We did the hour long tour and that was a perfect amount of time and information for our family. Our guide Louis B was very awesome without being an obnoxious tour guide. We've had some tour guides that are super cringy, but he wasn't. He had a wealth of information without being dry or boring. This tour was very interesting and I am very happy we went on it. read more

The close is a popular attraction, so I booked a tour. It's located on the Royal Mile in Old Town. The close is named after Mary King, a merchant burgess who resided on the close. A close is a narrow alleyway leading from a main street to private shared courtyards, residential areas, or homes. The close was partially demolished and buried due to the building of the Royal Exchange and it was later closed to the public for many years. It used to be open-air alleyway. We were led by a guide dressed as a period character. We watched interactive projections of Mary and others tell us about who they were and life at that time. We also entered small rooms that housed many people. The most interesting part to me was about the plague. There was also a ghost story, which I don't care for. Overall, I enjoyed learning about the history. read more

This was a really cool historical experience. It gives you a very interesting view of Edinburgh's history while also providing an entertaining retelling. Our guide Josh was very engaging and involved us in the tour in a way that really enhanced our experience. read more

What a rich, interesting historical tour. Very informative and unbelievable how people back then lived. So amazing this building is so well-preserved. Our guide Anna was amazing and captivated our group. We were not allowed to take pictures during the tour, but this is definitely worth your while. The story of the ghost was spooky. The building is amazing. Cannot fathom how 14 people lived in one of the rooms back then. Very glad we went to this tour. read more

Real Mary Kings Close - Local Flavor Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Real Mary Kings Close website is confusing and difficult to use, and I am an engineer and computer scientist, so BEWARE. After finally booking my tour for three at 5pm (1700 for those familiar with military time), I later received the tickets via email while in Edinburgh Castle tour that my time was for 1500, 3pm, which me and my party could not meet. I replied with an email (theirs said "reply to:", and did not receive an answer. We got to their office as quickly to take ownership of the mistake and see what could be done. The manager's response was" you missed your time, you can buy new tickets and now it will be 30 minutes later 5:50. Extremely poor customer service, strongly recommend avoiding this tourist trap. read more

Good tour for the most part, it was really amazing to actually see the historic close. The tour itself was goodish. I would recommend the ghost tour of the underground vaults. read more

Went to the Real May King's Close tour based on a recommendation and didn't really do any research. It turned out to be one of the best tours of our 7 day trip thru Dublin, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. In case you don't already know, the current Edinburgh city center is built on top of the old city that is several hundred years old. This tour takes you beneath the streets to the old city. You will see the original close with houses and workshops. You will learn how they lived, "meet" other prominent people of that time, and learn about the black plagues. Really cool tour, very informative, and sometimes funny. Please note this tour is NOT for people with mobility issues or concerns. Tours leave on time from the street front store. So, be on time. They can't easily add you to your group if they have already left and gone underground. Highly recommended that you buy your tickets in advance. P.S. Photos are prohibited, and they try to sell you a picture of yourself in the old close on the way out. Tacky, I know, but still worth it. read more

Real Mary King's Close was one of the most eerie, immersive experiences I had in Edinburgh. It isn't about Scotland's royalty or power struggles. It's about survival and daily life through really dark times. I took a guided tour with Daisy, and she was absolutely incredible! So knowledgeable, genuinely funny, and her acting and storytelling took you back in time... literally. It never felt scripted or forced, just engaging and real. She was so warm and sweet, which made the experience even better. It's hard to believe she's only 25 given how much depth she brought to the tour. read more

Such an amazing experience to be in the Real Mary King's Close!! Our guide Annabelle was so sweet (socials??)

We walked up to get a tour scheduled and only had to wait 20 minutes. Our guide was Thomas. He was wonderful! The tour was fascinating and full of information presented in a clear way. Highly recommend this tour! Don't miss it! read more

This is a tourist trap rip off. Tacky. Guide did not read the room. Was more impressed with her own sense of humor than anyone in the room was. They literally begged for good reviews to be posted on Trip Advisor. They are managing media for good reviews, versus providing a quality experience. Don't go. There are so many other wonderful experiences in Edinburgh. read more

This tour was a blast! It wasn't too long but we learned a lot while we were down there. Our tour guide was engaging and lively. It was cool to visualize what it was like living back then, and their set ups with props help with that. read more

The tour was very well put together, we had an incredible tour guide, Fergus... I mean MARCUS! He was very Knowledgeable, great theatrics, and very entertaining. Would highly recommend to anyone considering seeing the Real Mary Kings Close. read more

The Real Mary King's Close is a very nice historic tour of a close (think neighborhood) prior to the Royal Exchange being built on top of it (the basics). You go from empty room to empty room (some rooms have small objects) to hear more history about the close, the plague, and the people that lived there. If you are claustrophobic, this is not the tour for you. You are underground with low ceilings, small doorways, and small passageways. Worth a see. Book ahead to walk straight into the tour line. read more

Real Mary Kings Close - Local Flavor Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

The sign that said '"2023 top 10 attractions in the UK" got us. This is similar to another tour that we did but different enough that we thoroughly enjoyed it. The staff was great, super cheerful, informative and friendly folks. I am glad that I was a not commoner in the 15-16th century in Edinburgh. Life was HELL...no exaggeration... look it up. The conditions were terrible including for the rich. Let me just say there is a good reason why they said you could smell Edinburgh before you could see it. read more

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Hannah was a great tour guide! The tour was so engaging from start to finish. We never felt that we were dragging on at any point, but also didn't feel rushed. The history was so intriguing. Thank you for a great tour! read more

A close is an alleyway. Mary King was a Burgess and prominent merchant. Rarely did women have a close named after them. Good job Mary. During the construction of the Royal Exchange in 1760, the close was partly demolished and buried beneath the new building's foundations. It became the subject of ghost stories/urban legends. No footage within the close. Rats were plentiful and their fleas carried the bubonic (skin boils) and pneumonic plagues (severe oxygen deficiency). There were 11 plague epidemics in Edinburgh. There is no photography in the close. You'll have to go. read more

Real Mary Kings Close - Local Flavor Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Our students (and me) learned so much from the team at Mary King's Close and Agnes (Meg) did a phenomenal job keeping us all entertained the entire time. It's the best underground Edinburgh thing to do! read more

Damien was a wonderful guide. Very entertaining, knowledgeable and kind! The tour was interesting for adults and kids. Would recommend for kids. Our 10 year old that was disturbed by the depiction of people dying from the plague but our 6 year old was fine with it. read more

We loved the tour and our guide, Calum, was incredible. He was, at turns, serious, respectful, funny, and engaging, all while being informative and enthusiastic. The site itself was fascinating, giving us a peek into the history of regular people in Edinburgh. We will recommend this and will definitely do the tour again. And when we do, we will request Calum! Well done! read more

This is a historical portrayal of what happened here in Edinburgh during the bubonic plague. The first thing they said on the tour was to take off your coats and all of your layers because it's really hot down there. They said, but let me tell you it was like a freezer down there, an icebox quite frankly and that was false. I was disappointed by our boring tour which led us to a cool place but it had a lack of interest and fun. It was a cool place underground a cool place to see but man this tour was boring, I was yawning. Our tour guide played the ukelele and led us around trying his best to engage us I feel bad for the man because it's a really cool place but the tour script lacked something, it was more about history there and it was hard to follow. I usually don't review things like this but I had to because they need to change something, add to the atmosphere more, make it fun, it was cool when they showed the bubonic plague doctor that was the most memorable. If they can add to that atmosphere and that time it'll be better, I don't recommend this tour. read more

The Real Mary Kings Close is an eye opening tour into the "underground" of Edinburgh and it really does a good job telling the story of those who lived there, what happened and what the world was like during that time. That all being said, this is extremely "touristy" and a bit cheesy at times depending on your guide. The no photos policy also rubs me the wrong way since it's clearly just an excuse to sell you a souvenir photo at the end. Book in advance because it is very popular. read more

Real Mary Kings Close - Local Flavor Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

This is an enjoyable and intriguing look at life in Edinburgh in the 1700's. Really get a feel for what it must have been like. The guides dress authentically and are very knowledgeable. There are many stairs up and down and most of the rooms are authentically dark as it would have been. A fascinating experience not to be missed. Book well in advance! read more

Total tourist trap and horribly overpriced at £25 (which is $33.55 USD, and €29.73). My family and I are American, and I must admit I was immediately suspicious when I noticed that the vast majority of the other tour members were also American, as these kinds of places are usually pandered to us. My suspicions were sadly confirmed. They attempted to make the tour more interesting by adding technological elements, which were greatly unnecessary. The most painful example of this is a set of portraits that are videos designed to interact with the tour guide and with each other. Total cringefest. Another thing - I felt bad for two people on our tour who were French, and were using the French audio guides. I doubt the audio was well-synchronized with the live tour, and instead of having space and time to take the tour on their own or with other French speakers, they were forced to walk with the rest of us, one ear hearing English and the other hearing French, which I'm guessing made it extremely difficult for them to follow along or retain any information. Pour eux: je suis très désolé que vous avez gaspillé votre argent et perdu votre temps. The only reason this isn't 1 star is because our tour guide was wonderful and clearly knew what she was talking about, and I wish her the best. read more

This tour was the most educational thing we did in Edinburgh. We had done another vault tour first which was more of a "haunted" type of tour. I learned so much more from the Mary King tour! I'm so glad we did it. Our guide Josh (with the muscles) did a great job keeping people engaged and moving the story along. read more

This is a very unique Edinburgh tour. One hour of experiencing the underground of the city. It's amazing how people lived in 17th&18th centuries. Excellent tour. They have a nice gift shop/coffee house at the start & finish. You need to be mobile for this tour. read more

Real Mary Kings Close - Local Flavor Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Meg was an AMAZING tour guide. she was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about Scotlands history which made the tour 10x better. anyone who goes on this tour must get meg as their tour guide to get the full Mary Kings Close experience! read more

This is a great stop for tourists and locals alike. Some great history of the city of Edinburgh brought to life by a guide who takes you back to the close/ slum that is now under a government building. Our guide, Finley, was great. The conditions were desperate for the poorest. No wonder the plague came through the city in waves. Well worth the admission, make sure you book your tickets! read more

Fiona was amazing! She was animated, funny and knowledgeable about her craft. Such a great time, highly recommend

such an amazing underground adventure! great explanation of Edinburgh's history--our tour guide Zelda did a fantastic job and made herself available afterwards to answer our questions. highly recommend! read more

I had been to Edinburgh many times and just never did a tour of one of the Closes. So this time, with friends along, I took the tour. If you're familiar with the part of Edinburgh that you can see from "street" level, then you'll be amazed as what's going on below that. This was a great historical tour, with many areas essentially unchanged for at least a hundred years. You get a real sense of how life was like for poor people in a big city before plumbing. Hint: Be eternally grateful for plumbing. I was most curious about how they managed to light fires and have enough ventilation not to die of asphyxiation. Lots of great stories. History seems to be 50% the real deal and then some delightful tales thrown in for fun. You judge. Richard bought a rat at the gift shop and then fell in love with it. That's all the details you get. Exit through the gift shop. read more

Real Mary Kings Close - Local Flavor Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Lovely and educational tour with Aaron! What a personable young man! He conducted a great tour of the history and living conditions of Edinburgh's lower class in 1645, as well as a good understanding of the Plague. Highly recommend. read more

We really enjoyed this exhibit. The owners have done a good job explaining how real people lived in a walled city during many points in time. Things were crowded then and even with timed admission and $25 entry fees, it's pretty crowded still. Our guide did a good job moving us through but it was a little claustrophobic. There were also parts of the story that didn't quite make sense and we struggled to get great answers. Still it's amazing that this part of life is preserved and near the heart of the tourist area. read more

This was another fun tour I would highly recommend. Holly our host was really entertaining and educated us on everything we needed to know. It was really cool to learn about how people lived in those days and how the classes were segregated. read more

You basically learn about life in Edinburgh in the late 1500s and 1600s. Life was difficult- poverty, disease. Basically people lived inside the city walls, underground. And some of those walls remain today and that's what you see on this tour. The rooms they lived in, the kitchens they used, the bedrooms they slept. A piece of history. With alot of information. And a hint of drama from the charming tour guides. read more

My adult daughter and i really enjoyed this experience. Our guide was great! She really helped make the tour extra fun and informative. We both highly recommend it. read more

Real Mary Kings Close - Real Mary King's Close tour - Local Flavor Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Truly amazing presentation! Tilly, our guide, was very knowledgeable and entertaining throughout. I strongly suggest!

Real Mary King's Close is widely considered to be the most haunted place in Scotland...so of course I booked a tour even before I left the United States. Booking online is the way to go since this attraction is located on the busy Royal Mile and you'd be taking your chances waiting until you were there in person! It costs £15.50 per person. Our guide is what really made the experience a 5-star one. I forget his name (maybe it was Malcolm?) but I'll post his picture. His enthusiasm for history, his attention to details and his sense of humor all added to the spooky yet interesting environment. The Close - really a series of streets- is 400 years old and was originally 7 stories high. The wealthier folks lived up top and the poor on the bottom. It's well-preserved since it was built over and forgotten until workers punched through to the lower levels. This 17th Century street saw the horrible outbreak of the Bubonic Plague/Black Death which eventually claimed one quarter of the country's population. It is said that the ceilings were covered with the ashes of plague victims mixed with horsehair and dirt. I found a wall that definitely had what looked and felt to be coarse horsehair embedded in it! It was highly unusual at the time to have a "close" named after a woman. Businesswoman Mary King was a resident, sold lace and fabrics and was considered the area's burgess- a representative of the people. She arrived on the scene in 1635. Another resident is the child ghost, "Annie." She is rumored to have died of the plague and haunts a small corner room. She made herself known to a Japanese psychic and it's rumored that she is searching for a lost toy. As a result, visitors have left her hundreds of stuffed animals to appease her restless spirit. It's charming and sad and spooky all at the same time. This is an incredible archaeological find and we are fortunate to be able to see it in person. The tour is about 1 hour long and you'll wanna go see the gift shop afterwards with its macabre trinkets. There's a café too, but it closes early - those cake slices in the glass case sure looked delicious though... This was a truly unique experience. Yelp Challenge 2018: 96/100 read more

Real Mary Kings Close - Our tour guide in costume! He was AMAZING! He made it a 5-star experience! - Local Flavor Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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The tour was just OK for me. It was our 2nd day in Edinburg, and had done 2 other (free) city walking tours. We learned a lot from those walking tours, and by the time we went to Mary Kings Close many things were repeats...thus anti-climatic. Our tour guide here also was not as good as the ones on the free city walking tours...probably because he didn't have to work hard for tips. It was neat being underground...but I guess you have to shell out $21 a person to do that! Photos are not allowed, so none to post. read more

James L tour guide made this tour! He was SO informative and SO entertaining and humorous. We leaned so much. My teenaged son was hesitant to do a guided tour and he LOVED IT. The whole family thought it was a highlight of our stay. My son exclaimed, "That was awesome, Mom! You were right." (How often do you hear that?) Thank you, James L.! Just trying to imagine exactly who could possibly have been offended by the horse hair comment (haha!). We Americans loved it and appreciate the extensive history of this beautiful country! read more