The Royal Mile from the castle to Holyrood
The Royal Mile runs through the Old Town and connects Edinburgh Castle at the top with the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the bottom. It is a Scots mile, a little longer than an English mile. It is made up of several streets that run into one another: Castle Esplanade, Castlehill, Lawnmarket, High Street, Canongate and Abbey Strand.
The Royal Mile is a place to walk, with museums, closes and a cathedral along the way. A guided walk or castle visit adds the stories, and the Edinburgh Castle tickets cover the castle at the top. Walking the street itself costs nothing.
Our picks: along the Royal Mile
Our take: Mary King's Close goes under the street, the whisky tour sits by the esplanade, and the witches walk circles St Giles'.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in British pounds (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
The Real Mary King's Close guided tour
- Entry to The Real Mary King's Close
- Guided visit
An hour in the hidden streets under the Royal Mile.
Check availability →
Scotch Whisky Experience tour and tasting
- Guided tour
- Whisky tasting or soft drink
- Crystal glass from age 18
A guided tour beside the castle esplanade, with a whisky or soft drink.
Check availability →
Witches and history Old Town walk
- Costumed guide
- Guided Old Town walk
Seventy-five minutes with a costumed guide around St Giles' and the Royal Mile.
Check availability →Royal Mile walks and Edinburgh tours
Walking tours, castle tickets and day trips, with live prices and availability.
Sights along the Royal Mile
Adult prices for 2026, from the castle down to Holyrood.
| Sight | Where | Adult price | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh Castle | Top of the street | £23.50 online, £26.00 on the day | Allow at least 2 hours |
| Camera Obscura & World of Illusions | Castlehill | £24.95 | Illusions on 5 floors |
| The Scotch Whisky Experience | 354 Castlehill | £25 (Silver Tour) | About 50 minutes; bring photo ID |
| Gladstone's Land | Royal Mile | £11 | Painted ceilings from 1620 |
| The Writers' Museum | Lady Stair's Close | Free | Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| St Giles' Cathedral | High Street | £12 | Includes the Thistle Chapel |
| The Real Mary King's Close | Royal Mile | £25 (Essential), £28.50 (Standard) | Not for children under 5 |
| Palace of Holyroodhouse | Bottom of the street | £22 in advance, £26 on the day | Not in the Explorer Pass |
| Scottish Parliament | Holyrood | Free | Tours of about 45 minutes |
For most first visits, spend the morning in the castle, walk down the street, and add St Giles' and one more stop. Add Holyroodhouse if you have time left, since it is at the far end and has its own ticket.
Castlehill and Lawnmarket
The upper end, next to the castle.
Camera Obscura & World of Illusions
Adults pay £24.95, students with ID and visitors aged 65 and over £21.95, and children aged 5 to 15 £17.95. Under-5s and support carers are free. The camera obscura show uses daylight, so in darkness or poor weather you see a recorded projection instead of a live view of the city. Opening hours change with the season.
The Scotch Whisky Experience
The Silver Tour costs £25, lasts about 50 minutes and starts every 20 minutes. It includes a tasting or a soft-drink option and a look at the collection, with a German audio guide. You can change a Silver booking up to 48 hours before. The Gold Tour is £39.75 and Taste of Scotland £95. Tours start from 10 a.m., and the last one is at 7 p.m.
Gladstone's Land
A historic home and shop with painted ceilings from 1620. Adults pay £11, concessions £9 and children £7.
The Writers' Museum
Robert Burns, Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson in Lady Stair's Close. Entry is free, and it opens daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with last entry at 4:30 p.m.
High Street and the closes
The cathedral, the underground close and the lanes between.
St Giles' Cathedral
The general ticket is £12 for visitors aged 16 and over who do not live in Scotland, and under-16s are free. An accessibility ticket is £10, with the carer free. Residents of Scotland can apply for a free Resident Pass. The ticket covers the cathedral floor, the Thistle Chapel and the tours on offer, and it is valid for 12 months. Hours are Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Check Thursday's closing time before you go.
The Real Mary King's Close
A guided visit to a preserved close under the street. In 2026 the Essential ticket is £25 for adults and £18 for children aged 5 to 15, and the Standard ticket is £28.50 and £21. From 1 June to 31 August only Standard tickets are sold. Children under 5 are not admitted, for safety reasons. Book ahead because tours can sell out. A Standard booking can be changed free up to 4 hours before, and an Essential change costs £15 per booking.
What a close is
A close is a narrow lane that runs off the main street. Lady Stair's Close and Mary King's Close are two of them. The Mary King's Close visit is a separate attraction from the Blair Street Vaults, and neither is covered by the castle ticket.
Ghost tours and vaults →Canongate and Holyrood
The lower end leads to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where tickets cost £22 in advance and £26 on the day for adults. Young adults aged 18 to 24 pay £14 or £17, and children aged 5 to 17 pay £11 or £13. Children under 5 and necessary companions are free. The palace shows the State Apartments, rooms linked to Mary Queen of Scots, the Great Gallery, Holyrood Abbey and the gardens.
From 1 November to 31 December 2026 the palace opens Thursday to Monday, and it is closed on 25 and 26 December. In summer it opens 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with last entry at 4:30 p.m. It is a royal residence, so some areas can close at short notice. The Scottish Parliament at Holyrood has a free exhibition and free tours of about 45 minutes, and booking ahead is recommended.
Walking tours on the Royal Mile
What a tour of the street does and does not include.
A street walk
A Royal Mile walking tour covers the street, its closes and its stories. It is not an interior tour of the castle or the palace.
No shared ticket
There is no combined admission for the castle, St Giles', Mary King's Close and Holyroodhouse. Each has its own ticket and its own booking.
Meeting point
Check where the tour you choose starts. It is not automatically at the castle gate.
More from the Old Town
Pages that go with the Royal Mile.
Things to do near the castle
Twelve Old Town ideas, from Grassmarket to Holyrood.
Ghost tours and vaults
Closes, vaults and graveyards, with legends marked as legends.
The One O'Clock Gun
Where it stands and when it fires.
Edinburgh Castle tickets
Prices online and on the day.
Royal Mile Edinburgh: frequently asked questions
How long is the Royal Mile?
It is a Scots mile, a little longer than an English mile, and is about 1.8 km long. It runs from the castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The street slopes downhill from the castle, and you will stop often, so allow more time than the distance suggests.
Is the Royal Mile free to walk?
Yes, the street is public. Individual sights such as the castle, St Giles' for visitors from outside Scotland, Mary King's Close and Holyroodhouse charge admission. The Writers' Museum and the Scottish Parliament exhibition are free.
Does a castle ticket include the rest of the Royal Mile?
No. The castle ticket covers the castle. St Giles', Mary King's Close and Holyroodhouse have their own tickets, and the Explorer Pass does not include Holyroodhouse.
Where does the Royal Mile start and end?
It starts at Castle Esplanade in front of Edinburgh Castle and ends at Abbey Strand by the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Is this the official Royal Mile or castle website?
No. This is an independent travel guide, not run by Historic Environment Scotland, the castle or any of the attractions on the street.