Edinburgh

Best things to do in Edinburgh

1. 

   1

   1. Edinburgh Castle

   • 2 to 3 hours
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Couples
   • Families
   • Rainy day

   A historic castle on Castle Rock, occupied since at least the Iron Age. There has been a royal castle there since the reign of Malcolm III in the 11th century, and it was a royal residence until 1633.

   Check opening times and ticket arrangements with the operator before you go.

   20,667 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Edinburgh Castle

2. 

   2

   2. Arthur's Seat

   • 1 to 3 hours
   • No booking needed
   • Active
   • Couples
   • Families

   An extinct volcano and main peak of Holyrood Park, 250.5 m high and about a mile east of the castle. It is relatively easy to climb and gives panoramic views; the easiest ascent is from the east.

   Climbing on Salisbury Crags has been banned since 2019.

   14,675 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Arthur%27s Seat

3. 

   3

   3. Royal Yacht Britannia

   • 2 to 3 hours
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Families
   • Couples
   • Rainy day

   The former royal yacht of the British monarchy, in service from 1954 to 1997. She is now berthed at Ocean Terminal in Leith as a visitor attraction with over 300,000 visits a year.

   Check opening times and ticket arrangements with the operator before you go.

   14,399 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, HMY Britannia

4. 

   4

   4. Forth Bridge (day trip)

   • 1 to 2 hours
   • No booking needed
   • Couples
   • No car needed

   A cantilever railway bridge across the Firth of Forth, 9 miles west of central Edinburgh. Completed in 1890, it is considered a symbol of Scotland and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

   12,962 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Forth Bridge

5. 

   5

   5. Palace of Holyroodhouse

   • 1 to 2 hours
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Couples
   • Rainy day

   The official residence of the monarch in Scotland, at the bottom of the Royal Mile opposite Edinburgh Castle. It has been the principal royal residence in Scotland since the 16th century.

   The palace is a working royal residence. Check opening times and ticket arrangements with the operator before you go.

   12,647 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Holyrood Palace

6. 

   6

   6. Stirling Castle (day trip)

   • Half a day
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Couples
   • Families

   One of the largest and most historically important castles in Scotland, on a crag in Stirling that is surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs.

   Check opening times and ticket arrangements with the operator before you go.

   12,417 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Stirling Castle

7. 

   7

   7. Edinburgh Festival Fringe

   • An evening or several days
   • Tickets needed
   • Held once a year; check dates
   • Adults
   • Couples
   • Families

   The world's largest performing arts festival. In 2025 it ran for 25 days and sold more than 2.6 million tickets for 3,893 shows across 301 venues.

   Check the official programme for dates and show ratings.

   11,894 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

8. 

   8

   8. St Andrews (day trip)

   • A full day
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Couples
   • Active

   A coastal university town on the east coast of Fife, 30 miles north-east of Edinburgh, with a population of 16,460 in 2022.

   Check train and bus times before you go.

   11,675 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, St Andrews

9. 

   9

   9. Royal Mile and the Old Town

   • Half a day
   • No booking needed
   • Couples
   • No car needed
   • Families

   The Royal Mile is the main thoroughfare of Edinburgh's Old Town, the oldest part of the city. The Old Town has kept much of its medieval street plan and many Reformation-era buildings, and with the New Town forms a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

   8,419 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Royal Mile
   • Wikipedia, Old Town, Edinburgh

10. 

    10

    10. Rosslyn Chapel (day trip)

    • 1 to 2 hours
    • Check entry rules before you go
    • Couples
    • Rainy day

    A 15th-century chapel in the village of Roslin in Midlothian, founded by William Sinclair with a ground-breaking ceremony in 1456. Its interior has carvings that many historians have tried to interpret.

    Check opening times and ticket arrangements with the operator before you go.

    7,982 readers a month

    Sources

    • Wikipedia, Rosslyn Chapel

Just missed the list: St Giles' Cathedral (11th by readers; the High Kirk of Edinburgh on the Royal Mile, begun in the 14th century); Scott Monument (12th by readers; a Victorian Gothic monument to Sir Walter Scott in Princes Street Gardens)