Frequently Asked Questions

How do I book a guide?

You can book a guide by email: bookings@edinburghtourguides.com or by phone: +44 (0)131 443 0548 or by fax: +44 (0)131 466 8483.

What is included in the tour?

Guide hire is included but we can also include admission, transportation and refreshments. Please contact us do discuss your requirements. Guided tours of Edinburgh are tailored to suit your requirements, from walking tours to coach and car tours. If you only want a walking tour of Edinburgh then you will only need to hire a guide.

Do I need to pay a deposit?

Yes. To confirm a booking we require a 50% deposit with the balance payable 28 days before the tour date.

I booked a tour guide and paid a deposit, I now need to cancel the tour will I get my deposit back?

We will refund deposits less 10% if the tour is cancelled with more than 28 days notice of the tour date. Please note; we cannot refund deposits paid for restaurants and transportation etc. We retain 10% of the deposit to cover the cost of administration.

Do you accept cash?

We prefer payment by debit or credit card, PayPal, cheque (GBP) or bank transfer.We will accept cash if a booking is made at short notice.

I want to pay by bank transfer who is responsible for the bank charges?

You are responsible for any charges incurred by using bank transfer as a method of payment.

Do you charge a credit card payment fee?

No. We do not charge for credit card payments.

If I miss the meeting time with the guide or the tour start time will I receive a refund?

No. If you miss the tour or meeting time with the guide we cannot refund you. We suggest you take travel insurance to cover the cost of losses due to transportation delays, illness etc.

Will the 10am or 1pm tour run if only one person is booked on to it?

No. The minimum number of people for the tour to run is 4. If the tour does not have enough people booked on to it, it will be cancelled. We will contact you in advance and refund you the full amount if this is the case.

Do you charge a booking fee?

No. We do not charge booking fees.

Can you arrange the whole day for us?

Yes. We can arrange admissions, restaurants; guide hire and transportation please contact us to discuss your requirements.

Can we visit Edinburgh Castle with a guide?

Yes. Our guides are fully trained to guide within Edinburgh Castle. We can also arrange admissions to the Castle for you as part of your booking.

Where do I meet the guide?

If you are staying at a hotel in the city centre the guide can meet you there. Alternatively we recommend meeting outside Gladstone’s Land, Lawnmarket, Edinburgh. Our guides are flexible and can meet you at a convenient place for you.

I would like to hire a guide to join our coach where do we meet the guide?

We recommend meeting the guide at Waterloo Place, Edinburgh. We can also arrange for the guide to meet you at Edinburgh Airport or other convenient place.

I am arranging a conference can you organise a one day itinerary for our delegates partners?

We would be delighted to organise a full day or half day itinerary please contact us to discuss your requirements.

Can we book a guide for an Edinburgh tour and a tour to Stirling?

Yes. We have guides who can guide from Edinburgh to Stirling and the Trossachs and Loch Lomond and the borders. We try where possible to give you the same guide on both tours although sometimes this is not always possible.

How do I choose a guide?

We usually try to match the guide with the interests of the group. We have some of the guides profiles on our Guides page on our website. Here you can see them and read a little about each guide. Not all of the guides we have are on this page.

How will I recognise the guides?

Our guides have red name badges with our company logo and name. Our guides also have a black jacket with Edinburgh Tour Guides on the left breast of the jacket. However we usually only use these jackets for the 10am and 1 pm walking tour and the Highlights tour or if we are working with large groups of students or school groups.

What happens if the guide is taken ill?

In the unfortunate event that the guide is unable to take the tour or is taken ill during the tour we will try our best to replace the guide. However because each guide has special interests it may not always be possible to replace them with a guide with the same interests.

Are you Blue Badge guides?

No. We are not members of the Scottish Tourist Guides Association STGA. We are specialist guides who guide in Edinburgh. Scotland has no governing body for tourist guides. Our guides are professional, trained, experienced tourist guides. Our guides also commit to ongoing assessment and training. Edinburgh Tour Guides are members of the Edinburgh Convention Bureau, the Scottish Tourism Forum and the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce.

How can you say you are a professional guide if you are not a member of the STGA?

The Scottish Tourist Guides Association is an association for tourist guides who want to guide in the whole of Scotland. We are highly trained guides who specialise in Edinburgh. The majority of our guides are members of the Edinburgh Tourist Guides Association ETGA. This is an independent tourist guides association for guides who focus on guiding in Edinburgh. Edinburgh Tour Guides offer an excellent training programme which includes guiding within Edinburgh Castle. Our guides also have to attend courses run buy the University of Edinburgh and other organisations. Every guide who works for us is assessed on a regular basis and is continually updating their knowledge.

Are your guides insured?

Yes. We are insured for Public Liability and Professional Indemnity.

What languages do you offer?

We guide in English and we have one guide who guides in Mandarin.

Do we need to tip the guide?

We do not expect you to tip our guides. However if you would like to give them a tip they will accept it. There is no minimum or maximum amount to give as it is entirely at your discretion.