Things to do · Edinburgh · United Kingdom
20 best things to do in Edinburgh
20 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Kim Traynor, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Edinburgh are Edinburgh Castle, The Royal Mile and Palace of Holyroodhouse. Of the 20 picks below, 13 are free, 9 work on a rainy day and 8 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Edinburgh Castle
- Free sights
- 13
- Good on a rainy day
- St Giles' Cathedral
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh Castle | Old Town | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| The Royal Mile | Old Town | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Palace of Holyroodhouse | Holyrood | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Calton Hill | New Town | 45 minutes | Free |
| Princes Street Gardens and the Scott Monument | New Town | 1 hour | Free |
| Royal Yacht Britannia | Leith | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| St Giles' Cathedral | Old Town | 45 minutes | Free |
| Arthur's Seat | Holyrood Park | 2 hours | Free |
| National Museum of Scotland | Old Town | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Scottish National Gallery | New Town | 1.5–2 hours | Free |
| Dean Village | Stockbridge | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh | Inverleith | 1.5–2 hours | Free |
| Greyfriars Kirkyard | Old Town | 45 minutes | Free |
| Victoria Street and the Grassmarket | Old Town | 1 hour | Free |
| Camera Obscura and World of Illusions | Old Town | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Dynamic Earth | Holyrood | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| The Real Mary King's Close | Old Town | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art | Dean Village | 1.5 hours | Free |
| Cramond Island | Cramond | Half a day | Free |
| Edinburgh Zoo | Corstorphine | 3–4 hours | Mid-priced |
The 20 best things to do
Castle · Old Town
1.Edinburgh Castle
Perched on an extinct volcanic plug above the city, the castle holds the Honours of Scotland — the Scottish crown jewels — the Great Hall, the National War Museum and St Margaret's Chapel, Edinburgh's oldest building, from the 12th century. The One O'Clock Gun is fired from the Mill's Mount battery on most days.
Head straight to the Crown Room for the Honours of Scotland before the queues build, then circle back to the views from the batteries.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Timed tickets sell out in summer and especially in August; book on the official Edinburgh Castle site.
- Iconic
- History
- Views
- Kids
Street · Old Town
2.The Royal Mile
The spine of the Old Town runs for roughly a mile downhill from the Castle Esplanade through the Lawnmarket, High Street and Canongate to Holyrood. Narrow closes such as Advocate's Close and Lady Stair's Close lead off it, and in August its central stretch becomes an open-air stage for Fringe performers.
Duck into the closes off the main street; many open onto quiet courtyards and views over the New Town.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Shopping
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Palace · Holyrood
3.Palace of Holyroodhouse
The monarch's official residence in Scotland stands at the foot of the Royal Mile, with state apartments still used for official events and the chambers of Mary, Queen of Scots, where her secretary David Rizzio was murdered in 1566. The roofless ruins of 12th-century Holyrood Abbey stand beside it.
Check dates before you go: the palace closes to visitors during royal visits, usually in early summer.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Viewpoint · New Town
4.Calton Hill
A short climb from the east end of Princes Street, Calton Hill is crowned by the unfinished National Monument, modelled on the Parthenon, the telescope-shaped Nelson Monument and the round Dugald Stewart Monument, which frames the classic view along Princes Street to the Castle.
Go at sunset or sunrise; the steps up from Regent Road take about five minutes.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Photo spot
- Couples
- Iconic
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Garden · New Town
5.Princes Street Gardens and the Scott Monument
Laid out in the drained valley of the Nor Loch, Princes Street Gardens separate the Old and New Towns, with the floral clock, the Ross Fountain and views up to the castle. The Gothic Scott Monument, a 61-metre memorial to Sir Walter Scott, has 287 steps to its top gallery, for a small fee.
The monument's spiral stairs become very narrow near the top; skip the climb if you dislike tight spaces.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Views
- Kids
- Iconic
Museum · Leith
6.Royal Yacht Britannia
The royal family's floating residence for 44 years is moored at Ocean Terminal in Leith. A self-guided audio tour covers the bridge, the state dining room, the royal bedrooms and the crew's quarters, and the Royal Deck Tea Room serves afternoon tea.
Take the tram to Ocean Terminal and combine the visit with lunch on the Shore.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Religious site · Old Town
7.St Giles' Cathedral
The High Kirk of Edinburgh, with its crown-shaped spire, was John Knox's church during the Reformation. Its highlights are the Victorian stained glass and the Thistle Chapel, built in 1911 for Scotland's Order of the Thistle, whose carved woodwork includes an angel playing the bagpipes.
Entry is free; ask a guide to point out the bagpipe-playing angel in the Thistle Chapel.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Nature · Holyrood Park
8.Arthur's Seat
The 251-metre summit of an extinct volcano rises in Holyrood Park, about 15 minutes' walk from the Royal Mile. Paths climb from Dunsapie Loch or along the cliffs of Salisbury Crags, and the top looks over the city, the Firth of Forth and the Pentland Hills. Most walkers reach the summit in 30–45 minutes.
Take the gentler route from Dunsapie Loch with children or if short on time, and avoid the summit rocks in strong wind or wet weather.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Outdoors
- Active
- Nature
Museum · Old Town
1.National Museum of Scotland
Scotland's national museum on Chambers Street mixes Scottish history from prehistoric times with natural history, world cultures, science and technology. Highlights include Dolly the sheep, several of the 12th-century Lewis chessmen and the glass-roofed Victorian Grand Gallery. Entry is free, and the roof terrace has a castle view.
Start children in the hands-on science and technology galleries, then go up to the roof terrace for the castle view.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Gallery · New Town
2.Scottish National Gallery
On the Mound between the Old and New Towns, this free gallery holds Scottish and European art from Raphael, Titian and Velázquez to Raeburn's skating minister and works by Ramsay and Wilkie. Its expanded Scottish galleries open onto Princes Street Gardens.
Combine it with a walk through Princes Street Gardens; the gallery's lower level opens straight onto them.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Rainy day
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Neighbourhood · Stockbridge
3.Dean Village
A former grain-milling village in the gorge of the Water of Leith, Dean Village has 19th-century mill buildings, the red-and-yellow Well Court and footbridges over the river, a 10-minute walk from Princes Street. The Water of Leith walkway continues downstream past St Bernard's Well to Stockbridge.
Walk from Dean Village to Stockbridge along the river path, then return via Circus Lane, a curving mews of painted doors.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Photo spot
- Couples
- Off the beaten path
- Outdoors
Garden · Inverleith
4.Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Founded in 1670 as a physic garden, the Royal Botanic Garden covers about 70 acres north of Stockbridge, with a celebrated rock garden, a Chinese hillside, an avenue of giant redwoods and a lawn with a view over the skyline to the castle. Entry to the garden is free.
Enter by the West Gate on Arboretum Place for the café and the best skyline view from the lawn by Inverleith House.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Historic site · Old Town
5.Greyfriars Kirkyard
This atmospheric graveyard below the castle holds elaborate 17th-century tombs and is the setting of the Greyfriars Bobby story of a Skye terrier said to have guarded his master's grave for years; the dog's statue stands at the gate. The National Covenant was signed in the church here in 1638.
Look for the carved memento mori on the tombs along the walls, and stop at Bobby's statue on Candlemaker Row on the way out.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Off the beaten path
Street · Old Town
6.Victoria Street and the Grassmarket
Victoria Street curves down from George IV Bridge to the Grassmarket in a row of brightly painted shopfronts with a raised terrace walk above. The Grassmarket below, once a livestock market and site of public executions, is now a wide square of pubs with outdoor tables and a view up to the castle.
Come early in the morning for photographs without crowds, then return in the evening for the Grassmarket pubs.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Photo spot
- After dark
Museum · Old Town
7.Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
Beside the castle at the top of the Royal Mile, the Camera Obscura has projected live images of the city onto a viewing table since 1853, and five floors of optical illusions, mirror mazes and a spinning vortex tunnel sit below its rooftop terrace.
Time the camera obscura show for a bright day, when the projected image is sharpest.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Views
Museum · Holyrood
8.Dynamic Earth
Beneath a white tented roof beside the Scottish Parliament, Dynamic Earth takes visitors through the planet's story from the Big Bang to the polar ice caps, with a simulated earthquake, a tropical rainforest room and a 360-degree dome cinema.
Pair it with a walk in Holyrood Park next door to see real volcanic rock on Salisbury Crags.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Historic site · Old Town
9.The Real Mary King's Close
Beneath the City Chambers on the Royal Mile lie streets of 17th-century houses that were partly demolished and built over in the 18th century. Costumed guides lead small groups through the underground closes with stories of plague, poverty and everyday Old Town life.
Check the minimum age before booking with young children; some find the dark rooms frightening.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Tours have limited places and sell out in summer; book a time slot online.
- History
- Rainy day
Gallery · Dean Village
10.Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
Two neoclassical buildings facing each other across Belford Road hold Scotland's national collection of modern and contemporary art, from Dalí and Magritte to the Scottish Colourists, with Charles Jencks's grassy landform sculpture on the front lawn. The permanent collection is free.
Walk there along the Water of Leith from Dean Village; steps lead up from the riverside path to the gallery grounds.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
- Outdoors
Island · Cramond
11.Cramond Island
At low tide a causeway of about 1.5 km, lined with Second World War concrete anti-boat pylons, leads from the village of Cramond to this small uninhabited island in the Firth of Forth, which has wartime gun emplacements and views towards the Forth bridges.
Check the tide times posted at the causeway and leave the island well before the crossing closes; people are regularly cut off by the rising tide.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
- Nature
- Active
Zoo · Corstorphine
12.Edinburgh Zoo
On a hillside in Corstorphine, about 5 km west of the centre, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's zoo has chimpanzees, koalas, big cats and a large penguin colony. It is a short bus ride from Princes Street.
Arrive early and wear good shoes; the zoo climbs a steep hill.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Royal Yacht Britannia, National Museum of Scotland, Scottish National Gallery and Camera Obscura and World of Illusions |
| History | Edinburgh Castle, The Royal Mile, St Giles' Cathedral and Palace of Holyroodhouse |
| Views | Edinburgh Castle, Arthur's Seat, Calton Hill and Princes Street Gardens and the Scott Monument |
| Outdoors and nature | Princes Street Gardens and the Scott Monument, Arthur's Seat, Dean Village and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh |
| After dark | Victoria Street and the Grassmarket |
| With children | Edinburgh Castle, National Museum of Scotland, Princes Street Gardens and the Scott Monument and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh |
| On a rainy day | St Giles' Cathedral, Palace of Holyroodhouse, National Museum of Scotland and Scottish National Gallery |
What to book ahead
- Edinburgh Castle: Timed tickets sell out in summer and especially in August; book on the official Edinburgh Castle site.
- The Real Mary King's Close: Tours have limited places and sell out in summer; book a time slot online.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Edinburgh?
Edinburgh Castle. Perched on an extinct volcanic plug above the city, the castle holds the Honours of Scotland — the Scottish crown jewels — the Great Hall, the National War Museum and St Margaret's Chapel, Edinburgh's oldest building, from the 12th century.
+What can you do for free in Edinburgh?
The Royal Mile, Calton Hill, Princes Street Gardens and the Scott Monument, St Giles' Cathedral and Arthur's Seat. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Edinburgh when it rains?
Head indoors to St Giles' Cathedral, Palace of Holyroodhouse, National Museum of Scotland and Scottish National Gallery.
+What is there to do in Edinburgh at night?
Victoria Street and the Grassmarket are best after dark.