Holyrood Palace tickets & tours: all six, compared
The ticket most people should buy
I end most of my Royal Mile tours at the Holyrood forecourt, and the question I get there is usually the same: which ticket. For most people the answer is the plain Palace of Holyroodhouse entry ticket at £22. That matches the Royal Collection Trust’s advance price — walking up on the day costs £26 — and the GetYourGuide version cancels free up to 24 hours before, which matters at a palace that closes for royal events. You get the state apartments, Mary, Queen of Scots’ chambers, the abbey and the gardens with a multimedia guide in nine languages, at your own pace along a one-way route. Massimo, an Italian reviewer, put it plainly: “For me, it’s more beautiful than the Castle.” I wouldn’t go that far every day of the week, but he has a case. My full write-up is in the entry ticket review.
All six tickets and tours
From the £19.50 walking tour to the £99 small-group day, here’s the whole line-up. Each card links straight to the booking page; each product also has its own review on this site.
Skip the queueAudio guide includedEdinburgh: Palace of Holyroodhouse Entry Ticket
Best value bundleEdinburgh: Royal Attractions with Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours
Castle comboBoth entries includedEdinburgh: Castle Guided Tour & Holyrood Palace Ticket
Family favouritePalace entry includedEdinburgh: Harry Potter Tour & Palace of Holyrood Entry
Budget pickEdinburgh: The Mary Queen of Scots Guided Walking Tour
Small groupBoth entries includedThe Royal Tour: Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood, Royal Mile
Entry only, bundle, or guided day?
The real decision is how much of Edinburgh you’re buying at once. Entry only, the three-attraction bundle, or a five-hour guided day — this is how they compare.
| Top pickEdinburgh: Palace of Holyroodhouse Entry Ticket | Edinburgh: Royal Attractions with Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours | The Royal Tour: Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood, Royal Mile | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £22 | £81 | £99 |
| Covers | Palace, abbey & gardens | Castle, Britannia, palace + buses | Castle, Royal Mile walk, palace |
| Time needed | About 1.5 h | 48 h, your own pace | 5 h |
| Guiding | Multimedia handset | Handsets at palace & Britannia | Live guide, small group |
| Rating | 4.8 (6,110 reviews) | 4.7 (3,120 reviews) | 4.7 (8 reviews) |
| Book this → | View → | View → |
The other three, briefly
The £85 castle-and-palace combo pairs a 10:00 guided castle tour with a 14:00 self-guided palace visit. It’s a newer product with only 8 reviews at 4.3 — the guided castle half draws the praise, the unaccompanied palace half less so. The £58 Harry Potter tour is the family pick: a 3.5-hour guided walk through Victoria Street and Greyfriars Kirkyard, with palace entry included for afterwards. And the £19.50 Mary, Queen of Scots walk covers the whole Mile from the palace gates to the castle esplanade with a live guide — no entries included, which is exactly why it costs what it does.
The palace is closed every Tuesday and Wednesday outside 21 May–7 September, and shuts completely 16–25 May and 27 June–5 July 2026 for royal events. Check your date before you build a day around it.
Prices, and the castle question
Every 2026 price — advance against gate, child and young-person rates, the 1-Year Pass — is on the ticket prices page. And if you’re still weighing this palace against the fortress at the other end of the Mile, I’ve set out the honest comparison separately: castle for spectacle, Holyrood for atmosphere and a fraction of the queue.
Can’t make these dates?
Browse more available holyrood palace tickets and find one that fits your schedule — all with instant confirmation and free cancellation.
Frequently asked questions
Which Holyrood Palace ticket should I book?
For a single visit, the £22 entry ticket — it matches the official advance price and cancels free to 24 hours. If you’re doing Edinburgh Castle and Britannia over a day or two as well, the £81 Royal Edinburgh Ticket works out about £13.50 cheaper than booking the four parts separately.
Do any of these tickets include Edinburgh Castle?
Three do: the £81 Royal Edinburgh Ticket, the £85 guided castle-and-palace combo, and the £99 small-group Royal Tour. The £22 entry ticket and both walking tours cover Holyrood only — though the £19.50 Mary walk does end at the castle esplanade.
Is it cheaper to just buy a ticket at the palace?
No. The Royal Collection Trust charges £26 for an adult at the gate against £22 booked ahead. The GetYourGuide ticket costs the same £22 as booking direct, with free cancellation to 24 hours before.
When is Holyrood Palace closed?
Every Tuesday and Wednesday outside the 21 May–7 September summer season, and fully closed 16–25 May and 27 June–5 July 2026 for royal events. The best time to visit page has the detail, including the quiet hours.
Do the walking tours include palace entry?
The £58 Harry Potter tour does; the £19.50 Mary, Queen of Scots walk doesn’t include any entries at all. Both are covered properly on the walking tours page.