City Centre, Holyrood Park, Portobello Guided Tour

11 miles / 18 km | 3 hours total with stops | Easy/Moderate

From £49

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About this tour

This guided cycle ride (2.5 to 3 hours, 18 km) lets you sample the rich diversity which Edinburgh has to offer and which is best experienced on a bike: picturesque cycle paths, a few of the iconic sites in the heart of the city, verdant Holyrood Park and a coastal promenade.

We start by heading west from our office along a designated cycle path and then emerge in the New Town area, just ½ mile from the city centre. After a short, steep climb through residential streets in this UNESCO World Heritage Site we cross Princes Street (from where you can see Edinburgh Castle and Princes Street Gardens) and head down the lower section of The Royal Mile, experiencing some of the history of the Old Town, towards Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament.

The scenery then changes as we enter Holyrood Park and pass Arthur’s Seat on the way to another quiet cycle path, which follows the route of a disused railway line back down towards the coastline. We finish with a spin along Portobello Promenade and then back to Leith.

There’s simply no better way to see the dramatic and contrasting cityscape of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.

 

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Where

Category

Half day guided tours

Start and Finish Place

Starts and finishes at our office in Leith

Distance

11 miles / 18 km

Terrain

There are two short steep climbs on this tour, both of which can be walked in just a few minutes if you prefer to get off the bike. Otherwise flat and downhill.

Traffic

Cycle track and some road also. Mostly off-road on cycle paths but please note this tour does take us through the heart of the city and some busy roads are unavoidable. We walk some of this as we tell you about the places we are seeing, and no one should feel worried about this section as we can go as slowly and carefully as necessary. If you have already seen the city centre you might be more interested in our coast and bridges trip which doesn't involve going through the city at all. Don't hesitate to call us if you need advice. We can also offer a shorter version of the coast and bridges trip, only going as far as Crammond and back.

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When

Total time

3 hours total with stops

Start and finish time

Starts at 10:00 and finishes at 13:00 approximately

Grade

Easy/Moderate

Price

From £49

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What You Get

Bike included

Yes

Helmet included

Yes

Guide included

Yes

Excluded

Drinks and snacks en route

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Children

Child friendly

This route mainly uses cycle paths, but has some sections on roads.

NOT suitable for children under 16 years old.

This route is suitable for teenagers, 16 or over, who are confident handling a bike, fit and able to ride for three hours. We recommend our Family Friendly Tour for families with kids under the age of 16, or a Private Tour. Please ask for details.

What People Say about this tour

Brilliant few hours

We booked the city tour which took you through the city centre and out to Portobello. Apart from a couple of hills at the beginning the ride itself is relatively flat. There were only the two of us plus our guide, Andy, which was great. What a brilliant few hours we had with Andy! When…

Great ride around beautiful Edinburgh and to Portobello

Super friendly efficient service. Kathy was so helpful in arranging our booking. Our guide was just lovely, Sandrine, who was so knowledgeable and friendly made the experience really good. COVID-19 responsible and we couldn’t have asked for a better travel bike tour experience. Such a fab way to see the city and more! Thank you

Coast and Castles

When we last visited and took the city centre tour the coast and bridges tour was recommended. As expected, tours aren’t back to full operation so we contacted Kathy to see whether there was a possibility of running this and she kindly arranged our own tour. This is a beautiful ride along the coastline of…

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