Is Edinburgh guide in one day It will help you design a route through all the essential places, making the most of the time, of a city that we are safe, will make you fall in love at first sight.
The Scottish capital welcomes all travelers with open arms and offers you a huge variety of charming places as well as countless leisure and cultural activities. Seeing the contrast between the new and the old city, strolling through the alleys and courtyards of the historic center, taking a good look at a tavern, entering its old churches and abbeys or climbing to the Calton Hill viewpoint to watch the sunset, are just a few of the things that will make you never forget this city.
Based on the experience of the time we spent in the city our trip to Scotland in 11 days, we have made this Edinburgh guide in one day. We start!
How to go from the airport to the center of Edinburgh
The best ways to get to your hotel or downtown Edinburgh from the airport, located 13 kilometers from the city, are the following:
- Bus: The Airlink 100, which operates 24 hours, will take you in half an hour to Princess Street or Waverley Bridge, for about £ 4 per person. You also have urban buses 35 and N22, which are cheaper, although they take more than an hour to reach the center. You can book the Airlink here in advance.
- Trolley car: The tram takes you in just over half an hour to Princes Street for a price of £ 5.5 per person.
- Cab: For a price of about £ 25 it may be a good option if you are staying away from a tram or bus stop.
- Private transport: It is the most comfortable option and that can be more profitable if you are a large group by having vehicles of 8 and 12 seats. You can book it here.
For more information on the transfer you can check this post on how to go from Edinburgh airport to downtown.
Recommended hotel in Edinburgh
Our recommended hotel is the Canon Court Apartments, located in a quiet area of Edinburgh, about 15 minutes walk from the center and the castle. The apartments are spacious and have free parking, which is perfect if you want to rent a car and take an excursion from Edinburgh.
If you do not have a car and want to be closer to the center we recommend the Old Waverley Hotel located next to the Waverley train station and with a good connection to the airport. In addition to its fantastic location on the famous Princes Street, it has one of the best quality / price ratios in the city.
Practical advice for Edinburgh
This list of recommendations will help you have a good first contact with the city:
- An excellent way to get to know the history and curiosities of the city is to book this free tour of Edinburgh, free! With guide in Spanish. If you are a follower of the Harry Potter saga you can book this free tour in Spanish that passes through the places in the historic center that inspired its author J.K. Rowling
- Take enough coins if you are going to take an urban bus, since they do not return the change. A good option if you are going to make more than two trips a day is to buy the Day Ticket.
- Be very careful when crossing crosswalks and streets, look both ways as in Scotland, as in the United Kingdom, you drive on the left.
- Remember that the plugs are of the three-pin type and adapters are needed.
- If you do not have much time it may be a good option to book the tourist bus, which stops at the main points of interest in the city.
- Most museums in Edinburgh have free admission.
- If you are going to make a route through the country we recommend you follow this list of essential tips for traveling to Scotland.
- Remember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot. You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
For more recommendations you can consult this essential tips for traveling to Edinburgh.
What to see in Edinburgh in one day
Is route on what to see in Edinburgh in one day It starts early in the morning with a visit to Edinburgh Castle, which opens at 9:30 a.m. This huge 12th-century castle, which dominates the city from a hill in the historic center, is the most visited place in the city and one of the most essential places to visit in Scotland. Inside you can enjoy several points of interest such as the chapel of Santa Margarita, the Scone Stone, the Honors of Scotland, the One o'clock Canyon, the Mon's Meg, the National War Museum, the pet cemetery or the old prisons in addition to the magnificent views of the city that you will have from the top of its walls.
If you plan to travel to Edinburgh in August, it can be interesting, to match your visit with the famous parades of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which are held in the square in front of the castle and thus also enjoy this incredible experience.
To know the history of the castle and not miss anything, it can be interesting to book this visit with a guide in Spanish, although if you want to visit on your own, you can also book tickets in advance and save your queues.
Edinburgh Castle
After the visit to the castle, you will follow the route of the Edinburgh in one day by the Royal Mile, the most famous street in the city that links Edinburgh Castle with the Palace of Holyrood. During its almost two kilometers of street, equivalent to a Scottish mile, hence its name "royal mile", you will enjoy historic buildings, old churches, lively taverns and pubs, souvenir shops and local products that we are sure of, you will have to resist.
During the walk, one of the first buildings you'll see, will be the impressive Gothic-style Highland Tolbooth Kirk church with a 74-meter octagonal spire, which makes it the tallest building in all of Edinburgh.
Very close to this church is the Tartan Weaving Mill and Exhibition, one of the most recommended stores to buy a wool scarf or the typical Scottish skirt, which can be a great memory of the trip.
Continuing along the Royal Mile you can also know the true essence of the Old Town when you enter the closes, covered passageways leading to beautiful interior courtyards, or pends, sloping alleys that descend from the castle hill with good views of the city.
The Royal Mile
Some of the most prominent alleys and courtyards are Lady Stair's Close, Tweeddale Court, Dunbar's Close, Bakehouse Close, White Horse Close or Old Fishmarket Close, where the ghost tour begins with a guide in Spanish, one of the best tours and excursions in Edinburgh.
After seeing the first recommended alley, Lady Stair's Close, you can exit the Royal Mile on the George IV Bridge. This street will take you to the entrance of Victoria Street, which next to the Royal Mile, is the most famous street in the city and another of the essential places to visit in Edinburgh.
Victoria Street is surprising for being a two-level street, where at the top you will find elegant restaurants with terraces and at the bottom you will see the famous colorful houses, in which there are exclusive shops and taverns.
Victoria Street
At the end of Victoria Street you will reach Grassmarket, one of the historical squares of the city, full of bars and restaurants where in addition to having a pint on a terrace or tavern, you can climb the The Vennel Steps, a small alley with a different perspective of the castle.
A few meters from Grassmarket, is the Greyfriars Cemetery, the next stop of the Edinburgh in one day. In this cemetery is the tomb of Bobby, a dog that was watching the tomb of his master until he died in addition to the tomb of Lord Voldemort, whose real name was Thomas Riddle, which we are sure, will recognize Harry Potter fans.
When you leave the cemetery, you will head back to the Royal Mile, stopping before at the Elephant House, where J.K. Rowling wrote much of his books. You can take a coffee and go to the bathroom to see all the messages that fans of the saga have been leaving over time.
When you get back to the Royal Mile, you can make another stop along the way to try the famous haggis and good local food in one of the most famous pubs in the city, the Deacon Brodie's Tavern, which will also serve to charge energy and continue with the one day tour of Edinburgh.
In the afternoon, the route of Edinburgh in one dayThe Royal Mile continues with the visit to the 12th century St Giles Cathedral, a church dedicated to the Patron Saint of Scotland that stands out for its hollow dome in the shape of a royal crown. It is also worth entering inside to see the huge stained glass windows, the great organ, the Chapel of the Thistle, the statue of John Knox and the beautiful ceilings.
Next to the Cathedral you can see the Heart of the Midlothian on the ground, which marks the place where the former Edinburgh prison was located.
St Giles Cathedral
Very close to the Cathedral is also the Mary King's Close, the close Edinburgh's most famous, which we recommend not to miss. During the walk through its labyrinth of underground alleys, located under the Old Town, you will move to the 17th century, a time when the plague raged in the city. If you want to know it, it is important to book the visit in advance on this official page, as they have limited places.
Following the Royal Mile you can deviate a few meters down Cockburn St., to enter the Miss Katie Cupcake shop, perfect to find an original gift from the city.
Once the entire Royal Mile is complete you will arrive at the Palace of Holyrood, which closes at 6 pm from April to October and is a highly recommended visit.
In this 12th-century palace, the official residence of the Queen of England when you visit Scotland, you can visit some rooms such as the apartments of María Estuardo, the great hall and the chapel as well as our favorite place, which is none other than the magnificent ruins of Holyrood Abbey, where several Scottish kings were crowned.
A good option is to book the ticket in advance that includes audioguide in Spanish.
Holyrood Abbey
Upon leaving the palace, you will head to Calton Hill, to see the best sunset over the city. Climbing this hill is, without a doubt, one of the best things to do in Edinburgh as in addition to having one of the best views of Edinburgh, you can see several important monuments such as the Nelson Monument, the National Monument and the Monument to Dugald Stewart.
Calton hill
To finish the Edinburgh in one day, you can go down Princess Street to the Scott Monument, a huge Gothic-style monument built in honor of the Scottish writer Sir Walter Scot and reach The dome, an impressive pub, located in an old bank with a huge dome, which is perfect for a drink or a Scotch whiskey and have a good meat dinner.
If you have more days, you can follow this Edinburgh guide in two days.
Edinburgh map in one day
Do you want to organize a trip to Edinburgh?
Get it here:
The best offers of Flights to Edinburgh here
The best hotels at the best prices in Edinburgh here
Book your transfer Airport⇆Edinburgh here
Book the best tours and excursions in Edinburgh in Spanish here
Edinburgh guide in two days
Rent your car in Scotland at the best price here
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here
Get € 35 for your reservation with AirBnb here
The best offers of Flights to Edinburgh here
The best hotels at the best prices in Edinburgh here
Book your transfer Airport⇆Edinburgh here
Book the best tours and excursions in Edinburgh in Spanish here
Edinburgh guide in two days
Rent your car in Scotland at the best price here
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here
Get € 35 for your reservation with AirBnb here
