The Only Itinerary You Need For a Day Trip to Edinburgh (+ Map)
We recently got back from an unforgettable trip to Scotland, and let me tell you, you need to visit. We started with 2.5 days in Edinburgh then rented a car and drove 5.5 hours up to the Isle of Skye (which I highly recommend).
If you’ll be visiting Edinburgh as a family, you can read my guide to visiting Edinburgh with kids for all of the best things to do with kids in the city!
And, if you’re planning a road trip, be sure to check out my post with all of my top tips for driving in Scotland. It may sound intimidating to drive on the opposite side of the road, but you can do it!
Anyway, back to Edinburgh. My husband was so excited about visiting Edinburgh, but I wasn’t sure what to expect. But, oh my goodness, Edinburgh was awesome.
The city is similar to London in that it’s very international, has great food, etc. However, Edinburgh is much smaller and way more manageable than London.
I’m using our experiences from 2.5 days in the city to create this perfect 1-day Edinburgh itinerary. Depending on how you travel, you may find you want to do more or less than this itinerary offers so I’ve included additional things to do in Edinburgh at the end of the post.
The buildings are absolutely beautiful- they’re super ornate with a grey color palette and pops of color on every storefront. And I haven’t even mentioned Edinburgh Castle! Edinburgh Castle sits atop a large, extinct volcano in the middle of Edinburgh towering over the city that circles it on all sides. It’s pretty cool.
*There are affiliate links in this post. Read my privacy/disclosure policy to learn more.
The Best Time of Year to see Edinburgh in a Day
June-August are the warmest months of the year in Edinburgh and they also have the most hours of daylight. Although these summer months are the warmest, high temperatures really only hover between 60°-65° with around 9 days of rain each month.
This means no matter when you visit, you need to pack some layers and be prepared for rain (cause it rains every 3.5 days).
With great weather in Scotland also comes peak tourist season. If you want to avoid the peak summer crowds in Edinburgh steer clear of July and try visiting in April, May or September.
We visited Edinburgh in early April and had beautiful weather. We caught some sun, some clouds, only a slight sprinkling of rain and we stayed plenty warm with our layers. We each wore a sweater with a light puffy jacket and kept gloves and a hat on hand in case we needed it.
24 Hours in Edinburgh at a Glance:
- Morning:
- Explore Edinburgh Castle
- Window Shop on Victoria Street
- Afternoon:
- Lunch @ Oink on Victoria Street (or Makars Mash Bar)
- Victoria Street Overlook
- Stroll Through Princes Street Gardens With Views of Edinburgh Castle
- Listen for a Bagpiper Near Scott Monument
- Stroll up Cockburn Street a filming location of The Avengers
- Shop for Trinkets on Part of The Royal Mile
- Evening:
- Search for tombstones that inspired J.K Rowling at Greyfriars Kirkyard
- Rooftop Dinner @ Cold Town House with views of Edinburgh Castle
- Desert @ Mary’s Milk Bar
- Evening View of Edinburgh Castle From The Vennel Viewpoint
Map of Top Sights to See in One Day in Edinburgh
*Use this interactive map to see each stop on this Edinburgh 1 day itinerary. Click on the full-screen icon in the top right corner to have this map open in your own Google Maps app or click on the arrow in the top left corner to see a pullout list of all the itinerary stops*
In-Depth Edinburgh One-Day Itinerary:
1. Explore Edinburgh Castle
One of the most amazing things about Edinburgh is that from almost anywhere in the city, you can look up to find Edinburgh Castle. Edinburgh Castle is over 900 years old and is built atop an ancient, extinct volcano (it’s pretty epic).
It’s one of the oldest fortified places in Europe- touring Edinburgh Castle definitely needs to be at the top of your Edinburgh itinerary.
You approach Edinburgh Castle by walking up castle hill which is part of the royal mile (more on that below). Most of the castle area is outside (with awesome views of Edinburgh). However, there are also buildings and small museums you can tour.
You can see the birthing room of Mary, Queen of Scots, the chapel (which is the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh), the crown jewels, and more. If you want to learn more about Edinburgh Castle, be sure to book a tour of the Castle.
Even if you don’t want a guided tour, you still need to make sure you reserve your castle tickets weeks in advance otherwise they may sell out (especially in peak summer months).
A popular thing to experience at the castle is to see and hear the shooting of the 1 o’clock cannon. We visited the castle first thing in the morning, so weren’t there for the cannon shooting. However, it’s a very popular event if you happen to be at the castle at the right time.
We spent about 2 hours exploring Edinburgh Castle, but you could definitely spend more or less time depending on your interest level.
3. Window shop on Victoria Street
Edinburgh is full of beautiful streets with colorful storefronts, however, one of the most picturesque streets has got to be Victoria Street.
Victoria Street is located in Old Town Edinburgh (one of my favorite areas of the city) and is thought to be where J.K. Rowling may have gotten her inspiration for Diagon Alley. The street is located on a hill with a slight curve that just makes for great photographs.
But not only does this street look magically cute, but it also has some really great shops. One of my favorite shops was The Red Door Gallery with the loveliest prints from local artists, cards, and other handmade knick-knacks.
If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you’ll definitely want to swing by Museum Context: Retailer of Harry Potter Merchandise. It’s a cute shop dedicated to officially licensed Harry Potter collectibles and gifts but also lots of great Harry Potter artwork by local artists.
Keep in mind that the Harry Potter shop is small and there is usually a queue out the door. If you want to beat the queue you may want to show up slightly before opening time. The Harry Potter shop has another location in the city as well that you can find here.
Did you know you can book a Harry Potter tour in Edinburgh? If you’re a big Harry Potter fan, this has got to be the best way to learn all things J.K Rowling related in Edinburgh.
2. Lunch at Oink or Makars Mash Bar
Also located on Victoria Street is Oink which is a counter-service restaurant that serves pulled pork sandwiches until 5 pm or until they run out. Their thing is having a fully roasted pig in the front window (which is not really my thing, but that’s what they do) and they serve it up until it runs out.
How it works is you pick your bread, your stuffing, and then your sauce. The ‘stuffing’ options are sage & onion (which tastes like Thanksgiving) or their homemade haggis. And then you get to choose your sauce: apple, homemade mustard mayo, homemade BBQ, homemade chili cheese, or homemade chili jam.
Apple is the go-to sauce and is super good. I got a wheat bun with sage and onion (no thanks to haggis) and half apple/half bbq sauce (the apple side was my favorite).
We got our sandwiches with chips and their homemade shortbread (which was crazy good) and it was a perfect quick lunch.
If you’re visiting Edinburgh with kids (like we were) I recommend picking up lunch to go and taking it to the castle-themed playground at Princes Street Gardens. Oink also has other locations in Edinburgh that you can find here.
Another great lunch option is Makars Gourmet Mash Bar. We didn’t end up having time to try out Makars Mash Bar, but it was high on our list. Makars specializes in Scottish comfort food featuring mashed potatoes and various toppings.
They have lots of options for meat eaters, vegetarians, vegans, and those that need gluten-free items. I really wanted to get the mashed potatoes with the vegetarian haggis.
4. Victoria Street Terrace Overlook
If you want a slightly different view of Victoria Street, be sure to follow the signs to the Victoria Street Terrace overlook. It’s up just a flight of stairs and you can look over the edge to see the colorful shops below.
You can eat out on the outdoor terrace at Scotts Kitchen (an al fresco version of Howie’s restaurant which you’ll find on the street below)/
4. Take in the views of the castle from Princes Street Gardens
In my opinion, seeing Edinburgh Castle from different vantage points in the cities is one of the best things about visiting Edinburgh. I think that’s why hanging out in Princes Street Gardens was one of my favorite things we did.
We brought our Oink takeaway with us, sat on a bench, and took in the views of Edinburgh Castle towering over us. (If you’re a fan of the film ‘Eurovision,’ there’s a scene filmed at Ross Fountain in Princes Street Gardens with the American tourists and Will Ferrel.)
If you’re traveling with kids, be sure to play at the castle-themed playground in Princes Street Gardens. Our kiddos loved playing here and could have stayed here all day (which we didn’t mind because you have epic castle views from the playground).
5. Look for a Bagpiper Near Scott Monument
Scott Monument is an iconic, gothic landmark in Edinburgh dedicated to the writer, Sir Walter Scott. It’s located right on the edge of Princes Street Gardens making it easy to spot.
You can climb the steps to the top of Scott Monument for some views of Edinburgh, or you can admire the monument from below.
While we were visiting, there was a bagpiper playing in front of Scott Monument (I always loved coming across bagpipers in Scotland). We noticed when he was done playing another bagpiper immediately replaced him.
I’ve heard there is almost always a bagpiper playing near Scott Monument. So, if you’re hoping to hear the bagpipes in Edinburgh, try stopping by Scott Monument just in case!
5. Stroll up Cockburn Street
Cockburn Street is another absolutely picturesque street in Edinburgh ( like pretty much all of Old Town). For film buffs out there- scenes from ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ were filmed on Cockburn Street.
One of my favorite buildings on the street was The Milkman Coffee Shop (they actually have two shops on the same street). The Milkman is a rounded building on a corner with a super cool, square, third-story level.
Cockburn Street also has lots of local, independently owned shops including the second location of the Harry Potter store.
6. Walk the Royal Mile
The Royal Mile is a mile-long stretch of road linking Edinburgh Castle with Holyrood Palace. It’s the main thorough way through Edinburgh’s Old Town and serves as the traditional processional route of queens and kings over the last 500 years.
The road is lined with tourist shops, but also many historic buildings like Mary King’s Close, the Museum of Edinburgh, and St. Giles Cathedral.
I’m sure there are some gems of shops on the Royal Mile, but from my observation, most of them seemed to be pretty touristy trinket shops. Victoria Street and Cockburn Street seemed to have more local shops
6. Find Tom Riddle’s tombstone in Greyfriars Kirkyard
Greyfriars Kirkyard is a popular spot in Edinburgh for Harry Potter fans. Here you can find the gravesite of ‘Tom Riddle’, a man who passed away in 1806 having no idea his name would become so popular in a few hundred years.
You can also find tombstones with other names that may have inspired J.K Rowling like Moodie, Scrimgeour, Cruikshank, and McGonagall.
In Greyfriars Kirkyard you can also see remains of the Flodden Wall which was a wall built in 1560 to protect the city from an English invasion.
7. Stroll Through Grassmarket
The Grassmarket area of Old Town Edinburgh is absolutely delightful. It’s located right around the corner from Victoria Street and is another beautiful, and colorful area of Edinburgh. You’ll find restaurants, pubs, ice cream a few shops and more amazing castle views (of course).
Our Airbnb was located right near Grassmarket (about a 5-minute walk away) and I’m so glad it was. This way we were able to walk through this area every day on our way to other parts of the city. It was awesome.
8. Dinner on the rooftop of Cold Town House with views of Edinburgh Castle
One of my favorite experiences in Edinburgh was our dinner on the rooftop of Cold Town House. I really think this needs to be on the top of your list of things to do on a quick visit to Edinburgh.
Cold Town House has an insanely picturesque location in the Grassmarket area of Old Town Edinburgh with both indoor and outdoor seating.
However, the BEST place to sit at Cold Town House is on their magical rooftop with beautiful views of Edinburgh Castle prominently above. It makes for one of the best ways in Edinburgh to relax and soak in the magnificent castle.
We lucked out with great weather on the evening we ate here, but if it’s a chilly day, they have heaters they can turn on and blankets on the seats available to use.
And not only was their rooftop crazy cute, but the food was SO GOOD too. I ordered the Meadows Pizza with basil pesto, roasted broccoli, tomato mozzarella, and hazelnuts. I expected the pizza to be good, but it was like REALLY good.
My husband ordered the Calton Hill Pizza with tomato sauce, Tuscan fennel sausage, and mozzarella while our kids were super jazzed about the triple mac & cheese.
While we mostly ordered pizza, Cold Town House also serves burgers, fish & chips, haggis-loaded fries, and delicious-looking appetizers/sides.
Be sure to make dinner reservations (especially if you want a seat on the roof). You can do that on their website here.
9. Taste the Amazing Homemade Gelato From Mary’s Milk Bar
Do I really need to say more than these pictures can say? Mary’s Milk Bar is another little gem in the Grassmarket area of Old Town (right across the way from Cold Town House where we ate on the adorable rooftop).
Mary herself makes the gelato fresh every morning until 11 am and she has an everchanging delicious menu. She makes yummy traditional flavors but also crazy unique flavors like goat’s cheese& peach (which was so good).
Plus you can pick up a bar of her homemade chocolate bars. She trained in Bologna, Italy at Carpigiani Gelato University (how awesome is that).
There is often a queue out the door, but trust me, the wait is so worth it. It’s right in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle and it’s some of the best gelato/ice creams I’ve ever had.
If you plan to have ice cream after dinner, be sure to check their hours to make sure they’ll still be open once dinner is over (otherwise, you may want to fit it in at a different point of your itinerary).
10. Take in Castle Views From The Vennel Viewpoint
Right next to Mary’s Milk Bar in Grassmarket, you’ll find stairs leading up between buildings. If you follow these stairs up and turn around, you’ll have another great view of Edinburgh Castle. There are also some very picturesque houses at the top of the stairs.
Additional Places to Visit in Edinburgh in One Day:
1. Hike to the top of Arthur’s Seat
If we would have had more time in Edinburgh, we definitely would have hiked to the top of Arthur’s Seat. Arthur’s Seat is an ancient volcano and the main peak in the group of large hills on the edge of Edinburgh.
There are multiple routes you can take to get to the top of Arthur’s seat with most of them starting from near Holyrood Palace. You’ll want to set aside 2-3 hours for the entire experience (and possibly longer if you are hiking with kids).
2. Explore Dean Village
Dean Village is a very picturesque, tranquil village with beautiful buildings from the 19th century located on the Water of Leith. You could walk there or the city bus goes right to the area as well (just put Dean Village in Google Maps and choose the transit option).
Basically, it’s a great area for a lovely stroll and a good place to get some quiet and peace. If you’re an early riser when you’re traveling, Dean Village would be a great early-morning thing to do while you’re waiting for Edinburgh Castle to open.
3. See the views from Calton Hill
Calton Hill is another hill in Edinburgh with views over the city. Calton Hill is easier to climb than Arthur’s Seat (like, way easier) and still offers some good views of the city. Plus you can see Arthur’s Seat in the distance from the top of Calton Hill.
We chose to walk to the top of Calton Hill since we didn’t have enough time for Arthur’s Seat. However, I’m sure the view from Arthur’s Seat is even better. There are multiple monuments on top of Calton Hill, a restaurant, a cannon, an observatory, and a tower you can climb for even more views.
4. Swing into The National Museum of Scotland
The National Museum of Scotland is a really great museum in Edinburgh this is (get this) free! It’s quite large with all sorts of exhibitions with things for kids and adults alike.
It’s very close to other stops on my one-day itinerary for Edinburgh, so you could easily hop in to see a couple of things and hop out. One of the museum’s most famous attractions is the first cloned mammal, Dolly the Sheep. Or you can sit in a Formula 1 car and race on the big screen.
5. Explore the Palace of Holyroodhouse
The Palace of Holyroodhouse sits at the end of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh and is the King’s official residence. You can tour the extremely royally decorated bedrooms, the gardens, and the abbey.
Besides being at the end of the Royal Mile, The Palace of Holyroodhouse is also at the base of Arthur’s Seat making it a great place to visit if you plan to hike Arthur’s Seat.
6. Take a guided whisky tour at the Scotch Whisky Experience
Right next to Edinburgh Castle is the Scotch Whisky Experience where you can book a 50-minute guided tour to learn all things whisky. Whisky is Scotland’s national drink so you can learn about the different areas of Scotland that produce whisky and about what influences the flavor.
You’ll also get a tasting session at the end of the guided whisky tour (with soda available for those that want it) and can explore their extensive whisky collection. Be sure to book your guided whisky tour beforehand to ensure availability.
Tours to take if you only have 1 day in Edinburgh:
If you’re someone who occasionally likes a good tour (I know I do) then these tours/experiences are for you. From walking tours of Edinburgh to epic day trips from Edinburgh, you can find the perfect experience for you!
- 2-Hour Magical Harry Potter Tour in Edinburgh: Explore the winding streets of Edinburgh through the lens of Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling
- Fast Track Tickets + 1.5-Hour Guided Tour of Edinburgh Castle: Skip the line + get a 1.5-hour guided tour with in-depth information about Edinburgh Castle
- The Scotch Whisky Experience Guided Whisky Tour: A guided whisky tour right next to Edinburgh Castle plus a tasting
- Loch Ness, Glencoe & The Highlands Day Trip from Edinburgh: Full-day, action-packed excursion from Edinburgh to castles, mountains, and lakes in Scotland
- 2.5-Hour Private Walking Tour of Edinburgh: Learn about Edinburgh’s royal history by visiting sites on and around the Royal Mile with a private tour guide
- Day Tour to Rosslyn Chapel, Dunfermline Abbey, and Stirling Castle Day Tour from Edinburgh: A 9-hour tour to a castle, epic monument, and a battlefield
- Day Tour to St Andrews & the Fishing Villages of Fife From Edinburgh: Visit the home of golf and Scotland’s oldest university on this day tour from Edinburgh
Check out these other posts, I know you’ll love them:
- 21 Best Things to Do in Edinburgh With Kids + Top Tips
- 16 Helpful Tips That Make Driving in Scotland Feel Easy
- The Ultimate Guide to the Isle of Skye with Kids: 21+ Things to Do & Top Tips
- 18 Things To Know Before Visiting The Isle of Skye in Scotland
like it? Pin it!
