Edinburgh's Wizarding Secrets

Something Wicked
this way comes

Step into the closes, cafés, and cobblestoned wynds that inspired the Wizarding World. Guided by Edinburgh's finest storytellers, our tours reveal the city's darkest — and most enchanting — secrets.

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Our Experiences

Choose Your Adventure

From moonlit graveyard walks to professional filmmaking sessions — each experience is a chapter in Edinburgh's magical story, told by guides who live and breathe it.

Film Locations Free Tour Cinematic
Daily at 17.00pm

Film Locations Free Tour

The Original Edinburgh’s FILM LOCATIONS Free Tour

2 hours Max 30 people
Free (tip-based)
The Rigorously Researched Harry Potter Tour ONLY VERIFIED FACTS
Daily at 10.00am and 17.00pm

The Rigorously Researched Harry Potter Tour

Walk the closes, cafés and even the graveyard that inspired the Wizarding World — guided by a researcher who's spent years cross-referencing the myths against the historical record.

Bring your wand!
2 hours Max 20
£15 per person
£10 - concession (kids over 12, retired, NHS, students)
Under 11s free
Edinburgh with a Filmmaker CAPTURE THE BEST LIGHT
Daily at 8.30am

Edinburgh with a Filmmaker

LEARN HOW TO TAKE THE MOST SPECTACULAR EDINBURGH PHOTOS AND VIDEOS WITH A WORKING FILM-MAKER

Reduced group sizes to ensure a 1-on-1 experience
Photo Printing
2 hrs Max 10 people
£34 per person
£27
Not-apt for kids

Private experiences are tailored exclusively for your group. All run on request.

The Rigorously Researched Harry Potter Tour WANDS READY!
Completely flexible, adapted to your group's needs

The Rigorously Researched Harry Potter Tour

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Optional Cape and Wand Rental
Flexible, 2-3 hours Groups bigger than 30 people, contact us!
From £139
Groups over 30, contact us!
Schools, corporate groups & travel agents — enquire for tailored pricing
Secure your place

Begin Your
Wizarding Journey

Choose your tour type below.

  • Fact-checked stories
  • Small, intimate groups on all pre-paid tours
  • Concessions for retired, NHS & students
  • Children under 7 go free on all tours
  • Private & corporate bookings available

Independent Company

Wizarding Edinburgh has no commercial relationship with Warner Bros. Entertainment, J.K. Rowling, or The Blair Partnership.

Every tour, every story and every step of our research is carried out of genuine love and deep respect for their extraordinary work.

Book a Pre-Paid Tour
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Scheduled tours will appear here once you choose a tour and date.
Children under 7 go free, but they still need a space reserved in the group.
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Good to know

Before you set off

Frequently asked

Quick answers to the questions we hear most often before a tour.

What happens if it rains?

Edinburgh weather is part of the magic — we walk in light rain. Tours only cancel for extreme conditions, in which case we notify you at least six hours ahead and issue a full refund or reschedule.

Where do we meet?

Your exact meeting point is included in your confirmation email — it varies from tour to tour, as each one is adapted to its own route. Most begin near the Royal Mile or Greyfriars Kirkyard.

Are tours suitable for children?

Yes — children of all ages are welcome. Under 7s go free on every tour, but still need a reserved spot in the group. Evening / after-dark walks are best suited to ages 10+.

Which languages do you guide in?

Every public tour runs in both English and Spanish — Álvaro is a native Spanish speaker. Select your preferred language when booking; we'll guide in the language chosen by the group.

Are tours wheelchair accessible?

Most of our routes use cobblestones, steep closes and stairs, so wheelchair access is limited. Get in touch before booking and we'll work out a tailored route where possible.

Cancellations & refunds

We want every experience to run smoothly — for guests and guides alike.

Free Tours

Cancel any time — just let us know as early as possible. We may cancel a free tour in case of extreme weather or low numbers, with at least 6 hours' notice.

Pre-paid Tours

Free cancellation up to 48 h before the tour — full refund. Between 12–48 h: 50% refund. Within 12 h or no-show: no refund. We may cancel for low numbers with at least 12 hours’ notice and a full refund.

Private Experiences

Free up to 48 h before the tour — deposit refunded in full. Between 24–48 h: 50% of the deposit refunded. Within 24 h or no-show: deposit forfeited.

Verified research

The Revelio Bureau

A working archive behind every stop. Each landmark, café and tombstone we mention has a case file: the popular myth, the verified record, and the citation. No invented connections.

✦ The Method
  1. I
    Primary sources only Council records, parish registers, contemporary press — never another tour script.
  2. II
    Author's own words Cross-referenced against Rowling's published interviews and documented statements.
  3. III
    A verdict on every stop Each location is logged as verified, disputed, or myth — and we say which on the walk.
Case file № 21 · Greyfriars Kirkyard

Did Rowling really see the grave?

The myth "She copied Voldemort's name from a tombstone in Greyfriars Kirkyard."
The record The stone exists: Thomas Riddell Esq., d. 1806. Greyfriars sits behind The Elephant House, where Rowling was a documented regular in the mid-1990s.
Verdict Rowling has said she didn't consciously copy the name — but acknowledged she may have absorbed it. We tell guests both sides on the walk.
✦  Cross-referenced · Source № 21
The Story Behind the Tours

Meet Your Guide

Álvaro Palomo — Founder of Wizarding Edinburgh
Álvaro Palomo Founder & Head Guide
Filmmaker · Sceptic · Story keeper

I kept hearing the same myths told on the Royal Mile every single day. So I started writing them down.

Álvaro Palomo is a Spanish filmmaker, actor and the founder of Wizarding Edinburgh. Born in Fuensalida, Spain, his obsession with Harry Potter began at thirteen — when he launched FuensaPotterRadio, a live programme on local FM radio that ran for seven seasons and over 250 episodes, and earned him coverage across national Spanish media.

After a career in Spanish cinema — appearing in Bajo un manto de estrellas, La Espina de Dios, Re-Emigrantes and a cameo in Gemma Galgani (2025) — Álvaro made a deliberate choice: to move to Edinburgh, the very city where Harry Potter was born, and study filmmaking there.

He became the first Spanish-speaking guide to lead free Harry Potter tours in Edinburgh, and since 2018 has hosted hundreds of ghost tours, historical walks and pub crawls through the city's Old Town.

Álvaro began documenting every claim he heard, cross-referencing each one against primary sources, academic records and Rowling's own words. The result is what he calls the Revelio Bureau.

As a working filmmaker — director of Ring for Change and ZEE, cinematographer on Melting the Pot, colourist on Shadows of the Silver Screen, and winner of Best VFX at the Spliced 2023 Film Festival — Álvaro brings a storyteller's eye to everything he does.

The Revelio Bureau Every fact told on a Wizarding Edinburgh tour has been verified through primary sources, historical records and J.K. Rowling's own documented words. No myths. No invented connections. Just extraordinary, verified truth.
Filmmaker credentials Director · Cinematographer · Colourist · Actor · Best VFX, Spliced Film Festival 2023
Guide since 2018 — ghost tours, historical walks, Harry Potter tours & pub crawls
An Edinburgh first The first Spanish-speaking guide to lead free Harry Potter tours in the city
8+ yrs Guiding the Old Town
63 Cases researched
EN/ ES Native-language guide
Walk with Álvaro
From our travellers

Stories from the path

"Standing in Greyfriars, hearing the story of Tom Riddle's name carved into a real tombstone — I genuinely had chills. The research is unlike anything else."

Margaret H.
York, England

"We brought our children and they were completely spellbound. Álvaro reads the city like a screenplay — every alleyway became a scene."

James & Fiona T.
Dublin, Ireland

"The vaults walk was unlike anything I've experienced. We have already booked again for next year and convinced friends to join us."

Claudia M.
Munich, Germany
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