Free Dean Village & New Town Tour
About our free Dean Village & New Town tour
Two hours around elegant Edinburgh: the Georgian New Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Dean Village, a fairy-tale hamlet hidden in the heart of the city. Pay what you think it was worth.
If you are keen to delve deeper into the history of Edinburgh, if you'd like to avoid its most touristed spots or if you want to discover its best kept secrets, you can not miss the Free Dean Village & New Town Tour.
In the Free Dean Village & New Town Tour, you'll discover all the secrets of one of the most historical neighborhoods in Edinburgh, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Be fascinated by the transformation experienced by one of Europe's leading cities during the Age of Enlightenment.
During the second half of the 18th century, Edinburgh transformed from a dark, dirty, and uncomfortable city into a modern, open center that welcomed some of the most brilliant minds of the European Enlightenment. On this tour, you'll learn how it managed to influence the world we know today.
During the tour, we'll take you to Dean Village, a quaint little hamlet that looks straight out of a fairy tale, hidden away in the heart of the city. Founded by monks in the 12th century, it has remained almost untouched over the centuries and is one of the most picturesque spots in Edinburgh.
Take this walk through some of the most elegant streets of the city, enjoy its gardens and parks, its incomparable views, and take advantage of some of the best photo spots in Edinburgh. Discover the most interesting shops, pubs, and restaurants of Edinburgh and appreciate a 100% Scottish experience.
On Sundays, don’t miss the chance to pop over to the Stockbridge farmers' market after the tour. It's just a short stroll from Dean Village and definitely worth a visit.
Duration: 2 hours
Check departure days and times in the calendar. Book to secure your place.
Language: English
Prefer Spanish? See the Free Tour de Dean Village & New Town.
Meeting point: 154 High Street
In front of The Copper Still on the Royal Mile. Open in Google Maps.
Pay what you like
Booking is free. At the end, you decide how much to give your guide, in cash or by card.
Look for the yellow umbrellas!
What you’ll see in the Dean Village and New Town
The construction of the New Town and the great transformation of Edinburgh
Dean Village, a fairy-tale hamlet in the heart of Edinburgh
The ideas of the Scottish Enlightment
The Scottish inventions and their great influence througout all the world
The Princes Street Gardens, the most appreciated by Edinburgh citizens
Some of the best neoclassic and Georgian architectural examples in the UK
The evolution of the old financial district of Edinburgh
The Scottish Prime Minister's house and Scottish politics
The Scottish National Gallery
Calton Hill, the acropolis of Edinburgh
The best panoramas of Edinburgh
The main street for shops, pubs and restaurants
The memorials of the Scottish heroes
...and much more!
Your guide may adapt the route to the needs of each group.
How does a free walking tour in Edinburgh work?
- Free booking, no commitment: you can move or cancel your booking if your plans change.
- You decide freely at the end of the tour how much to give.
- Guaranteed quality, backed by thousands of happy travellers.
- Local guides who know Edinburgh inside out.
How much should you tip on a free walking tour?
There is no fixed amount. As a guide, most travellers give between £10 and £50, depending on how much they enjoyed the tour. You can pay in cash or by card.
Free New Town tour: good to know
Booking confirmation
Your confirmation email or a screenshot on your phone is all you need.
Card payments
You can tip your guide in cash or by card. Our guides carry their own card reader.
Groups
Groups of up to 12 people can join our free tours. If you are more, please book a Private Dean Village & New Town Tour.
School groups
School groups of any size should book a private tour.
Reduced mobility
Let us know in advance and we will adapt the route so it is accessible, without changing the essence of the tour.
Pushchairs
There are a few steps and some uneven paving, but the tour can be done with a pushchair.
Minimum group size
Tours need a minimum of 6 people, children included, to go ahead.
Weather
Tours run come rain, snow or shine. Please dress for the weather.
Children
Children are very welcome as long as they are accompanied by an adult.
Dogs
Well-behaved dogs are welcome on a lead.
What our guests say about the Free New Town Tour
City Explorers has a 5.0 rating on Google from 27,096 reviews. Here is a selection of real reviews, updated every week. Tap any review to read it in full.
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Dan was such a great guide, would definitely recommend for others and future self when visiting Edinburgh again. Lots of good humor and theatrical expressions!
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I and my friends loved the tour. Cobin was a lovely guide, very funny and knowledgeble. He also gave us great tips about local pubs and food.
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I learned a lot from this tour. It was interesting and fun but Colan made it more even fun and light. He also was funny which made it more delightful.
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We had an amazing tour with Kenny! He was very friendly, knowledgeable and very funny! Would go on another tour with him any day :)
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SJ was our tour guide last night, she was a great storyteller who was really animated and entertaining! We would highly recommend!
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Great experience with our guide Coben. Funny, interesting and we got a different view on the City of Edinburgh.
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Wonderful insights, stories and navigation. Got us to all the highlights and more but routed to avoid/minimize the interaction with other tours. Some of the side bar stories were the best.
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Cobin is amazingly good with a hint of fun story teller! He made a boring history particularly very very very interesting and easy to remember! Highly and exceptionally recommended!! If you don’t, you’ll miss half the adventure of your life!!
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Cobin was a great tour guide!! Lovely humor and a lot of fun facts. Would definitely recommend to friends and family:)
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I had fun listening to the stories our guide shared. He was totally entertaining, built the atmosphere and hooked us into the experience.
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Rory was a very cool and charming tour Guide. The storys were very nice and for us from germany very good understandble. And it was nice to learn so much about the dark history of scotland and edinburgh
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Dr Rory can tell a story! I couldn't believe how quickly the tour ended. When I looked at my watch and hour and a half had passed! Get a tour, get it with Rory !
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Griem was a fantastic tour guide ! He was very helpful, showed a great amount of knowledge about the city, and I loved his sense of humour:))
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Great tour, got all the major sights and lots of history. Kenny, our guide, was very knowledgeable and eloquent he made the tour very interesting and fun at the same time.
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I highly recommend this tour! Rory’s gory stories were amazing, you can really tell he loves the job and makes the tour feel very special!
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Had a wonderful tour through Edinburgh. Cobin is a very funny guy with great knowledge about the city and entertaining storytelling
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Cobin was an awesome guide. We got a lot of interesting information on our tour. He was clever and very engaging. He paced the tour so we could all follow along and he was very careful that we were all with him and safe. Thanks Cobin for an interesting morning!
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Cobin was very entertaining and informative. The pacing and humor of the tour was well balanced and enjoyable
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Graeme was a fantastic tour guide with many interesting stories and so much knowledge. Highly recommend this tour and guide
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Our guide was Kenny. He was very knowledgeable and informative and had a really good sense of humour! Fantastic tour. Highly recommend
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Kenny was entertaining and knowledgeable. He was happy to answer all of our questions and gave us a brilliant tour
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Absolute riveting. Our tour guide Dan was a gem and a really fantastic storyteller. He has great knowledge and even had some extra facts. Highly recommend.
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We had a great experience with Cobin! He was very friendly and made the tour really enjoyable. We had a wonderful time. Highly recommend!
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Excellent tour. Cobin was a very fun and engaging guide, with some interesting anecdotes and a strong storytelling
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Fantastic tour hosted by Glen. Very impressed with the information and interaction given, it made the whole experience very interesting and pleasant! Thanks Glen!
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Great experience, Dan was really knowledgable and full of energy and showed us all the places with their stories
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Graeme's tour was FAB! We saw so much more than we expected, lots of great stories. Thanks so much!
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He’s a charming gentleman with a great sense of humor and interesting stories about the city of Edinburgh. I highly recommend! It was a very fun tour!
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Kenny did a wonderful job of blending, history, modern recommendations and gorgeous views all while not allowing any of us to get separated. Big highlight!
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Excellent guided tour given by Sarah for the Edinburgh City tour and Graham for the Dean Village tour ! Highly recommended!
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Selected real reviews from Google · Updated November 2026