Edinburgh Travel Guide
Three Days in Edinburgh
The first-timer itinerary that books the sell-outs in the right order — castle at opening, Holyroodhouse on an open day, the underground close at dusk — and fills the gaps with free museums, two hill climbs and a day in Leith.
Edinburgh is compact enough to cover on foot and layered enough to fill a week, so three days is about pacing rather than squeezing. Think of the city in four zones: the Old Town ridge from the castle down the Royal Mile to Holyroodhouse; the Georgian New Town across the valley; the green lungs of Holyrood Park and Calton Hill; and Leith on the water to the north. Give the Old Town a full day, the hills and the bottom of the Mile another, and use the third for Leith and the quieter side of the city — or swap it for a Highlands day trip.
Before you fly: the booking cascade. A handful of things need advance tickets. First and most important, Edinburgh Castle: timed tickets often sell out, and once online tickets are gone there are none at the gate, so book the first slot of your chosen morning as soon as your dates are fixed. Second, the Real Mary King's Close, whose guided tours run at set times and fill up, especially in summer and on weekends; a late-afternoon slot works best. Third, check the Palace of Holyroodhouse calendar: it closes when the King is in residence and currently on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so plan your bottom-of-the-Mile day around an open day. If you want the Scotch Whisky Experience, the Royal Yacht Britannia or a Highlands tour, book those too. Note that St Giles' Cathedral now charges non-resident adults, so budget for it.
Getting around. Walk wherever you can; the centre is small but steep, and the closes and steps between the Old and New Towns are shortcuts. Lothian buses and the tram accept contactless payment. The tram runs from the airport along Princes Street and St Andrew Square to Leith and Ocean Terminal, which makes it the easiest way to reach both the airport and Britannia. Taxis are plentiful but traffic in the Old Town is slow.
Day one — the Old Town, top to bottom. Be at Edinburgh Castle for your opening slot and go straight to the Honours of Scotland in the Royal Palace, then back down through St Margaret's Chapel, the Great Hall and the War Memorial. Stay on the ramparts for the One O'Clock Gun if it is not a Sunday. After lunch, take the rooftop show at the Camera Obscura or a tasting at the Scotch Whisky Experience, both a few steps from the castle gate, then walk down the Royal Mile slowly, ducking into the closes — Advocate's Close for the view of the Scott Monument, Riddle's Court, Lady Stair's Close. Visit St Giles' Cathedral and its Thistle Chapel, then cross the street for your late-afternoon tour of the Real Mary King's Close. Dinner in the Old Town, or down in the Grassmarket under the castle walls.
Day two — palace, volcano and museum. Start at the bottom of the Royal Mile with the Palace of Holyroodhouse at opening: the State Apartments, Mary, Queen of Scots' chambers and the Abbey ruins take about ninety minutes. Then walk into Holyrood Park and climb Arthur's Seat — forty-five minutes to an hour up for most walkers, with the whole city laid out below. Descend to Duddingston for lunch at its historic pub, or walk back toward the Old Town. In the afternoon, head to the National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street, free and open until five, and finish on its roof terrace facing the castle. If you have energy left, walk across to Calton Hill for sunset — in winter it comes in mid-afternoon, so you may want to swap the order.
Day three — the New Town, the river and Leith. Take a gentle morning through the Georgian New Town: George Street, Charlotte Square and the Georgian House, then the walk down to Dean Village and along the Water of Leith to Stockbridge for brunch (Sunday brings the Stockbridge market). In the afternoon, take the tram to Ocean Terminal for the Royal Yacht Britannia — remember that in winter last admission is early afternoon, so do it first if visiting between November and March. Finish on the Shore in Leith, where the old harbour is lined with seafood restaurants and bars, then tram back to the centre.
If you would rather see the Highlands. Replace day three with a guided Loch Ness and Glencoe day trip. It is a long day — check-in around seven in the morning, back around eight in the evening — but it delivers Rannoch Moor, Glencoe and a cruise on Loch Ness without the stress of driving. Fit the New Town and Dean Village into a spare morning or evening instead.
Where to base yourself for this plan. Because the plan pivots between the Old Town, the bottom of the Mile and the New Town, a central base saves the most time. The Balmoral, Gleneagles Townhouse and Motel One Edinburgh-Royal all sit within a few minutes of Waverley, the tram and the Royal Mile; Virgin Hotels and Hotel du Vin put you inside the Old Town; and the Witchery puts you literally at the castle gates. Kimpton Charlotte Square suits the New Town and Dean Village day best. Whatever you choose, look at a map for hills between your hotel and the places you want to be — Edinburgh distances are short, but some of them are vertical.
Honest adjustments. With small children, swap the Real Mary King's Close (no under-fives) for the Camera Obscura and the National Museum's family galleries, and climb Calton Hill instead of Arthur's Seat. In rain, move Arthur's Seat to the driest window and lean on the museum, Britannia and the underground close. In November and December, daylight is short — put the castle and the hills first in the day, museums and the Christmas market later. And in August, double every walking time on the Royal Mile and book everything, including dinner, well in advance.