Edinburgh itinerary
7 days, hour by hour · United KingdomJune–September
- Days
- 7
- Stops
- 33
- Per day
- ≈ £91
- First stop
- 08:00
Short answer
The TripWalkers Edinburgh itinerary runs 7 days and lays out 33 stops, hour by hour, for June–September. The first three days:
- Day 1 Royal Mile and the castle
- Day 2 Arthur's Seat and Holyrood
- Day 3 New Town and Stockbridge
Staying less? Start with the first days — TripWalkers uses the opening days of this plan for shorter trips too. Days 4 and 5 are day trips out of the city. Food, entry fees and local transport come to about £91 a day (excluding accommodation and flights).
Day 1 · 09:30–17:00
Royal Mile and the castle
Landmark
Edinburgh Castle
A fortress on a volcanic rock: the Scottish Crown Jewels, the Stone of Destiny and the 13:00 one o'clock gun. Book timed tickets online, as they sell out.
≈ £20 per personLandmark
Royal Mile Walk
1.6 km from the castle to Holyrood. Take in St Giles' Cathedral (Thistle Chapel) and the closes (narrow alleys), and join a Mary King's Close tour.
FreeFood
Deacon Brodie's Tavern
Named after the thieving councillor who inspired Dr Jekyll. Try haggis, neeps and tatties.
≈ £18 per personCulture
The Real Mary King's Close
Buried 17th-century streets beneath the road, with tales of the plague. Book ahead.
≈ £23 per personCulture
Scotch Whisky Experience
A barrel ride and a tasting, plus a collection of 3,000 bottles. On Castlehill.
≈ £25 per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Oink Victoria StreetHog roast sandwiches. Expect a queue.
- Camera ObscuraAn illusion tower from 1835. A swap for Mary King's Close if you have children.
Day 2 · 08:00–18:00
Arthur's Seat and Holyrood
Nature
Arthur's Seat
An extinct volcano, 251 m high. 45 minutes from Holyrood Park, with panoramic views of the city and the Firth of Forth. Expect wind.
Free- 30 min · travel, break, free time
Culture
Palace of Holyroodhouse
The monarch's palace in Scotland. See Mary, Queen of Scots' rooms and the ruined abbey.
≈ £20 per person- 45 min · travel, break, free time
Food
The Sheep Heid Inn
Scotland's oldest pub, dating from 1360 (a queen once visited). It has a skittles alley and a village setting in Duddingston.
≈ £20 per person- 1 h · travel, break, free time
Nature
Calton Hill
The National Monument (an unfinished Parthenon) and the Nelson Monument. The best postcard view of the city, especially at sunset.
Free- 30 min · travel, break, free time
Landmark
Dean Village
A medieval milling village on the Water of Leith. A fairy tale within the city.
Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Dynamic EarthA science centre telling the history of the planet. A swap for Holyrood if you have children.
- Holyrood 9ABurgers and craft beer, just off the Royal Mile.
Day 3 · 10:00–17:30
New Town and Stockbridge
Culture
National Gallery of Scotland
Free, on the Mound. See Titian, Raeburn's The Skating Minister and The Monarch of the Glen.
FreeNature
Princes Street Gardens & Scott Monument
A Gothic rocket of a monument with 287 steps. The gardens look up to the castle and have a floral clock.
≈ £8 per person- 1 h 15 min · travel, break, free time
Landmark
Stockbridge Market & Circus Lane
The market runs on Sundays. Circus Lane is a flower-lined back street, popular for photos.
FreeFood
The Scran & Scallie
Tom Kitchin's gastropub, serving Scottish produce.
≈ £25 per personNature
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
A botanic garden founded in 1670. The glasshouses are ticketed, and Inverleith Hill has views of the castle.
Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Scottish National Portrait GalleryA neo-Gothic red building. Free, with portraits of Mary Stuart.
- The PantryBrunch in Stockbridge. Expect a queue.
Day 4 · 10:00–17:00Day trip
Rosslyn and the Pentlands
Culture
Rosslyn Chapel
The 1446 chapel from The Da Vinci Code. See the Apprentice Pillar and hundreds of carvings. Take the 37 bus, 40 minutes.
≈ £12 per personNature
Roslin Glen Walk
A stream valley below the chapel, with castle ruins.
FreeFood
The Original Rosslyn Inn
A village inn. Pub lunch.
≈ £18 per person- 30 min · travel, break, free time
Nature
Flotterstone, Pentland Hills
Hills south of the city. Walk to Glencorse Reservoir past grazing sheep. Take the 101 bus.
Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Craigmillar CastleA ruined castle where Mary Stuart took refuge. Inside the city, so a swap for the Pentlands.
- Flotterstone InnA pub at the entrance to the Pentlands.
Day 5 · 10:00–17:45Day trip
Stirling and Loch Lomond
Landmark
Stirling Castle
50 minutes by train. The castle of the Scottish kings, with the Great Hall and views of the Wallace Monument.
≈ £17 per personLandmark
National Wallace Monument
A 67 m tower to the Braveheart hero, marking the Battle of Stirling Bridge (1297). 246 steps.
≈ £11 per personFood
Stirling Old Town Lunch
A café beside the Old Town Jail. Try the Cullen skink soup.
≈ £16 per person- 1 h · travel, break, free time
Nature
Balloch, Loch Lomond
1 hour by tour or train. Scotland's largest loch, with Balloch Castle park and boat trips (summer).
FreeLandmark
Luss
A stone village on the loch shore. Watch the sunset from the pier (by tour or car).
Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Doune CastleThe castle of Monty Python and Outlander. A swap for the Wallace Monument (by car).
- The PortcullisA pub at the castle gate in Stirling.
Day 6 · 10:00–17:15
Leith and Britannia
Culture
Royal Yacht Britannia
The Queen's yacht from 1953 to 1997. At Leith's Ocean Terminal, with an audio guide.
≈ £20 per personLandmark
The Shore, Leith
The old harbour. This is the Trainspotting district, with Michelin-starred restaurants.
FreeFood
Fishers Leith
Seafood in the harbour tower. Open since 1991.
≈ £28 per personNature
Water of Leith Walkway
A 5 km riverside path from Leith to Dean Village, passing Antony Gormley statues in the water.
FreeCulture
Surgeons' Hall Museums
A surgical museum covering the body snatchers Burke and Hare. Only if you have a strong stomach.
≈ £9 per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- The KitchinMichelin-starred. Lunch menu, so book ahead.
- Portobello BeachA city beach with a Victorian promenade. A swap for Leith.
Day 7 · 09:00–13:30
Greyfriars and a gentle farewell
Landmark
Greyfriars Kirkyard
The statue of Greyfriars Bobby the dog. Harry Potter names appear on the gravestones (Tom Riddle).
FreeFood
The Elephant House Breakfast
The café where Rowling wrote (now reopened). The back room has views of the castle.
≈ £12 per personCulture
National Museum of Scotland
Dolly the sheep and the Lewis chessmen. Free, with a roof terrace.
Free- 30 min · travel, break, free time
Landmark
Waverley Tram to the Airport
35 minutes to the airport by tram. Farewell.
≈ £7 per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Mums Great Comfort FoodOn Forrest Road. Sausages and mash.
- Grassmarket Saturday MarketA farmers' and crafts market on Saturdays.
Good to know: 6 things that make an Edinburgh trip easier
- A Lothian bus day ticket costs 5.50 GBP (via the app) and the airport tram 7 GBP. Take the train to Stirling and Loch Lomond, and the 37 bus to Rosslyn. The city is hilly but walkable.
- August brings the Fringe and Tattoo festivals (3,000 shows). Hotels cost three times as much, so book months ahead. Summer is 15-20°C with changeable weather, and daylight lasts until 22:00. June and July are ideal.
- The castle costs 20 GBP and online tickets are mandatory. The museums (National, Galleries) are free. A pub lunch costs 15-20 GBP, a whisky tasting 25 GBP, and a tip is 10%.
- Try haggis, Cullen skink, Scotch pie, cranachan and Irn-Bru. For whisky, Islay is smoky and Speyside is sweet.
- You can get four seasons in an hour: carry a raincoat and dress in layers. The wind is fierce on Calton Hill and Arthur's Seat.
- Harry Potter spots: Victoria Street, Greyfriars, the Elephant House, and room 552 at the Balmoral Hotel.
Spending: ≈ £640 per person for 7 days
- Food£330
- Entry and tours£180
- Local transport£60
- Other£70
Excludes accommodation and flights. 2026 price estimate, per person.
On world lists: 1 place in this city
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Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Edinburgh?
This itinerary is built for 7 days. With 3 days, do the first 3 — TripWalkers uses the opening days of the plan for shorter trips too. The day trip is on day 4 and 5; skip it on a short stay.
How much does a day in Edinburgh cost?
In this plan, food, entry fees and local transport come to about £91 per person per day. Accommodation and flights are not included. Figures are 2026 estimates.
What time should you start the day in Edinburgh?
The first stop is at 08:00. Most days start early so you arrive before the crowds, and evenings end with dinner.
Which season is this itinerary for?
This page covers June–September. There is a separate plan for October–May: opening hours, the sea and the weather change the route.