Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities in the UK. Although it’s famous for hosting the world’s largest arts festival every August – which is well worth a visit by the way – there are so many other things to see and do in this city. Whether it’s dining in the their legendary restaurants, sipping on a cocktail or two in their great bars or seeing the sites around the city, there really is so much to see and do. So here are my top 7 things to see and do in Edinburgh:
- Climb Arthur’s Seat – not many cities can boast an extinct volcano at their centre but Edinburgh can! You can see Arthur’s Seat from pretty much all of the city centre and at just over 250m high, it’s not too challenging to hike up it and see some amazing vies of the city skyline.
- Hit the shops on Victoria Street – this is home to some of the best independent boutiques in Edinburgh and well worth a visit.
- Visit Edinburgh Castle – with a national and portrait gallery in the city showcasing some incredibly art collections, it’s the perfect way to experience a bit of culture in the city.
- Scale the Scott Monument – you can’t miss this gothic masterpiece in the middle of the Princess Street Gardens, but it’s worth the climb up the tight spiral staircase for an amazing view at the top.
- Visit Edinburgh’s galleries – this is probably one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city and it’s easy to see why. It sits on top of the city’s other extinct volcano and offers a glimpse at the historic roots of the city.
- Walk the Royal Mile – you can’t not visit Edinburgh and not walk along the famous and historic Royal Mile. It runs through the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town connecting the castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. And with street performers, shops and restaurants off the mile, there’s plenty to see and do here.
- Visit the zoo – like London, Edinburgh has a zoo that is well worth a visit. With a Penguin enclosure and Pandas you can easily spend a whole day with the animals here.
I always travel by plane to Edinburgh. For me it’s easier than a four hour plus train journey. If you are travelling by plane make sure you book your parking in advance to save money. And when it comes to hotel, the location I prefer is around Rose Street. There’s a hotel to suit every budget around there and you’re in a great location to be able to walk everywhere.
Have you ever been to Edinburgh before? What’s your favourite thing to see and do in the city?
Perfectly timed post – have just booked a trip to Edinburgh and was starting to look for ideas on what to do, the Zoo was on my list, gotta see the pandas. Have been before but was little so don’t remember much. Any suggestions on on shops to visit?
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That’s great timing! Shop wise there’s loads to choose from. Princess Street and George street are great for your high street and higher end favourites like Harvey Nichols, Debenhams, House of Fraser, Primark etc while Victoria Street is great for Independent shops x
I didn’t do any of these when I visited. What a shame. Great post.
Thank you x
If you’re visiting Victoria Street there’s a fantastic little shop named The Red Door Gallery which is really lovely.
I’ll have to add that to my list for next time! x
I have been to Edinburgh but it was in January so very cold (and snowing!) and we were more about the eating than the sights. We went to two wonderful restaurants, The Witchery being my top pick.
Victoria x
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Not tried that one but I’ll have to add it to my list for next time! x
This is perfectly timed because I’m going to Edinburgh next weekend 🙂 I’m definitely going to do some of these things 🙂 xxx
It’s been years since I visited Edinburgh! My friend’s big sister just got engaged at the top of Arthur’s Seat, such a lovely place for it xxx
Lucy @ La Lingua | Food, Travel, Italy
I’ve been planning to visit Edinburgh for ages! My fella’s parents went for the tattoo and stayed right by the castle. It sounds amazing :)!
I’m only about an hour and a half away from Edinburgh and this year I’ve frequently visited! Love this list, I’m hoping to climb up Arthurs Seat when the weather gets a bit better and I can’t wait to go up to the top of the Scott Monument and check out the views!
When I visited I really wanted to go to the zoo but I never got around to it 🙁 great post