The Real Mary King's Close

My son and I visited last May, and I was a bit apprehensive do to the possibility of steep walking areas, but to my surprise it was just fine. The ladies upon entrance were perfect, and our guide was wonderful, telling about the tales of Edinburgh of long ago, unfortunately we didn't see any ghosts, and Dr. Death was interesting to sit with, and the end of the tour was special too. (Don't want to blow it for others.) ENJOY, and have a brilliant time in magical Scotland.

First we were sad not to be able to take pictures downstairs (upstairs and in the shop it's allowed) but you don't have any time to be honest. Everything was exciting and the told history about Edinburgh and those buildings was fascinating! Anthony was the best tour guide we could imagine! His voice was perfectly loud, clear and well understandable! He gave clear instructions and was always kind and also very sweet at the end! His jokes were actually great and we had a lot to laugh between the facts and the "kind of dark" story about Mary King.

I had a lot of fun on this tour! I won’t spoil everything down there, but there’s definitely a lot to keep you entertained. Our guide was excellent and had a plethora of knowledge. No pictures are allowed, though you can buy an overpriced one at the end if you so choose. Wonderful gift shop too. We definitely picked up some Christmas gifts. Reservations are highly recommended as only so many people can fit down there at a time and your preferred time slots may sell out.

Had a blast! We are a family of 5 ranging from 5-43 years. Paul was a excellent guide who held the attention of even our littlest one. Really enjoyed the engaging tales and ghost stories. Would definitely recommend on a first time visit and absolutely visit again!!

What a great history of the place, and what a poor tour! I expected much more for this price. This could be one of the best immersive shows because the story and the place are authentic! Unfortunately, there was nothing to watch. The guide tried hard to be funny, and he really did his best to tell the story. But all the time, I had that feeling like he had no "tools" for making this tour interesting. I wish you could breathe more life into this empty Close. Make it more interesting for adults who love history. This place needs fresh blood! At the moment, I thank my great imagination, which did all the job for me to enjoy The REAL Mary King's Close! I wish I could go back to Edinburgh in a couple of years and visit this attraction once again to see its improvement. This is such a unique place with amazing real stories! Such a pity that it was given to us like a very poor quality attraction.

Our family loved this tour. It was a highlight of our trip to Edinburgh for sure. The kids loved it, and they were still talking about it days later. It’s family friendly and just the right length of time. The actors (tour guides) really make the experience shine. Also, their gift shop is full of fun and unique items. This tour is worth doing, so don’t forget to put it on your to do list.

This is definitely a must see and do experience in Edinburgh. Went on a late night tour of the the Close which added to the atmosphere of the experience. The tour guides give a great feeling of life in The Real Mary King's Close through the ages. At the end of the tour you exit through an amazing gift shop so make sure you have browse for some merch.

Visited today and took the tour with lovely Sarah. She was absolutely brilliant. The tour itself was great, really enjoyed it. Not going to write too much about it so there is no spoilers but would definitely recommend it. We didnt book and they had spaces, but it was a Wednesday in February so i imagine its best to book during busier months. No photos allowed during the tour but you do get a picture at the end which you can then purchase. The quality of the printed pictures is not amazing but we will get the digitals the tomorrow so we can reprint. We chose the mega package (£25) which contains 3 pictures (bear in mind its the same picture just different filter added on), a keyring and a magnet which you need to assemble yourself… I would say a little overpriced for the quality of the images. Overall it was a great experience and would definitely recommend. The pictures are from the gift shop

This was another fun tour I would highly recommend. Holly our host was really entertaining and educated us on everything we needed to know. It was really cool to learn about how people lived in those days and how the classes were segregated.

The sign that said '"2023 top 10 attractions in the UK" got us. This is similar to another tour that we did but different enough that we thoroughly enjoyed it. The staff was great, super cheerful, informative and friendly folks. I am glad that I was a not commoner in the 15-16th century in Edinburgh. Life was HELL...no exaggeration... look it up. The conditions were terrible including for the rich. Let me just say there is a good reason why they said you could smell Edinburgh before you could see it.

Truly amazing presentation! Tilly, our guide, was very knowledgeable and entertaining throughout. I strongly suggest!

A close is an alleyway. Mary King was a Burgess and prominent merchant. Rarely did women have a close named after them. Good job Mary. During the construction of the Royal Exchange in 1760, the close was partly demolished and buried beneath the new building's foundations. It became the subject of ghost stories/urban legends. No footage within the close. Rats were plentiful and their fleas carried the bubonic (skin boils) and pneumonic plagues (severe oxygen deficiency). There were 11 plague epidemics in Edinburgh. There is no photography in the close. You'll have to go.

The Real Mary King's Close is a very nice historic tour of a close (think neighborhood) prior to the Royal Exchange being built on top of it (the basics). You go from empty room to empty room (some rooms have small objects) to hear more history about the close, the plague, and the people that lived there. If you are claustrophobic, this is not the tour for you. You are underground with low ceilings, small doorways, and small passageways. Worth a see. Book ahead to walk straight into the tour line.

The Real Mary Kings Close is an eye opening tour into the "underground" of Edinburgh and it really does a good job telling the story of those who lived there, what happened and what the world was like during that time. That all being said, this is extremely "touristy" and a bit cheesy at times depending on your guide. The no photos policy also rubs me the wrong way since it's clearly just an excuse to sell you a souvenir photo at the end. Book in advance because it is very popular.

You basically learn about life in Edinburgh in the late 1500s and 1600s. Life was difficult- poverty, disease. Basically people lived inside the city walls, underground. And some of those walls remain today and that's what you see on this tour. The rooms they lived in, the kitchens they used, the bedrooms they slept. A piece of history. With alot of information. And a hint of drama from the charming tour guides.

My adult daughter and i really enjoyed this experience. Our guide was great! She really helped make the tour extra fun and informative. We both highly recommend it.

This is a very unique Edinburgh tour. One hour of experiencing the underground of the city. It's amazing how people lived in 17th&18th centuries. Excellent tour. They have a nice gift shop/coffee house at the start & finish. You need to be mobile for this tour.

The tour was just OK for me. It was our 2nd day in Edinburg, and had done 2 other (free) city walking tours. We learned a lot from those walking tours, and by the time we went to Mary Kings Close many things were repeats...thus anti-climatic. Our tour guide here also was not as good as the ones on the free city walking tours...probably because he didn't have to work hard for tips. It was neat being underground...but I guess you have to shell out $21 a person to do that! Photos are not allowed, so none to post.

Their customer service is lacking. I would not recommend spending your money with This company.

This is a fabulous exhibit. It gives you a true glimpse of what the historical makeup of Edinburgh Scotland might have looked like in the late 1500's - 1600's. The period actors help in re-creating a time long ago is an excellent way of engaging the audience in stepping back in time. With the city, being as old as it is, it is amazing they have been able to maintain this historic wedge of a place that once was.

James L tour guide made this tour! He was SO informative and SO entertaining and humorous. We leaned so much. My teenaged son was hesitant to do a guided tour and he LOVED IT. The whole family thought it was a highlight of our stay. My son exclaimed, "That was awesome, Mom! You were right." (How often do you hear that?) Thank you, James L.! Just trying to imagine exactly who could possibly have been offended by the horse hair comment (haha!). We Americans loved it and appreciate the extensive history of this beautiful country!

I had been to Edinburgh many times and just never did a tour of one of the Closes. So this time, with friends along, I took the tour. If you're familiar with the part of Edinburgh that you can see from "street" level, then you'll be amazed as what's going on below that. This was a great historical tour, with many areas essentially unchanged for at least a hundred years. You get a real sense of how life was like for poor people in a big city before plumbing. Hint: Be eternally grateful for plumbing. I was most curious about how they managed to light fires and have enough ventilation not to die of asphyxiation. Lots of great stories. History seems to be 50% the real deal and then some delightful tales thrown in for fun. You judge. Richard bought a rat at the gift shop and then fell in love with it. That's all the details you get. Exit through the gift shop.

Our tour guide Talia was absolutely fantastic. It's a little slice of Edinburgh life history. Amazing what is hidden under the city.

Great tour. Erin was fantastic. Give you a good fun history lesson of Edinburgh. Well done

Beth was an amazing tour guild. She made the experience feel so immersive! Her jokes were spot on and weaving history into reality was incredible. Highly recommend this experience if you are in Edinburgh.

Wonderful tour, providing an excellent example of what real life was like in 18th century Edinburgh. The guides capably illustrate living conditions in the close, presenting history in a readily comprehensible way. Well worth a visit. A caveat-reserve in advance, as the tour books up quickly.

Our tour guide Felicity was awesome! I was expecting a boring and dull tour of an underground street. Instead it was a fantastic, lively, and witty tour! Highly recomend!

We really enjoyed this exhibit. The owners have done a good job explaining how real people lived in a walled city during many points in time. Things were crowded then and even with timed admission and $25 entry fees, it's pretty crowded still. Our guide did a good job moving us through but it was a little claustrophobic. There were also parts of the story that didn't quite make sense and we struggled to get great answers. Still it's amazing that this part of life is preserved and near the heart of the tourist area.

Real Mary King's Close is widely considered to be the most haunted place in Scotland...so of course I booked a tour even before I left the United States. Booking online is the way to go since this attraction is located on the busy Royal Mile and you'd be taking your chances waiting until you were there in person! It costs £15.50 per person. Our guide is what really made the experience a 5-star one. I forget his name (maybe it was Malcolm?) but I'll post his picture. His enthusiasm for history, his attention to details and his sense of humor all added to the spooky yet interesting environment. The Close - really a series of streets- is 400 years old and was originally 7 stories high. The wealthier folks lived up top and the poor on the bottom. It's well-preserved since it was built over and forgotten until workers punched through to the lower levels. This 17th Century street saw the horrible outbreak of the Bubonic Plague/Black Death which eventually claimed one quarter of the country's population. It is said that the ceilings were covered with the ashes of plague victims mixed with horsehair and dirt. I found a wall that definitely had what looked and felt to be coarse horsehair embedded in it! It was highly unusual at the time to have a "close" named after a woman. Businesswoman Mary King was a resident, sold lace and fabrics and was considered the area's burgess- a representative of the people. She arrived on the scene in 1635. Another resident is the child ghost, "Annie." She is rumored to have died of the plague and haunts a small corner room. She made herself known to a Japanese psychic and it's rumored that she is searching for a lost toy. As a result, visitors have left her hundreds of stuffed animals to appease her restless spirit. It's charming and sad and spooky all at the same time. This is an incredible archaeological find and we are fortunate to be able to see it in person. The tour is about 1 hour long and you'll wanna go see the gift shop afterwards with its macabre trinkets. There's a café too, but it closes early - those cake slices in the glass case sure looked delicious though... This was a truly unique experience. Yelp Challenge 2018: 96/100

Very cool and informative! Sandy was a great tour guide. Definitely check this out if you find yourself in Edinburgh.

oh we ate this up. james stewart our tour guide did a great job as a merchant and seeing the historical streets was super cool. i want to do the true crime tour so bad next time

We booked a visit to the Real Mary King's Close and didn't really know what to expect. Taken down into the old Closes upon which the City Chambers are build our guide Euan very enthusiastically explained life in 1600s Edinburgh and pleasant it was not. A very surprising nice tour of an hour, which was well spent.

Really liked the history behind Mary King Close and Edinburgh. The place is like an underground maze nowadays but with the guided tour, you can explore the close in a structured and organized manner. You cannot wander off on your own, partly because it is not safe and they want to preserve the sites. They're hundreds of years old! The place was advertised to be kind of spooky but it wasn't really at all. It was more of a story telling format. And you go in groups of 10. Not really dark at all. The flooring is uneven and there are steep slopes so beware of that. Place was cool. Interesting history. The tour storytelling format was not as interesting with the portraits that talk to each other. Would I return? I would to accompany someone who hasn't been there before. That said, there are more interesting tours to go on, like Edinburgh Castle, Arthur's Seat, and Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Well done to VINCENT who gave a well conducted and informative tour of this amazing piece of historical heritage. Our family of 7 adults have talked of little since. The details of the confined spaces and terrible living conditions conditions need to be told (especially in todays material society). Then details of the plague doctors and their remedies. Marvellous. NOT TO BE MISSED. Thankyou

This is apparently a very popular tour, and I can see why. I'm from Seattle where we don't have much history and this tour blew my mind. Our tour guide, Catherine, was very informative and got into the role she was playing. It's hard for my tiny American brain to grasp that all that stuff happened, but the evidence was literally on the walls and the recreations were very good and I probably bought way too much stuff at the gift shop afterwards but it was just so cool!

unfortunately we missed our tour time slightly and the front desk wouldn't help figure out a solution and was quite rude. they wouldn't give us a refund or work with us to get in another tour. beware with timing here!

Exceptional tour. A really educational look into the history of old Edinburgh. Lots of great tour guides but Robert Burns (Matt) is the best!

This business and in particular their operations manager are aweful. We purchased 4 flex tickets and kids materials for a tour. We bought the flex tickets because we are touring Scotland and knew we needed flexibility. When we tried to reschedule they had no phone # available and their web site was unavailable. We then made a stop in the store in person. Despite them having unsold availability they refused to reschedule even though we paid extra for the flex ticket. Kayleigh was rude and not customer focused. She would not even give the kids the materials we paid for. Would highly recommend not using this company. Next step disputing charge on our credit card. Borderline Fraudulent Scam. Certainly are an embarrassment to Scotland as well.

It was a wonderful and educational experience. Ash our guide was great and gave us great insight. Go if you are in Edinburgh... you will not regret it!!

This is a must-see for anyone, whether you're interested in history or not. You'll be led on an underground tour by a very knowledgeable guide. The stories were absolutely fascinating, and seeing the structures that real people used to live in was surreal.

I visited Real Mary King's Close as the kick off to my Edinburgh trip. It was a great introduction into the history of the city and the hour long tour covers a lot of time. I purchased my tickets ahead of time and the price isn't that unreasonable. They had a student discount, so I was able to get my ticket for slightly less, which I appreciate as a perpetually broke grad student! I checked in for my tour about 20 minutes before my scheduled time and was directed to a courtyard behind the office where I would be picked up by my guide. Checking in with your guide is simple and they are very efficient about getting you started on time. My tour was a group of 20, so it got very crowded down in the close. I wish they would have capped it at 15 to allow for a better experience. Overall, the tour gave some interesting insight into Edinburgh's history. Sure, it's cheesy and a little dramatic at times, but the guides are great and the tour is fun and informational. I recommend booking a tour while you are in Edinburgh if you are interested in learning about how people lived here in the past. It's really interesting to walk in their footsteps!

Interesting, entertaining, and informative tour! I've spent a lot of time in Edinburgh, and I highly recommend this even if you only have a day or two in the city. Rose was our tour guide, and she was fantastic!

For the price of £20 per person we thought it was expensive for what there was. The price is more expensive than the royal yacht where you can spend all day in a lovely ,well developed exhibition with lots of things to see. Also of a similar price and underground exhibition is the jorvik Viking centre in York which is full of interesting models and exhibits. The Mary close lacks models and props to engage the viewer.mostly it is empty rooms and the tour relies on the guide to entertain.i expected to see at least a couple of extra guides maybe dressed as a plague doctor or resident on the close. The guide spoke too quickly but she did say some interesting things. The potential to develop this close idea is there and it could be good with more resources put into it.until there is more in there I suggest halving the price

I've been fascinated with the Bubonic Plague and its historical impact for as long as I can remember. When I went to Mary Kings Close, I at times felt chills. I could almost see the ancient people of Edinburgh trying their best to survive a plague that for all they knew could have ended them all. Makes you think...

Nice tour Quick story of edinburgh history etc I was bored and sleepy sometimes under the tour

I had a day to just 'wing it' In Edinburgh. I roamed around a bit until i stopped in to check out this attraction. And I'm glad i did. I didn't know what to expect. I mean, what's a close anyway? And why is this one so special? The customer service from start to finish was fantastic. I stopped into the visitor center to buy my tickets day of. I would recommend buying online or go get tickets early day of. My tour guide Ash was brilliant! Such great energy and delivery throughout the underground tour. Clearly she loves her job which is so refreshing. I don't want to give any of the fun away but it was a great experience. Yes, it's a tad creepy especially when you think of all the history but certainly not scary. Go!

Just below the bustling streets of Edinburgh's Royal Mile lies a hidden city where residents lived 100's of years ago. Tour Guide will take you down the steps to see what life was like back then as it's been preserved quite well. Some small spaces so watch your heads. Guide was funny and informative and you learn alot about "Mary" and the poor conditions they endured. The other "Mary --- Queen of Scots also spent a night here which you'll learn wasn't a pleasant stay.

Cool tour. Lots of history but presented in an engaging and informative way. Something I won't soon forget about my trip to Edinburgh.

Our tour guide was Matt and he was fun, informative and made it all worth while. I plan on visiting Scotland in the future and would definitely do this your again.

I have to admit - we saw this attraction online and immediately discounted it. I'm not usually one for costumes (unless I'm at Disneyland), and that's all I saw on their site. It took my Scottish colleague recommending it as a tour three or four times before I finally relented and purchased our tickets. The tour was nothing like I had expected. Sure, there were people in costumes, but there weren't any boogidies popping out at you from dark recesses of the close, nor were there any overly dramatic actors beseeching your "help". The flourishes that they did include were done well - surprisingly well. There's a bit of performance going on, to be sure, but it's not the over-the-top performance that their site leads you to believe is coming your way (or maybe that's just my cynicism sneaking out...) Our guide for the day was James (though he initially introduced himself as "Walter", being in character and all), and he was informative and funny. He answered our questions and ensured our safety (the close has some uneven footing, and it's not very well lit down there).

A very interesting hour or two spent underground in old Edinburgh. The history of the dark, disease ridden, city was described in detail with sufficient dioramas scattered around. Not for the 'frail' or those with mobility problems. Nor for young children as, I think, they would be bored stiff. But for adults, more education on how lucky we are in todays society. I must say the young lady, Rhonda was her name I think (excuse if incorrect and bad spelling), was brilliant in her narrative of every scene. Making it so real. To remind her, 'frieze' on the walls. She will remember that LOL. Great tour and thanks to everyone.

Had a very good time at this Edinburgh attraction that takes you underground to the old city close located inside the hill of old town. Your guide will take you from room to room explaining in detail the history of the close along with some tails of the paranormal. Our tour guide was amusing and really knew the history. Just note that it is kind of musty smelling and dusty so that can bother some. The tour cost £15.50 and it lasts about an hour. It was fun and I would do it again. Recommended.

I find the attractions really pricey- an hour tour for 17 pounds. The tour was nice, the host and guide very good and the close we visited really interesting. A bit inconvenient was that we came in the morning and could sign up only for the tour at 17h. I didn't like also the fact that we couldn't make pictures.

We heard greats things about this place but unfortunately the service here is TERRIBLE and they are not accommodating. My husband is diabetic and had a low blood sugar episode so we had to stop for sugar and to ensure we could stabilize it. As we pre-booked the tickets and showed up 10 minutes past our time and we're extremely apologetic and showed his medical card, they did nothing to assist us with re-booking or letting us take a later tour. This is just a money grab and completely unprofessional with subpar service. Don't waste your time or money here. Needless to say we are extremely disappointed and let down.

*this is a review of the cafe only, we did not experience th attraction We only stopped here for breakfast one morning on our way to visit other city sites. At first I thought the prices were a little much but then I saw the portion sizes. You're paying for a lot of food. Unfortunately the flavors is lacking. The bread to other stuff ratio of my sandwich was very off (almost comically large slices of bread) and the salad was just bitter mixed greens. The coffee was pretty awful too. Needless to say we chose not to revisit despite it's convenient location.

During my trip to Edinburgh, I didn't want to miss any of the tacky touristy highlights, so the Real Mary King's Close was on my list! I booked my time slot a few weeks ahead and showed up about 15 minutes before the alloted time. There are toilet facilities and a café and souvenir shop available at this attraction, if you show up way early or have to wait for your time slot to come around. Once it's time to go in, your costumed guide will announce the time slot and check your ticket before starting the tour. The close consists of a network of old streets and buildings underground, left over from the 17th century when Edinburgh was much steeper and lower than it is today, with many of the old closes (side streets that used to have gates on both sides and were thus closed off to anyone but the residents) filled in and built on top of. Our guide was unfortunately very stiff and rehearsed, even his movements seemed fake and studied, so it wasn't the most exciting of tours. To be honest, some of the walking tours I did were much more interesting and informative.  The small network of old buildings is definitely interesting and well preserved, it's nice to see what the closes used to look like, but you don't have much chance to explore in this guided tour. It wasn't terrible, but not a must-see either. Basically, it's like a diet version of the Dungeon franchise, so if that's your thing, do go! Otherwise, you might want to skip this and do one of the underground walking tours instead.

Great tour of life in Edinburgh thru the 17th century. Amber did an amazing job - very knowledgeable and she clearly enjoys what she does. Highly recommended.