One day in Edinburgh

Day by day

1. Day 1: Edinburgh Castle and The Royal Mile

   Edinburgh Castle, The Royal Mile, St Giles' Cathedral and National Museum of Scotland, then Victoria Street and the Grassmarket in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Edinburgh Castle

      Head straight to the Crown Room for the Honours of Scotland before the queues build, then circle back to the views from the batteries. Allow 2–3 hours.

   2. Late morning

      The Royal Mile

      Duck into the closes off the main street; many open onto quiet courtyards and views over the New Town. Allow 2–3 hours.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Haggis, neeps and tatties

      Traditional pubs and Scottish restaurants across the Old Town; also as part of a cooked breakfast.

   4. Afternoon

      St Giles' Cathedral

      Entry is free; ask a guide to point out the bagpipe-playing angel in the Thistle Chapel. Allow 45 minutes.

   5. Late afternoon

      National Museum of Scotland

      Start children in the hands-on science and technology galleries, then go up to the roof terrace for the castle view. Allow 2–3 hours.

   6. Evening

      Victoria Street and the Grassmarket

      Come early in the morning for photographs without crowds, then return in the evening for the Grassmarket pubs.

Before you go

• Edinburgh Castle: Timed tickets sell out in summer and especially in August; book on the official Edinburgh Castle site.

If it rains

• Swap in Palace of Holyroodhouse (Holyrood): Check dates before you go: the palace closes to visitors during royal visits, usually in early summer.
• Swap in Scottish National Gallery (New Town): Combine it with a walk through Princes Street Gardens; the gallery's lower level opens straight onto them.
• Swap in Royal Yacht Britannia (Leith): Take the tram to Ocean Terminal and combine the visit with lunch on the Shore.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 8–11 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 7 hours in December to 17.6 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. The Castle to Holyrood is about 1.6 km downhill along the Royal Mile, and the New Town is a few minutes away across the Mound or North Bridge.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Edinburgh
• 3 days in Edinburgh
• 4 days in Edinburgh
• 5 days in Edinburgh

Questions travellers ask