Edinburgh trip ideas

Trips planned for Edinburgh run 3 to 4 days. These are the places they keep coming back to, and the trips themselves, day by day.

  • 2 trips
  • 3 to 4 days
  • 12 places

How many days do you need in Edinburgh?

2 trips planned for Edinburgh run 3 to 4 days.

A 3-day planA 4-day plan
Map of the most-visited places in Edinburgh

What to see in Edinburgh

The places Edinburgh trips keep coming back to, most often first.

  1. 1

    Edinburgh Zoo

    Zoo in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.

    In 2 of 2 trips
  2. 2

    Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art

    Part of National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh.

    In 2 of 2 trips
  3. 3

    Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

    Botanical garden in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.

    In 2 of 2 trips
  4. 4

    Scottish National Gallery

    Part of National Galleries Scotland in Edinburgh.

    In 2 of 2 trips
  5. 5

    Scott Monument

    Victorian Gothic monument to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott.

    In 2 of 2 trips
  6. 6

    Scottish National Portrait Gallery

    Art museum in Edinburgh, Scotland.

    In 2 of 2 trips
  7. 7

    Edinburgh Castle

    Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.

    In 2 of 2 trips
  8. 8

    National Museum of Scotland

    Combined museum in Edinburgh.

    In 2 of 2 trips
  9. 9

    St Giles' Cathedral

    Church of Scotland cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.

    In 2 of 2 trips
  10. 10

    Edinburgh Central Mosque

    Mosque in United Kingdom.

    In 2 of 2 trips
  11. 11

    Scottish Parliament Building

    Home of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, Edinburgh.

    In 2 of 2 trips
  12. 12

    Holyrood Palace

    Official residence of the British monarch in Scotland.

    In 2 of 2 trips

Trips to Edinburgh

Sample trip4 Days in Edinburgh: A Packed Tour for FriendsCastles, gardens and galleries · a packed pace for friends · May's long evenings4 days · May · a trip with friends · 20 stopsSample trip3 Days in Edinburgh: Museums, Castles and Calm Green Corners3 days · August · a couple · gardens, galleries, castle and palace on foot3 days · August · a couple's trip · 12 stops

Good to know

How far apart are Edinburgh's National Galleries?

Modern One and Modern Two share Belford Road in the west, two minutes apart on foot. The Scottish National Gallery sits in Princes Street Gardens and the Portrait Gallery on Queen Street, so the city-centre pair fits naturally into one day.

Is four days enough for Edinburgh?

Enough for a packed tour. In four days this trip covers the castle, the national museums, both modern galleries, the palace and Holyrood Park, with each day built as a walking loop from one part of town to the next.

What time of year suits this trip?

May, chiefly for its daylight. The evenings stay light enough to finish the day outside, at the botanic garden or up in Holyrood Park, without rushing.

How do the days move across the city?

West to centre to Old Town to Holyrood. Day one covers the north-west fringe, days two and three walk the New and Old Towns, and the last day finishes on the eastern hill above the parliament and palace.

Is Edinburgh walkable on this itinerary?

Mostly. Days two and three work entirely on foot, and day one needs one bus ride out to the zoo and the modern art grounds. The city is steep, so comfortable shoes matter more than distance.

What should we expect from Edinburgh in August?

August is festival season, so the centre is busy and the castle and palace are best entered early in the day. The quieter corners, such as the botanic garden in the evening and the mosque mid-morning, keep their calm.

Plan your own Edinburgh trip

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