There is no better and more informative way to find your feet in Edinburgh, than to take a tour! I can’t deny that it’s a bumpy ride at times (especially chugging along the Royal Mile’s seemingly endless pesky cobbles), but it is a worthy one.

All aboard the Edinburgh Sightseeing bus tour! Being a popular city, steeped in history, with plenty to see, there are a number of tours to choose from.

In my opinion, a guided tour is the best introduction to a city you can get. With so much to see on so many levels, an official Edinburgh guided tour is a handy navigational tool! Edinburgh Festival goers will find the tour buses advantageous not just from the point of view of getting an intensive course in ‘what’s where’ in Edinburgh, it is an easy and money saving way to get to venues across the town. You can set your watch by these buses, they run regularly and provide a solid and reliable method of transport. Cars are more trouble than they are worth in Edinburgh (it’s nearly as bad as the London Congestion Belt!). You can’t park during the festival so save yourself the bother and get yourself a tour bus ticket for the duration of your stay (check at the Information Office for the best deals)!

The basic ‘Edinburgh Tour’ bus will deliver you to top sightseeing attractions about the city including Edinburgh Castle, the palace of Holyroodhouse, the Scottish Parliament, the new town, the royal Mile and Princes Street. You should purchase your ticket from Waverley Bridge (where many of the bus tours commence) ticket sellers as well as online and at various tourist information spots. The last time I looked, Tickets cost £9 for adults and £3 for children.

What I love most about this tour is that you can jump on and off the bus whenever you please. When you see something you like, simply climb off the bus and when ready to recommence your tour, wait for the next bus to arrive at the bus stop (buses usually run within an half hour of another). Tickets last for 24 hours too, which is handy!

Other city bus tours include the Mac Tour, the Majestic Tour and the City Sightseeing Tour. The Majestic Tour stands out from the crowd in that it is the one to book for the Royal Yacht Britannica and the newly spruced up Ocean Terminal. Ask about the Royal Edinburgh deal as well which includes admission to the castle, the palace and the yacht.

All bus tours tickets cost the same and savings can be made if purchasing tickets for longer than 24 hours. You can hop on and off these buses all day long to your heart’s content and can get a lot of value for your money.

See the Edinburgh Pass for more saving suggestions.