Edinburgh Coffee House History Walking Tour

There's no tour like it in Edinburgh! A walking tour specifically around the history of the coffee trade in Scotland, visiting the sites of the original historic coffee houses in Edinburgh - and exclusive access to what was once "John's Coffee House" where we finish the tour with a coffee in an 18th Century meeting point for philosophers, pirates, and prosecutors alike. Come see an underground section of Edinburgh that hasn't been open to the public for almost 200 years!
During the experience, we'll visit the sites where the ancient coffee houses of Edinburgh used to be before the great fire changed the landscape of the Old Town forever, whilst we tell you some stories of the history of coffee, and how the coffee trade grew to what it is today.

Meeting Point

CoDE Pod – THE CoURT

1A Parliament Square, Edinburgh EH1 1RF, UK

Behind St Giles Cathedral, in the corner of Parliament Square, you'll fin the statue of James Braidwood, and next to that is the Code Pod Hostel where we'll meet you at reception!

What's included:

• Experienced Local Guide

What to expect:

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes

The Lost Close - Events & Experiences

1 Barrie's Close, The Lost Close, Edinburgh, EH1 1RF

We have exclusive access to a hidden, underground space, which was once a coffee house dating back to the 18th century, used by prosecutors and pirates alike.
For the second half of our tour, we'll be exploring a series of underground rooms, where we'll drink coffee and finish our tour. There are also toilets and water available here.

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Old Town

Edinburgh

The Old Town of Edinburgh has a rich history of coffee houses, we'll visit a few of the locations on a walk. For the first half of the tour, we will be outside exploring the closes and wynds, the narrow alleys of Edinbuurgh's Historic Old Town.
Most of the ancient coffee houses have long since perished, through fire or changing business, and we'll be hunting these down on our adventure.

45 minutes