Edinburgh travel guide

At a glance

capital city of Scotland, UK. For a first visit, Edinburgh Castle, Forth Bridge, Holyrood Palace are strong starting points. This guide brings together 15 places, practical 1/3/5/7-day routes and a concise food shortlist so you can understand the city before shaping the trip around your pace.

Highlight stops

• Edinburgh Castle — castle in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
• Forth Bridge — railway bridge in eastern Scotland
• Holyrood Palace — official residence of the British monarch in Scotland
• Scottish National Gallery — part of National Galleries Scotland in Edinburgh
• National Museum of Scotland — combined museum in Edinburgh
• St Giles' Cathedral — Church of Scotland cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
• National Library of Scotland — legal deposit library of Scotland
• Forth Road Bridge — bridge in east central Scotland

Food and drink

Use these well-documented flavours as a practical tasting shortlist; open an item to understand it and add it to your trip plan.

• macaroni and cheese — pasta dish
• bubble and squeak — British breakfast dish made with the shallow-fried leftover vegetables (cabbage, carrots, peas, Brussels sprouts, etc.), mashed potatoes, and sometimes cold chopped meat
• coronation chicken — British chicken dish
• bangers and mash — British meal of sausages and mashed potato
• Newcastle Brown Ale — brown ale, originally produced in Newcastle upon Tyne, but now brewed by Heineken at the Zoeterwoude Brewery in the Netherlands

1-day itinerary

Day 1 · Museums and art

Scottish National Gallery · National Library of Scotland · St Giles' Cathedral · National Museum of Scotland

3-day itinerary

Day 1 · Museums and art

Scottish National Gallery · National Library of Scotland · St Giles' Cathedral · National Museum of Scotland

Day 2 · Architecture and city fabric

Royal Mile · Edinburgh International Festival · Scottish National Portrait Gallery · Princes Street

Day 3 · Museums and art

Edinburgh Castle · Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh · HMY Britannia · Holyrood Palace

5-day itinerary

Day 1 · Museums and art

Scottish National Gallery · National Library of Scotland · St Giles' Cathedral

Day 2 · Museums and art

National Museum of Scotland · Royal Mile · Edinburgh International Festival

Day 3 · Museums and art

Scottish National Portrait Gallery · Princes Street · Edinburgh Castle

Day 4 · Parks and open air

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh · HMY Britannia · Holyrood Palace

Day 5 · History and landmarks

Rosslyn Chapel, Roslin · Forth Bridge · Forth Road Bridge

7-day itinerary

Day 1 · Museums and art

Scottish National Gallery · National Library of Scotland · St Giles' Cathedral

Day 2 · Museums and art

National Museum of Scotland · Royal Mile · Edinburgh International Festival

Day 3 · Museums and art

Scottish National Portrait Gallery · Princes Street · Edinburgh Castle

Day 4 · Parks and open air

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh · HMY Britannia · Holyrood Palace

Day 5 · History and landmarks

Rosslyn Chapel, Roslin · Forth Bridge · Forth Road Bridge

Before you go

This route distributes nearby source-backed stops across balanced days. Opening times and ticket conditions can change; check the official source before visiting.