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Edinburgh itineraries

Edinburgh Itineraries

Half a day or a full weekend. Here are the best ways to spend your time in Edinburgh, planned step by step.

Whether you have a few hours or a full weekend to explore, these itineraries give you a local’s route through Edinburgh. Each one links directly to the restaurants and activities along the way.

The Old Town in Half a Day·half-dayA Full Day: the Hill, the Mile and Leith·full-day

The Old Town in Half a Day

half-dayYear-round

The essential Old Town sweep for a morning or afternoon: the Castle first thing before the crowds build, down the Royal Mile past St Giles', a hog roast roll on Victoria Street's curve, and the free National Museum to finish. Entirely walkable, with the only serious climb at the start, and easily flipped indoors if the weather turns.

First timersHistory loversRainy day flexible
  1. 1
    09:30·2 hours

    Edinburgh Castle at opening

    Book the first entry slot online in advance; the Honours of Scotland and the ramparts are at their quietest before 11am.

    View Edinburgh Castle
  2. 2
    11:45·45 minutes

    Down the Royal Mile to St Giles'

    Walk the upper Mile from Castlehill past the closes and stop into St Giles' for the crown steeple and the Thistle Chapel's bagpiping angel.

    View St Giles' Cathedral
  3. 3
    12:45·45 minutes

    Lunch on Victoria Street

    Cut down George IV Bridge to Victoria Street's painted curve: a hog roast roll from Oink eaten on the street, and a look into I.J. Mellis's original cheese shop.

    View Oink (Victoria Street)
  4. 4
    13:45·30 minutes

    Greyfriars Kirkyard

    Two minutes from the Grassmarket's east end: Greyfriars Bobby, the Covenant history, and some of Britain's finest carved monuments.

    View Greyfriars Kirkyard
  5. 5
    14:30·1.5 hours

    Finish in the National Museum of Scotland

    Free entry on Chambers Street: the Grand Gallery, Dolly the sheep, and the rooftop terrace's Castle view to close the loop.

    View National Museum of Scotland

A Full Day: the Hill, the Mile and Leith

full-dayYear-round

The day that shows you why locals stay: Arthur's Seat first while the light is good and the paths are quiet, the Palace and the Mile before lunch, then down Leith Walk for the afternoon and evening, Britannia if you are quick, The Shore's seafood if you are hungry. Real shoes required for the morning; the evening is flat.

WalkersFood loversSecond visits
  1. 1
    08:30·2.5 hours

    Climb Arthur's Seat

    Start at the Holyrood gates and take the circuit past St Anthony's Chapel and Dunsapie Loch to the summit. Two to three hours, and the earlier the quieter.

    View Arthur's Seat & Holyrood Park
  2. 2
    11:15·1.5 hours

    Palace of Holyroodhouse

    You finish the hill at its gates: the State Apartments, Mary, Queen of Scots' chambers and the ruined abbey. Check opening dates ahead; it is a working palace.

    View Palace of Holyroodhouse
  3. 3
    13:00·1 hour

    Lunch and the lower Royal Mile

    Walk the Canongate stretch of the Mile, grabbing lunch as you go; the lower Mile's closes are quieter than the Castle end.

  4. 4
    14:30·2 hours

    Down to Leith

    Bus or a 40-minute walk down Leith Walk to the old port. If it is before mid-afternoon, Britannia at Ocean Terminal is worth the detour (last entry 16:00 in summer).

    View The Royal Yacht Britannia
  5. 5
    17:00·1 hour

    The Shore before dinner

    Walk the Water of Leith basin at The Shore: stone tenements, moored boats and a string of good pubs for a pre-dinner pint.

  6. 6
    18:30·2 hours

    Dinner in Leith

    Fishers in the seventeenth-century watchtower for seafood without ceremony, or book weeks ahead and make it The Kitchin.

    View Fishers in Leith

Ready to plan your visit?

Check the weather forecast before you head out.

Planning Tips & Packing GuideGetting to Edinburgh