The Ultimate Edinburgh Guide

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In this ultimate guide to Edinburgh, I cover everything you need to know to visit, including the best time of year to visit, where to stay in Edinburgh, how many days to spend there, how to get around, the best tours from Edinburgh and so much more! Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities in Europe. It just has a special feel to it, and I continue to return to it for more! I guess that comes in handy for you, as I can let you in on all of the best tips for visiting Edinburgh.

Best Time Of The Year To Visit Edinburgh

Edinburgh is one of those cities that can easily be visited during all four seasons. If you have ever thought about visiting Edinburgh (and Scotland in general), you are likely not expecting blue skies and warm weather. Rather, Edinburgh is known for its gloomy skies and atmosphere – and it is part of the charm! For this reason, you can easily visit and enjoy Edinburgh in the off season from January-April and October-November. However, if you you want some guidance on the BEST time of year to visit Edinburgh, take a look below:

May-September For Warmer Weather

From May and until September, Edinburgh will mostly have pleasant temperatures ranging from 10-15 degrees (C) in May to averages of 20 degrees (C) in June/July. However, be aware: Scotland is known for its rain and wind, and Edinburgh is no different! Always come prepared for this when visiting, and you will be just fine.

August-September For Festivals

During August and September, a number of different festivals take over the city. This makes Edinburgh a great destination, if you are looking for a place full of activities! For example, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the largest arts event in the world and takes place during 3 entire weeks of August! And for the entirety of July, you can experience the Edinburgh Art Festival, as well as food, ale and jazz festivals! This is by far the busiest time to visit the city. Be sure to look into booking accommodation far in advance!

December For A Christmas Wonderland

If you are looking for a festive destination in Europe in December, Edinburgh is the place to be! From the end of November, the medieval streets are covered in christmas lights and decorations, and a grand and festive christmas market will be held in Princess Gardens! You can also find several holiday shows and ice skating opportunities in the city. And with some luck, you might even experience the city covered in snow! In all cases, you should be prepared for temperatures below 9 degrees (C), and a wind that might make it even colder.

How Many Days Do You Need In Edinburgh?

Edinburgh has a ton of amazing things to see and do. If you want to make the most of it, I suggest spending 3 nights – 2 full days in the city. This will give you enough time to roam around the old city, explore Edinburgh castle, shop in quaint sidestreets and enjoy a hearty dinner at a pub. With 2 full days, you will also have enough time to explore the outer parts of Edinburgh, such as hiking to Arthurs Seat, exploring Holyrood Palace or wandering around Dean village. Unless you are a big fan of museums, you will likely want to venture out of the city for other adventures, if you plan to stay longer!

How To Get From Edinburgh Airport To City Center

Edinburgh airport is very conveniently located to the center of the city through both busses and trams.

Edinburgh Airport To City Center By Bus

One of the easiest ways to reach Edinburgh from the airport is by jumping on the Airlink Bus 100. This bus is specifically used to transport people to and from the airport, and will stop at convenient central locations in the city (such as Princess Street and Haymarket). The bus only takes 25 minutes, costs 4.50 euros and departs frequently 24 hours a day! You can buy your tickets through contactless payment inside the bus.

Tram From Edinburgh Airport To City Center

Another equally convenient transport option to Edinburgh is the tram. It departs right outside the airport, and will take you approximately 30 minutes to arrive in Edinburgh city center. The tram stops at more placed than the bus, which can make it more convenient for you depending on your accommodation. If you want to purchase a ticket, you can do so in the arrival hall – or online before you go.

Best Areas To Stay In Edinburgh

Old Town: Close To Sightseeing, Bars And Restaurants

The Old Town of Edinburgh is the place to be, if you want to be close to all of the sights, and be able to grab a beer or a bite to eat close by. It stretches along the famous Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace, with its southern parts around Grassmarket. It is my absolute favorite part of the city – filled with amazing atmosphere, those gloomy Edinburgh buildings, but also a ton of bars, pubs and restaurants. For these reasons, it is also the most popular area to stay in Edinburgh.

• Great Value For Money: Wilde Aparthotels Edinburgh Grassmarket: This appartment hotel offers beautiful, modern appartments, fitness facilities and a on-site restaurant and bar. Some rooms even have views to Edinburgh Castle, which is right next to the hotel! Compared to its amazing location, high ratings and facilities, this hotel has a really decent price, if you wish to stay in Old Town Edinburgh.
  
• Top Hostel Recommendation: The CoDE Pod – The CoURT: I absolutely loved staying at this hostel during my last visit to Edinburgh. In my opinion, it is the perfect mix of social and private. They have a small common area, a kitchen which serves breakfast in the morning, where you can get chatting to others, and events such as beer and whiskey tastings, free walking tours of the city, quizes and more! At the same time, the sleeping area is completely isolated from any noise, and you sleep in pods in a dorm room, which means you can choose complete privacy in your own pod if you wish.
  
• Lively Hostel With A Party Vibe: Kick Ass Grassmarket Hostel: The Kickass Hostels In Old Town Edinburgh are some of the most lively hostels you will find in the city. I visited once as a solo traveller, and they have amazing facilities designed to meet fellow travellers, such as pub crawls, pub quizes, a large common eating and bar area, walking tours and more!

New Town: Close To Shopping And Restaurants

The New Town of Edinburgh is seperated from the old town by the Princess Gardens. The area above the gardens (New Town) is filled with modern buildings, shopping streets, malls and museums. In my opinion, it is less atmospheric and a little more noisy in terms of traffic. However, it is still very close to the top attractions in old town, and has some more modern options in terms of hotels!

• Great Value For Money: Native Edinburgh:This appartment hotel offersbeautiful, homely appartments to a very decent price considering its location and high ratings from visitors. Most appartments have a small kitchen, TV and air-conditioning, and this is a great place, if you want to feel at home while you are away!
  
• Luxury Hotel For Those With A Bigger Budget: Cheval The Edinburgh Grand: This beautiful hotel offers luxury appartments with a historical touch, that can host between 1-6 people depending on the size of the appartment. Some of the appartments have beathtaking views over the city from balconies and rooftop terraces!
  
• A Great Budget Option: Haystack Hostel: The Haystack Hostel in New Town is a highly rated hostel with a close proximity to all major sights. They have some great common areas with boardgames, a kitchen you can use, and common breakfast if you wish to buy it. They also offer free walking tours, which is such a great activity in any new city and a great way to meet fellow travellers! The only downside for me, is that they don’t seem to have curtains on the beds, which a top priority for me, whenever I look for hostels.

Stockbridge & Dean Village: For A Slower Pace

Stockbridge and Dean Village are two charming neighborhoods further north from New Town, which are more peaceful and less crowded. Most accommodation will have a more homey and less modern vibe, and from my research, they even tend to be more expensive than in the center of Edinburgh. If you choose to stay in these areas, you will have a little further to the major sights and nightlife in Edinburgh. However, this can vary alot, so I only recommend checking the distance before you book your accommodation to ensure you are okay with the distance you will have.

• Appartment With A Residential Feel: The Raeburn Residence – Stockbridge: This one-bedroom appartment is placed in a peaceful, residential area in Stockbridge, and has a fully equipped kitchen, spacious living area and smart TV.
  

Do You Need To Withdraw Cash In Edinburgh?

When you visit Edinburgh, you really won’t need to withdraw any cash. Payments with creditcards are universally accepted and way more common than payment with cash – and in most areas, they will definitely prefer payment by card!

Public Transport In Edinburgh: Tickets and Fares

First of all, Edinburgh is highly walkable, and you can easily spend your days exploring the city without the use of public transport. But if you wish to use public transport, you are in luck! Edinburgh is widely and conveniently connected by busses and trams, both of which run frequently 24 hours a day and accept contactless payment directly inside. A single fare will cost you 1.80 pounds while a day-ticket is 4.50 pounds. It does not get much easier than that!

Best Things To Do And See In Edinburgh

If you are interested in the best things to see and do in Edinburgh, I have made a list of 12 ultimate options! But to mention a few in this post, you cannot visit Edinburgh without experiencing the things below.

Visit Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle is one of the top attractions in Edinburgh and a must visit for your trip! As it is placed on a top of a hill, it offers great views over the city. I highly recommend buying a ticket to the castle, as what you can see from the outside is very limited. If you want the full experience, book a ticket in advance with a tour guide, who will let you in on all of the interesting history surrounding Edinburgh Castle!

Do A Scottish Whiskey Tasting

Scotland is famous for its whiskey, and a visit to Edinburgh is not complete without tasting some of it! On this fun and different tour, you get to taste 4 whiskeys of your choice while listening to Scottish folklore tales. Or, if you are looking for a more dark and mysterical tour, why not join a whiskey tasting in an underground vault?

Visit Dean Village

Another amazing place to visit in Edinburgh is Dean Village. It is a charming, old neighborhood builed around the Water of Leith, with small, historic buildings and cobblestone streets. It is definitely one of the most pictureque places in Edinburgh! And while you are there, you can also take a stroll along the walking path by the river, which is such a peaceful place

Fulfill Your Harry Potter Dreams Through A Guided Tour

As soon as your start wandering around Edinburgh, you will sense that J. K. Rowling spend a lot of her time here during the writing of the Harry Potter books. And there are several fun and interesting Harry Potter sights in the city, such as Greyfriars Graveyard, where you can visit Tom Riddles grave! This amazing Harry Potter tour takes you around all of the sights – and if you want, you can even be sorted into a house, and quiz your knowledge to gain points for your house. Sounds like fun, right?

Walk The Royal Mile

One of the most popular places to visit in Edinburgh is the Royal Mile. This medieval street stretches from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace. Along the Royal Mile, you will find tons of quaint pubs, small shops, souvenirs, museums and more.

Join A Horror-Filled Ghost And Underground Tour

With its gloomy atmosphere, dark rainy streets and underground vaults, Edinburgh is filled with frightening stories and ghost tales. Some of which are true, historical facts, and some of which are…. well, I will leave it up to you to decide. Nevertheless, I highly recommend joining an evening ghost tour, which takes you around the city and down to the underground, while telling you frightening stories and rumors of Edinburgh, that have existed for centuries. I had a lot of fun on this tour during my last visit, and I think you will too – independent on whether you believe in ghosts or not!

Best Tours From Edinburgh

Although Edinburgh is an amazing place in itself, it is also close to a ton of beautiful Scottish nature and sights. Luckily, many of the most famous places are possible to visit on just a daytrip from Edinburgh, such as Glencoe, Loch Ness and the Hogwarts Express! Take a look below for some of the best tours from Edinburgh.

Daytrip: Loch Ness, Glencoe And The Scottish Highlands

This 12-hour trip from Edinburgh takes you to the famous Loch Ness, where you can try to spot a monster hiding under the surface. On the way there and back, you will be driving through the Scottish Highlands, meeting Scottish Highland cows, visiting small villages and stopping at Glencoe, which is one of the most beautiful and famous glens in Scotland.

Daytrip: Hogwarts Express and Scottish Highlands Tour

If you are a fan of Harry Potter, you will probably know that Glenfinnan Viaduct is the viaduct the Hogwarts Express passes over in each movie. The viaduct and surrounding areas is a beautiful sight in itself – but what is even better is that the steam train used as the Hogwarts Express actually passes over the viaduct several times a day! Join this daytrip from Edinburgh to drive on the Hogwarts Express, see the Glenfinnan Viaduct from beautiful viewpoints, and explore the Scottish Highlands!

Daytrip: Outlander Adventure Day Tour

If you are an Outlander fan, you will absolutely love this tour. On this day trip from Edinburgh, a guide will take you to some of the biggest filming locations of Outlander in the Scottish Highlands, including Doune Castle and Blackness Castle. You can read all of the details on the amazing locations through the link!

3-Day Isle of Skye and The Highlands Tour

The Isle of Skye is one of the most famous places in Scotland – and for good reason. It is such a beautiful place, home to stunning waterfalls, cliffs, viewpoints and villages. If you have the chance, I highly recommend renting a car and driving there yourself, as this is the best way to experience the area to the fullest!

However, if you don’t have the option of renting a card yourself, you can join a 3 day guided tour from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye. This is a great solution if you are short on time. Or if you wish to relax completely and let someone else take the wheel! Through a guide, you will also gain a lot of local and historical knowledge of the places you visit.

When all of this is said, I would have chosen to drive there myself, if I could redo my trip. Although a multiday tour is great, it is also very full on, and you have no control over where you are going. I know I would have valued my trip more, if I could have a say in how long to spend at each place, which sights to hit and miss, and what activities I wanted to prioritize. But this is purely a personal preference, so please choose the option that resonates with you the most!