Harry Potter vs Outlander Tours from Edinburgh — Which Is Right for You?
Both are screen-themed tours, but they're built differently: Harry Potter is mostly an Old Town walk of the books' inspirations, while Outlander is a full-day drive to real filming locations. Here's the side-by-side.
Available
6 options
Avg. rating
4.6 - 4,052 reviews
From
$71 GBP
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Free up to 24h before
Harry Potter vs Outlander Tours: what to know before booking
Both are screen-themed tours, but they're built differently: Harry Potter is mostly an Old Town walk of the books' inspirations, while Outlander is a full-day drive to real filming locations. Here's the side-by-side.
- Availability
- 6 ticket options compared
- Starting price
- Tickets currently start around $71 GBP before checkout fees.
- Rating signal
- Compared options average 4.6 stars across 4,052 traveler reviews.
- Location
- Harry Potter walks meet near the Royal Mile / Victoria Street; Outlander and Highlands trips depart central Edinburgh
- Best time
- Morning for the quieter city walk; book day trips well ahead in summer and festival season
- Ticket note
- Date- and time-specific; arrive 10–15 minutes before the start
Harry Potter vs Outlander Tours in Edinburgh
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Side-by-side: Harry Potter vs Outlander tour
Choose the Harry Potter tour if you're short on time and want a quick, family-friendly Old Town walk through Rowling's real inspirations — or splurge on the Hogwarts Express Highlands day for the Glenfinnan Viaduct. Choose the Outlander tour if you want genuine on-screen filming locations and don't mind a full day of driving to Doune, Linlithgow, and Falkland. Fans of both, with the days to spare, can do the HP walk in the city and the Outlander day trip out of it.
Everything you should know before you book
Edinburgh sits at the heart of Scotland's screen-tourism scene, and two tours dominate: Harry Potter and Outlander. They sound similar but work very differently. The Harry Potter tour is mostly a short Old Town walk past J.K. Rowling's real-world inspirations — Victoria Street, Greyfriars Kirkyard, and the cafés where she wrote — while the genuine on-screen Hogwarts Express experience requires a separate full-day Highlands trip to the Glenfinnan Viaduct.
Outlander, by contrast, is a full-day driving tour to actual filming locations — Doune Castle, Linlithgow Palace, and the village of Falkland. The choice is really about format and commitment: a quick city walk versus a day on the road. The table below compares what you see, time, price, and who each suits.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Harry Potter films shot in Edinburgh?
No — Edinburgh inspired the books rather than hosting the films, so city walks cover Rowling's real-world inspirations. The on-screen Hogwarts Express crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct in the Highlands, reachable on a separate full-day trip.
Does the Outlander tour visit real filming locations?
Yes — Outlander day trips typically include Doune Castle (Castle Leoch), Linlithgow Palace (Wentworth Prison), and Falkland, the genuine sites used in the series.
Which is better if I'm short on time?
The Harry Potter city walk — it runs about two hours in the Old Town and is family-friendly. The Outlander tour is a full day of driving, so save it for a day you can give over to it.