Heading to Scotland? Add 2 days in Edinburgh to your trip. You won’t regret it! 2 days in Edinburgh is honestly the perfect amount of time. You can do Edinburgh in 1 day, but it becomes a pretty exhausting itinerary and doesn’t allow for some other activities that are worth adding! If you only have one day, visit our One Day Edinburgh itinerary post. If you’re lucky, you’ll have time to do 2 days in this amazing city.
Most people flying into Scotland will land at EDI, the Edinburgh International Airport. It’s worth staying here for a day at the LEAST, but two days is best before venturing off to other parts of the country. In this post, I’ll outline what to see if you have 2 days in Edinburgh, which will really focus on Edinburgh Old Town with a smattering of New Town.
I recommend staying outside of Edinburgh Old Town for cost-savings. Some options include: Edinburgh New Town, Haymarket, and Fountainbridge. Edinburgh is extremely walkable, and it won’t be more than 15-20 minutes from these locations to any major site. Now, let’s get started!
2 Days in Edinburgh: Day 1
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. Take it from me, it is TOUGH to force yourself to get up for sunrise, especially after traveling, but it will definitely help you in the long run with beating the jet lag.
When you get there, hike one of the many routes to the top for a gorgeous, and serene, panoramic view of Edinburgh. You certainly can do this at sunset instead, but prepare to be surrounded by many, many more people. If you prefer the seclusion, like I do, head out for sunrise. 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 day 1 of your 2 days in Edinburgh.
Afternoon –
The 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 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.
The Real Mary King’s Close OR The Scotch Whiskey Experience
At this point in your day, feel free to create your own adventure with any number of activities on The Royal Mile nearby. If you like Scotch, head to the Scotch Whiskey Experience. Tours and tasting start at 24 pounds for 50 minutes and go up to higher tiers.
If a guided tour with guides in period costumes through some hidden streets of 17th – 19th century Scotland interests you, take The Real Mary Kings Close tour. You’ll learn a wealth of interesting and dark history from Edinburgh’s past. The tour is 22.50 pounds for a 1 hour guided tour. As I’m not really a Scotch girly, this was more my speed! Some friends of mine did the Scotch Whiskey Experience and also had great things to say.
The Surgeons’ Hall Museum or the National Museum of Scotland
The Surgeons’ Hall Museum is a mecca for the nerdy crowd who is interested in the medical field. They have exhibits that teach about the, sometimes scandalous, history of surgery in Edinburgh. The Museum also has walls and walls of preserved human specimens to look at as well as surgical tools like the Da Vinci (a minimally invasive surgical instrument) that you can practice using yourself.
I don’t have any pictures, because they don’t allow photography, but its worth a visit! The museum costs 9.50 pounds for adults, 6 pounds for students, 5 pounds for children.
If the Surgeons’ Hall is not your idea of fun, head to the National Museum of Scotland instead. The National Museum of Scotland has FREE admission, with many exhibits full of Scottish history and artifacts.
At this point, wrap up your long 1st of 2 days in Edinburgh. Grab some dinner at any dinner place that sounds good to you, and get some rest before day 2.
2 Days in Edinburgh: Day 2
Morning –
On day 2, start your morning with some breakfast. I recommend Hula. There’s one on Fountainbridge and one on Grassmarket. It’s cheap but delicious bowls, plates, and smoothies. If you go to the one on Fountainbridge like I did, the next stop is more convenient!
Dean Village
Dean Village is about a 20-25 minute walk from the Fountainbridge area. It’s an adorable little village with a river running through. Take a casual stroll through the little town, catch artists painting the landscape, and if you’re lucky, you’ll get to see St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral. It’s absolutely breathtaking.
Princes Street Gardens
Next, make your way toward the Princes Street Gardens. 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.
Bonus: If you’re in Edinburgh between mid-November and late December, they set up the Christmas Market here! Definitely worth checking out.
Afternoon –
The Chocolatorium
One of my FAVORITE activities of the trip. Book your 90 minute chocolate tour with this amazing business. You will learn all about how chocolate is made, get to make your own chocolate bars, and samples different chocolates from all over the world and within the UK. Following this tour, I bought about $45 worth of local chocolate bars to bring home for myself and family members as gifts. Definitely worth the visit.
This tour costs 25 pounds for adults and 17 pounds for children. They keep the group sizes to less than 15 people per group, which was great.
I basically felt like this tour was lunch, but if you’re still a bit hungry, stop at a cafe like The Milkman for another snack.
Topping & Company Bookstore
At this point, if you’re not exhausted from walking, I’m impressed! Head to your next stop, 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! This is a great activity to get a little rest before evening.
Evening
Calton Hill & Dinner
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 on day 1, I recommend doing it for sunset instead of Calton Hill. If you can only see one, Arthur’s seat is the way to go, but I hope you get to fit in both.
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.
Feel free to do dinner first and Calton Hill second depending on your hunger and the time of year which will influence the time of sunset.
Recapping your 2 Days in Edinburgh
Here’s the full, fantastic list of sights to see on your 2 days in 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
- Makars Mash Bar
- The Real Mary Kings Close or Scottish Whiskey Experience
- The Surgeons’ Hall Museum or the National Museum of Scotland
- Dean Village
- Princes Street Gardens
- Scott Monument
- The Chocolatorium
- Topping & Company Bookstore
- Calton Hill
Ways to Save
- 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 itinerary for 2 days in Edinburgh is helpful in your planning!
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