Walking up the Royal Mile the many alleys and side streets branching off it lure you with their mystery and hidden depths.
These are the areas where the real towns people lived and worked in days of old, under the protection of the castle walls.
Explore these hidden closes and concealed streets while being made familiar with the lore of old – the work, the life and the depth of the commoner in medieval Edinburgh is revealed in this interesting tour.

Get a picture of how edinburgh folk lived hundreds of years ago.
Friendly staff who are dressed as they would’ve at the time.
I found it very interesting to find out how people lived hundreds of years ago

I have been on a few of these tours but this one has to be one of the best

This is an amazing historical experience. When you enter the hidden streets underneath the Royal Mile you are taking back to the 1600’s where people once went about their daily business and to those who died during the plague.

You set of in groups with a character guide who reveals real life stories of people who once lived in the warren of small closes and it doesn’t really take long before you start getting the feel of the place.
The tours last about an hour and as your walking through the narrow streets, into town houses and particular rooms the atmosphere with the stories soon begin to have an effect, yeah you may shrug it off but there is definitely something about the place, not forgetting this is all underground.

There’s no point going into to much detail because there would be no point going yourself then.

This is a fascinating historical experience, which shouldn’t be missed, but you do have to pre-book, as it is a popular attraction and sturdy footwear is essential.

This was terrifying, I would like to describe it more detail but spent a lot of time with my eye shut huddled up with my partner. This is a real place that is buried under Edinburgh along with a load of not so friendly ghosts if you ask me. Loads of history and stories but I was petrified great if you want to be scared out of your wits.

Mary Kings Close is undeniably fascinating and a bit spooky too. It's the closest you can probably get to going back in time. For me I would prefer a purely factual tour rather than the costumed tour guide acting the role of a Mary Kings Close resident. I found it a little cheesy. That aside it is definitely worth doing as it is utterly fascinating and very exciting being underground amongst Edinburghs hidden history.

Okay, so this attraction is usually so full of tourists that you must book ahead, but the popularity is for good reason. Mary King’s close (one of four paved-over streets visited on the tour) provides a time capsule of Edinburgh history by allowing visitors to see ‘Auld Reekie’ as she looked in centuries past. Period-dressed guides do their professional best to combine a bevy of fascinating information with a spooky atmosphere, and a few theatrics thrown in for good fun.

Is it haunted? Yes--by me, at least, whenever I have out-of-town visitors. Seriously, they always express sincere and thorough enjoyment of their tour. I recommend this attraction to both visitors and tourists alike—it will permanently change the way you see Edinburgh. Concessions are available for seniors, students, and children, though the experience is well worth the full admission price of 9.50. Thumbs up. : )

The Real Mary King's Close offers a fascinating slice of Edinburgh's historical Old Town. Walking through the cramped and gloomy alleyways of the 16th century Close transports you to times where wealth and aristocracy dictated life and law.

The experience is heightened by the knowledgeable tour guide who assumes the role of a 16th century nobleman or peasant. It is a walking tour that delves deeper into the underground Close, revealing more about the atrocities, restrictions and difficulties associated with life at that time. The Close boasts old houses, stories of the plague, cattle sheds and ghosts, all of which you will encounter.

If you are in any way claustrophobic I would not recommend doing this tour as the Close is dully lit and the air is musky and damp. The floor is uneven and all of the spaces are dark and confined.

The tour lasts roughly an hour and is guaranteed to present you with a new and thought-provoking perspective of Edinburgh.

The Real Mary King's close is an old street underneath the City's chambers that dates back to at least the 1500s. Tour guides take you down into the old street and describe what it was like to live there all those years ago. Our tour guide was dressed up in old fashioned clothing and she was very good, informative yet entertaining at the same time. She showed us homes and workplaces were people used to live and work and it was a bit spooky when she mentioned some of the unexplained things that have happened to tour groups going down there. I have to say though nothing remotely spooky happened to us!

The tour lasted about an hour and there were about 20 people in our group, in my opinion slightly too many as everyone gets a bit crowded trying to see everything. Tickets were only about £8, and on the whole the experience was very enjoyable.