# Vaults under South Bridge, a guided visit to the 18th-century chambers

What to do en Edinburgh · Edinburgh

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/scotland/edinburgh/things-to-do/underground-vaults · Revisado: 2026-11-13

- Desde: 24 € person
- Duración: 1 h 15
- Temporada: All year, every day; history tours in the morning and afternoon, ghost tours in the afternoon and evening
- Para quién: From age 5 on the daytime tours; Auld Reekie Tours' night and ghost tours, from age 12

Guided tour · 1 h – 1 h 15 · from £24 · under South Bridge · from age 5 or 12 depending on the tour

Beneath South Bridge, the bridge built in the 18th century to link the High Street with the south of the city, vaulted chambers were left between its arches: the vaults. At first merchants used them as warehouses and workshops. In time they ended up as homes for the poorest, unlicensed taverns and hiding places for thieves. Today you can only enter with a guide, and two companies have access to different parts.
Two companies, two sets of vaults
Mercat Tours goes into the Blair Street vaults, which it presents as the oldest and deepest, and is the only walking-tour company with access to them. Its tours start at the Mercat Cross, on the High Street, take a walk through the old town and then go down into the chambers. They finish at its small vaults museum on Blair Street. They last 1 h 15 min and admit children from age 5.
Auld Reekie Tours goes through the vaults that open onto Niddry Street, also under South Bridge. It leaves from 300 Lawnmarket, in the upper part of the Royal Mile, and ends at its office at 45 Niddry Street. Its daytime tour lasts an hour and costs £24 per person, or £80 for a group of four. Inside they show a room that was used by a modern witchcraft group, with its stone circle.
By day for history, by night for ghosts
Both companies have a history version and a ghost version. The daytime one explains how the vaults were built and who lived in them; Mercat lets you touch objects found there. The night-time one focuses on crimes, executions and legends; Mercat warns that it does not stage scares. Auld Reekie does not admit under-12s on its night tours; Mercat opens its night tours from age 5. All are in English.
Inside it is cool and damp all year round, with uneven floors and steps. Wear shoes with grip and a jacket even if it is nice outside.

Lo organiza: Mercat Tours (https://www.mercattours.com/tours/history-walks/view-tour/historic-vaults)

Lo organiza: Mercat Tours (https://www.mercattours.com/tours/ghost-tours/view-tour/haunted-underground)

Lo organiza: Auld Reekie Tours, desde 24 € per person (https://www.auldreekietours.com/tours/the-vaults-tour/)

Lo organiza: Auld Reekie Tours, desde 24 € per person (https://www.auldreekietours.com/tours/haunted-vaults-tour/)

## Cómo llegar y contacto

- Coordenadas: 55.9495, -3.1873

## Cerca de aquí

- [The Real Mary King's Close, the buried streets beneath the Royal Mile](https://www.geocalia.com/en/scotland/edinburgh/things-to-do/mary-kings-close), a 208 m
- [The Royal Mile, from the castle to Holyrood along the Old Town's high street](https://www.geocalia.com/en/scotland/edinburgh/things-to-do/royal-mile), a 224 m
- [Motel One Edinburgh-Royal](https://www.geocalia.com/en/scotland/edinburgh/where-to-stay/motel-one-edinburgh-royal), a 234 m
- [National Museum of Scotland, from Dolly the sheep to the rooftop terrace](https://www.geocalia.com/en/scotland/edinburgh/things-to-do/national-museum-of-scotland), a 302 m
- [The Elephant House](https://www.geocalia.com/en/scotland/edinburgh/where-to-eat/the-elephant-house), a 351 m
- [Oink Victoria Street](https://www.geocalia.com/en/scotland/edinburgh/where-to-eat/oink-victoria-street), a 364 m
- [Harry Potter walk through Edinburgh's old town: what is real and what is legend](https://www.geocalia.com/en/scotland/edinburgh/things-to-do/harry-potter-walk), a 406 m
- [The Witchery by the Castle](https://www.geocalia.com/en/scotland/edinburgh/where-to-eat/the-witchery-by-the-castle), a 514 m

## Consejos

### Book before you go
Auld Reekie does not sell tickets at the departure point: buy online or at its office on Niddry Street. Mercat also sells online, and in summer it sells out.

### Choose by age
With children aged 5 to 11, go on a daytime tour with either company or on Mercat's ghost tour. With teenagers, the night tours work better.

### Fit the tour in with others
The Mercat Cross is in the middle of the Royal Mile, next to Mary King's Close. You can do both tours on the same day.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How much do the Edinburgh vaults cost?
With Auld Reekie Tours, £24 per person or £80 for four. With Mercat Tours, £30 for adults, £27 concession and £24 for children, on both vault tours.

### How long is the tour?
An hour with Auld Reekie Tours and 1 h 15 min with Mercat Tours, which includes a walk through the old town.

### Can children go?
From age 5 on the daytime tours. On the night tours, Auld Reekie asks for age 12; Mercat admits children from age 5.

### Is it scary?
The daytime ones are history. The night ones tell tales of crimes and legends in the half-light. Mercat Tours says there are no staged scares on its tours.

### Are there tours in Spanish?
No. Both companies run their tours in English.

Destino: [Edinburgh](https://www.geocalia.com/en/scotland/edinburgh.md)