Edinburgh Castle Ticket
Valid: 1 day
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Edinburgh
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Top attractions in Edinburgh
Edinburgh: Ghostly Underground Vaults Tour
Duration: 75 minutes
Likely to sell out
Loch Ness, Glencoe & the Highlands Tour from Edinburgh
Duration: 12.5 hours
Bestseller
City Sightseeing Edinburgh: 24-Hour Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour
Valid: 24 hours
Loch Ness, Highlands & Whisky Distillery Tour from Edinburgh
Duration: 12 hours
Bestseller
Edinburgh: The Royal Yacht Britannia Ticket & Audio Guide
Duration: 2 hours
Loch Ness, Glencoe, and the Highlands Full-Day Tour
Duration: 12.5 hours
Bestseller
Edinburgh: Palace of Holyroodhouse Entrance Ticket
Duration: 1.5 hours
Edinburgh: Extreme Paranormal Underground Ghost Tour
Duration: 75 minutes
Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: 24 or 48-Hour Pass
Valid: 24 - 48 hours
Stirling Castle, Highland Lochs & Whisky Tour from Edinburgh
Duration: 10 hours
Real Mary King's Close: Beneath the Royal Mile Guided Tour
Duration: 1 hour
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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!
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
- LanguageEnglish
- CurrencyBritish Pound (£)
- Time ZoneUTC (+00:00)
- Country Code+44
- Best time to visitSpring for the mild weather, summer for the cultural events!
Things to Do in Edinburgh
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What people are saying about Edinburgh
Loved this tour, Chris our driver was fab!
My friend and I really enjoyed this tour, and our driver Chris was very friendly helpful and above all knowledgable, highly recommended. Thanks for a wonderful day.
Superb presentation and a great way to see Edinburg
Adam was almost Shakespearean in his presentation and made the old Edinburgh come to life.
Although the weather was cold and rainy it was reeeeeally much fun.
The girl told us a lot background information what inspired j.k. rowling and about Edinburgh itself. you could see that she loves the story about harry potter extremely much. I totally recommend the tour!
Brilliant experience, great for the whole family
We really enjoyed visiting The Real Mary’s Experience. Our Children, aged 10 and 12 years found it really interesting and great fun. We would really recommend a visit, well worth it.
What a great way to spend our last night in Edinburgh!
We were lucky enough to have a clear night and perfect...if cold...weather for this wonderfully entertaining night time walk on the dark side of Edinburgh. Especially enjoyed the view over the city from the top of Calton Hill. Our guide, Keith, was funny and knowledgeable
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