The Real Mary King's Close, the buried streets beneath the Royal Mile

Beneath the City Chambers, Edinburgh's council headquarters, built in the 18th century as the Royal Exchange, several 17th-century alleys survive that the city covered over when it built on top. They were closes, the narrow, steep streets running down from the Royal Mile, lined with houses where whole families lived and worked. Today they can only be visited with a guide, on an hour-long tour that goes down stairs to Mary King's close and into some of its houses.

An hour beneath the City Chambers

The standard tour is called the Signature Guided Tour. It's led by a guide dressed as one of the former residents, who tells how life was in the close, house by house, with the stories of the people who lived there. You walk on uneven ground, in dim light and on slopes; inside you can't take photos or film, not even with your phone. At the end they take a souvenir photo you can buy.

The tour is in English. To follow it in Spanish, download the free The Real Mary King's Close app beforehand, which has a multimedia guide in Spanish, and bring headphones: they're compulsory.

Tickets and which to choose

There are two tickets for the same guided tour. The Essential costs from £25 per adult and £18.25 per child, and changing it carries a £15 fee. The Standard costs from £28.50 and £21 and can be changed for free up to four hours before. Neither is refundable. If you're travelling with a fixed schedule, the Essential is enough; if you depend on the weather or other plans, the Standard is worth it.

There are also themed tours: the 17th Century Medicine Experience (£35, Friday to Sunday) adds half an hour with a 17th-century doctor, and in December 2026 there's a Victorian Christmas tour at weekends. Payment is by card only, no American Express.

Getting there and things to bear in mind

The entrance is at 2 Warriston's Close, right on the High Street, next to the City Chambers and a few steps from St Giles' Cathedral. There's no parking; walk from Waverley station, about five minutes uphill. There are lockers in the courtyard for backpacks and suitcases; arrive a few minutes early if you're going to use them.

There are 58 steps going down and 38 going up, with handrails, and you can't go down with a wheelchair or pushchair. If you feel uneasy in enclosed spaces, tell the guide: they carry a radio and someone will take you back up.