Destinations

Edinburgh, UK Travel Guide

A castle on a crag and closes of stone

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Why visit Edinburgh

Edinburgh’s Old Town climbs from Holyrood Palace to the castle along the Royal Mile, a mile of closes and wynds that doubles in population every August. Climbing Arthur’s Seat takes about 45 minutes from Holyrood Park and looks out over the Firth of Forth. Haggis with neeps and tatties costs around £12 in a Grassmarket pub, and Leith’s Shore holds the city’s best fish suppers.

Last updated Aug 17, 2026 · Reviewed by the WhatWhereVacay editorial team

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Worth booking before you go

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Getting to Edinburgh

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Things to do in Edinburgh

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Hotels in Edinburgh

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Plan your Edinburgh trip

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Budget estimate

€1,330–€2,170 for 2 travelers · 7 nights

Typical daily budget: €95–€155 per person

Per person per day: food + local transport + activities (stays & flights excluded).

Open the full budget calculator Edinburgh cost breakdown

Tipping in UK

Restaurants: 10-12% if not included. Check the bill - a discretionary service charge (often 12.5%) is frequently already added, and you can ask for it to be removed if service was poor.

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Edinburgh travel guides

Scotland in Autumn: Edinburgh, the Highlands and Skye - The Complete 2026 Guide

Sep 27, 2026

Best time to visit Edinburgh

Warmest months: Jun–Aug (averaging 13–14°C). Coldest month January (3°C), warmest July (14°C).

Monthly mean air temperature for Edinburgh, United Kingdom, NASA POWER climatology (T2M), fetched 2026-09-22. Daytime highs run several degrees higher; rainfall is not in this table, so check the live forecast before you book.

Weather decides when a city shines - and when it empties out. We pull 30-year climate averages for Edinburgh to show which months are warm, dry and worth booking.

Check live weather for Edinburgh

Getting there and around Edinburgh

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Bus corridors we track to and from Edinburgh

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3 days in Edinburgh: what to eat & see

D1 Day 1

Morning

Edinburgh Castle & the Royal Mile

Afternoon

Holyrood Palace & the Scottish Parliament

Evening

Pub dinner in the Grassmarket

Haggis

D2 Day 2

Morning

Arthur’s Seat from Holyrood Park

Afternoon

National Museum of Scotland & Greyfriars Kirkyard

Scotch Egg

Evening

Stockbridge & Dean Village walk

Cock-a-Leekie

D3 Day 3

Morning

Royal Yacht Britannia at Leith

Afternoon

Royal Botanic Garden & Calton Hill at dusk

Fruit Scone

Evening

Leith Shore dinner

Cullen Skink

Eat your way through Edinburgh

Browse all UK food

These are the dishes to hunt down in Edinburgh - not just the country's greatest hits. Tap a dish to see where it's made best, then compare a stay in the same neighbourhood with your dates.