Things to Do in Edinburgh
Prices, opening hours, best times to visit and the stuff nobody tells you, everything you need for a first trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, plus one pigeon's opinions on all of it.
Edinburgh has an extinct volcano sitting right in the middle of the city, and locals just walk up it on their lunch break like it's nothing, which I still think is the single best fact about this place. This is the proper guide to things to do in Edinburgh, what things actually cost, when to go, and which bits are worth queuing for. Five main stops below, plus a quiz at the bottom to see if you were paying attention.
Arthur's Seat
I asked in the quiz what the dead volcano looming over the city centre is called, and it's Arthur's Seat, named for a legendary king rather than any literal chair, the main peak of a group of hills within Holyrood Park. It's a genuine, if extinct, volcanic remnant, and the hike to the summit, free and open at any time, takes most people 45 minutes to an hour each way, rewarded with a sweeping view over the whole city and out to the Firth of Forth.
It's a proper hill walk rather than a gentle stroll, wear decent shoes and expect wind at the top regardless of how calm it looks from below.
Best time Early morning for the quietest climb and clearest light
Edinburgh Castle
The answer to the second quiz question: Edinburgh Castle sits on top of an extinct volcanic plug, Castle Rock, right in the middle of the city, and it's Scotland's most-visited paid attraction, drawing around 2.2 million visitors a year. Inside you'll find the Honours of Scotland, the country's crown jewels, St Margaret's Chapel, the oldest building in the city, and the One O'Clock Gun, still fired daily at 1pm exactly as a historic time signal.
Book online in advance rather than turning up on the day, queues for the Crown Jewels alone can exceed 45 minutes by midday in summer, and during the Fringe and Military Tattoo in August, the castle sells out weeks ahead.
Hours Apr-Sep 9.30am-6pm (last entry 5pm), Oct-Mar 9.30am-5pm (last entry 4pm), closed 25-26 December
Address Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NG
Official site edinburghcastle.scot
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe
I asked in the quiz about the huge August arts festival that roughly triples the city's population, and it's the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the largest arts festival in the world, technically an open-access add-on that began alongside the more formal Edinburgh International Festival in 1947 and long ago outgrew it. It runs for three weeks each August, thousands of performances across hundreds of venues, pubs, parks, university halls, even the street itself.
Most show tickets run £15-£17, but the Royal Mile performances, buskers and ten-minute show previews happening constantly along it, cost nothing at all, and are one of the best free things to do in the city during festival season.
Dates Early-to-late August, check exact dates each year
Official site edfringe.com
The Royal Mile
Running from Edinburgh Castle down to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Royal Mile is the historic backbone of the Old Town, cobbled streets, closes, and centuries-old buildings including St Giles' Cathedral along the way. It's free to walk, atmospheric even outside festival season, and the natural route to combine several of Edinburgh's biggest sights into a single day.
The Real Mary King's Close, a warren of preserved underground streets beneath the Royal Mile, is a good paid add-on if you want more of the city's hidden history beyond what's visible at street level.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse
Sitting at the foot of the Royal Mile, directly opposite Arthur's Seat, this is the King's official residence in Scotland, open to visitors whenever the royal family isn't in residence. Allow around 90 minutes for the state rooms and the ruined abbey in the grounds, a different kind of Edinburgh stop after a day of castles and hills.
Address Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DX
Best time to visit Edinburgh
Late September to October gives noticeably better weather odds and dramatically lower crowds than peak summer, with tickets to the castle available same-week rather than needing weeks of advance planning. If the Fringe is the whole point of your trip, book Edinburgh Castle and any major shows four to six weeks ahead, since August is the busiest month in the city's calendar, Fringe, International Festival and Military Tattoo all overlapping at once. For the full month-by-month breakdown, see our Best Time to Visit Edinburgh guide.
Getting around Edinburgh
Edinburgh's Old Town, holding the castle, the Royal Mile and Holyroodhouse, is compact and walkable, though it's built on a hill, expect some climbing. Arthur's Seat and Holyrood Park sit right at the bottom of the Royal Mile. Edinburgh Waverley station drops you a 15-minute walk from the castle, right in the middle of everything. If you're mapping out exactly how to spend your time, our 24 Hours in Edinburgh and 2 Day Edinburgh Itinerary guides lay out an hour-by-hour and day-by-day plan.
Keeping an eye on costs? Edinburgh on a Budget covers what's free and where the Royal Mile markup actually is. Travelling as a couple? Edinburgh for Couples covers sunset from Calton Hill and Dean Village at dawn. And once your dates are set, Where to Stay & Eat in Edinburgh breaks down the neighbourhoods.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Edinburgh worth visiting?
- Yes, few UK cities combine an extinct volcano, a castle on a volcanic crag, and the world's largest arts festival within the same compact, walkable centre.
- How many days do you need in Edinburgh?
- Two days covers the castle, the Royal Mile and Arthur's Seat comfortably. Three lets you add Holyroodhouse and properly explore without rushing, more if you're visiting during the Fringe.
- Is Edinburgh expensive?
- The castle ticket and festival shows both add up, but Arthur's Seat, the Royal Mile and the Fringe's street performances are all free, keeping a budget-conscious visit entirely possible.
- What is Edinburgh famous for?
- Edinburgh Castle, perched on an extinct volcanic plug; Arthur's Seat, the extinct volcano overlooking the city; and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the largest arts festival in the world.
That's everything I've got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government's latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
