Discover Edinburgh City Centre Tour

7 miles / 12 km | Approximately 2 to 2.5 hours | Easy/Moderate

From £40

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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, King Charles’ 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.

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Where

Category

Half day guided tours

Start and Finish Place

Starts and finishes at our office in Leith

Distance

7 miles / 12 km

Terrain

There are a couple of short climbs on this tour, both of which can be walked in just a few minutes if you prefer to get off the bike. Otherwise it’s a mixture of flat and downhill.

Traffic

Mostly off-road on cycle paths but please note this tour does take us through the heart of the city and busy roads are unavoidable. We walk some of this as we tell you about the places we are seeing, and no one should feel worried about this section as we take it slowly and carefully to ensure your safety at all times.

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When

Total time

Approximately 2 to 2.5 hours

Start and finish time

Starts at 10:00 and finishes 2 to 2.5 hours later

Grade

Easy/Moderate

Price

From £40

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What You Get

Bike included

Yes

Helmet included

Yes

Guide included

Yes

Excluded

Drinks and snacks en route are not included.

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Children

Child friendly

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).

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…

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