Enlightenment in Edinburgh: A Self-Guided Walking Tour
Overview
This self-guided audio tour takes you on a journey with the intellectual giants and freethinkers who put Edinburgh on the map. Experience the magic of GPS playback on this immersive stroll through Edinburgh.
When Edinburgh’s Old Town became overcrowded and filthy in the 1700s, a radical plan was devised to build a new town with wide, clean streets and gracious Georgian housing. On this walking tour, you’ll discover how this radical thinking wasn’t restricted to town planning.
Along the way, you’ll hear about David Hume, Adam Smith, Walter Scott, and James Hutton, all giants of Europe’s Enlightenment Movement, a period of intellectual fervour in the 1700s.
You’ll discover how Edinburgh broke free of traditional thinking and flourished as a centre for new ideas in Architecture, Engineering, Medicine, Science, Geology, Philosophy, Education and the Arts. You’ll also hear how this put the city on the intellectual map, with its thinkers and inventors influencing the world.
What's Included
- Get unlimited, lifetime use of this tour, before your booking date and after it
- The virtual playback option, so you can listen to this tour like an audiobook from anywhere
- Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
- Directions to the starting point so that when you’re in the right place, the tour will start
- Flexibility to explore at your own pace with a self-guided GPS tour
- Smartphones and headphones (please bring your own)
- Entrance fees
Meeting Location
High Street
Edinburgh EH1 1RE, UK
Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.
Charlotte Square
Edinburgh EH2, UK
The tour ends at Charlotte Square.
What To Expect
Book Online
Safe & secure Easy breezy Hassle‑free
St Giles' Cathedral (pass by)
Royal Mile (pass by)
Adam Smith Statue (pass by)
Surgeons' Hall Museums (pass by)
Old College, The University of Edinburgh (pass by)
Princes Street Gardens (pass by)
Scott Monument (pass by)
St. Andrew Square Garden (pass by)
James Clerk Maxwell Statue (pass by)
Charlotte Square Private Garden (pass by)
Additional Info
- Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Frequently Asked Questions (7)
Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Enlightenment in Edinburgh: A Self-Guided Walking Tour?
Cancellation Policy
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Activity code: C-110804P757
Traveler Photos
Reviews
Average 5.00 out of 5 stars based on 1 traveler reviews collected by Cool Shore Excursions and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor
Additional Info
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Frequently Asked Questions (7)
The answers provided below were previously given in response to questions from Cool Shore Excursions customers.
Filter by:
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.
- Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (GMT).
- Get unlimited, lifetime use of this tour, before your booking date and after it.
- The virtual playback option, so you can listen to this tour like an audiobook from anywhere.
- Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata.
- Directions to the starting point so that when you’re in the right place, the tour will start.
- Flexibility to explore at your own pace with a self-guided GPS tour.
- Smartphones and headphones (please bring your own).
- Entrance fees.
The minimum age to participate is 6..
Apr 2025If a date or time is not listed on the calendar, it’s sold out or unavailable for another reason. Support cannot assist further if a date or time is not on the calendar.
If you find a date and time that works for you, book it NOW because things always sell out at this time of year.
Apr 2025Accessibility information for the Enlightenment in Edinburgh: A Self-Guided Walking Tour is as follows:
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Detailed check-in instructions – including meeting point address, Google map, and parking information – for Enlightenment in Edinburgh: A Self-Guided Walking Tour will be included in your confirmation email from Cool Shore Excursions. Please be sure to double and triple check your email address is correct at checkout so this important email makes its way to you!
Mar 2024Once your refund is processed, it usually shows on your card statement within 5–10 business days. The exact timing depends on your bank or card issuer.
Want it sooner? When you cancel, choose Receive a refund to my wallet instead. The credit is in your Wallet straight away and is applied automatically at checkout on your next booking when you’re signed in with the same email. You can see your balance any time in My Wallet.
If you paid part of your booking with Wallet credit, that part always goes back to your Wallet. Trip protection isn’t refundable.
Oct 2026What's Included
- Get unlimited, lifetime use of this tour, before your booking date and after it
- The virtual playback option, so you can listen to this tour like an audiobook from anywhere
- Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
- Directions to the starting point so that when you’re in the right place, the tour will start
- Flexibility to explore at your own pace with a self-guided GPS tour
- Smartphones and headphones (please bring your own)
- Entrance fees
Additional Info
- Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
