The best Aberdeen walking tours

Aberdeen's walking tours stick mainly to the granite city centre. Guided walks follow Union Street to the Castlegate and Marischal College, while others focus on the historic centre and its street art or on the history and mysteries of the old harbour. A separate walk covers Old Aberdeen, the cobbled university quarter around King's College and St Machar's Cathedral. You will also find self-guided audio tours, private walks with a local, a short distillery tour and a few private castle trips.

Most guided walks last one and a half to two hours. At the time of checking, group walks in the centre and harbour were listed from about £14, and the Old Aberdeen walk from about £72. Private walks ran from about £35 to £135, and self-guided audio tours from about £4 to £7.

Before you book

Granite pavements get slippery in the rain, and the wind off the North Sea can make the harbour feel much colder than the centre, so bring a warm, waterproof layer. Old Aberdeen is about three miles north of the centre, so check where your walk starts and take a bus if needed. From 12 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, a Christmas Village ice rink sits outside Marischal College, so the Castlegate end of the centre is busy in the evenings.