On this fantastic Harry Potter-inspired walking tour of Edinburgh, you will visit some of the haunts where J. K. Rowling would sip coffee and put pen to paper writing the first Harry Potter books as her baby daughter slept in her pram. Learn about this extraordinary author, see the places she drew inspiration from, and purchase novelties from Potter-themed shops.
On your private tour, you will:
- Meet your tour guide outside the exclusive Balmoral Hotel, where J.K. Rowling finished writing the last book in the series, the Deathly Hallows;
- Stop by Museum Context, aka Diagon House, a shop selling all things related to Harry Potter from wands to broomsticks to stuffed Hedwigs and Harry Potter T-shirts as well as a variety of other magical goodies;
- Walk up to Edinburgh City Chambers to see J.K. Rowling’s handprints and signature;
- Pause at the Heart of Midlothian mosaic where Edinburgh Old Town begins to hear how Edinburgh influenced the author - and the impact J. K. Rowling has had on the city;
- Pass by the Writers' Museum, where the first edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone / Philosopher’s Stone that J.K. Rowling illustrated went on public display;
- Explore the narrow curved and cobbled Victoria Street, Candlemaker Row, and West Bow in the central Grassmarket Area - believed by some to be an inspiration for Diagon Alley (a cobblestone shopping street with stores selling wizardly supplies) in the Harry Potter books;
- Enjoy a famously delicious Scottish whisky ice cream on us!
- Visit the Greyfriars Kirkyard after your icecream break, where several of the most prominent names in the series seem to have originated, including Riddle, Moodie and McGonagall;
- Admire the medieval gothic architecture and house names of Edinburgh’s George Heriot's School, does it remind you of… Hogwarts?;
- Stop outside the McEwan Hall - the graduation venue for the University of Edinburgh, and where J.K. Rowling received her honorary degree;
- End your magical tour outside the location where it all began, where Nicholson’s once stood - the cafe where J.K. Rowling famously wrote the first Harry Potter books!
In December 1993, J.K. Rowling left Portugal and moved to Edinburgh with her baby daughter, and a suitcase containing the first three chapters of Harry Potter. Living on benefits as a single mother, she plotted out the whole 7 book series, creating the magical world of witches and wizards hidden from the Muggles. Finally, on 1st September 1998, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was published.
The rest you might say is history…
Fast-forward a decade or two, and over 500 million copies have been sold, 8 films made, with an enormous and adoring fanbase that hasn’t diminished with time.
Your private tour of J.K Rowling’s Edinburgh began when she finished the Harry Potter series with the last book the Deathly Hallows, at the Balmoral Hotel.
Your tour takes you through the parts of Edinburgh that may have inspired J.K. Rowling’s magical world - the cobblestone streets around the Grassmarket, evocative of a certain Diagon Alley. Stop outside Edinburgh City Chambers, where you’ll see J.K. Rowling’s handprints and the McEwan Hall, where she was awarded an honorary degree from the prestigious Edinburgh University. You’ll also wander through the eerie Greyfriars Kirkyard where Rowling may have picked up some of the more famous names in the books - you will see the real Tom Riddle’s grave!
Your magical tour ends at the location where Nicolson's Cafe once stood (now under a new name and management). It was owned by her brother-in-law and is where she would pop in to write chapters of the first Harry Potter book while her baby daughter slept. It is where the magic all began!
Tour duration3 hours
Type of tourWalking tour: no transportation is included
Tickets included- English Speaking Guide
Other inclusions- Gratuities optional
- Additional food and drink are not included
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off are not included
Suitable forCouples, Culture Vulture, Friends, Intellectually Curious
Attractions along this route:
The Royal MileThe picturesque historic thoroughfare of the Old Town of Edinburgh.
George Heriot's SchoolAn outstanding example of Scots Renaissance architecture, now known worldwide as a mecca for Harry Potter fans.
Greyfriars KirkyardFor over five centuries, Greyfriars Kirkyard has been home to hauntings and wizards. Look out for McGonagall or something more spine-chilling, like one Tom Riddle.
GrassmarketSituated below Edinburgh Castle, the Grassmarket area was not only used for trading throughout the centuries but also for public executions.
