St Andrews Itineraries
Half a day or a full weekend. Here are the best ways to spend your time in St Andrews, 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 St Andrews. Each one links directly to the restaurants and activities along the way.
A Half Day in St Andrews: Cathedral, Castle and the Beach
Built for anyone with a morning or an afternoon rather than a full day: the cathedral ruins and castle for the history, a quick stop at the golf museum or the Himalayas putting green for the golf-town flavour, and a finish on West Sands to see what all the fuss about the beach is about.
- 109:30·60 minutes
St Andrews Cathedral & St Rule's Tower
Start at the free-to-enter cathedral ruins, once the largest church in Scotland, and climb St Rule's Tower on a guided tour if one is running that day.
View St Andrews Cathedral & St Rule's Tower - 210:45·60 minutes
St Andrews Castle
A five-minute walk along The Pends and The Scores to the ruined clifftop castle, with its walkable siege mine and the bottle dungeon.
View St Andrews Castle - 312:00·45 minutes
Lunch at Northpoint Café
A short walk into the town centre for brunch or a light lunch at the café where Prince William and Kate Middleton were once photographed as students.
View Northpoint Café - 413:15·60 minutes
The R&A World Golf Museum or the Himalayas Putting Green
Pick one: the indoor golf museum on Bruce Embankment, or a walk-up round on the famously bumpy public putting green beside the Old Course's 1st and 18th holes.
View The R&A World Golf Museum - 514:30·60 minutes
West Sands Beach
Finish with a walk along the sand made famous by Chariots of Fire, with the Old Course on one side and the Eden Estuary in the distance.
View West Sands Beach
A Full Day in St Andrews: Golf, History and the Coast
A complete day covering the cathedral and harbour at the old town's historic east end, the castle and university museum along The Scores, the golf sights in the middle of town, and the beach and botanic garden for the parts of St Andrews that have nothing to do with golf at all.
- 109:00·90 minutes
St Andrews Cathedral, St Rule's Tower & the Harbour
Start at the cathedral ruins, then walk down to the small working harbour and out along the pier, where graduating students walk the Pier Walk tradition on Sunday mornings.
View St Andrews Cathedral & St Rule's Tower - 210:45·90 minutes
St Andrews Castle & Wardlaw Museum
Walk the castle's siege mine and bottle dungeon, then call into the free University museum next door for its sea-view terrace and collections.
View St Andrews Castle - 312:30·75 minutes
Lunch at The Seafood Ristorante
A glass-walled dining room over the beach behind the R&A, for a seafood lunch with views out over St Andrews Bay.
View The Seafood Ristorante - 414:00·90 minutes
The R&A World Golf Museum & the Himalayas Putting Green
Do both this time: the museum's 400 years of golf history, then a round on the public putting green right beside the Old Course.
View The R&A World Golf Museum - 515:45·75 minutes
West Sands Beach
A long walk on the sand toward the Eden Estuary, the same beach used in Chariots of Fire's opening scene.
View West Sands Beach - 617:15·60 minutes
St Andrews Botanic Garden
A quieter finish to the sightseeing at the 18-acre botanic garden on Canongate, away from the golf and the old town crowds.
View St Andrews Botanic Garden - 719:00·90 minutes
Dinner at The Adamson
A modern British dinner and a cocktail on South Street to finish the day.
View The Adamson
Ready to plan your visit?
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