3 Days in Edinburgh: The Ultimate Itinerary

Edinburgh is one of my favourite and most beautiful cities in Europe. And it’s hugely underrated! The moment I stepped in Edinburgh, I fell in love, mainly because it was like time travel had been invented and you got yourself transported into the medieval ages. So, in this blog post I will be sharing with you my 3 days Edinburgh itinerary.

The itinerary will cover the main attractions and unique things to do in Edinburgh.

✅ If you’re looking for a custom travel plan, find out more about my personalised itinerary service here.

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How to Get to Edinburgh

The best and easiest way to get to Edinburgh is to fly to Edinburgh Airport.

However, if you’re visiting London first, then you can also take the train. That’s what I’ve done, but it was just after covid time when they introduced the cheaper train line Lumo, but sadly the prices have gone up since, so it could still mean that it’d be cheaper for you to fly to Edinburgh instead.

✅ Check the flight prices here.

From Edinburgh Airport you can take the bus, a private transfer or Uber to your hotel in the city centre.

How to Get around Edinburgh

Edinburgh is a pretty walkable city, so if you’re staying in the city centre (which is my recommendation), then you don’t need to use any public transportation at all.

Where to Stay in Edinburgh

Edinburgh is divided into Old Town and New Town, but even the New Town is referring to the 18th and 19th century building, so don’t expect any skyscrapers nor modern buildings here.

While these two parts are next to each other, my personal recommendation is to stay in the Old Town where most of the main attractions are. Plus, it’s a medieval side of the city that you are going to love so much, trust me.

📖 Read my 9 Best Edinburgh Hotels in the Old Town for Every Budget blog post for more.

When to Visit Edinburgh

I was in Edinburgh between Christmas and New Year and it was amazing. That year Edinburgh was even named as one of the best Christmas markets in Europe, so you can imagine how nice it was.

However, it was still already very cold and very, VERY windy! Which is why I would recommend you not to visit in the winter months from January to March as your sightseeing might be limited to indoor attractions.

The best time to visit is in the summer when the probability of the nice weather with even some sunshine is at its highest.

Spring and autumn times can be nice too, but remember that good weather is never a guarantee in the UK, especially in Scotland, so pack in layers.

How Many Days in Edinburgh is Ideal

You don’t need more than 3 days in Edinburgh to see its main sites, so it’s really the ideal amount of days and exactly what we’ll cover in this itinerary.

✅ Consider getting this Edinburgh Pass to save on attractions.

Day 1 in Edinburgh

On your first day in Edinburgh you’ll spend most of your time around the Holyroodhouse Palace area.

✅ I recommend this Edinburgh Old Town Walking Tour as a great introduction to Edinburgh’s history and main attractions.

Scott Monument

Scott Monument is a Victorian Gothic Monument dedicated to author Sir Walter Scott.

You can climb the tower for the city views, but I personally skipped it as I found other places that I liked better, some free, and which I’ll share with you.

Royal Mile

The Royal Mile is one of the most popular streets in Edinburgh, which got its name because it connects Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

It’s full of shops and restaurants and a great place to stroll around.

Holyroodhouse Palace

Holyroodhouse Palace is one of the most important and beautiful attractions in Edinburgh.

It serves as a royal residency where the royal family spends their time each summer, usually from the end of June to the beginning of July.

Besides that, Holyroodhouse Palace is also the official residence of the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

✅ It’s truly a beautiful palace to visit and I recommend you to get your tickets ahead of time.

Inside, you will find the 16th century historic apartments of Mary, Queen of Scots.

Holyrood Abbey

Holyrood Abbey was my favourite attraction in Edinburgh because it was giving such strong Harry Potter vibes (though nothing was filmed there) and was a very magical and eerie location (perhaps weather contributed to the feeling).

Holyrood Abbey is a ruined abbey and a part of the palace complex, so once you’re done sightseeing the palace, don’t miss to see it too.

Holyrood Park & Arthur’s Seat

Next to the palace is the Holyrood Park with its highest point at 250 m (820 ft) – Arthur’s Seat.

Arthur’s Seat is a remain of an extinct volcano which you can hike today for the best panoramic views of Edinburgh.

The volcano got the name as it’s tied to the legend that the castle Camelot was there.

You can access both the park and Arthur’s Seat for free. While we enjoyed a walk in the park, we skipped the hike to Arthur’s Seat because of the bad weather (as you can see in my photos).

Scotch Whisky Experience

One of the best and unique activities we had in Edinburgh was a Scotch Whisky Experience.

On the tour we learnt about 5 different whisky producing regions, we got to taste a whisky of our choice, and then got the glass as a souvenir (we still drink whisky at home from these glasses!).

Afterwards, there’s a shop with an amazing collection of whiskies that you can buy for yourself or family/friends. We had to buy one bottle of course.

✅ As it’s one of the most popular tours in Edinburgh, I recommend booking your Scotch Whisky Experience ahead of time.

Day 2 in Edinburgh

On your second day in Edinburgh of this itinerary you will check the Edinburgh Castle and some museums.

Victoria Street

Victoria Street is another popular street in Edinburgh for two reasons.

First, it’s full of colourful buildings and has a platform above the lower ground row.
Second, it is suspected that it may have inspired the Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter series.

Either way, don’t miss a walk along the street.

✅ If you’re a Harry Potter fan, consider taking this Edinburgh Harry Potter Tour.

📖 Read my 10 Best Literary Towns in the UK to Add to Your Bucket List blog post.

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle is the most historic and therefore, the most popular attraction in Edinburgh.

It stands on Castle Rock, which has been inhabited by humans since at least the Iron Age. There has been a royal castle on the rock since the 11th century, and the castle continued to be a royal residence until 1633.

Its importance as a part of Scotland’s national heritage was recognised increasingly from the early 19th century onwards, and so various restoration programmes have been carried out over the past century and a half.

💡Having said that, I cannot express more that if you’d love to visit Edinburgh Castle, you have to buy the tickets weeks in advance!

Sadly, I was late to the game and completely missed out on seeing it. Plus, it was in 2021 when covid was still pretty much there, so our options were really limited.

✅ I checked, and currently there are guided tours that you can take even a day before, which is great if you’d love to explore the castle with an expert, but also a really good alternative if you couldn’t get the standard tickets.

You can get the standard tickets on the official website only.

National Museum of Scotland

I’m a museum girl, and if there’s a good museum in the place I’m visiting, I’m there.

So, of course I had to check the National Museum of Scotland, especially since Dolly, the first cloned animal is there!

The museum is very interactive and a great place to visit, especially on a cold and rainy day.

The best part? It’s free to visit!

Greyfriars Bobby Statue & Graveyard

Next to the museum, you will find a Greyfriars Bobby Statue and Graveyard.

Bobby is practically a Scottish Hachiko. When his owner John Gray died, Bobby refused to leave the cemetery and stayed by his owner’s grave. Despite the efforts of the graveyard staff to evict Bobby, he always returned and eventually they gave up and provided Bobby with shelter beside John’s Grave.

Today, it is considered luck to rub Bobby’s nose.

Close to the statue is the Greyfriars Kirkyard Cemetery which probably inspired J.K. Rowling for names in Harry Potter. You’ll recognise many famous characters on the tombs like Potter, McGonagall, Moodie, Charles Black and even Tom Riddle. 

Camera Obscura & World of Illusions

To finish off your second day in Edinburgh, I recommend a super cool museum – Camera Obscura & World of Illusions.

It’s a really fun activity regardless of your age. There are five floors and over 100 interactive exhibits.

P. S. There’s an amazing rooftop terrace at the museum with beautiful views of Edinburgh, so don’t skip it!

✅ I recommend getting your tickets in advance.

Day 3 in Edinburgh

On your third and last day of your Edinburgh itinerary, you will explore the rest of the Old Town, go on a unique tour and visit Calton Hill for beautiful views of the city.

St Giles’ Cathedral

St Giles’ Cathedral is a beautiful gothic cathedral built in the 14th century.

It’s free to visit, so I encourage you to go inside, especially if you love gothic architecture like I do!

Adam Smith Statue

Adam Smith is a Scotsman who is called the Father of Economics because his 1776 book The Wealth of Nations laid the foundation for modern economic thought.

So, it’s not a surprise that he is being commemorated in Scotland, which is why in front of the cathedral you can find his bronze statue.

Haunted Underground Vaults Tour

There are a few places in the world considered haunted, and Edinburgh is one of them.

So, one of the cool and unique things to do in Edinburgh is to go on a Haunted Underground Vaults Tour.

✅ There are many different tours you can book, but I personally went to this haunted tour and cannot recommend it more.

You will meet in the Old Town and you’ll pass by some of the most haunted streets in Edinburgh where a tour guide will tell you about the spirits that inhabit them.

But the best part for me was the underground vault where the poorest people lived as there was literally no space for them above the ground. And how apparently, you can feel the presence of the ghosts there.

If you’re with kids, then note that this may be a scary experience for them and in general kids below 5 years of age are not permitted on this tour.

Even if you believe in such things like ghosts or not, this is still quite a cool activity to do!

Calton Hill

And lastly, the best green space with the most beautiful (and free!) views of Edinburgh is Calton Hill.

Is Edinburgh worth Visiting

Even though Edinburgh is quite overlooked, especially compared to London, it is truly one of the most beautiful cities to visit in Europe.

It’s unique because it preserved its medieval and Victorian architecture, so the whole city feels like an open-air museum.

It’s not as expensive as London and the vibes are more relaxed.

You will drink some of the best whisky there, visit beautiful sites and be able to do some pretty unique activities.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that – yes, Edinburgh is so worth visiting and I can’t wait to be back!

✅ If you’re looking for a custom travel plan, find out more about my personalised itinerary service here.

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