Edinburgh Castle on its rock, seen from Princes Street Gardens
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Edinburgh in 3 days

  • 3 days
  • 5 km on foot
  • 18 stops
  • Audio guide

Three days is just right for Edinburgh to become more than a postcard. There's room to explore the castle without watching the clock, to climb Arthur's Seat when the sky allows and to head out to Leith, the port where the city turns to face the sea. The legends are saved for the last evening, as a farewell. An easy pace, with long mornings and the odd stop in a pub.

Day 1Viewpoints and vaults

Begin on Victoria Street with “From Victoria Street to Calton Hill”: the Mound, the Scott Monument, the Balmoral and the final climb up Calton Hill. Then make your way down to the Canongate for cullen skink at the Tolbooth Tavern, a tavern for two centuries. In the afternoon, cross into Holyrood Park and climb Arthur's Seat; if the weather won't play ball, swap it with the next day's museum. Back up the Royal Mile, a tour of the South Bridge Vaults rounds off the day underground.

  1. Morning

    From Victoria Street to Calton Hill: Edinburgh's highlights

    Mixed · 1.7 km · 1 h 40 min

    1. Victoria StreetA curving street of painted shopfronts, built in the 19th century to tame an impossible slope, which half the world associates with Diagon Alley.
    2. The Mound and the National GalleryA whole hill made from the earth left over from building the New Town, crowned by two Greek temples full of art.
    3. Scott MonumentThe largest monument in the world to a writer was designed by a self-taught joiner who drowned before he could see it finished.
    4. The Balmoral HotelA clock that lies on purpose, a railway hotel turned landmark and the room where the Harry Potter saga came to an end.
    5. Old Calton Burial GroundIn this small graveyard lies the great sceptical philosopher of the Enlightenment, watched over by a statue of Abraham Lincoln.
    6. Calton HillA Parthenon left half-built, a stone telescope and the view that shows you why Edinburgh is a World Heritage Site.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Cullen skink at Tolbooth Tavern. 167 Canongate

  3. Afternoon

    Arthur's Seat

    The extinct volcano rising in Holyrood Park, right behind the palace. Several paths lead up; the round trip takes one to two hours, with steep stretches and loose stones. From the top you'll see the whole city, Leith and the Firth of Forth.

    Directions

    South Bridge Vaults

    Vaulted chambers under the arches of South Bridge, dating from the late 18th century, which housed workshops, stores and taverns until they were abandoned. They can only be visited on a paid guided tour, often a ghost tour: book ahead and bring an extra layer, as it's chilly inside.

    Directions

Day 2A mile of history

Today there's time to go inside the castle: book the first slot, give it a couple of hours, then carry on with “The Royal Mile: from castle to palace”, past St Giles', John Knox House and the Canongate to the Parliament and Holyroodhouse. Head back up to the Lawnmarket for haggis, neeps & tatties at Deacon Brodie's Tavern. In the afternoon, visit the National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street, then stroll west to Dean Village to catch the river in the last of the light.

  1. Morning

    The Royal Mile: from castle to palace

    History · 1.8 km · 1 h 45 min

    1. Edinburgh CastleA fortress on an extinct volcano that has been royal residence, prison, barracks and keeper of Scotland's Crown Jewels.
    2. St Giles' CathedralThe mother church of the Scottish Reformation, where John Knox preached and where, so the story goes, a flying stool sparked a revolution.
    3. John Knox HouseThe best-preserved medieval house on the Royal Mile belonged to Mary Queen of Scots' goldsmith, yet bears the name of her fiercest enemy.
    4. The Canongate: Tolbooth and KirkFor seven centuries this was a separate town, with its own council house, its own jail and a church born of a royal decision.
    5. Scottish ParliamentScotland went nearly three centuries without a Parliament; when it got one back, it asked an architect from Barcelona to build its home.
    6. Palace of HolyroodhouseThe monarch's official residence in Scotland, where Mary Queen of Scots watched her secretary being dragged off to his death.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Haggis, neeps & tatties at The White Hart Inn. 34 Grassmarket

  3. Afternoon

    National Museum of Scotland

    The country's great museum, free for its main collections: from the Lewis Chessmen and the Maiden, Scotland's own guillotine, to Dolly the sheep. Before you leave, head up to the roof terrace, as the castle view is well worth it. It's a stone's throw from Greyfriars.

    Directions

    Dean Village and the Water of Leith

    This corner of old stone mills on the Water of Leith feels like another era, yet it's a short walk from the West End. Cross the bridge, follow the river path beneath Telford's Dean Bridge and, if your legs still have it in them, carry on to Stockbridge.

    Directions

Day 3The port and the ghosts

Take the tram or a bus to Leith and start with the Royal Yacht Britannia, next to the Ocean Terminal shopping centre. Then walk to The Shore, the quayside of the old port, for a coffee by the water. Head back into town for a Scotch pie at The Piemaker on South Bridge and take the afternoon easy. At dusk, “Bodysnatchers, ghosts and a faithful dog” sets off from Mary King's Close and winds down through Greyfriars to the Grassmarket. Sign off with a fish supper from The Clam Shell on the High Street.

  1. Morning

    Royal Yacht Britannia

    The British royal family's yacht for more than forty years, now moored in Leith as a museum. You can explore the decks, the royal apartments, the engine room and the crew's quarters. It's best to book and arrive early; the tram takes you there from the centre.

    Directions

    The Shore, Leith

    The waterfront of Edinburgh's old port, where stone warehouses have become pubs and seafood restaurants alongside houses on the Water of Leith. This is Edinburgh at its most maritime and least touristy, about a fifteen-minute walk from the Britannia.

    Directions

  2. Lunch

    Try Scotch pie at The Piemaker. 38 South Bridge

  3. Early evening

    Bodysnatchers, ghosts and a faithful dog

    Mysteries & legends · 1.5 km · 1 h 40 min

    1. Mary King's CloseBeneath Edinburgh's City Chambers lie buried 17th-century streets, and on top of them has grown one of Scotland's most famous collections of legends.
    2. Deacon BrodieBy day a respectable cabinetmaker and councillor; by night a burglar raiding the very houses whose locks he fitted. His double life inspired Jekyll and Hyde.
    3. Greyfriars BobbyA little terrier who, so the story goes, kept watch over his master's grave for fourteen years and became Scotland's most famous dog.
    4. Greyfriars KirkyardHere the National Covenant was signed, here twelve hundred prisoners were held in the open air, and here lies the man legend has turned into a poltergeist.
    5. GrassmarketThe Old Town's liveliest square was for centuries its place of execution: here a woman survived the gallows and a mob lynched a captain.
    6. West Port: Burke and HareOn this street lived Scotland's most notorious murderers, who killed sixteen people to sell their bodies to an anatomist.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Dinner

    Try Fish supper at The Clam Shell. 148 High Street

The map

Edinburgh in 3 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Edinburgh in 3 days

  • Check the forecast every morning and move things around: Arthur's Seat and Leith need a dry day, while the museum and the vaults are your plan B when it rains. Dress in layers and always carry a waterproof.
  • The tram links the centre, via Princes Street and York Place, with Leith and Ocean Terminal, and Lothian buses take contactless payment, so you won't need change to get between neighbourhoods.
  • If you're visiting in August, during the Festival and the Fringe, or over Hogmanay, Scotland's New Year, book your accommodation and tours many months ahead: the city fills up and prices soar.

Questions

Edinburgh in 3 days: your questions

Is it worth spending 3 days in Edinburgh?

Yes, especially if you want to go inside the castle, the museum and the Britannia without rushing. Three days also let you plan around the weather, which calls the shots in Scotland. For an even gentler pace, swap Leith for Stockbridge, a charming neighbourhood with a Sunday market.

Can I add a day trip to the Highlands or Stirling?

Yes, but it takes a full day: Highland tours leave early and get back in the evening, and Stirling, with its castle, is under an hour by train from Waverley. If you go, replace day three and move the mystery walk to the evening of day one.

How far will I walk in total?

The three walks add up to about 5 kilometres: 1.7 on day one, 1.8 on day two and 1.5 on day three. Most of the distance comes from everything else: the climb up Arthur's Seat, the walk to Dean Village and getting around Leith. Expect long days and plenty of steps.

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