Motel One Edinburgh-Royal
Why we like it: Affordable design hotel on Market Street, next to Waverley and two streets from the Royal Mile. Compact rooms, a bar and a buffet breakfast.
Duration3 nights
Getting aroundOn foot and by tram, no car
Best timeMay – June · September
Book aheadCastle, Mary King's Close, Holyrood
BudgetFrom 450 € pp, without flights
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to arrive on a Friday afternoon and fly out on Monday afternoon, without a car, with the hotel next to Waverley station. Saturday is for the Old Town, Sunday for the outdoors and Stockbridge market, which only opens that day, and Monday for Leith, on the same tram line that goes to the airport.
Friday
- 118:00Arrival and Calton Hill
Tram from the airport to St Andrew Square, bags at the Motel One and ten minutes of steps to the top of Calton Hill to see the castle lit up.
Saturday
- 109:30The castle first thing
The Crown Jewels before the queues, St Margaret's Chapel and the views from the ramparts. If it's before one, stay for the gun.
- 212:30Down the Royal Mile and lunch on Victoria Street
St Giles' and the closes on the way, and a roast pork roll at Oink, on the bend of Victoria Street.
- 314:30Mary King's Close
An hour beneath the Royal Mile, through 17th-century streets buried under the buildings.
- 416:00Holyroodhouse
At the bottom of the street, Mary Queen of Scots' chambers and the ruined abbey. In winter, last entry is at 15:15: swap the order with Mary King's Close.
Sunday
- 109:00Arthur's Seat
Up the path from the palace, about two hours there and back, with the city and the estuary at your feet.
- 212:30Dean Village, the river and Stockbridge market
Down Bell's Brae to the old mill village and a walk along the Water of Leith to the Sunday market, open until 16:00, to have lunch there.
- 315:00National Museum of Scotland
Free, until 17:00: Dolly the sheep, the grand gallery and the rooftop terrace.
- 419:00Dinner at The Abbotsford
A 1902 pub on Rose Street, with haggis and steak pie, five minutes from the hotel.
Monday
- 110:00Tram to Leith and the Royal Yacht Britannia
Half an hour by tram, two hours aboard Elizabeth II's ship, and a seafood lunch at Fishers, on The Shore. From Leith, the same tram takes you to the airport.
On a first visit to Edinburgh, what pays off most is staying in the centre and getting around on foot. Three nights are enough to see the whole city without rushing: the entire Old Town from top to bottom, the volcano inside it, the river that crosses it to the west and the port, which is on the same tram line that goes to the airport. That way the last day isn't wasted. What you need to book beforehand are three timed tickets: the castle, Mary King's Close and, if you're going between November and March, checking that Holyroodhouse is open that day.
What does it cost?
| What | How much | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Castle | £23.50 online · £26 at the ticket office | Timed; under-7s free |
| The Real Mary King's Close | From £25 | Timed; no under-5s |
| Holyroodhouse | £22 in advance | In winter, Thursday to Monday |
| Royal Yacht Britannia | £23 online | About two hours on board |
| St Giles' | £12 | For non-residents of Scotland, from age 16 |
| Arthur's Seat, Calton Hill, National Museum, Dean Village | Free | No booking |
| Bus and tram | Daily cap of £5.70 | Airport tram, £7.90 one way |
Where to stay?
The Motel One Edinburgh-Royal is on Market Street, next to Waverley, two streets from the Royal Mile and a short walk from the St Andrew Square tram stop: with it you only use transport on the first and last days. If you're travelling with children, the Premier Inn on Princes Street has family rooms; if you want to spend little and are over 18, the Castle Rock Hostel, at the foot of the castle.
Where to eat?
On Saturday, Oink, standing up and cheap, halfway down. On Sunday, the Stockbridge market stalls at lunchtime and The Abbotsford in the evening. On Monday, Fishers in Leith, with a weekday lunch menu. For a special night, swap one dinner for The Witchery, next to the castle.
If you have a fourth day
Slot in the Loch Ness and Glencoe trip in the middle: it leaves at 7:45 and returns at around 20:00, from £56. Never on your flight day.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Edinburgh, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Edinburgh
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Direct flight to Edinburgh and the tram to the centre
Edinburgh has direct flights from many Spanish airports. All year round they leave from Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, Alicante, Seville and Santander, and from Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, with Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2 and Vueling depending on the route. In season Valencia, Palma, Ibiza, Menorca, Reus, Girona and Bilbao are added, as well as Iberia Express from Madrid and British Airways from San Sebastián. From Madrid the flight takes about three hours. The airport is about 20 minutes by car from the centre, but you don't need one: the tram and the Airlink bus drop you near Princes Street in half an hour.
- ArrivingEdinburgh Airport (EDI), west of…
- Getting aroundOn foot between the Old…
- SleepingMotel One Edinburgh-Royal, next to…
- ServicesFrom the airport to the…
Arriving
- Edinburgh Airport (EDI), west of the city, about 20 minutes from the centre by car
- Tram from the terminal door: about 30 minutes to St Andrew Square, £7.90 single
- Airlink 100, 24 hours a day, about 30 minutes to Waverley Bridge, £6 single
- Capital Cars taxis at the official rank, a step from arrivals
Getting around
- On foot between the Old Town and the New Town: from Waverley to the castle there's a short climb
- Buses and trams with contactless, capped at £5.70 a day
- Tram to Leith for Britannia and the seafood on The Shore
- Hire car from the airport's car rental centre, only if you're heading to the Highlands on your own
Sleeping
- Motel One Edinburgh-Royal, next to Waverley, for the first night
- Premier Inn Princes Street, near the Princes Street tram stop
- The Witchery, for a couple's arrival next to the castle
Services
- From the airport to the centre by tram
- Airlink 100
- Buses and trams with contactless
- Waverley station
Edinburgh on foot, by tram and by bus with a daily cap
Central Edinburgh is best explored on foot: the Old Town and the New Town are separated by Princes Street Gardens and Waverley station, and from the castle to Holyrood you can walk down the Royal Mile in half an hour without hurrying. What's further out, like Leith or the Royal Yacht Britannia, is on the tram line, and from the airport you arrive by tram or on the Airlink. Pay with your card or phone: the system never charges you more than £5.70 a day in the city. For a trip to the Highlands, organised coach tours leave from the centre.
80–170 €per person per day, approximate
- SleepingMotel One Edinburgh-Royal, next to…
- Getting aroundTram or Airlink from the…
- EatingOink, on Victoria Street, for…
- ServicesFrom the airport to the…
Sleeping
- Motel One Edinburgh-Royal, next to Waverley and two streets from the Royal Mile
- Premier Inn Princes Street, with family rooms on the main street
- Castle Rock Hostel, below the castle, for over-18s
- The Witchery, suites on Castlehill
Getting around
- Tram or Airlink from the airport, about 30 minutes
- Contactless on buses and trams: £5.70 a day, £26.50 a week
- Tram to The Shore and Ocean Terminal, in Leith
Eating
- Oink, on Victoria Street, for a quick roll
- The Abbotsford, on Rose Street, Scottish pub food
- Fishers, on the Leith quayside, by the tram stop
Services
- From the airport to the centre by tram
- Airlink 100
- Buses and trams with contactless
- Waverley station
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights3
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're flyingwithout a car
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Premier Inn Edinburgh City Centre (Princes Street)
Why we like it: Chain hotel on Princes Street, facing the gardens and the castle, with family rooms, free cots and free breakfast for two children.
Castle Rock Hostel
Why we like it: Over-18s hostel on Johnston Terrace, below the castle rock, with dorms and private rooms, a large kitchen and 24-hour reception.
The Witchery by the Castle, suites
Why we like it: Nine gothic suites for two above The Witchery restaurant, on Castlehill, next to the castle. Four-poster beds and champagne if you book direct.
Prestonfield House
Why we like it: A 1687 mansion turned five-star hotel, with 23 rooms and suites in eight hectares of grounds below Arthur's Seat. Dogs and children welcome.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Edinburgh
The Witchery by the Castle
What to order: the Scottish beef tartare or the Glenfeshie venison; at midday, the two or three-course lunch menu
Every day 12:00 to 22:30 (last booking) · over-10s only · groups of up to 6
Mary's Milk Bar
What to order: a scoop of the flavour of the day; if it's cold, the hot chocolate float, hot chocolate with ice cream on top
Wednesday to Saturday 11:00 to 19:30 · Sunday from 11:00 · closed Mondays and Tuesdays · takeaway
Fishers in Leith
What to order: Shetland mussels in white wine, the house fish soup or, to share, the smoked platter
Kitchen Monday to Saturday 12:00 to 21:30 and Sunday 12:30 to 21:30 · lunch menu Monday to Friday
The Abbotsford
What to order: haggis with neeps and tatties, the steak and stout pie or haddock and chips; a pint of the guest ale
Bar 11:00 to 23:00 (Friday and Saturday until midnight) · kitchen 12:00 to 21:30 (Friday and Saturday until 21:45)
The Elephant House
What to order: a tea or a coffee in the back room, the one with the window onto the castle; at the second premises on Victoria Street, their Butterscotch Beer with cream
Every day from 9:00 to 18:00 · no booking
Takeaway and markets
Oink Victoria Street, Edinburgh · Victoria Street
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
If it rains on Sunday, change the order: museum in the morning and Arthur's Seat in the afternoon, when it clears. In strong wind, don't go up to the summit: Calton Hill gives similar views with much less effort.
We'd skip it
The open-top tourist bus for the Old Town: everything in this plan is less than half an hour's walk away, and for Leith the tram costs much less.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Are three days enough for Edinburgh?
Yes, for the Old Town, Holyrood, Arthur's Seat, Dean Village and Leith. With four you add a day in the Highlands.
Do you need to hire a car?
No. The whole plan is on foot and by tram.
What do you need to book beforehand?
The castle and Mary King's Close, timed, and Holyroodhouse if you're going in winter, when it opens Thursday to Monday.
How much does the plan cost?
From about 450 € per person with three nights in a hotel, tickets, transport and meals, without flights. The hotel is what varies most, especially in August.