Edinburgh pub crawl guide: routes, tips, and organised options
Edinburgh: pub crawl 7 bars with 6 free shots
What is the best pub crawl route in Edinburgh?
The Grassmarket to Cowgate route is the classic: start at the White Hart Inn, work through the Grassmarket bars, then down the Cowgate to the student clubs. Allow three to four hours and start no earlier than 8pm for the right atmosphere. Organised pub crawls typically cover seven bars with free shots for around £15.
Edinburgh after dark: understanding the geography
Edinburgh’s nightlife is concentrated in a surprisingly small area. The Old Town between the Grassmarket and the Cowgate is the main hub: a dense network of closes, vaults, and medieval streets where bars, clubs, live music venues, and comedy rooms are stacked vertically as much as horizontally — some venues are underground, some are accessed through closes that look like residential passages.
The New Town has a calmer bar scene along Rose Street and around George Street, better suited to cocktails and quieter evenings than to serious pub crawling. The Southside (around Newington and the student area) has its own circuit of unpretentious pubs. But for a proper Edinburgh pub crawl, you want the Old Town.
This guide covers both self-guided routes and the organised options.
Self-guided pub crawl: the Grassmarket to Cowgate classic
This is the route Edinburgh locals recommend for visitors who ask: start in the Grassmarket, work your way east, then head down into the Cowgate for the later evening.
Stop 1: The White Hart Inn, Grassmarket (start 8pm)
The oldest pub in Edinburgh still operating on its original licence — Robert Burns and William Wordsworth both drank here in the eighteenth century. The pints are competitively priced, the atmosphere is reliably lively from early evening, and the Grassmarket setting gives you a good look at the city at dusk with the castle looming above. Arrive at 8pm for a first drink before the evening crowd builds.
Stop 2: Biddy Mulligans, Grassmarket
A short walk east along the Grassmarket. Biddy Mulligans is a traditional Irish-style pub that has been serving the Grassmarket for years and is consistently busy on weekend evenings. Good range of draught beers, reasonable prices, and the outdoor seating on the Grassmarket pavement has one of Edinburgh’s best casual views of the castle.
Stop 3: The Last Drop, Grassmarket
The Last Drop’s name refers to the public executions that took place in the Grassmarket until the eighteenth century. The pub itself is cosy and well run, with a good malt whisky selection alongside the usual draught options. Worth a single dram before continuing east.
Stop 4: Maggie Dickson’s, Grassmarket
Named after an eighteenth-century woman who survived her own hanging (the rope failed; she was subsequently pardoned on the grounds that the sentence had technically been carried out). The pub is lively and straightforward, with reasonable food if you need something to eat mid-crawl.
Stop 5: The Cowgate bars (from around 10pm)
Descend from the Grassmarket to the Cowgate via the West Port or through the closes around St Andrew’s Church. The Cowgate runs parallel to the Royal Mile but one level below, tucked under the South Bridge and the viaducts that carry the Old Town’s streets overhead. The atmosphere changes here: less tourist-facing, more student and local crowd, louder, later.
The Three Sisters is the most reliably busy venue on the Cowgate — a large multi-room bar with outdoor space and regular live music. Bannerman’s Bar (further east, near Holyrood) has a good live music programme and a genuine rock-pub atmosphere that feels completely unlike the Royal Mile end of the Old Town.
Stop 6: Cabaret Voltaire or Sneaky Pete’s (late, 11pm onward)
If the evening is extending into clubbing territory, Cabaret Voltaire on Blair Street is Edinburgh’s most consistently interesting club venue — underground, cave-like, with a programming focus on electronic music and live events rather than commercial charts. Sneaky Pete’s on Cowgate is smaller and more intimate, with a strong reputation for electronic bookings and an attitude that is more Berlin than Wetherspoons.
Organised pub crawl: the structured alternative
For visitors who prefer a guide, free shots, and pre-arranged bar discounts over independent navigation, Edinburgh has several well-reviewed organised pub crawl options.
The Edinburgh pub crawl covering seven bars with six free shots is the most popular option: covers multiple venues across the Old Town, with the guide handling the navigation and the group logistics. The free shots sweeten the deal and the bar discounts throughout the evening add up. Most tours run Thursday to Sunday from around 9pm.
The Edinburgh seven-bar pub crawl with seven shots and discounts is the similar competing option — read recent reviews for both to see which has better guides and venues at the time of your visit.
Organised pub crawls work particularly well for:
- Solo travellers who want to meet people
- Groups of friends who want someone else to handle the logistics
- Visitors who are unfamiliar with Edinburgh and want to be shown the good venues
- Anyone who wants to guarantee entry at busy venues (the guide often has arrangements)
They work less well if your group wants flexibility, dislikes the socialising-with-strangers element, or prefers pubs over club-style venues. In that case, the self-guided route above is more appropriate.
Rose Street: the New Town alternative
For a gentler pub crawl away from the Old Town crowds, Rose Street runs parallel to Princes Street through the New Town and is one of Edinburgh’s great historic pub streets. From Milne’s Bar (a literary institution where Hugh MacDiarmid and other Scottish writers drank) west through Guildford Arms (ornate Victorian interior, excellent cask ales), the street has enough variety for a three or four-stop evening at an unhurried pace.
Rose Street suits the earlier part of the evening (6pm–9pm) before the Old Town really gets going. It is also notably less rowdy, making it a better option for groups that prefer conversation to loud music.
The Old Town geography: how the streets connect
Understanding the physical layout of Edinburgh’s Old Town helps enormously when planning a pub crawl. The city is built on a series of ridges and valleys, with the Royal Mile running along the spine and the Grassmarket and Cowgate occupying the valley immediately to the south. The result is that the Old Town contains at least three distinct walking levels: the Royal Mile at the top, the closes and vaults at an intermediate level, and the Cowgate at the bottom.
Walking east from the Grassmarket takes you under the George IV Bridge and South Bridge viaducts — bridges that carry streets over the valley and create the distinctive cavernous atmosphere of the Cowgate. The same bridges contain the underground vaults that ghost tour operators use in the evenings, and several bars have colonised these spaces.
Victoria Street descends in a curve from George IV Bridge to the Grassmarket, passing some of Edinburgh’s best independent shops and the Bow Bar — the curve is a slightly vertiginous descent of around 15 metres over 150 metres of street. This short walk connects the upper Old Town to the Grassmarket and is one of Edinburgh’s most distinctive pieces of urban design.
The closes that run off the Royal Mile connect the high level to the lower level at multiple points. Victoria Street, Fleshmarket Close, and Advocates Close are the most architecturally interesting. Walking the closes at night, when they are dimly lit and relatively uncrowded, gives a much better sense of Edinburgh’s medieval urban structure than daytime walking.
The New Town alternative: Rose Street
For visitors who prefer a quieter, less student-heavy pub crawl, Rose Street in the New Town runs parallel to Princes Street through a sequence of pubs that have served the New Town since the nineteenth century. The atmosphere is completely different from the Grassmarket — quieter, more mixed-age, with better conversation and fewer groups of strangers in matching T-shirts.
The standard Rose Street route runs west to east: Milne’s Bar (35 Hanover Street) at the eastern end, then the Abbotsford (3 Rose Street) — a Victorian pub with original features that deserve attention — then the Guildford Arms (around the corner on Register Street) for one of Edinburgh’s best cask ale selections. These three pubs span the full length of Rose Street and represent three genuinely different approaches to the same genre.
Rose Street is at its best from 6pm to 9pm, after which the Grassmarket and Cowgate take over as the main nightlife focus. A sequence that starts on Rose Street and moves to the Old Town around 9pm gives you both the quieter historical drinking and the later Edinburgh energy in a single evening.
The Southside circuit: for a more local experience
The Southside — the area south of the Meadows, around Marchmont, Newington, and Bruntsfield — has a pub circuit that is almost exclusively local. No organised pub crawls come this way, the prices are lower than the Old Town, and the clientele is Edinburgh students, academics, and long-term residents rather than visitors.
The Sandy Bell’s on Forrest Road (which functions as both a folk music venue and a genuine pub) is the best starting point. From there, the Royal Oak on Infirmary Street adds another live music dimension. The Pear Tree on West Nicholson Street has Edinburgh’s best large outdoor garden, a rarity in a city where outdoor drinking is weather-limited. Montague’s on Marchmont Road is a neighbourhood local that does real ales reliably well.
This circuit is worth doing if you specifically want to drink in Edinburgh away from tourists, or if you want to combine the pub crawl with folk music at Sandy Bell’s (sessions most evenings, free entry).
Practical tips for an Edinburgh pub crawl
Start time: Edinburgh pub culture starts later than you might expect. The Grassmarket and Cowgate are not particularly lively before 9pm. Start the evening with dinner (around 6:30–7:30pm) and begin the crawl around 8–8:30pm.
Dress code: Edinburgh’s bars range from traditional pubs with no dress code to club-style venues that operate one at the door. Smart casual is safe for most of the Old Town. Trainers are generally fine; overly casual sportswear less so at the trendier venues.
Money: Cards are accepted almost everywhere but having some cash (£20–£30) is useful at the older pubs and for split bills. Edinburgh ATMs are plentiful on Princes Street and the Royal Mile.
Transport home: Central Edinburgh is walkable from most nightlife areas to most accommodation zones. The Lothian Buses night service operates through the night on Friday and Saturday. Pre-book a taxi or Uber for anything after midnight if you are heading further afield. Walking home after midnight in the Old Town is generally safe but the cobblestones are challenging in the dark.
Festival season: In August (Edinburgh Festival Fringe), the Old Town nightlife triples in intensity. Every bar is packed, outdoor areas are in use, and the streets themselves become a performance space. It is spectacular but requires patience. Book any organised tours well in advance in August.
The Edinburgh pub crawl through the seasons
The experience of a pub crawl in Edinburgh changes significantly with the season, and understanding this helps with planning.
August (Fringe season): The most intense version. Every pub on the Grassmarket and Cowgate is packed from 5pm. Street performers on every corner. A charged, carnival atmosphere that is unlike any other time of year. The organised pub crawls are at their best in August — the guides know how to navigate the crowds and the energy of the season amplifies the social aspect. Book any organised tour well in advance.
September and October: The Fringe ends in late August and September is the locals’ favourite time in Edinburgh. The city empties of the August crowd, the weather is often still pleasant, and the pubs return to a more navigable state. The best combination of atmosphere and comfort for a pub crawl.
November to February: Winter pub crawls are a very different proposition. The nights are long, the Old Town is atmospheric in a different way — darker, quieter, the cobblestones often wet — and the pubs are warm and welcoming. Less busy than summer, which means better service and easier conversation. The Christmas market on Princes Street (late November to early January) adds a festive dimension to the New Town circuit; Hogmanay (29 December to 1 January) is an event that transforms the city entirely.
May and June: The student exam period (May) and the tail end of term (June) create a slightly unusual mix in the pubs. The tourist season is beginning but has not yet peaked. The long summer evenings — Edinburgh is at nearly 56 degrees north, so June evenings extend well past 10pm — are excellent for outdoor drinking in the Grassmarket and on any garden terrace.
Drink responsibly: Scotland’s approach
A brief note on Scottish licensing culture. Scotland operates stricter licensing laws than England in several respects, and bars take their responsibilities seriously. The Challenge 25 policy is widely applied: anyone who looks under 25 will be asked for ID. Visible intoxication results in refusal of service; staff are trained and are not apologetic about using this discretion.
The drink-drive limit in Scotland is 50mg per 100ml of blood — stricter than the English 80mg limit and enforced more actively. If you are driving the following day after a serious pub crawl evening, allow adequate time for the alcohol to clear your system.
The drinking age in Scotland is 18. This applies to purchasing alcohol in shops as well as bars and restaurants.
Pairing the pub crawl with comedy or live music
Edinburgh’s nightlife works well when pub crawling is combined with a fixed evening event. The Edinburgh comedy scene guide covers the permanent comedy venues that run shows year-round beyond August. The live music guide covers the venues with reliable live programming. Going to a comedy show or gig around 9pm and then continuing to the bars afterward is a good Edinburgh evening structure.
Frequently asked questions about Edinburgh pub crawls
What time do Edinburgh pubs close?
Most pubs and bars in central Edinburgh are licensed until 1am on Friday and Saturday, midnight on weekdays. Clubs operate until 3am. Some late-licence venues on the Cowgate operate later on weekends. Last orders at traditional pubs are typically 30 minutes before closing.
What is the best area for a pub crawl in Edinburgh?
The Grassmarket to Cowgate triangle for the full Old Town experience. Rose Street for a calmer, more traditional evening. The Southside around Newington for a more local and student-oriented crawl. George Street for cocktail bars and a smarter crowd.
How much should you budget for an Edinburgh pub crawl evening?
Pints in Edinburgh run £4.50–£6.50 depending on venue and beer. A standard evening (6–8 drinks, entry to a club or comedy show, some food) typically costs £50–£80 per person. The organised pub crawl options include shots and discounts that can reduce the per-drink cost.
Is Edinburgh safe for a pub crawl?
Edinburgh city centre is generally very safe at night. The Old Town can be lively and noisy late at night, particularly on weekends. The usual city-centre sensible precautions apply: watch your belongings, stay with your group, and have a plan for getting home. The cobblestone streets are physically challenging after a few drinks.
When is the best time of year for Edinburgh nightlife?
August (Fringe season) is the most intense and varied. December (Christmas parties and Hogmanay) is busy. The spring months (April–June) and September give a good balance of lively evenings without August’s extreme crowds. Winter weeknights are quiet; weekend evenings are reliably active year-round.
Top experiences
Bookable activities with verified prices and instant confirmation on GetYourGuide.
