Edinburgh The Real Mary King’s Close Tickets
About this activity
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Experience Highlights
Get your tickets to Edinburgh's The Real Mary King's Close and go beneath the city's streets to experience a real story frozen in time. On this approximately 1 hour audio-guided tour, you'll discover the secrets of a perfectly preserved 17th century street, where the echoes of its former inhabitants still resonate.
Wander through a labyrinth of underground passages and alleyways as your guide relives the legends, myths and tragedies of Edinburgh's dark past. With the audio guide available in multiple languages, you won't miss a single detail of this journey into the hidden heart of the city.
- Book your tickets now and discover the secrets beneath the Royal Mile.
- Explore the only original 17th century Close still standing.
- Listen to the real stories with an audio guide in your own language.
What’s included
- General admission to The Real Mary King's Close
- Multilingual digital audioguide (download on official app)
- Headphones (compulsory during the visit)
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Keep in mind you need to arrive 15 minutes before start
Step by Step
Explore one of Scotland's most fascinating and enigmatic places with your ticket to The Royal Mary King's Close, Edinburgh's most famous underground labyrinth. Beneath the Royal Mile lies a set of streets that have been sealed off for centuries, preserved as they were in the 17th century.
During the approximately one hour tour, your guide will transport you back in time as you walk through passageways, dwellings and shops where the city's original inhabitants lived. You'll hear authentic stories of daily life, plague outbreaks, urban myths and the characters that shaped Edinburgh's past.
The beautifully restored sets recreate what life was like over 400 years ago. Imagine walking across dimly lit stone floors, shadows whispering fragments of history and superstition. Every nook and cranny tells a story, and every step descended brings you closer to the hidden Edinburgh.
Highlights of the tour include:
- Mary King's Close, unique in its original 17th century state.
- The underground alleyways, where daily life took place beneath the houses.
- Plague stories, with real accounts from doctors and neighbours who suffered from the plague.
- Legends and apparitions that have inspired local myths for generations.
- Historical anecdotes and curiosities about the real visitors and the most surprising events.
The experience includes a multilingual audio guide, which you can download to your smartphone using a code you will receive at the ticket office. You can follow the story in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin and other languages, enjoying the story in your own language as you explore Scotland's most mysterious passages.