perfectly easy to use easy to follow! We would recommend it to everyone! Thank you.”

John W (see more reviews)

The tour takes place through the VoiceMap app, where you can download the tour and have lifetime access to it. Then, walk around and take in the scenery as you learn more about what you’re looking at!

Some of the top spots you’ll pass by on this Harry Potter tour in Edinburgh include Edinburgh Castle, The Elephant House, and Victoria Street. These are also some of the most instagrammable spots in Edinburgh, so don’t forget your camera!

Alnwick Castle as Featured in Harry Potter and Scottish Borders Day Trip from Edinburgh

⭐️ Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars (40 reviews) | ⏳ Tour length: 9.5 hours | ✅ Includes: Transportation, Professional Guide | ⚡ Book now

Another excellent Harry Potter Edinburgh tour is this day trip to Alnwick Castle! It’s a full-day trip, and the tour is about 9.5 hours total, including transportation time. If you are visiting Edinburgh and want to visit Harry Potter spots in another location, this is definitely the one for you!

“Wonderful day trip. Both castles were amazing to see. Our tour guide Owen was great and fun! I would highly recommend this trip.”

Ruby E (see more reviews)

The tour includes an air-conditioned vehicle with wifi and a local guide. Entrance fees to Alnwick Castle are not included, so you will have to pay your entrance fee to get in and purchase your own food and drinks throughout the day.

The tour begins at around 8:15, when the tour departs! Then, the first stop is at Bamburgh Castle for an hour, which dates back to the 5th century. After, you’ll spend about 3 hours exploring Alnwick Castle, which looks an awful lot like Hogwarts! End the day at Coldstream for thirty minutes, a small town in Scotland.

Private One Hour Harry Potter Walking Tour

⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars (10 reviews) | ⏳ Tour length: 1 hour | ✅ Includes: Professional guide | ⚡ Book now

This is one of the Edinburgh Harry Potter tours that’s completely private. The walking tour covers some of the most popular spots that you can visit in Edinburgh that are related to Harry Potter.

The tour is capped at just eight people and includes Greyfriars Kirkyard, Grassmarket, the Writer’s Museum, and the Royal Mile. This tour is the perfect way to dip your toes into all of the Harry Potter sights in the city.

“Kat was amazing!! So much knowledge and fun facts in addition to Harry Potter. It moved at a great pace. And we saw a lot of areas we would not have known about on our own. My 11 year old loved the Harry Potter part. My 15 year old and husband and I loved it all. Big thumbs up!”

Cathy (see more reviews)

In addition to learning about the Harry Potter landmarks, you’ll also learn about their importance to Edinburgh.

From Edinburgh: Hogwarts Express and Scottish Highlands Tour

⭐️ Rating: 4.7 out of 5 Stars (141 reviews) | ⏳ Tour length: 13 hours | ✅ Includes: Professional guide, Jacobite steam train ticket, downloadable audio guide | ⚡ Book now

One of the best Harry Potter tour Edinburgh that leaves the city is the Hogwarts Express and Scottish Highlands Tour. This day tour is about 13 hours long, and for the cost of less than $200, this is an affordable Harry Potter tour to go on!

On the tour, you’ll be able to ride on a train and go right past popular places in the country like Perth and the Kingdom of Fife! Plus, you’ll be able to see the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which you’ll immediately recognize from the movies.

“Amazing experience, the Scottish highlands are just gorgeous. The bus route and the train ride were both very scenic (you will enjoy it even if you are not a Harry Potter fan). Our tour guide Owen was very knowledgeable and funny and made the long hours on the bus very enjoyable.”

Reviewer (see more reviews)

During this tour, you’ll even be able to ride the popular Jacobite Steam Train, which looks an awful lot like the Hogwarts Express. Your tour includes the train ticket and wifi, which you can use on the train, as well as a Scottish guide. You will have to pack your own food and drink!

Private 5 ¼ Hour Harry Potter Tour

⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars (11 reviews) | ⏳ Tour length: 5.5 hours | ✅ Includes: Professional guide | ⚡ Book now

This longer Harry Potter tour is a great way to explore all of the Edinburgh Harry Potter locations fully! The tour covers spots like the Museum of Scotland, Old Parliament Hall, the Royal Bank of Scotland HQ, and more!

Start the tour right at Edinburgh Waverley Station, where you can catch the train to go all over Scotland. Instead of taking the train, though, you’ll be looking out for your tour guide in a red robe wearing Spectrespecs!

“Sam possesses a vast amount of knowledge on both Harry Potter and the history and culture of Edinburgh and his enthusiastic about sharing his knowledge in a fun manner. This is not an ordinary touristic tour but a genuine EXPERIENCE you will not forget with a unique individual. Not to be missed.”

Anton (see more reviews)

The tour is excellent for Edinburgh visitors of all ages, especially children who love the Harry Potter franchise. The tour guide truly gets really into the tour and is so passionate, so you will for sure leave with a huge smile on your face.

Private Harry Potter Day Tour For Small Groups

⭐️ Rating: 4.4 out of 5 Stars (7 reviews) | ⏳ Tour length: 1 day | ✅ Includes: Professional guide, insured vehicle | ⚡ Book now

Another of the best Harry Potter tour Edinburgh is this Private Harry Potter Day Tour For Small Groups. The tour starts right in Edinburgh but will take you further outside of the city in Scotland so you can visit other famous Harry Potter landmarks!

The tour includes pickup, a professional guide, and of course, transportation. It’s a full-day tour that will take you to places like Loch Elit, Glen Coe, Glenfinnan Viaduct, and Loch Shiel. Some of these are hard to get to without a car, so this is one of the more unique tours that you can take!

“For those looking for a tour around the Highlands amid all the many tour choices out there, I sincerely recommend Rafael’s tour – it was for sure the best tour I’ve ever joined. Rafael took the thoughts to plan for the tour, so that you get to travel to all the less-accessible but all the more beautiful spots in the Highlands within a day. This was not something one can do usually without a guide who knows and loves the place.”

Loretta (see more reviews)

What makes this tour so special is that the guide really wants you to feel as if the tour is tailored to you as well. IIf you want to skip an attraction, see another place, or even spend longer at one place than another, then that can 100% happen!

JK Rowling’s Edinburgh and the Writing of Harry Potter

⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars (178 reviews) | ⏳ Tour length: 4 hours | ✅ Includes: Professional guide | ⚡ Book now

This next Harry Potter Edinburgh tour is only four hours long but includes tons of great stops throughout the city! It includes stops at The Balmoral, McEwan Hall, George Heriot’s School, the Elephant House, Lothian Chambers, and more!

The tour guide makes it very clear that this tour, in particular, does include spoilers, so make sure you’ve read all of the Harry Potter books or at least watched the movies. This tour is incredibly detailed, and because there are so many spots along the way, it is pretty fast-paced.

“Wow, this tour far exceeded our expectations. Sam was simply AMAZING. The four hours flew by, and we were moving quickly. Any serious Potter/Rowling fan would devour this tour. Sam is a fountain of knowledge, not only on all things Rowling and Potter, but Edinburgh in general. I HIGHLY recommend this tour. We had a fantastic time.”

Victor C (see more reviews)

What makes this tour different from others is that it seeks to tell the story of Rowling from rags to riches and does include some dark aspects of her story. So, while kids can technically go on the tour, it’s better suited for older audiences.

Edinburgh: Harry Potter Magical Guided Walking Tour

⭐️ Rating: 4.8 out of 5 Stars (3,718 reviews) | ⏳ Tour length: 2 hours | ✅ Includes: Professional guide | ⚡ Book now

Last but not least is the Harry Potter Magical Guided Walking Tour! This tour is just two hours, making it perfect if you’re visiting Edinburgh in a day. Along the way, there are also fun Harry Potter trivia questions to keep you on your toes.

The tour includes stops at Tom Riddle’s grave in Greyfriars Kirkyard, the handprints J.K. Rowling left by City Chambers, and more. The tour is also usually capped at a small number, so it will feel private without the private tour price.

“What an amazing way to start my trip to Edinburgh! Monique our guide was incredibly engaging, knowledgeable and really brought the Harry Potter magic to the tour! I had a great time hearing the stories and seeing the places that inspired JK Rowling, with some fun HP trivia along the way!”

Kelvin (see more reviews)

Even though the tour is about Harry Potter locations, it also includes lots of history about Edinburgh! You’ll leave the tour having learned a lot about the city and Rowling’s relationship with it.

This post was all about the Edinburgh Harry Potter tours that you won’t want to miss. Don’t forget to save this post and share it for later!