Sightseeing & Scones with a Local
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
From EUR 41.96
Office phone number:
Sightseeing & Scones with a Local
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Culture shock rating
Worried we’re going to shock your senses? Relax! We believe part of the fun of travel is immersing yourself in the destination and its culture, meeting the people, and learning what makes the place tick. We’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The cultural shock rating ranks how different the experience is from most Western cultures. But no matter the level, don’t worry, you’ll have a local, in-the-know guide with you every step of the way.
Low
Consider these tours your 101 intro to a place. Transportation might be private or a very comfortable public option, and the activities are usually visits to iconic sites and locations that are familiar to most Western cultures – but that will still give you fantastic insight into a destination.
Medium
Expect to rough it for parts of this tour, whether that’s on a packed public bus or in a local market off the tourist trail. There might be a few language barriers or unfamiliar cultural customs, and you’ll get an experience different from what you're used to at home.
High
You're out there in the global community! We’re going to take you down streets you’d rarely explore on your own, introduce you to local customs and languages, and take you for a ride in whatever transport is available. Get ready to take it as it comes, whatever comes. There might be a shock, but oh man, it’s worth it.
Physical rating
Worried our tours are too tough? Relax! From leisurely strolls to muscle-burning treks, we’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The physical grading gives you an idea of how much huffing and puffing you can expect on the tour.
Low
Slow and steady is all you need here. These tours have very limited physical activity, such as walking relatively flat streets, sites, or markets, and climbing in and out of the transport provided.
Medium
Not too hard, not too soft, these tours are just right! You can expect a bit of physical activity, but nothing overly challenging – perhaps walking up and down hills, riding a bike for up to 30 kilometers along mostly flat terrain, or jumping in a kayak for a gentle paddle on flat water.
High
Get ready for a workout! These tours are our most challenging and involve intense walking, hiking, kayaking, swimming, or bike riding. You could be making steep climbs by foot or pedal, or working your core in the water. We recommend you have a good level of fitness to join this tour.
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Tour snapshot
Soak up the sights and history of one of the UK’s most magical cities alongside a tour guide with a difference. Your guide for the afternoon has been trained by Invisible Cities Edinburgh, an inspiring social enterprise group who support and train locals who have experienced homelessness to become tour guides. The money from your tour fee will go directly back to your guide and to the organisation to continue all their good work. See the sights and give something back to the local community? It’s every ethical tourist’s dream!
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Highlights
- See some of Edinburgh’s top sights, including the Scottish Parliament buildings, the Royal Mile and Canongate Cemetery, with a local by your side!
- Learn about the city’s 10,000 year old history
- Discover the stories of the three famous Robert’s; Burns, Louis Stevenson and Ferguson
- Pay your respects to Edinburgh’s most beloved dog
- Enjoy a cuppa and a scone like a true Brit at an inspirational community café
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Schedule details
- Duration: 1,5 hours
- Meeting point:
Esplanade at Scottish Parliament, the postcode is EH99 1SP
- Starting time: 2.00 PM
- Ending point:
Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row EH1 2 QA
Language: English
Inclusions: Local, English-speaking guide, one hot drink and one scone
Exclusions: Additional food and drinks, souvenirs and personal shopping, tips/gratuities for your guide
Your Edinburgh adventure will begin at the Scottish Parliament buildings, where we’ll marvel at the post modern architecture and hear about the history and politics of the new parliament vs the old parliament.
Next we’ll head across the Royal Mile to Whitefoord House, a residence for ex-service men who find themselves living on the streets. Here, we’ll chat about Invisible Cities and the work that they are doing to support and empower Edinburgh’s homeless community.
Did you know Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was inspired by a local Edinburgh Story? At Canongate Cemetery you will hear the story of the three Roberts; Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert Ferguson as we focus on Scotland’s extraordinary literary history.
Several more historic stops will follow, including the old Tollbooth building and prison, the Tron Kirk church, the city walls and the old marketplace.
Our final stop will be the Grassmarket Community Project, which won a Social Enterprise award in 2017. It’s a quirky community café that offers a range of social integration and educational activities for members. These include IT, reading and writing and cookery classes, plus sewing and photography courses, all aimed at supporting the homeless community in and around Edinburgh.
Here, we will partake in that oh so British of conventions, tea and a scone, made with love by members of the project. Before you go, don’t forget to ask your guide for tips on what else to see, do and eat during your stay in Edinburgh.
About Invisible Cities: Invisible Cities trains people who have experienced homelessness to become walking tour guides of their own city. We offer alternative tours that are always a mix of history, local knowledge and social impact. 100% of our profit is reinvested in developing our guides further with education or new opportunities. We also invest in events and campaigns for the wider homeless community. Money from this tour will help us organise high quality training for our guides, who have all experienced homelessness. Our training is focused on public speaking, self-confidence and customer service which are all skills, that can be taken anywhere. Our main goal is to support our guides, to become whatever they have decided to be. We support them with further training and development opportunities and organise events in the community such as “The Street Barber Edinburgh” where we give free haircuts and toiletries directly from the streets.
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Additional information
Inclusions: Local, English-speaking guide, one hot drink and one scone
Exclusions: Additional food and drinks, souvenirs and personal shopping, tips/gratuities for your guide
Your Trip: For your Urban Adventure you will be in a small group of a maximum of 12 people.
Confirmation of booking: If you have your voucher, your booking is confirmed. We'll see you at the start point. Get in touch if you have any concerns or require more information via the email address or phone number (business hours only) on your voucher.
Closure of sites: If the social enterprise cafe is closed, we will visit another cafe in the area
Child Policy: This is a child-friendly tour. Children between the ages of 6 and 11 inclusively are permitted on this tour at the rate listed above. Please select ‘child’ above when booking. Children under the age of 6 are permitted to join this tour free of charge. Please inform us at the time of booking if you’ll be bringing a child under the age of 6. You can do so in the special request box on the checkout page.
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Dietary Notes
We can accommodate vegetarians and other dietary restrictions. Please notify us in advance if you have any dietary requests. You can do so in the ‘Additional information’ box at checkout, or by emailing us at
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Local contact
Office phone number:
Email address: zakia@Invisible-cities.org
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