Edinburgh

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Top Tours & Activities in Edinburgh

Entry to John Knox House Museum

Duration: 1 hour

Certified

Edinburgh Ghosts & Ghouls Old Town Underground Tour

Duration: 2 hours

545 Reviews

545

Top 10 things to do in Edinburgh

Edinburgh is an effortlessly cohesive reflection of Scotland's breathtaking rural landscape, flaunting cultural vibrancy, historic charm, and scenic wonder. Even its New Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. So, what are its top attractions?

Edinburgh Castle

The Edinburgh Castle was built at least as early as the 12th century. Looking over the city from Castle Rock, it's been at the heart of some of Scotland's bloodiest conflicts.

Stirling Castle

Having withstood multiple sieges, Stirling is one of Scotland's most important castles. Even if you're not a history buff, the scenery alone warrants a day trip from the capital!

Loch Lomond

What's a holiday to Scotland without visiting one of its picturesque lochs? Luckily, the largest and most breathtaking one in the country, the Loch Lomond, is just a short journey away!

Holyrood Palace

The Holyrood Abbey next to the Holyrood Palace is still in ruins after the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Fun fact: Holyrood is Old English for "holy cross."

Royal Mile

The historic thoroughfare, called The Royal Mile, runs through Edinburgh's Old Town from the Castle to Holyrood for one Scots mile. That's longer than a regular mile, in case you were wondering!

Greyfriars Church

The birthplace of 17th-century Scottish Presbyterianism, this church is a landmark of the country's religious history. It still holds Sunday services in English and Scottish Gaelic.

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

Dating back to 1670, when it was used to grow medicinal plants, this conservation project has bloomed into a leading tourist attraction. Today it houses over 13,000 plant species!

Photo: Hugh Llewelyn @flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

HMY Britannia

Built in 1953, this royal yacht is considered one of the UK's top attractions. You can even enjoy lunch or afternoon tea on the Royal Deck!

Rosslyn Chapel

Just south of Edinburgh lies the village of Roslin, where the spectacular Rosslyn Chapel was built 600 years ago as an object of curiosity and splendor. A truly unique example of religious architecture!

Our Dynamic Earth

The Holyrood area sits beneath a dormant volcano. The information center Our Dynamic Earth is the perfect place to learn about the natural processes that shaped our planet from the Big Bang to the present!

Planning Your Edinburgh Visit

Best time to visit?

Edinburgh is heaving with visitors throughout the summer, but for good reason – it's festival season! If you'd rather see the city significantly less hectic then you'll have to brave the Scottish winter. The good news is that few landscapes lend themselves so beautifully to cloud and drizzle as that of Scotland!

When is the Edinburgh Festival?

Edinburgh has several large festivals occupying its streets throughout summer, including their film, jazz, and book festivals. However, it's common to mistake the Edinburgh Fringe – the world's largest performing arts festival – as THE festival. It spans 25 days of August. This year's exact dates, and those for the other events too, can be found here.

How long to stay?

Book at least a week in Edinburgh if you can. Many of the city's most popular attractions require more time than you'll realise and there's already more than enough to do, especially during festival season. Plus, if you haven't ventured into Scotland's awe-inspiring countryside before, you should consider at least one day trip out of the city too!

Good to Know

Language
English
Currency
British Pound (£)
Time Zone
UTC (+00:00)
Country Code
+44
Best time to visit
Spring for the mild weather, summer for the cultural events!

Things to Do in Edinburgh

Top Attractions in Edinburgh

Other Sightseeing Options in Edinburgh

Want to discover all there is to do in Edinburgh? Click here for a full list.

What People Are Saying About Edinburgh

Enjoyed the tour and the interesting snippets of information

Frankly I was expecting a much more lavish display of wealth and opulence. It therefore came as a breath of fresh air to see the down to earth simplicity of the Royal family. A good and wise decision by Her Majesty the Queen. Happy that I took the time to visit.

Edinburgh: The Royal Yacht Britannia 2-Hour Tour Reviewed by Sabita, 06/20/2017

Great highlight trip to see a lot of sights in a limited amount of tim

Very happy with trip and how many sites saw. No need to research sites want to see since it is all preplanned (will end up annoyed or unhappy didn't see what you may have selected). Great spots selected by tour that touch on history, landscapes and local lore. Cover a lot of area in a short time.

Isle of Skye & Jacobite Steam Train 3-Day Highland Tour Reviewed by TRC, 06/18/2017

Great way to see the city and learn with the aid of the headphones.

Excellant way to get around and see different areas you would not reach on foot.

24-Hour Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Tour Reviewed by Dianne, 06/17/2017

It was great. Your guide was perfect and the sights wee good.

We really enjoyed the tour. Plenty of history and stops so you could walk around and see the sights. Whiskey tour was quick but thorough.

Highland Lochs, Stirling Castle and Whisky Day Tour Reviewed by Deborah, 06/16/2017

Just a great way to see Edinburgh and also get some of it's history.

We took the 48hr three tour option which was money well spent. The drivers were vey helpful and informative and the live And audio commentary were excellent. Would highly recommend this to any tourist as well as people who live in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: 24 or 48-Hour Pass Reviewed by Stephen, 06/15/2017