Let’s say you’re planning a trip to the UK, Great Britain, or just Scotland itself. Maybe a Scottish Highlands trip perhaps? If you’re short on time, don’t miss this one day Edinburgh itinerary.
On my recent trip to Scotland, I fell in LOVE with Edinburgh. It is such a historic city with beautiful architecture, and I’m dying to go back with more time. I came to Edinburgh on a work trip, and only had one free day to explore, so I’m excited to share my one day Edinburgh itinerary with you.
Most people flying into Scotland will land at EDI, the Edinburgh International Airport. It’s worth staying here for a day before venturing off to other parts of the country. In this post, I’ll outline what to see in Edinburgh in one day, which will really focus on Edinburgh Old Town with a smattering of New Town. Let’s get started.
One Day Edinburgh Itinerary: Morning
Arthur’s Seat –
I know this may sound crazy, and you can skip it if you choose depending on the time, but I highly recommend Arthur’s seat at sunrise. Arthur’s seat is an ancient, extinct volcano, and hiking here makes you feel *almost* like you’re out in the highlands. Depending on where you’re staying, grab an Uber or a cab to the base of Arthur’s seat about 30 minutes before sunrise.
Hike one of the many routes to the top for a gorgeous, and serene, panoramic view of Edinburgh. You can do this at sunset instead, but you’ll be surrounded by many, many more people. Check the weather and dress accordingly. I was there in November, and it was freezing and VERY windy at the top.
Budget about 2 hours for this activity, which will include time to get there, hike up, enjoy the views, and hike down. For help in planning your route for this specific activity, visit this fantastic blog post:
Breakfast at the Edinburgh Lader –
When you’re finished at Arthur’s Seat, start your walk down the Royal Mile at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Catch the interesting design of the Scottish Parliament Building. If the shops are open as you continue on, feel free top pop in to look at: Scottish treats, cashmere and tweed clothing, Scotch, and other souvenirs.
When you get to Blackfriars St, hang a left and the Edinburgh Lader will be right just a few steps off the Royal Mile. Treat yourself to an AMAZING Scottish breakfast. Their black pudding and haggis were fantastic, and I admit I was hesitant to try those Scottish delicacies.
The Royal Mile –
After breakfast, continue down the Royal Mile heading towards St. Giles Cathedral. The St. Giles Cathedral is gorgeous outside and in. The cathedral runs off donations, but they recommend a donation of 6 pounds to visit the inside. Plan your visit using the link above.
Continue down the Royal Mile a short way and then turn off to the left to find the entrance to Victoria Street. Victoria street is a picture-esque street with colorful storefronts, a fantastic hot chocolate shop, Knoops, and the rebuilt Elephant House Cafe, where JK Rowling wrote a lot of the Harry Potter Books. Victoria street truly looks like the real life inspiration for Diagon Alley.
At the end of Victoria Street, hang a right and continue down Candlemaker Row. You’ll encounter the Greyfrier’s Bobby Fountain and the entrance to Greyfrier’s Kirkyard Cemetery. This cemetery is worth a stroll with your hot chocolate from Knoops or coffee/tea from The Elephant House. Greyfrier’s is a simultaneously spooky and calming beautiful place, with the views of Edinburgh in the background.
Exit Greyfrier’s Kirkyard back onto Candlemaker row. If you’re an ice cream lover, like me, continue down Grassmarket St to Mary’s Milk Bar. If you have to pick, I would skip the hot chocolate/coffee just to fit in the ice cream from this little shop, with a gorgeous view of the Edinburgh Castle. I had a goat cheese & fig ice cream from Mary’s that blew my ice cream-loving mind.
Let’s continue on to your afternoon schedule on this one day Edinburgh itinerary.
One Day Edinburgh Itinerary: Afternoon
Edinburgh Castle –
Onto another big must-see, The Edinburgh Castle. From Mary’s Milk Bar on Grassmarket Street, take the Granny’s Green steps back up toward where the castle lies. I recommend purchasing your castle tickets in advance, especially if you’re traveling during high season, summer and the Christmas/New Year’s holiday season. You can purchase tickets ahead on their website, which are currently 19.50 pounds for adults and 11.40 pounds for children.
Note: You can’t purchase physical tickets at the castle. You will have to purchase them online before or on your phone there, so make sure you purchase ahead or that you have a data plan.
Note: Budget at least 2 hours to see all the different sections and exhibits in the castle.
Lunch at The Makars Mash Bar
Not much needs to be said about Makars Mash Bar except that they have incredible lamb shank or beef shoulder over a large portion of mashed potatoes. You can choose your type of mashed potatoes from a list of 9 different types! You can make reservations here ahead of time, which is recommended. I would plan for a late lunch to make sure you have plenty of time at the castle.
Princes Street Gardens
By this point, you can walk out of the mash bar onto N Bank St toward the Princes Street Gardens. Take a nice leisurely stroll around the Gardens, checking out the Ross Fountain and then circling back on the other side of the park to stroll to the Scott Monument.
Topping & Company Bookstore
At this point, if you’re not exhausted from walking, I’m impressed! I recommend a short walk the 12 minutes from Scott Monument to Topping and Company Bookstore. This beautiful bookstore is such a charming place to spend a few hours perusing and/or reading books in a cozy corner. They offer free tea and coffee as well. Go at your own risk – I bought 5 books, oops!
One Day Edinburgh Itinerary: Evening
Calton Hill –
Around sunset, if you still have it in you, walk the short distance to Calton Hill to catch the sunset. Calton Hill offers another beautiful viewpoint of Edinburgh, where you can see Arthur’s seat, the city, and the ocean from above. There are also several monuments on the hill to check out.
Note: If you didn’t make it to Arthur’s seat at sunrise, I recommend doing it for sunset instead of Calton Hill. You can consider doing the majority of this itinerary backwards, if you choose to put Arthur’s seat at the end of your day instead of the beginning.
Dinner –
If you haven’t also been in London on this trip, head to Dishoom for dinner for an incredible Indian food experience. If you’re not an Indian food extraordinaire, pick from the long list of incredible restaurants in this Edinburgh New Town area.
Recapping your One Day Edinburgh Itinerary
Here’s the full, fantastic list of sights to see in your one day Edinburgh itinerary!
- Arthur’s Seat
- The Royal Mile
- The Edinburgh Lader
- St. Giles Cathedral
- Victoria Street
- Greyfrier’s Kirkyard
- Mary’s Milk Bar
- The Edinburgh Castle
- Princes Street Gardens
- Scott Monument
- Topping & Company Bookstore
- Calton Hill
Note: If you happen to be around between between Mid-November and late December, enjoy the Christmas markets in Princes Street Gardens!
More than one day in Edinburgh?
If the one day Edinburgh itinerary wasn’t enough, and you find yourself with more time in this beautiful city, I highly recommend a few attractions based on your taste:
- The Chocolatorium Chocolate Tour
- 90 minutes, 25 pounds for adults, 17 pounds for children
- The Surgeons’ Hall Museum
- 9.50 pounds for adults, 6 pounds for students, 5 pounds for children
- The National Museum of Scotland
- Free admission
- The Scotch Whiskey Experience
- Tour and tastings starting at 24 pounds and 50 minutes
- The Real Mary King’s Close Tour
- 22.50 pounds, 1 hour guided tour
For a more detailed 2 day Edinburgh itinerary, check out our other post!
Ways to Save
As this itinerary is just for one day, it’s difficult to find too many places to save, but here are some thoughts:
- Choose a hotel outside of Old Town/New Town. I stayed in the Fountainbridge area which was only a 15-20 minute walk to the beginnings of Old Town.
- Use the city bus to get around, it’s reliable and accessible, and cheaper than cabs/ubers.
- Opt out of any food restaurants that don’t fit into your budget. I also think the meals at Makars are big enough to split between two people.
Head to Edinburgh and enjoy the amazing beauty! We hope this one day Edinburgh itinerary is helpful in your planning.
Leave a Reply