Discover Edinburgh City Centre Tour
From £40
About this tour
A two to two a half hour bike tour (12 km) through the heart of historic Edinburgh with wide views across the city’s dramatic skyline: a gentle cycle along cobbled streets and through leafy parks with frequent stops to hear about the history, culture and people of Scotland’s capital city.
The tour begins on the waterfront in the Port of Leith. From there we follow Edinburgh’s river, the Water of Leith, on a tree-lined cycleway that leads into the heart of the city, a UNESCO world heritage site. A gentle climb through the streets of Edinburgh’s historic New Town brings us to St Andrew’s Square in the city centre. From here we wheel our bikes along Princes Street, enjoying spectacular views of Edinburgh Castle and the medieval Old Town.
Next there’s a slow roll down the Royal Mile to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Queen Elizabeth’s official residence in Scotland. From the Scottish Parliament building we cycle through the Queen’s Park and past the picturesque ruins of Holyrood Abbey.
We push the bikes up Abbeymount then spin through Royal Terrace Gardens on a high path with views out across the city. From there quiet lanes and backstreets lead back towards Leith. Finally we pick up the cycleway again and follow the Water of Leith through St Mark’s Park back to our starting point. We think it’s a great way to see one of the most dramatic cities in the world: perfect for your first day in Edinburgh.
Contact us to book this tour.
Where
Category
Start and Finish Place
Distance
Terrain
Traffic
When
Total time
Start and finish time
Grade
Price
What You Get
Bike included
Helmet included
Guide included
Excluded
This route mainly uses cycle paths, but has some sections on roads. This route is suitable for children (14 years plus) confident handling a bike, fit and able to ride for two to three hours. We recommend our Family Tour or a Private Tour for families with younger children (under 14).Children
Child friendly
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…
Other Tours
Coasting to Cramond, a bike tour with no hills
A very popular cycle tour , with minimum hills, ( 3 hours, 16 miles) heading along our wildlife rich coast away from...
City Centre, Holyrood Park, Portobello Guided Tour
Our most popular cycle tour (2.5 to 3 hours, 18km) includes quiet cycling along the Water of Leith to Edinburgh New Town,...
Coast and Bridges Guided Cycle Tour
From Leith we follow a beautiful route out of town towards the iconic Forth Road and Forth Railway bridges and picturesque South...