Covers London, Edinburgh, Dublin and Central Europe, where the ghost walks are old and the summer nights are short.
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South Bridge doesn't look like a bridge. You walk along it past shops and never notice the 19 arches under your feet.
Inside those arches are rooms. About 120 of them, in a bridge that went up between 1785 and 1788. They started as taverns, workshops and storage, turned into slum housing as damp crept in, and were abandoned some time in the 1800s. Nobody paid them much attention until excavations in the 1980s.
Now they're the backbone of Edinburgh's ghost tour trade. And you can't just walk in.
Different companies hold different sections. Mercat Tours has the Blair Street vaults to itself. Auld Reekie Tours, City of Edinburgh Tours and City of the Dead Tours all go into the South Bridge vaults. Separately, City of the Dead is the only operator that unlocks the Covenanter's Prison in Greyfriars Kirkyard at night. So choosing a vaults tour is mostly choosing a set of keys.
At a glance
Best overall
City of the Dead's Double Dead: South Bridge vaults plus the Covenanter's Prison, 12+
Only way into Blair Street
Mercat Tours, which ends with a drink in a candlelit cellar
Best for kids
City of Edinburgh Tours' 6:45 p.m. walk, from age 5, $26 (€23)
Adults only
Auld Reekie's Terror Tour, strictly 18+, with a torture exhibition
When it gets dark
6:51 p.m. in October; after 11:00 p.m. in June
Book direct?
City of the Dead sells the Double Dead for $29 (€26; £22) on its own site
On this page
5 tours that passed our bar, ranked
Every tour we scored that includes this sight, in Night Score order. Night Score = 30% rating, 10% review count, 20% price per hour, 40% how much the night is the point. How we score
Two locked places in one evening: the South Bridge vaults, then the Covenanter's Prison in Greyfriars Kirkyard. Nobody else does both. A 4.9 from 1,018 reviews and a small group, a maximum of 6 on the Viator page, put it first on every factor except proven. It leaves from the tree beside St Giles' Cathedral and ends at Greyfriars Bobby's Bar. No under-12s. Viator charges $35 (€31); the operator's own site lists $29 (€26; £22). City of the Dead warns it can cause genuine distress, and turns away anyone drunk.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%8.2
Review countData · 10%7.6
Price per hourData · 20%8.0
After darkEditors · 40%8.0
What it is: A 1 hour 45 minute City of the Dead Tours walk into the South Bridge vaults and the locked Covenanter's Prison in Greyfriars Kirkyard.
Good to know: Small groups (the page states a maximum of 6); minimum age 12. Leaves from the tree beside St Giles' Cathedral and ends at Greyfriars Bobby's Bar. The operator sells a separate daytime vaults tour, so this is its evening product.
After dark: Combines the South Bridge vaults with the locked Covenanter's Prison in Greyfriars, a section only City of the Dead tours enter.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
The only way into the Blair Street vaults, which Mercat says are exclusively accessible with its tours. Two hours from the Mercat Cross, ending with a dram of Ballantine's, a hazy IPA or a soft drink in Megget's Cellar, plus the Vaults Museum. Rated 4.7 from 2,843 reviews, which is why it's second and not first. At $41 (€37) it's the priciest here, but the drink is included and Viator sells the same tour for $46 (€41). Groups up to 18. Ages 5 and up.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%5.3
Review countData · 10%9.1
Price per hourData · 20%7.9
After darkEditors · 40%8.0
What it is: A two-hour Mercat Tours evening walk from the Mercat Cross to the Blair Street vaults, with a drink in Megget's Cellar.
Good to know: Includes a dram of Ballantine's Scotch, a hazy IPA or a soft drink, plus the Vaults Museum. Small group (Mercat's Viator listing caps it at 18); no children under 5. Viator sells it as 2934P18 (4.8, 679 reviews) at $46.10, so the GetYourGuide price is lower.
After dark: An evening-only storytelling walk ending in the Blair Street vaults, with a candlelit drink below the street.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on GetYourGuide on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
The family pick. City of Edinburgh Tours runs this 75-minute walk at 6:45 p.m. from the police box at 124 High Street, down into the South Bridge vaults and past Greyfriars Kirkyard. With 10,946 reviews it's the most proven tour on the page; a 4.6 rating is what keeps it third. From $26 (€23), with child and senior discounts and no under-5s. The catch is size: up to 28 per group, which is a lot of people for a stone room. It loops back to the start.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%3.6
Review countData · 10%10.0
Price per hourData · 20%7.9
After darkEditors · 40%8.0
What it is: A 75-minute evening ghost walk by City of Edinburgh Tours from the police box at 124 High Street, with the South Bridge vaults and Greyfriars Kirkyard.
Good to know: The 6:45 p.m. tour is pitched at families; no under-5s. Up to 28 per group; child and senior discounts. Returns to the start. The GetYourGuide 'Evening Underground Ghost Tour' (t70363, 4.4) looks like the same operator's listing and was not recorded.
After dark: An evening walk of the Old Town that goes down into the South Bridge vaults and past Greyfriars Kirkyard after dark.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Strictly 18+, and Auld Reekie means it. The late slots, which its site lists at 9:00, 10:00 and 11:00 p.m., go into the South Bridge vaults and its Torture Exhibition, with instruments the company says came from Nuremberg and Bamberg castles. Rated 4.6 from 4,723 reviews. At $35 (€31) for 75 minutes the per-hour value is the weakest here, which is why it's fourth. Meet at the police box at 300 Lawnmarket, opposite Deacon Brodie's Tavern. Not for claustrophobia or anyone with limited mobility.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%3.6
Review countData · 10%9.9
Price per hourData · 20%6.7
After darkEditors · 40%8.0
What it is: A 75-minute adults-only tour by Auld Reekie Tours into the South Bridge vaults plus their Torture Exhibition, from the Lawnmarket.
Good to know: Strictly 18+. Meet at the police box in front of 300 Lawnmarket, opposite Deacon Brodie's Tavern. Not for claustrophobia or limited mobility. Auld Reekie's own Viator listing of this tour (8752P3, 4.7, 455 reviews) caps groups at 32.
After dark: The adults-only late slot takes you into the South Bridge vaults at the hour the ghost stories are set.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on GetYourGuide on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Auld Reekie's 90-minute combination of Greyfriars Kirkyard and the South Bridge vaults, which Viator calls the Niddry Street vaults. The vaults include a stone circle the company says only its tours reach. It's last because it scores lower on our after-dark factor: Auld Reekie's site lists departures from 5:30 p.m., which is daylight much of the year. Book the 7:30 or 8:00 p.m. slot in summer. $35 (€31), 4.6 from 7,514 reviews, same Lawnmarket start as the Terror Tour.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%3.6
Review countData · 10%10.0
Price per hourData · 20%7.4
After darkEditors · 40%7.0
What it is: A 90-minute Auld Reekie Tours walk combining Greyfriars Kirkyard with the South Bridge (Niddry Street) vaults, from the Lawnmarket.
Good to know: Suggested for ages 12+, no children under 2. Same Lawnmarket meeting point as the Terror Tour. Also on Viator (8752P4, 4.8, 2,161 reviews, $35.37); we kept the GetYourGuide listing for its review count.
After dark: Greyfriars Kirkyard and the vaults are eerier in the dark, though the same tour also runs earlier in the day.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on GetYourGuide on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Reserve links go to GetYourGuide or Viator. Booking through them can earn us a commission at no cost to you; it never changes a score or a rank. How we make money
Who has which vaults
This is the bit that confuses everyone, so here it is plainly.
Blair Street vaults: Mercat Tours only. Its tours start at the Mercat Cross on the High Street and end at the Vaults Museum on Blair Street, off Hunter's Square.
South Bridge vaults (Niddry Street side): Auld Reekie Tours, from 300 Lawnmarket. Its office is at 45 Niddry Street. Auld Reekie also hires the vaults out overnight for ghost hunts, at $1,069 (€955; £800) for up to 35 people.
South Bridge vaults, other tours: City of Edinburgh Tours from 124 High Street, and City of the Dead from St Giles'.
Is one set better? Honestly, from the street you'd never tell them apart, and every company calls its own section one of the most haunted places in Scotland. That's marketing. Pick on group size, age limits and what else the tour includes.
The Covenanter's Prison
After the Battle of Bothwell Bridge in June 1679, about 1,200 Covenanter prisoners were marched to Edinburgh. The jails couldn't hold them, and many were kept in a field just south of Greyfriars Kirkyard. That enclosure is what's now called the Covenanter's Prison.
The City of Edinburgh Council locked it to stop vandalism and drug use. By day, you can sometimes get in by arrangement with the guides at Greyfriars Kirk. At night the only way through the gate is a City of the Dead tour.
City of the Dead calls it the lair of the Mackenzie Poltergeist and posts photos customers send of supposed "attacks". The quote marks are theirs. Take it as theatre and it's a very good night out. The kirkyard itself, with its old tombs and the gated prison section behind it, is the strongest setting in the city for a ghost story.
City of the Dead's Double Dead is the one tour that combines the prison with the vaults. Its schedule changes with the seasons: from Easter to Halloween it runs at 8:00 p.m. nightly plus 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; from Halloween to Easter, 7:30 p.m. nightly plus an extra 7:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Night versus day in the vaults
Underground, it's always dark. So what does night add?
The walk. You cross the Old Town to get there, down closes off the Royal Mile and into Greyfriars, and after dark that part is the show. Daytime vaults tours exist: Auld Reekie runs one every 30 minutes from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for $32 (€29; £24), and Mercat has a morning and afternoon history walk. They're fine. They're history lessons. The evening tours are ghost stories, which is what most people came for.
Watch the calendar. Edinburgh is far enough north that in June it isn't dark until 11:01 p.m., and full darkness never quite arrives. Any tour you take in summer is a tour in daylight until you go underground. October is dark by 6:51 p.m., December by 4:25 p.m. Night lows hover around 36°F (2°C) in January and 46°F (8°C) in October. Bring a layer.
Age limits and access
This decides it for a lot of people.
From 5: Mercat's vaults tour, and City of Edinburgh Tours' 6:45 p.m. walk.
From 12: City of the Dead's Double Dead, and Auld Reekie's Vaults and Graveyard tour (its own site says not suitable for under-12s).
18 and over: Auld Reekie's Terror Tour.
Auld Reekie says its Terror Tour isn't for anyone with claustrophobia or limited mobility. City of the Dead rules out pregnant women, people with heart conditions and anyone who has trouble walking. Hen and stag parties are refused. I'd take that last one as a recommendation.
Halloween, and what to skip
Mercat, Auld Reekie and City of the Dead all run Halloween tours. In 2026 Mercat's Halloween Underground ran from 23 to 31 October, and Auld Reekie added a Midnight Special on 30 and 31 October, 18+, at $45 (€41; £34). Book those early or not at all.
Skip the all-day Underground Vaults Tour if you came for atmosphere. It's popular, but nothing about it is built for the evening.
For the rest of the city after dark, ghost buses and pub tours included, see our Edinburgh night tours page.
Frequently asked questions
Which Edinburgh vaults tour is best?
On our Night Score, City of the Dead's Double Dead: 4.9 from 1,018 reviews, a small group, and the only tour that adds the Covenanter's Prison to the South Bridge vaults. It's 12+.
Can you visit the Edinburgh Vaults without a tour?
No. The vaults are run by tour companies and you go in with a guide. Auld Reekie and Mercat both run daytime vaults tours if you'd rather skip the ghost stories.
Are the Edinburgh Vaults suitable for children?
Some tours are. Mercat's vaults tours and City of Edinburgh Tours' 6:45 p.m. walk take children from 5. City of the Dead and Auld Reekie's graveyard combination are 12+, and Auld Reekie's Terror Tour is 18+.
What is the difference between the South Bridge and Blair Street vaults?
They're different sections held by different companies. Mercat Tours has exclusive access to the Blair Street vaults. Auld Reekie, City of Edinburgh Tours and City of the Dead go into the South Bridge vaults.
Can you go inside the Covenanter's Prison?
It's locked. By day you may get in by arrangement with the Greyfriars Kirk guides. At night, a City of the Dead tour is the only way through the gate.
How long is an Edinburgh vaults tour?
From 75 minutes for City of Edinburgh Tours and Auld Reekie's Terror Tour to two hours for Mercat's evening vaults tour with a drink. The Double Dead is about 1 hour 45 minutes.
Further reading
Official sources
City of the Dead Tours: Double Dead Tour– Seasonal start times, price, no under-12s, Tree of the Dead start, vaults and Covenanter's Prison, health warnings, checked October 26, 2026
Mercat Tours: Haunted Underground– Blair Street vaults exclusively accessible with Mercat, Mercat Cross start, Vaults Museum finish, ages 5+, checked October 26, 2026
Mercat Tours: tour list– Historic Vaults daytime walk; Halloween Underground 23 to 31 October 2026, checked October 26, 2026
Auld Reekie Tours: tours and times– Terror Tour, Vaults and Graveyard, daytime Vaults Tour times, prices and age limits; 300 Lawnmarket start; stone circle; torture exhibition; overnight hire, checked October 26, 2026
Wikipedia: Edinburgh Vaults– South Bridge 1785 to 1788, about 120 rooms in 19 arches, uses, abandonment, 1980s rediscovery, checked October 26, 2026
Wikipedia: Greyfriars Kirkyard– Covenanter prisoners after Bothwell Bridge 1679; council lock; day access via kirk guides; City of the Dead at night, checked October 26, 2026
