Question 1

Is this tour suitable for my kids? Will they understand it? Is it scary?

Accepted Answer

The tour is designed to engage young Potterheads and communicate information clearly. We feature lots of interactive elements including a House Point Competition, sorting quiz and spellcasting to keep kids (over seven) entertained.

Please be aware this is an informative walking tour with a focus on inspiration, background and historical detail. We advise parents of younger children (under 7) to consider this when booking, and recommend a private booking as this will allow us to tailor the tour to your group. There is also a moderate (approx. 1.25 miles) of walking. As a general rule, if your child is ready to independently read the books, they are likely to fully understand and enjoy the tour. If you do still intend to bring children younger than seven on the tour, please make plans to take them away from the group for a while should there be tears or disruption, so as not to affect the experience of others.

Babes-in-arms (under 18 months) are welcome and we do not require you to book a separate space on the tour for them, but as with other young children we ask you to commit to taking them to one side if they cry or become restless. We recommend carrying babies in a sling, because some of the ground is uneven, however many parents have managed with pushchairs.

If you’re travelling with a big group of many ages we recommend you book a tour for the slightly older members and we’ll happily recommend some wizarding activities that younger kids might join you for after your tour. We do not allow unaccompanied children on any tour.

With regard to scares; there’s no-one waiting to jump out or try and scare you – this isn’t a ‘ghost’ or ‘horror’ tour, and is aimed at entertaining, not terrifying!

Question 2

Does the tour run in bad weather?

Accepted Answer

Our tours run rain or shine, and we get plenty of both in Edinburgh! When you join us on the Potter Trail, we suggest packing umbrellas or waterproofs to cope with our changeable weather.

In very rare circumstances we may cancel a tour if weather conditions are so extreme they present an actual danger to us or our guests (e.g. during orange or red weather warnings from the met office).

We will always contact guests if their tour is going to be cancelled for any reason, so if you don't get a cancellation message/email from us by the morning of your tour date, you can be confident the tour will go ahead.

Question 3

Is this an official tour?

Accepted Answer

Yes! All our guides are licensed by the City of Edinburgh Council to tour the magical locations we visit. Many imitators are not, and leave you at risk of being escorted out of some areas where they do not have permission to operate. We are a responsible company with over fourteen years of experience and hold public liability insurance. We are the original Potter-themed tour of the city. The tour is not affiliated with the author of the books or the studio behind the films (and no tours in Edinburgh are).

Question 4

Are dogs welcome on the tour?

Accepted Answer

Yes, unless they’re called Fluffy. Owners must be responsible for the behaviour of their dogs, but in truth, we've never had a problem with this – our dog-owning guests have been extremely considerate.

Question 5

I have mobility problems – is this tour for me?

Accepted Answer

The tour involves about a mile and a quarter of walking, with frequent stops. Wheelchair users are welcome, but a small number of locations involve slightly uneven terrain, although many wheelchair users have been fine with these. We’ll adapt the route if you can’t visit these locations. Those who are walking but need breaks should be aware that while roughly half of the stops have places to sit, not all of them will.

Question 6

My partner / kids / friends are mad about Potter, but I’ve never even read it. Will I find it boring / confusing?

Accepted Answer

We certainly hope not! Although the tour is focused on the books and films, there’s also plenty of funny, atmospheric and informative content about Edinburgh’s literary history and real-world characters. If all you know about the series is that they’re about the adventures of a schoolboy wizard and are written by JK Rowling, then congratulations – you already know more than enough to enjoy the tour. No prior knowledge is assumed.

Question 7

I want to bring a birthday party/hen do/club social on the tour. Is that okay?

Accepted Answer

We’d love to see you! Although unfortunately we can't accept large groups onto our public tour. Any groups larger than 6 people must book a private tour.
If you book a private tour, you’ll get a more memorable personal experience – and we’ll work with you to tailor the tour just for your group.

Question 8

I’m exceedingly generous! Do you have a guideline amount to tip?

Accepted Answer

Most walking tours in Edinburgh cost somewhere between £15 and £30 per person. If you can afford it, anything in this range would be much appreciated! Our public tours are, however, set up to allow anyone to enjoy the tour regardless of their financial situation and we won’t hold it against you if you choose not to make a contribution.

Question 9

Can I take photographs?

Accepted Answer

100% yes! In fact, we'd encourage you to upload any photos to our TripAdvisor, Facebook and Instagram pages. We only ask that you don't take any videos and post big chunks of the tour online as this would ruin the experience for future witches and wizards who want to join the tour!

Question 10

Where does the tour start?

Accepted Answer

We meet outside Bobby's Sandwich Bar, the orange sandwich shop which is at 4 Greyfriars Place. Greyfriars Place is on the junction of George IV Bridge with Chambers Street, just next to the entrance to Greyfriars Kirkyard and the statue of famous dog Greyfriar's Bobby.

Question 11

Do you offer the tour in any other languages besides English?

Accepted Answer

All of our tours are currently in English only. We have however had plenty of people translating for their children / friends on the tour in the past. You might find this a little easier to do if you book a private tour with us as you can then control the pace of the tour and we can leave gaps for translation.

There are other Harry Potter tours in the city that currently provide tours in different languages.

Question 12

Can I come on the tour as part of a larger group?

Accepted Answer

You will not be able to book groups larger than 6 on to our Free Public Tours. If you are bringing a larger group, we insist that you book one of our Private Tours. If you are a school/youth group you can book one of our School Tours to get a discounted rate. 
 
This is to keep the tour at a manageable size, and means the tour will be much better for your group, and our guides.

Question 13

My kids haven’t read all the books / seen all the films yet. Does the tour contain any spoilers?

Accepted Answer

This depends what you consider to be a spoiler! There are a few references to later books and a few plot points mentioned that might not make sense if you haven’t read the whole series. The plot points we might mention are:

•   Harry meeting Lord Voldemort at the end of the Triwizard Tournament
•   The fact that Tom Riddle is revealed to be Voldemort
•   Harry and Dudley getting attacked by dementors at the beginning of book 5
•   Dumbledore's death

We can avoid spoilers by request on Private tours.

Question 14

I’ve heard Edinburgh has a lot of hills! What sort of distance does the tour cover and is it all flat?

Accepted Answer

We cover about 1.25 miles on the route, and believe it or not it is almost entirely flat!

Question 15

Where is good to park near the tour start point?

Accepted Answer

There are usually some available places on either Chambers Street or Grassmarket for muggle vehicles. Failing that there is a nearby underground car park five minutes walk away and a car park on Castle Terrace. We are currently petitioning Edinburgh Council to get some decent broom parking spaces nearby.

Question 16

Who is responsible for my safety?

Accepted Answer

Guests are responsible for their own safety following the tour, which takes place in public locations. Nothing in the tour is more hazardous than exploring Edinburgh unaccompanied, but we advise guests to take due care especially crossing the road and when there is wet/uneven ground underfoot, and cannot accept liability for injuries. Children must be supervised by a responsible adult. There is about 1.25 miles of walking on the tour.

Question 17

Can I book as a travel agent?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! Please just make sure you supply guest contact details when you make your booking. If you are interested in working with us more closely, please get in touch at contact@pottertrail.com.