Say “Edinburgh” and most people will respond with “Festival” or “Fringe”. But it’s true that thousands of attendees flock to the city every August, there are plenty of other amazing sights and attractions that bring visitors all year round.
From whisky tastings to life in a 300 year-old tenement, here are some ideas to get you started.
Find things to do by type:
- Best for sightseeing
- Best for arts and culture
- Best for history
- Best for food and drink
- Best for sport
- Best for nature
Best for sightseeing
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle, the city’s most famous landmark, broods over Edinburgh – an elephantine presence on its dramatic volcanic rock. Home to the oldest crown jewels in Britain and the giant siege gun, Mons Meg, not to mention the military tattoo, it’s more than a monument – it’s part of the city’s every day life. In fact, locals have been setting their watches by the one o’clock gun since 1861.
There are complimentary guided tours to help you make sense of it all, or you can pay for an audio guide. Give the crowds a miss by purchasing tickets and downloading audio guides in advance online and visiting early in the day.
National Museum of Scotland
Free | nms.ac.uk
The eccentric National Museum of Scotland is a mad dash through the history of the world and everything in it – both natural and man-made. More than 800 objects make up the mind-boggling installation that is the Window on the World in the Grand Gallery; if it all gets a bit much, stop for a giant scone in the Balcony Café. You should also take the lift from the fifth floor to visit the roof garden for a moment of peace and a surprising city panorama.
Calton Hill
Free | edinburgh.org
Calton Hill, rising abruptly at the east end of Princes Street, is a magnet to photographers and fireworks-watchers. The National Monument, a mini-Parthenon intended as a tribute to Scottish soldiers who fell in the Napoleonic Wars was nicknamed “the Scottish Disgrace” (the project ran out of money), but reinforces Edinburgh’s claim as the Athens of the North.
Views from the top of the Nelson Monument are astonishing; time your 143-step climb for when the monument’s white ball drops, signalling the one o’clock gun at the Castle. Make time to check out the old observatory too; it’s now an arts venue called “Collective” with a terrific gift shop and a kiosk serving hot drinks and snacks.
St Giles’ Cathedral
Free | stgilescathedral.org.uk
The distinctive crown spire of St Giles’ Cathedral on the Royal Mile, visible from miles around, marks the beating heart of the city. Despite the ponderous piers supporting the tower of the much-altered but essentially Gothic High Kirk of Edinburgh, the soaring interior of this ancient church is flooded with light and full of history. The Thistle Chapel is especially exquisite – there’s a bagpipe-playing angel – and the terrific volunteer guides have fascinating stories to tell.
It’s free to enter, although visitors are invited to make a £10 donation and there are twice-daily guided tours as well as downloadable audio tours (£5.50).
The City Sightseeing Tour
££ | edinburghtour.com
You’ll find several sightseeing tours operating under the Edinburgh Bus Tours banner, but The City Sightseeing Tour offers a useful overview of the major attractions, operates all year round and is particularly good for children – the choice of audio commentaries includes a “Horrible Histories” version for young ones. A Royal Edinburgh ticket will give you 48 hours of access to all three of the available tours, plus free entry to Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace and the Royal Yacht Britannia.
Best for arts and culture
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
£-££ | eif.co.uk
Every year Auld Reekie becomes, quite literally, the city that never sleeps. More than 80 years ago the International Festival’s founders set out to bring art, culture, colour and prosperity to a gritty and grey post-war Edinburgh. Now there are seven festivals in August, including the Fringe, Book and Comedy festivals. It’s worth planning well ahead as hotels and restaurants book up early and headline shows sell out, but if you haven’t, don’t despair; there’s somehow always a room, tent or even a sofa somewhere, and always another free show.
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
££ | edintattoo.co.uk
No-one can fail to be stirred by this anachronistic but irresistible spectacle. Perhaps it’s the vibrating beat of hundreds of drums accompanying perfectly drilled marching bands, or the skirl of pipes (or twirl of kilts)? Or the sheer scale of it, under the towering walls of Edinburgh Castle, bursting fireworks overhead making the pulse beat faster. It certainly takes a heart of stone not to feel the pathos of the lone piper’s lament calling from high on the ramparts. Every festival-goer should go at least once (there’s a different theme each year). Remember to take a handkerchief.
The Writers’ Museum
Free | edinburghmuseums.org.uk
Worth seeing for the phantasmagorical building alone, the Writers’ Museum is not to be missed, even if you’ve never read anything by the three great Scottish writers represented here: Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. You’ll find plenty to charm and fascinate in the portraits, manuscripts and personal objects on display, including Scott’s rocking horse and a wardrobe generally thought to have inspired Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (it makes a good story, anyway).
It’s a welcome escape from the frenzied masses on the Royal Mile so don’t rush – take a moment to linger on the Makar’s Court to write a particularly well-composed postcard.
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
Free | nationalgalleries.org
Cubist, Expressionist, post-war and contemporary art are all well represented at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, where works are split across two buildings. In Modern Two, you’ll find a fascinatingly chaotic recreation of Scottish artist Eduardo Paolozzi’s studio. Also be sure to explore Charles Jencks’ extraordinary Landform and the sculptures by Henry Moore in the grounds.
Modern One has a relaxed café in with a pretty garden terrace, whereas Modern Two’s restaurant is more formal, serving a particularly good afternoon tea under the steely gaze of a seven-metre-tall sculpture of Vulcan. For an easy day of culture, a free bus runs between the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and the Scottish National Gallery.
Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
££ | camera-obscura.co.uk
Even in a high-tech world, a simple pin-hole camera that can project razor-sharp moving images from distances that defeat modern cameras feels like magic. Children will love Camera Obscura and World of Illusions, and enjoy learning how to make do-it-yourself spyware using a cardboard box, tin foil and a blanket. There are optical illusions, games and a dizzying holographic exhibit that will delight visitors of all ages, too.
It’s a great way to spend time on a wet day or revive tired children, and the 360-degree view from the roof is one of the best perspectives on the city – no matter what kind of camera you use.
Scottish National Gallery
Free | nationalgalleries.org
Cultural indigestion isn’t an issue at the manageably sized Scottish National Gallery. Inside, you’ll find Old Masters, Impressionists, Post-Impressionists and a proudly comprehensive collection of Scottish art – including Scotland’s favourite painting, The Reverend Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch. There are also world-class temporary exhibitions (which you’ll have to pay for). The galleries were originally two buildings, but are now connected by the modern Gardens Entrance overlooking Princes Street Gardens; here you can shop, eat and attend free 45-minute lunchtime lectures.
Leith
Free | edinburgh.org
Leith may have once been notorious for its red light district and crime, but it has moved up in the world since its Trainspotting days. Now it’s home to Michelin-starred restaurants, smart bars and edgy galleries. But despite the respectability conferred by the Royal Yacht Britannia at Ocean Terminal and the Scottish Government at Victoria Quay, it’s still rough enough round the edges to make things interesting.
Dovecot Studios
Free-££ | dovecotstudios.com
Based in a former wash house on Infirmary Street in the Old Town, this easily missed studio offers a window to art being created in real time – you can look down from a gallery on working weavers and their colourful, living art. There are exhibitions as well, from Biba and Elizabeth Blackadder to period costumes for stage, TV and cinema.
If you’re interested in taking home a souvenir, check out the Tapestry Studio page on the website before your visit. It lists pieces for sale and lets you indicate interest ahead of time.
Best for history
Surgeons’ Hall Museum
You’ll need a strong stomach and a morbid sense of humour to enjoy the fascinating Surgeons’ Hall Museum. There are life-sized tableaux, tools of the surgical and dental trade that will make your toes curl (there’s probably a device for that), gruesome photographs, and pickled and preserved body parts. One of the more disturbing objects on display is a notebook bound in the skin of William Burke – one of the well-known Edinburgh bodysnatchers. It’s possibly not the most family-friendly destination, unless your last name is Addams.
Palace of Holyroodhouse
A tour of the Palace of Holyroodhouse – King Charles III’s official gaff in Scotland – will show you more tapestries, portraits and plasterwork than you can shake a sceptre at. You’ll also be able to see the chambers of Mary, Queen of Scots, where her courtier Rizzio was stabbed 56 times and then thrown down the stairs by her jealous husband. In summer, take an audio tour of the beautiful ruins of the nearby abbey, but don’t neglect the King’s Gallery with its impressive exhibitions of the best art from the Royal Collections.
The Real Mary King’s Close
You can’t throw a haggis on the Royal Mile without hitting a ghost tour, but if you’re looking for one grounded in history, The Real Mary King’s Close is the tour for you. You’ll explore hidden 17th-century streets – long considered to be haunted by plague victims who were walled up alive – and hear about the odd murder and its healthy population of other ghosts.
Bear in mind there are 58 steps down and 38 up to be negotiated, so it’s not suitable for pushchairs, wheelchairs, the claustrophobic, or those with limited mobility. Children under five will not be admitted at all.
Gladstone’s Land
£ | nts.org.uk
Should you find yourself wandering down the Royal Mile, wondering what it was like to live in a towering tenement 300 hundred years ago, you can find out on a visit to Gladstone’s Land. The National Trust for Scotland has meticulously restored this wealthy Edinburgh merchant’s house to provide a fascinating recreation of the cramped conditions – even for the wealthy – in 17th-century Edinburgh.
You’ll see the kitchen and a pretty panelled parlour, but don’t miss the Painted Chamber. This bedroom contains what is considered the best original wall and ceiling decoration in Scotland. There’s a good ice -ream parlour, too. Try “The Butcher”, vanilla ice-cream with candied bacon and whisky sauce.
The Georgian House
£ | nts.org.uk
A visit to the Georgian House, on the enduringly fashionable Charlotte Square, is an absorbing way to get a sense of what life was like in a prosperous 18th-century household in the New Town – both for the family and those downstairs. The house was designed by Scottish Neoclassical architect Robert Adam, and is a particularly fine example of Georgian architecture that’s been beautifully and accurately furnished. Guides can share their wealth of detailed knowledge, while children can dress up in the period costumes available in the activity room.
Craigmillar Castle
Craigmillar Castle is one of best medieval castles in Scotland, with much of the structure in remarkably good order. Explore from the top of the tower house to the gloomy basement where a skeleton was found walled up in the early 19th century. Mary, Queen of Scots stayed here twice – and the area is still called Petit France. It’s a charming alternative to Edinburgh Castle, but do check the website before you go for any restrictions for ongoing conservation and restoration work.
The Royal Yacht Britannia
££ | royalyachtbritannia.co.uk
The Royal Yacht Britannia was apparently frozen in time long before she was decommissioned. Look out for the various props found inside – there’s everything from well-used board games in the sun lounge to toothbrushes in tumblers in the crew quarters. Together, the items bring Britannia, and the Queen’s fascinating frugality, to chintz-upholstered, brass-polished life. The comprehensive tour proceeds at a leisurely pace set by handheld recorded information delivered in suitably plummy tones. Do plan to pause in the Royal Deck Tea Room for remarkably good simple lunches or a slap-up tea. Don’t miss the gift shop either, which is amusingly filled with stuffed corgis.
The Scottish Parliament
Free | parliament.scot
Whether you consider it an over-priced blot on the landscape or an architectural triumph, the Scottish Parliament building at the foot of The Royal Mile is still worth a visit. It was designed by Catalonian architect Enric Miralles and though it is award-winning, it has always been controversial. Inside, there is a permanent exhibition about the Scottish Parliament, which you can see on a self-guided or guided tour (both are free).
If you’re keen to see politics in action, you can also book tickets to attend committee meetings or debates. Possibilities are complicated by whether or not Parliament is sitting, so check the website if you’re planning a visit.
Best for food and drink
Eat, Walk Edinburgh tour
An Eat, Walk Edinburgh tour will provide you with an excellent gourmet introduction to the city. You’ll enjoy a three-course meal across four different restaurants and pubs with a choice of paired drinks along the way, but don’t expect all the food to necessarily be Scottish – this is about all the variety Edinburgh has to offer.
My top tip is to plan this activity for day one, because the tour provides lots of useful information and will help you get your bearings of the city centre.
Edinburgh Literary Pub Tours
££ | edinburghliterarypubtour.co.uk
As the first Unesco City of Literature, Edinburgh has a long – and sometimes dishonourable – literary history. It’s cleverly and hilariously brought to life on the Edinburgh Literary Pub Tours led by professional actors who focus on writers from the city’s past. The tour makes stops in several pubs where you can have a drink while you enjoy the guides’ performance. Tours start in the Grassmarket; buy your tickets online (private tours are also available).
The Scotch Whisky Experience
££ | scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk
You may not be sure about the plastic barrel ride at the start, but there are worse ways to learn how whisky is made. The tour leaders at The Scotch Whisky Experience are brilliant and the Gold Tour upgrade is a revelation. Aficionados should opt for the Morning Masterclass, and gourmands should consider the Taste of Scotland Whisky and Food Tour, which includes a three-course meal in the Amber Restaurant.
After the tour, visit the bar to find 300 whiskies and great views. It also offers Scotland’s other national drink – Irn-Bru – for teetotallers. If you have a cold, ask for a restorative hot toddy.
Port of Leith Distillery
££ | leithdistillery.com
There are any number of distilleries in Edinburgh, from micro to maxi, but the Port of Leith distillery is the first vertical distillery in Scotland, already a local landmark and just a hop from the Ocean Terminal tram stop. It’s a striking building and a fascinating tour; the guides lively, well-informed and engaging – although it’s worth going just for the views from the bar at the top. In fact, consider booking a table for a few cocktails and perhaps the steak pie or the Clava brie tartiflette.
Stockbridge
Free-£ | edinburgh.org
Stockbridge is cosier than the New Town but just as pretty with a great choice of independent shops, galleries, bakeries, cafés, bars and restaurants. Inverleith Park and the west gate of the Royal Botanic Gardens are nearby, as well as the lovely Water of Leith. Have a wander, then settle in for a drink and a meal, or shop and eat your way round the Sunday market. Remember to bring a bag or two for all the good things you’ll find to take home.
Best for sport
Braid Hills Golf Course
The Gentleman Golfers of Leith established the “rules of golfing” on Leith Links in 1744, arguably making Edinburgh the home of golf. But while you can no longer play in Leith, the 18-hole, vertically challenging Par 71 course at the Edinburgh City Council-run Braid Hills Golf Course is a bargain. It’s worth a round even if you’re not a golfer, if only for the glorious views across the city to the Firth of Forth. Also be sure to look out for the gorse bushes – an unusually painful hazard. You can hire clubs and trolleys if you haven’t brought your own.
Edinburgh Bike Tours
Take a gentle three-hour guided ride around The Royal Mile, New Town, Holyrood Park and Portobello with Edinburgh Bike Tours, or hire by the day to explore Edinburgh’s extensive system of cycle routes. If you have time, consider a full-day tour along the coast taking in historical Cramond, Queensferry and the Forth Bridges. You’ll escape the city traffic and see fascinating areas other tours don’t touch. Tagalongs, trailers and bikes for children are available.
Best for nature
Arthur’s Seat
Free | edinburgh.org
No-one knows how Arthur’s Seat got its name, but die-hard romantics believe the extinct volcano in Holyrood Park was once the location of Camelot. It’s a whopping 251m high, but if you’ve got the right footwear it’s a relatively easy climb. A good place to start is opposite the Palace of Holyroodhouse car park, taking in the ruins of St Anthony’s Chapel before the steep climb to the summit. Be sure to stick to marked routes: it might be crowded with visitors, but it can be slippery.
Water of Leith
Free | waterofleith.org.uk
Follow the Water of Leith as it threads its way through the city. You’ll wander through woods and wildflowers, and spy herons, kingfishers and roe deer – even otters have been seen on the hidden 12-mile walkway.
There are plenty of access points, but one of the best sections starts at the Water of Leith Visitor Centre in Slateford. Head towards Leith, passing through charming Dean Village with its converted mills, under a dramatic Thomas Telford Bridge, then past elegant St Bernard’s Well to Stockbridge, where you can catch buses back to Princes Street. Downloadable maps are available on the Water of Leith website.
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Free | rbge.org.uk
At the first sign of a sunny day it feels as if everyone in the Scottish capital heads to the tranquil Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, a 15-minute walk from the city centre. Lose yourself in 70 acres of trees, shrubs, rare plants and specialist gardens, take in wonderful views of the city, and join a garden walk. Excitingly for 2026, the fabulous Victorian Palm House will reopen on October 2 after years-long restoration work.
Lauriston Castle
Free-£ | edinburghmuseums.org.uk
Overlooking the Firth of Forth and surrounded by woodlands and a Japanese garden, Lauriston Castle is a 16th-century tower house with Victorian extensions. Inside, it’s home to an impressive collection of fine furniture and ceramics, as well as some of the fascinating personal belongings of its wealthy owners (look out for the newspaper in the sitting room reporting the sinking of the Titanic).
Nearby, the Boardwalk Beach Club café sits right on shores of the Firth and has a huge outdoor seating area with blankets, great views and yummy soups, sandwiches and scones. Children and dogs are looked after, too.
Dunbar’s Close
Free | edinburghoutdoors.org.uk
You’ll have to look carefully for the entrance to Dunbar’s Close, even though it’s just a few steps off The Royal Mile, near the Canongate Kirk. Created by the visionary town planner Sir Patrick Geddes as one of a network of Old Town green spaces, it’s a faithful recreation of a 17th-century garden, lovingly designed as a series of small, delightfully private rooms. If the weather’s kind, it’s a fine place for a picnic.
How we choose
Every attraction and activity in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets and styles, from world-class museums to family-friendly theme parks – to best suit every type of traveller. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up-to-date recommendations.