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Closes & Coffee

Step into a story steeped in centuries with Closes & Coffee, an exclusive immersive experience from The Real Mary King’s Close and The Lost Close.

Closes & Coffee

About Closes & Coffee

19th June 2025
20th June 2025
21st June 2025
plus 30 more date(s), see below for more info
9.15am Coffee Tour at The Lost Close / 10am Standard Tour at The Real Mary
Edinburgh Old Town
£40 per person - Advance booking essential.
Event organiser/part of The Real Mary Kings Close
Visit the event website here

Brewed in history - Two hidden closes. One unforgettable morning.

Begin your day at John’s Coffee House & Tavern, once a lively meeting place for Enlightenment thinkers like Adam Smith and David Hume. Beneath it lies The Lost Close – a hidden close sealed for nearly two centuries and only uncovered in 2019.

Descend into this remarkable underground space for an expert-led storytelling tour. Learn about the role of coffee in shaping 18th-century Edinburgh, explore the history of coffee houses, and admire the world’s second-oldest Crossley Four-stroke engine – a surprising gem beneath the city streets. Along the way, enjoy a cup of freshly brewed coffee from Edinburgh roaster Common Coffee.

Then, continue your journey through time at The Real Mary King’s Close. Step down into the preserved 17th-century streets beneath the Royal Mile and hear the real stories of those who lived, worked and died on the Close. With no myths and no exaggeration, this is Edinburgh’s history told where it happened.

Your Experience Includes:

A guided coffee tour at The Lost Close, An underground close not open to the public for nearly 200 years

A freshly brewed coffee from Edinburgh roaster Common Coffee.

The tale of coffee’s journey to Edinburgh and its Enlightenment-era role

A guided experience at The Real Mary King’s Close, winner of Tripadvisor’s UK’s Best Visitor Attraction 2024

Entry to two of Edinburgh’s most atmospheric hidden closes

Small group setting for up to 12 guests

Dates and Times
Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday
From 19 June to 30 August 2025

Meeting Point:
John’s Coffee House & Tavern
1A Parliament Square, EH1 1RF

Please arrive 10 minutes before your tour begins.

Additional Dates: 20 June 2025, 21 June 2025, 26 June 2025, 27 June 2025, 28 June 2025, 03 July 2025, 04 July 2025, 05 July 2025, 10 July 2025, 11 July 2025, 12 July 2025, 17 July 2025, 18 July 2025, 19 July 2025, 24 July 2025, 25 July 2025, 26 July 2025, 31 July 2025, 01 August 2025, 02 August 2025, 07 August 2025, 08 August 2025, 09 August 2025, 14 August 2025, 15 August 2025, 16 August 2025, 21 August 2025, 22 August 2025, 23 August 2025, 28 August 2025, 29 August 2025, 30 August 2025

Sponsored Links

Breakthrough T1D
Scottish Refugee Council
Escape The Past
MNB
ChangeWorks

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This Pride Month, step down into Edinburgh’s hidden history with a special series of Pride History Tours at The Real Mary King’s Close.

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Sponsored Links

Renfrewshire Council
Fayre Play
St Mary's Music School
Edinburgh Dungeon
ATG
Hostelworld

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