Edinburgh sightseeing: 21 tips for a weekend

Here are the top sights in Edinburgh with my highlights.my hot tip for a city trip? Beautiful Edinburgh! The capital of Scotland and self-proclaimed festival capital of the world is located on the Forth River in the Lowlands, surrounded by mountains and sea.

What makes Edinburgh so special? Find out here! Here's everything you need to know about the top attractions in Edinburgh. You can visit all the main attractions in Edinburgh in 2 to 3 days .

Have fun reading!

The medieval city of Edinburgh has a lot to offer, can be reached quickly from Germany and is therefore ideal for a short trip. This city enchanted me at first sight and has been one of my favourite cities in Europe ever since!

Are you visiting the Scottish capital for the first time? Then I'll tell you which places you absolutely have to visit and what the must-sees are.

What is a must-see in Edinburgh?

These are the top sights in Edinburgh

1. Arthur's Seat

2. Holyrood Palace

3. Edinburgh Castle

4. Royal Mile and St Giles' Cathedral

5. Victoria Street

6. Greyfriars Kirkyard

7. Tour of Edinburgh's underground and history

8. Scott Monument

9. Royal Botanic Garden

10. Calton Hill

How long should you stay in Edinburgh?

I recommend staying at least 2 to 3 days in Edinburgh. You can then explore the most important sights in a relaxed way. If you go on excursions to the surrounding area (e.g. Glasgow), you can stay longer. Glasgow), five to seven days are ideal.

Main sights in Edinburgh

The most famous landmarks in Edinburgh as well as the most historically important places in the city. In my opinion, these are the must-see places on your first visit to Edinburgh.

Edinburgh has many faces and striking highlights. Whether you're exploring the nature around the city, visiting the old buildings and underground while listening to eerie stories, visiting one of the many museums or simply sampling Scotch Whisky of all regions. Edinburgh really does have something for everyone.

By the way, you can combine a city trip with a trip to Glasgow. Our tip: Plan 3 days in Edinburgh and 2-3 days in Glasgow for your city trip.

1. Calton Hill

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote that the most beautiful view of Edinburgh is from Calton Hill. That's exactly how it is. So right after our arrival in the early afternoon we walk from Waterloo Place up to Calton Hill. I recommend you don't take the stairs, but walk up the path. This offers more views of the surrounding area.

For £5 you can walk up a spiral staircase to the top of the Nelson Monument and get views of Leith Harbour and the sea, Arthur's Seat and Salisbury Crags and of course Princes Street, Parliament and Edinburgh Castle.

When I visited in January, it was cold and an icy wind was blowing up here. But the view was magical, with fire coming out of all the chimneys, the mountains behind the city covered in snow, and when the sun suddenly broke through the clouds and shone on the city, we quickly realised why Edinburgh is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Incidentally, our hotel(Courtyard by Marriott) was perfectly situated for the 20-minute walk up.

Edinburgh's striking sights at a glance

2. Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle can be seen from all over the city and is the most visited attraction in Scotland that charges admission. The castle sits loftily above the old town, built on an extinct volcano, Castlehill. There are several museums as well as cannons and the Crown Jewels of Scotland and the Stone of Destiny on the large grounds.

You can spend several hours here exploring. The view over the city to the Firth of Forth alone is superb. We were here shortly before nightfall and were able to experience the twilight when the lights in the houses came on everywhere below us. Unfortunately, a heavy snowfall then set in. It was actually beautiful. Unfortunately, the view was gone.

You can experience Edinburgh's military history at close quarters here, because all the armour and swords as well as shields can be found in the walls. In August, the famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo takes place on the Esplanade. Tickets for this are best ordered when advance tickets go on sale in December.

3 Palace of Holyroodhouse

Holyrood Palace is the official residence of the British monarchs in Scotland. The palace stands at the end of the Royal Mile in the immediate vicinity of the Scottish Parliament. The Queen visits regularly in the summer. She uses the place for receptions, knightings (Sir Sean Connery was knighted here) and garden parties in the summer.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse is best known for Maria Stewart who ruled here. Her decline began here when her secretary Rizzio was brutally murdered.

Only ruins remain of the former Holyrood Abbey. The former abbey church is a popular photo motif and can of course also be visited during the tour.

Unfortunately, we didn't have time for a tour. I will make up for it on my next visit.

4 Arthur's Seat

If snow and ice hadn't made the footpath a slippery slope, we would have liked to hike up Edinburgh's 251 m high local mountain, Arthur's Seat. I was told that it was not only worth it for the view, but that Duddlingston was a really idyllic little village waiting for me. Next time without snow and ice.

Arthur's Seat is a volcano in the middle of Holyrood Park that died out over 350 million years ago. You should not climb the trail without good footwear, as it can always be quite muddy (or icy and slippery, as it was during my visit).

Info: You should allow half a day for the hike.

Arthur's Seat shortly before sunset in Edinburgh

5 Scott Monument

The 61-metre high Scott Monument Edinburgh is one of many monuments you can find in Scotland in honour of Sir Walter Scott. This one, however, is the tallest. You can climb a flight of stairs to the top of a viewing platform.

6th National Museum of Scotland

I only go to museums sporadically on city trips. Especially when I'm in a city for the first time. But after the National Museum of Scotland was recommended to me several times, of course we had to go. I'm also told that this museum is the most visited sight in Britain outside of London.

Especially for rainy days or in winter, it's a good alternative to escape the adverse weather for a while.

Our tip: Visit this museum. We were completely blown away by the mixture of technology, nature and the history of Scotland. You can try it out, touch it and look at it. Allow at least 2-3 hours for this.

The museum is free and consists of several areas: The Royal Museum, which opened back in 1866, with the Grand Gallery. This large, light-flooded courtyard is worth a visit in itself. One area of the museum is dedicated to the animal world, which I found most fascinating. Another area deals with science and technology. The first cloned sheep, Dolly, is also exhibited here, as are three Formula 1 racing cars and an old steam locomotive.

View from the roof terrace

The museum offers a somewhat hidden lift that takes you to a roof terrace from level 6. Unfortunately, access is often blocked, as it was on our visits (we were here on two days trying our luck). A reason to come back to Edinburgh.

7 Royal Mile

No tourist leaves Edinburgh without walking along the Royal Mile. The 1.8km street leading from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Parliament is ideal for exploring on foot.

Small narrow streets - called closes or wyndes - always lead off from the Royal Mile. Venture inside or walk through the closes, it's often worth it for views or hidden courtyards or even cafes. You can find out where the name comes from on one of the numerous tours (My tip: book the "Underground & Vaults" tour in German. We found the tour at Mary's King Close miserable).

Almost in the centre of the Royal Mile is St. Giles Cathedral. Especially the crown-shaped roof of the tower is worth a look upwards. The cathedral is one of Edinburgh's most prominent landmarks.

Note: If you want to take photos inside, you have to pay £2.

8 Greyfriars Kirkyard

If you've had enough of the museum and there's still daylight (in winter it's dusk by 3.30pm, in summer it often only gets dark for a short time), you can visit Greyfriars Kirkyard right next to the museum. At the crossroads in front of the cemetery is a small statue of the Skye terrier Greyfriars Bobby, who watched over his master's grave for 14 years.

Meanwhile, the cemetery is also a place that Harry Potter fans like to visit: J.K. Rowling named some of her novel heroes after people on the gravestones.The grave of the real Thomas Riddell also known as Lord Voldemort is easy to find at the back on the right, as fans always leave flowers or letters.

The pub to Greyfriars Kirkyard as well as the view down towards W. Bow and Grassmarket.

9 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

We visited the Botanic Garden in the sunshine in the winter cold of January. The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh was built in 1670 and is one of the most beautiful gardens in the world. If you want to get out of the city for a while and just relax in great glass houses and the green park, the 29-hectare Botanic Garden is the ideal place.

We really enjoyed the peace and quiet here. The great thing is that entry is free (except to the special glass houses, which cost £6.50 but are free with a ticket on the hop-on hop-off bus - blue line).

Tip when you're here: Water of Leith Walkway or Dean Village Walk.

Get off the bus one stop before the Botanic Gardens and look for the brown signs to the Water of Leith Walkway. We walked all the way to the botanic gardens along the river. Despite the black ice, it was beautiful!

You should not miss this either

Trip to the harbour town of Leith and the Royal Yacht Britannia

"If you live in Leith, you don't go to Edinburgh to go out", we are told. So we had to go there to explore the old harbour town with its numerous pubs, restaurants and the Royal Yacht Britannia. Unfortunately, we didn't have much time for that, but the first impression says: We'll be back, we liked it here very much!

By the way, in Leith you will find the highest density of star restaurants in Scotland. Who would have thought that? However, we prefer the down-to-earth, because there is also a lot of choice and very good food here (tips on this below).

The Queen and her family used to travel around the world on the Britannia. The ship covered over 1 million nautical miles in 40 years. Thanks to the audio guide, you can explore the ship and receive detailed descriptions (also in German) at all places on the ship. You can easily spend 2-3 hours here.

How to get there: The blue line (Majestic Line) of the Hop-on Hop-off bus stops here. The entrance is inside the shopping centre "Ocean Terminal", where there are many possibilities for a snack in between. Alternatively, you can get to Leith by Uber (cheaper than taxis) or by bus.

New Town and Old Town

Edinburgh consists of two parts: New Town and the historic Old Town. Most of the sights are in the Old Town, which is perfect for exploring on foot. In New Town you will find many hip cafés, shops and restaurants.

But don't let the name "New Town" fool you, because this area was also built in the 18th century. The only difference is that it was planned in blocks and not in alleys branching off in all directions like the old town.

Aerial view with New Town (front), Old Town and on the left first Calton Hill and behind it Arthur's Seat.

Festivals in Edinburgh

One of Edinburgh's cultural phenomena is that each year more than 4.5 million visitors travel to the city for its festivals. The peak of the festival season is in August when the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and the Edinburgh Art Festival take place.

For New Year's Eve, over 75,000 visitors come to Edinburgh once again for the globally popular party with a gigantic fireworks display to mark the New Year called Hogmanay.

During its formation, Edinburgh consisted mainly of the castle on the extinct volcano and its narrow streets of the old town. The houses then carried up to 14 storeys or more, for the city could only grow in height. Around it were bogs and lakes (lochs), which were mainly used to drain the sewage from the houses into these lochs. This was simply dumped out of the window in the form of buckets and flowed through the alleys down the hill into one of the lochs.

Gradually these were drained and new housing and parks were created. Edinburgh was able to grow again. You can learn more about Edinburgh's origins on Mercat's underground tours, which are really great.

Special city tours

Whisky Tasting

A proper whisky tasting is a must in Scotland. That is why we at The Scotch Whisky Experience to learn more about the whisky making process. The tour was great and very entertaining. I particularly liked the fact that we were given a postcard on which we could smell the flavours of the individual regions by scratching them.

Afterwards, unfortunately, we were only allowed to test one whisky instead of all five. But we swapped our selection and then tested the remaining varieties in the associated bar.

Only briefly in Edinburgh? City tour with the Hop-on Hop-off bus

The quickest way to get an overview of the city during a short stay is to take a city tour with the Hop-on Hop-off Bus. There are three lines in Edinburgh: The Red (historic centre, Old Town and a stop in the New Town), the Blue (Majestic Line, takes you to the Georgian New Town, Botanic Gardens, Leith and the Britannia, Scottish Parliament and Old Town, or Royal Mile) and the Green with a live audio guide in English. The other two tours also offer German audio commentary via headphones.

Depending on the tour and the traffic, you have to calculate about 1 - 1.5 hours if you go through the whole tour once.

We did the red tour on the 2nd day and the blue tour on the 3rd day in Edinburgh. It's a great way to get from A to B quickly, especially in winter, and listen to the audio guide in between.

Take a ride on the Hop-on Hop-off bus in Edinubrgh

Tour into Edinburgh's underground and history.

Hidden Stories is the name of the tour that takes us underground from Mercat Cross at St Gilles Church in the heart of the Royal Mile to South Bridge in the early evening.

Stories of walled-up alleys (closes), execution sites and the underground vaults including the creepy history of their former inhabitants are told very vividly here. On this tour you will hear lively explanations of what life was like in the confined space of the busy Closes and why you had to pay closer attention when you heard the exclamation "Gardyloo" (Watch out, water!).

Not worth it: The real Mary King's Close Tour

After the Hidden Stories Tour, we took the Mary King's Close Tour in English one day later. A Close that goes under the Town Hall and can be visited as part of a tour. Mary King was a wealthy citizen in the 17th century and the lane was still open. With the construction of new buildings, this steeply sloping Close disappeared. Until the 20th century, people still lived and worked underground without seeing daylight. Until the gates were finally closed.

You can visit these rooms on this tour. The guides are in costume and everyone plays a role. At the same time, we get a German audio guide, which is unfortunately difficult to understand because our guide speaks much louder.

In addition, the German content doesn't always match the English, which makes things even worse and I switch off the audio guide. There was a ban on taking photos and the tour was just too touristy. A pity really, because the old vaults were interesting.

These city tours are particularly popular. Maybe something for you too, if my recommendations are not right for you?

Food and drink

On city trips, you often eat in the places where you are, don't you? That's how it was for us in any case. I had received so many great tips beforehand that I don't want to deprive you of. Especially the lovely Jana from Nom Noms Foodblog gave me a lot of tips. I hope I will be able to try out more of her recommended restaurants and cafés during my next visit (in autumn?).

What we generally noticed positively was that coffee is quite cheap everywhere. For £2.50 I could buy a delicious coffee to go. At Oink (now has three locations in Edinburgh) you can get Pulled Pork from a suckling pig for only £5. The queue is usually a bit longer for this.

On the first evening, between sightseeing at the Uncles Fish & Chips between sightseeing. The portion was huge, the fish very tender and really tasty (52 George IV Bridge). Almost right next door is the Elephant House, where all Harry Potter fans make a pilgrimage, as J.K. Rowling wrote her novels here. The Elephant House is also mentioned again and again in Ian Rankin's detective books by Detective Rebus. We moved on, even though we all read or watched Harry Potter books, films and books.

For lunch, locals meet at The Outsiderwhich I can highly recommend. The view of the Old Town from the back tables is great (location: George IV Bridge).

At the Grassmarket we had lunch at the Italian restaurant O'Oliviero (location: 64 The Grassmarket).

For the evening we can go to The Newsroom can be recommended. Great decor, great food (burgers, large fish & chips portions, great selection of whisky, gin and beer). Two nights we walked past here on the way back to the hotel and admired the great lighting in the shop window. On the last evening we booked a table on the way back and enjoyed the last evening!

We also ate really delicious burgers with sweet potato fries at Byron (North Bridge) (unfortunately closed thanks to Corona). We had local draft beer to go with it. We only ended up here because the tip was to visit the pub The Worlds End had no seats left (location: Royal Mile).

At Ghillie Dhu we took part in the traditional Burns Night Experience at the end of January. The dinner for the Scottish national hero Rabbie Burns, whose birthday is celebrated over a 3-course meal with haggis, poems by Rabbie Burns, bagpipes and live music. The pub has live music and traditionally beer, whisky and gin.

Pubs with live music are the Whistle Binkies or the Bannermans. Unfortunately, we didn't have time for either of them, but they are on the agenda for our next trip. You can get folk music at Sandy Bells to your ears.

Other tips for the next trip:

• Hula Juice Bar (in summer then).

• The Boozy Cow

• Bread meets Bread

• Mussel Inn (mussels)

• Candy Bar (cocktails)

• For Bruntsfield: Three Birds, Artisan Cheescake, Meltmongers

• David Bann (Vegetarian)

• Paradise Palms and George IV. Bar (near National Museum)

• Brass Monkey

• The Devils Advocat & Bow Bar (Whisky Bar)

Sightseeing tips

Best time to visit Edinburgh

Of course, it always depends on what you want to experience in Edinburgh. Most festivals take place in August. The number of people in the city doubles then. Flights and accommodation are of course more expensive then.

Also on New Year's Eve at Hogmanay, hotel rooms become scarce and you should expect more costs.

Edinburgh in winter? Dress warmly and go!

I was in Edinburgh at the end of January. It was cold and it got dark early, but the hotels were cheaper and we didn't have to queue at attractions or could book tours at short notice. This would hardly be possible in summer. The light in the city was very special and somehow magical. Especially when it was snowing, we had sights that probably not every visitor to Scotland gets.

Another advantage of travelling in winter: It gets dark very early and you can take great night shots without having to stay up late.

Recommendation Edinburgh travel guide

Before my trip to Edinburgh (and Glasgow) I bought several travel guides.

The best and most compact, with a great layout is the Dumont direct guide to Edinburgh. It contains a removable map, lots of useful information and facts about the city. It's my absolute must-buy and must-read guide to Edinburgh!

I also bought (as always) the Dumont Picture Atlas for Scotland and the Dumont Travel Guide to Scotland I bought. All guides are highly recommended if, like me, you want to visit more places besides Edinburgh.

I also like the following picture books for Scotland and Edinburgh:

Getting to Edinburgh

Scotland's capital can be reached from Germany in just two hours by plane. There are direct flights from German airports Frankfurt am MainHamburg, Stuttgart, Munich and Cologne. Unfortunately, not at all times of the year. I always use Skyscannerto search for flights. You can read my tips for cheap flight tickets here.

At Edinburgh Airport, there are several ways to get into the city. We took the tram for £5.50 (return for £8.50). It takes about 30 minutes to get to the city centre (Princes Street or Waverly Station).

Alternatively, you can take the airport express bus Airlink 100 for £4.50 into the city centre (Waverly Bridge). Depending on the traffic, you may be faster or slower. For us, the tram was the best option as it went all the way to York Place, where our hotel was located.

Depending on the time of day and traffic, a taxi ride costs around £20 - £25 into the centre. If you are more than three people, it may be worth taking a taxi.

As Scotland to Great Britain and has never been part of the Schengen area, you only need an identity card to enter the country.

The official currency in Scotland is the pound (£). One pound is equivalent to about 1.15 euros. However, you can pay almost everywhere by credit card and don't need much cash.

Hotel Tip Edinburgh

There are many places to stay in Edinburgh that are centrally located and good value. There are many hotels, but you can also book private flats through Airbnb. There is a suitable accommodation for every budget.

Our hotel tip: We stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel which is centrally located and very close to Carlton Hill. The breakfast was okay, the rooms ideal in size and very modern. In addition, the tram goes to York Place, from where it is only a short walk to the hotel.

Alternative tip: Grassmarket Hotel. Directly at the Grassmarket in the centre of Edinburgh.

Everything you need to know about Edinburgh

Edinburgh was once called Dùn Èideann, which means "fortress on the hillside" in Gaelic. The city has been Scotland's capital since the 15th century and has been the seat of the Scottish Parliament since 1999. Yet with a population of around 500,000, Edinburgh is only the country's second-largest city after Glasgow.

Brief facts about Edinburgh:

• The national language is English and Gaelic

• Seat of the Scottish Parliament

• Entrance to almost all museums is free

• Edinburgh's most hidden bridge (South Bridge) has 19 arches, of which you can only see one.

• Crime novelist Ian Rankin has had Inspector Rebus solve 20 cases in Edinburgh.

• The majority of Edinburgh voted to remain in the EU (74.4 %).

• The highest mountain is Arthur's Seat at 251 m.

• There are more than 50,000 performances at the Fringe Festival in August.

• The little dog Greyfriars Bobby stayed at his master's grave for 14 years.

Tips for rainy days in Edinburgh

Since it's known to rain from time to time, I've got you covered with tips on how to beat that usually fine drizzle that doesn't last long:

• National Museum of Scotland & Scottish National Gallery

• Scotch Whisky Experience

• Hidden Stories Tour

• Hop-on Hop-off bus ride (the front half of the upper deck is covered)

• Writers Museum

How to save money in Edinburgh

• All Edinburgh museums are free (Scottish National Gallery, National Museum of Scotland, National Portrait Gallery, The Writer's Museum, Museum of Childhood, People's Story, Scottish Gallery of Modern Art)!

• Free walking Tours or The Potter Trail for Harry Potter fans. Both tours are free and tip based.

• The view from Castle Hill is free and for me the most beautiful view of Edinburgh.

• The view from Edinburgh Castle (Castle Espanade) is also free. Only if you want to go inside, you have to pay an entrance fee.

• Also free: visit the Princes' Street Gardens. From here you have a great view of Edinburgh Castle (best in the morning, as the sun is frontally behind the castle at noon).

• Visit to St. Giles Cathedral is also free, only a photo Erlabunis costs 2 £ extra (if someone is sitting at the entrance ;-)).

• Royal Botanic Garden is also free.

• Tours of the Scottish Parliament are free.

• 

Taking a taxi is more expensive than booking a ride with UBER!

How much does a trip to Edinburgh cost?

Depending on your departure airport, you can fly direct to Edinburgh with cheap airlines like easyJet, Eurowings or Ryan Air (I personally avoid them). Lufthansa also sometimes has good deals.

• Direct flights start at 28 euros.

• Cost of a hotel depending on your budget: 40 euros (ibis budget Hotel Edinburgh Park), Motel One Princes Street (79 euros), the stylish Grassmarket Hotel for 91 euros/night in a double room in a very central location or our Courtyard by Marriott Edinburgh for 98 euros/night with breakfast.

• Return tram from airport to city centre: £9 (one way £5.50).

• Hop-on Hop-off bus tickets: ticket for 24h or 48h from 22 euros.

• Nelson Monument on Calton Hill: £5

• Coffee to go from £2.50

• Scottish Whiskey Experience Silver Tour: £15.50

• Edinburgh Castle: £17

• Rabbie Burns Experience at Ghillie Dhu (3-course meal): £29.95 (drinks not included)

• Glasshouses Royal Botanic Garden: £6.50 (free for us as we had the Hop-on Hop-off ticket)

• Royal Yacht Britannia (incl. audio guide): £19

• Oink: Pulled Pork Roll £6

• Hidden Stories Tour: £14.95

Checklist city trip Edinburgh

At least 2-3 months in advance:

Buyguidebooks, research travel blogs and download Spotted by locals and Trip Advisor app for Edinburgh on your smartphone.

• Make sure you book your flight, train or ferry early! Tips on how to book cheap flights.

• Bookaccommodation. Edinburgh is a popular city break destination, especially in the summer months and around Festival Month in August and New Year's Day.

A month before:

• Check what you want to see and buy the Edinburgh Pass to save money.

Two weeks before:

• Book tables at popular restaurants. Without a reservation, it's hard to get a seat in one of the (less touristy) restaurants.