Edinburg Castle Regent Tour

[pappy1022]

For this Regent tour, is there a guide for inside the castle or are castle provided headsets with recorded information the “guide”? Is this a tour where it makes a big difference to purchase a small group tour? It looks like you spend about 1 hour in the castle and the remainder is in the large or small tour vehicle. How far is the New Haven tender port from the Edinburg old town? Thank you.

Edited September 2, 2022 by pappy1022
Duplicate post

[rcandkc]

35 minutes ago, pappy1022 said:

For this Regent tour, is there a guide for inside the castle or are castle provided headsets with recorded information the “guide”? Is this a tour where it makes a big difference to purchase a small group tour? It looks like you spend about 1 hour in the castle and the remainder is in the large or small tour vehicle. How far is the New Haven tender port from the Edinburg old town? Thank you.

It has been several years but we had a guide show us around and tell us history, etc.  We enjoyed the tour.  Back then small group was not an offer but I think we might choose it now. 

[2012_Alaska_bound]

Just there for 3 days with Regent in August.

 

Day 1: "Brave Heart and Stirling Castle" tour. Interactive battlefield was great, very well done immersive tour. Stirling Castle was good, but didn't enjoy it as much as Cowder (see Invergordan thread) or Edinburgh Castle.

Day 2: Edinburgh Castle Tour - Guides can only stop in specific areas outside (3) to give information to their groups. All of the interior touring can be done on your own without an audio guide, though they are available. You are correct, actual time at the castle is short. We were able to go into all the areas (apartments, war memorial, great hall, church, kitchen) recommended by our guide in that amount of time. Only had time in the garden while guide was giving us our intro, though you get great views of it from above on various ramparts.

 

Don't think a small group tour would be an advantage in this case. You will be given an option to stay in the city after the castle and take the Regent shuttle back. This would give you a chance to walk down the Royal Mile. Be aware that all walking is cobblestones and rather steep.

 

Day 3 (bonus day): We were docked in Leith which is about a 30 minute bus ride from old town Edinburgh. We were scheduled for 2 days, but due to weather conditions, couldn't get out of the narrow lock there on the second day, so had an extra day and missed our next port (New Castle). Since we were there on the big Festival / Fringe Festival / Tattoo weekend and the city was packed, we opted to do the Royal Britannia Yacht tour on our 3rd day which is in Leith and a short walk from where we were docked. Self guided tour well worth the entrance fee. No tender in Leith.

[cwbegg]

The Navigator can dock in Leith but I believe the other Regent ships need to anchor and tender to Edinburgh. 

[SWFLAOK]

We're on the Sept 19 Small Group City of Edinburgh and Castle. We prefer the small group for bus travel since it's easier to get 16 people on and off a bus than 2 or 3 times as many people. We also prefer our tour guide not being allowed to guide us through something like a castle, cathedral or museum. They always keep you from seeing everything that you want to see because they're interested in something else, or someone else on the tour is. Add photos and selfies to any place that still allows photos, and you might only make it into the building before it's time to head back to the bus. I always research what I want to see ahead of time, as well as read the history of the place, so the guide isn't really needed. I'm retired and have time to do that while I'm anticipating our cruise.