Bucket list trip:
Where to go and what to see in Edinburgh to get the most from your trip – a 5-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Lucy Gillmore.
Editor note – Lucy has not included specific recommendations of where to stay each day unless it’s necessary. Instead, see the ‘Where to stay’ section in our Edinburgh destination guide.
Begin on a street steeped in history. The Royal Mile in the medieval Old Town is topped and tailed by the brooding Castle and gracious royal Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Spend the morning exploring the castle then dip into the Scotch Whisky Experience for a barrel ride through the distilling process before lunch at the restaurant, Amber. Then descend beneath the pavements for a glimpse of gritty 17th-century life in The Real Mary King’s Close.
Continue to meander down the Royal Mile to the 17th-century palace and striking 20th-century Scottish Parliament via the 12th-century St Giles Cathedral and 15th-century John Knox House.
In the evening, shuck shellfish at the White Horse Oyster and Seafood Bar in what was the city’s oldest inn.
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
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Edinburgh’s impressive hilltop castle, with bags of history and a bird’s-eye view over the capital. The complex includes the National War Museum.
Adult price: £17.50
Best for ages 4+
Edinburgh , Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
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Disneyland-style mock distillery tour, with a glimpse of the world’s largest Scotch whisky collection.
Adult price: £17
Min age 18
Best for ages 18+
Edinburgh , Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
Deep beneath the Royal Mile, a cast of characters weaves gritty tales of medieval life around a perfectly preserved 17th-century street.
Adult price: £19
Min age 5
Best for ages 5+
Duration: 1 hour
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
At the bottom of the Royal Mile, in what was once the oldest inn in Edinburgh, this cosy seafood restaurant dishes up succulent seafood platters and small dishes – think crab Scotch Eggs with wasabi mayo, charred octopus, monkfish satay along with three types of oyster (Caledonian, Loch Fyne and Carlingford) freshly shucked at the bar.
Best for ages 18+
Take a tour of Holyrood Palace in the morning then check out the striking National Museum of Scotland before weaving through the buzzing Grassmarket with its cafes and bars before winding up Victoria Street, a curve of colourful shopfronts. Cross Princes Street Gardens to the elegant Georgian New Town, strolling the leafy boulevards and crescents.
Lunch at farm-to-fork favourite, The Gardener’s Cottage at the foot of Calton Hill, then hike to the top to meander the mosaic of monuments soaking up panoramic views of the city, before descending to visit the neo-Gothic National Portrait Gallery.
Book dinner at Aizle one of Edinburgh’s most inventive restaurants then head to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society for a nightcap.
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
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Peek into the life of the monarchy, past and present, at this ancient royal residence – once the home of Mary Queen of Scots.
Adult price: £17
Min age 3
Best for ages 13+
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
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Scotland’s history, culture, art and design, science and technology – under one state-of-the-art roof. Special exhibits include the story of Mary Queen of Scots and Dolly the sheep.
Best for ages 16+
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
This pretty 19th-century gardener’s cottage, with its carefully tended kitchen garden, is chef Dale Mailley’s earthy field-to-fork, rustic communal dining spot.
Adult price: £35
Best for ages 18+
Edinburgh , Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
The world’s first purpose-built portrait gallery, one of the highlights of this neo-Gothic palace is the Great Hall decorated with an ornate frieze of famous Scottish figures.
Best for ages 16+
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
Chef Stuart Ralston’s innovative tasting menu is an exciting leap in the dark, simply a list of seasonal ‘harvest’ ingredients.
Best for ages 18+
Starting in pretty Dean Village, walk 4 miles along the wooded, riverside path towards the gentrified docklands of Leith. Stop by the Museum of Modern Art and the Royal Botanic Gardens, and grab lunch in Stockbridge, one of Edinburgh’s village neighbourhoods peppered with cafes, delis and independent boutiques.
Leith is a gourmet pocket, home to Michelin-starred restaurants and seafood eateries. It’s also where you can hop aboard and wander around the Royal Yacht Britannia.
Head back to The Shore and swing by wine café Toast for an aperitif before dinner at striking steak restaurant, bar and butchery, The Chop House.
Edinburgh , Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
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One of the most famous ships in the world, this luxury yacht turned museum served the British Monarchy for over 44 years in multiple capacities, from official state visits to family holidays.
Adult price: £18
Best for ages 8+
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
Grand, neoclassical Modern One, and Modern Two opposite – once a 19th-century orphanage – showcase an impressive permanent collection, changing exhibitions and Moore and Hepworth-studded sculpture park.
Best for ages 18+
Edinburgh , Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
A tranquil haven, this bucolic 70-acre site was established in the 17th century, with highlights including the striking state-of-the-art visitor centre, Chinese Hillside and Victorian Palm Houses.
Best for ages 6+
Head seven miles south of Edinburgh to the pretty village of Roslin and the intricately carved, myth-laden 15th-century Rosslyn Chapel, made famous by Dan Brown’s novel ‘The Da Vinci Code‘.
From here drive to the Bridge Inn in the little hamlet of Ratho, 25 minutes away, a gourmet canalside pub for lunch. Then continue on (it’s just over 5 minute’s drive) to Jupiter Artland, a striking contemporary sculpture garden in the grounds of Bonnington House.
For dinner splash out on Fhior with its 7- or 10-course seasonal Scottish tasting menus.
Roslin, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
Put on the map by Dan Brown’s novel ‘The Da Vinci Code’ this elaborately carved 15th-century chapel, just outside Edinburgh, is linked to the legend of the Holy Grail.
Best for ages 18+
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
A contemporary sculpture park, in the grounds of gracious Bonnington House, on the edge of Edinburgh is peppered with works by Charles Jencks, Cornelia Parker, Antony Gormley and Anish Kapoor.
Adult price: £10
Best for ages 10+
Go to the seaside. Veer east along the coast, fringed by glorious sweeps of dune-backed sand, to the quaint seaside town of North Berwick (45 minutes by car or 30 minutes by train).
Visit the state-of-the-art Scottish Seabird Centre, then take a boat trip out to seabird spot on the Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth. Return for fish and chips on the harbour from the Lobster Shack and ice cream on the shore.
Stay with the seafood theme back in Edinburgh and dine at chef Dean Banks’ relaxed restaurant Dulse.
North Berwick, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
Head to North Berwick for brilliant wildlife boat tours, including visits to the imposing Bass Rock and its famous colony of gannets.
Adult price: £30
Best for ages 6+
Duration: 1+ hours
