Lantern Led Tours

  • 2nd - 31st Oct 2026
  • Every day, from 18.00
  • 1 hour
  • £31.50 per adult & £26 per child
  • No under 5 year olds
  • This tour is in English and Audio guides are not available

Book now

Lights Out for Lantern Led Tours at The Real Mary King’s Close 

Halloween in Edinburgh  – What to expect on a Lantern Led Tour

Step beneath the Royal Mile and shine a light on the past by joining an 𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐫 in Edinburgh in October. Descend the historic steps leading down from The Royal Mile onto Mary King’s Close.

During the 17th century, Edinburgh was still surrounded by the Flodden Wall, which prevented the city from expanding beyond it. Instead, we built upwards. Tenements in Edinburgh could reach heights of between 10 and 12 storeys during the period. Given how closely packed the streets were, it made it difficult for natural light to reach the lowest levels of the closes.

Experience the darkness for yourself by booking one of our lantern-led tours. All you will have to lead you is a resident of the close and the flickering of your lantern…🕯️

Learn about the 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬 of real people who used to roam the streets of Edinburgh. You’ll also meet a rather insidious character from the 17th century along the way, one that used to strike terror into people’s hearts at the very sight of them…

Please note that audio guides are not available for our Lantern-led Tours.

Don't take our words for it!

***** Tripadvisor | October 2024: “Walking with our dimly lit lanterns through the narrow, preserved streets and rooms, I felt transported back in time. It’s an eye-opening glimpse into how people once lived, worked, and survived in these closes.”

***** Tripadvisor | October 2024: “We did the lantern-led tour on Halloween night, and it was fantastic. The staff were great from start to finish but our tour guide was amazing. […] It was entertaining, informative and the right amount of atmosphere. […] This was on our bucket list and we would certainly recommend it.”

***** Tripadvisor | October 2024: “We had a great time walking through the warren of underground tunnels and staircases, lanterns in hand, learning about the history of Edinburgh. Plague doctors, witch pickers, foul clengers were a great part of the experience telling stories and engaging us in their stories. […] Highly recommend!”

***** Tripadvisor | October 2023: “I went at night on the lantern tour with my fiancée and our 2 kids ages 9 and 10 and we all loved it. Was a great mix of learning about the hidden history of Edinburgh while being entertaining too. Some good scares too but not enough to be too much for the kids. They loved it!”

***** Tripadvisor | October 2023: “Amazing experience, specially in the Halloween season! We took the lantern tour and its quite interesting. Spooky and historic at the same time.”

***** Tripadvisor | October 2023: “We learned a ton and had a few creepy moments. (…) Also this tour does include live theater to teach you, so note you may be picked on at some points to participate. Overall, it was a great tour and I definitely recommend!”

Register for updates

Be the first to hear about our events and receive priority access to ticket sales.