# Three nights in Edinburgh for the first time: castle, Royal Mile, Arthur's Seat, Stockbridge and Leith

A Saturday in the Old Town from top to bottom, a Sunday between Arthur's Seat, the river and the museum, and Monday in Leith with the tram to the airport.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/scotland/edinburgh/itineraries/three-nights-first-time · Revisado: 2026-11-13

Dónde: Edinburgh

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?

WhatHow muchNote

Castle£23.50 online · £26 at the ticket officeTimed; under-7s free

The Real Mary King's CloseFrom £25Timed; no under-5s

Holyroodhouse£22 in advanceIn winter, Thursday to Monday

Royal Yacht Britannia£23 onlineAbout two hours on board

St Giles'£12For non-residents of Scotland, from age 16

Arthur's Seat, Calton Hill, National Museum, Dean VillageFreeNo booking

Bus and tramDaily cap of £5.70Airport 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.

## El plan

### Friday · 18:00 · Arrival 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 · 09:30 · The 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.

### Saturday · 12:30 · Down 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.

### Saturday · 14:30 · Mary King's Close
An hour beneath the Royal Mile, through 17th-century streets buried under the buildings.

### Saturday · 16:00 · Holyroodhouse
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 · 09:00 · Arthur's Seat
Up the path from the palace, about two hours there and back, with the city and the estuary at your feet.

### Sunday · 12:30 · Dean 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.

### Sunday · 15:00 · National Museum of Scotland
Free, until 17:00: Dolly the sheep, the grand gallery and the rooftop terrace.

### Sunday · 19:00 · Dinner at The Abbotsford
A 1902 pub on Rose Street, with haggis and steak pie, five minutes from the hotel.

### Monday · 10:00 · Tram 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.

## Un consejo más

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.

## Cuándo no ir

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.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### 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.

## Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Motel One Edinburgh-Royal**: By Waverley, with the Old Town above
The Motel One Edinburgh-Royal is on Market Street, the street running behind Waverley station. Get off the train, cross over and you're at the door; from here, the Royal Mile is a couple of streets uphill and Princes Street is on the other side of the station. It's the option for anyone arriving by train or on the airport tram who wants to do everything on foot, without paying what the hotels on the main streets cost.
Small rooms, cleverly done
The chain is known for its compact, well-kept rooms, and this one is no exception. The standard, The One, is 16 m² with a 160 or 180 cm bed; the Cosy One, at 14 m², has a 120 cm bed and suits one person. For families with one child there's the Family One, 20 m², with a double bed and a sofa bed. There's an accessible room. All have a rain shower and free wifi. The décor plays on Scotland: tartan headboards, photographs of Highland flora and fauna and living ferns on the reception wall.
Bar, breakfast and what it doesn't have
Downstairs is the One Lounge, with a whisky bar under a chandelier made from fifty decanters, and in the morning the buffet breakfast, with organic products and fair-trade coffee. The hotel has no parking: the nearest it suggests is at Greenside Row, a quarter of an hour's walk away, so it's not a place to arrive by car. Pets are allowed, but they ask you to check first.
- **Premier Inn Edinburgh City Centre (Princes Street)**: A room for four on the main street
This Premier Inn is on Princes Street, the New Town's great shopping street, with Princes Street Gardens opposite and the castle peering over them. The castle esplanade is about fifteen minutes' walk away; Rose Street and George Street are one street behind. It's a chain hotel with no surprises, and that's exactly what many families are after: clear prices, identical rooms and a location where you don't need transport for almost anything.
What makes it practical with children
The family rooms have a large double bed and, depending on how many of you there are, a sofa bed or a trundle bed. Cots are free of charge. Breakfast is a buffet with hot dishes (bacon, sausages, eggs), vegetarian and vegan options and pastries, and for every adult who orders it up to two children eat free. There's an in-house restaurant for dinner, which comes in handy when the little ones can't manage another outing. It also has accessible rooms and free wifi.
Arriving and getting around without a car
The airport tram stops on Princes Street, a few minutes from the hotel. You don't need a car, and it isn't a good idea: the hotel has no parking and lies within Edinburgh's low emission zone, which fines non-compliant vehicles. If you're arriving by car, the car park they suggest is the NCP on Castle Terrace, ten minutes' walk away, with a 50% discount when you validate your ticket at reception.
- **Castle Rock Hostel**: Sleeping at the foot of the rock
Castle Rock is on Johnston Terrace, the street that wraps round the south side of the castle rock, between the esplanade and the Grassmarket. Step out of the door and in five minutes you're on the Royal Mile, on Victoria Street or in the Grassmarket square with its pubs. It's a large, lively hostel in an old high-ceilinged building, aimed at people travelling solo, as a couple or with friends who want to spend little on a bed so they can spend on everything else.
Dorms, private rooms and rooms to spend the evening in
There are shared dorms of various sizes, women-only dorms and private rooms for anyone who wants their own door. Beds come made up and each guest has a locker with a key in the room; towels are for hire. Downstairs there are several lounges: a large common room for socialising, a music room with guitars and a piano, a quiet room for reading or working, games and film nights. The kitchen is spacious and fully equipped, with fridges and freezers, and in the mornings they serve a simple continental breakfast.
What you need to know
It's an over-18s only hostel: it doesn't work for families with children. Reception is open 24 hours, there's a laundry and luggage storage, and on bookings of three nights or more an automatic discount applies. They organise activities daily and have a courtyard for some fresh air. There's no parking: arrive by train at Waverley or on the airport tram to Princes Street and walk up.
- **The Witchery by the Castle, suites**: Nine suites above a candlelit restaurant
Above the dining rooms of The Witchery, in the 16th-century houses of Castlehill, there are nine suites, each with its own name and décor. All are designed for two adults, with a king-size bed, and all follow the same idea: velvet, tapestries, dark wood, four-poster beds and freestanding baths, sometimes for two. It's the place for an anniversary, a honeymoon or a night you want to remember, a few steps from the castle esplanade.
Choosing a suite
Size and views vary. The Old Rectory is the largest, with seven windows onto the Royal Mile. The Vestry is reached by a stone spiral staircase and has three windows over the street. The Library hides a secret door in a book-lined bathroom. The Heriot looks out over the Old Town towards George Heriot's School, the turreted school that, according to the hotel itself, is believed to have inspired Hogwarts: it's the suite for a couple of Harry Potter fans. The others are The Sempill, The Inner Sanctum, The Guardroom, The Armoury and The Turret.
Breakfast, bookings and what there isn't
Breakfast is for residents only and you can have it in the Original Dining Room or ask for it to be brought up to your suite in a hamper. If you book on their website, there's a bottle of champagne in the room every night. Children are admitted from age 10 sharing a suite with an adult, but there are no extra beds, so it isn't family accommodation. Dogs aren't allowed, the building isn't adapted and there's no parking; the nearest is the NCP on Castle Terrace. If you want to dine downstairs, book a table too: the restaurant recommends doing so well in advance.
- **Prestonfield House**: A country house inside the city
Prestonfield House is a 1687 mansion in its own parkland of about eight hectares, with gardens and woodland, at the foot of Arthur's Seat and five minutes by taxi from Waverley station. It's a five-star hotel with the same owners as The Witchery, and it shares their taste for the theatrical: velvet, antiques, deep colours and roaring fires. What sets it apart in Edinburgh is the silence: you sleep in the city as if you were on a country estate.
Rooms, dining room and lounges
There are 23 rooms and suites, each decorated in its own way, with antique pieces and heavy fabrics. The Rhubarb restaurant is open every day from 12:00 to 22:00 (last booking), and the Whisky Room has sofas by the fire for an after-dinner drink. Afternoon tea costs £70 per person. There's a lift to the restaurant and the rooms.
Who it suits
For a luxury break as a couple, for anyone travelling with a dog (every room accepts them, and they can be in the lounges, though not in Rhubarb) and for those arriving by car: parking is free and there are electric chargers. It also welcomes children of all ages, who can dine in Rhubarb until 20:00. If you don't have a car, buses 2, 14 and 33 stop about five minutes' walk away. The hotel suggests walks that start from the estate itself.

## Dónde dormir without a car
- **Motel One Edinburgh-Royal**: By Waverley, with the Old Town above
The Motel One Edinburgh-Royal is on Market Street, the street running behind Waverley station. Get off the train, cross over and you're at the door; from here, the Royal Mile is a couple of streets uphill and Princes Street is on the other side of the station. It's the option for anyone arriving by train or on the airport tram who wants to do everything on foot, without paying what the hotels on the main streets cost.
Small rooms, cleverly done
The chain is known for its compact, well-kept rooms, and this one is no exception. The standard, The One, is 16 m² with a 160 or 180 cm bed; the Cosy One, at 14 m², has a 120 cm bed and suits one person. For families with one child there's the Family One, 20 m², with a double bed and a sofa bed. There's an accessible room. All have a rain shower and free wifi. The décor plays on Scotland: tartan headboards, photographs of Highland flora and fauna and living ferns on the reception wall.
Bar, breakfast and what it doesn't have
Downstairs is the One Lounge, with a whisky bar under a chandelier made from fifty decanters, and in the morning the buffet breakfast, with organic products and fair-trade coffee. The hotel has no parking: the nearest it suggests is at Greenside Row, a quarter of an hour's walk away, so it's not a place to arrive by car. Pets are allowed, but they ask you to check first.
- **Premier Inn Edinburgh City Centre (Princes Street)**: A room for four on the main street
This Premier Inn is on Princes Street, the New Town's great shopping street, with Princes Street Gardens opposite and the castle peering over them. The castle esplanade is about fifteen minutes' walk away; Rose Street and George Street are one street behind. It's a chain hotel with no surprises, and that's exactly what many families are after: clear prices, identical rooms and a location where you don't need transport for almost anything.
What makes it practical with children
The family rooms have a large double bed and, depending on how many of you there are, a sofa bed or a trundle bed. Cots are free of charge. Breakfast is a buffet with hot dishes (bacon, sausages, eggs), vegetarian and vegan options and pastries, and for every adult who orders it up to two children eat free. There's an in-house restaurant for dinner, which comes in handy when the little ones can't manage another outing. It also has accessible rooms and free wifi.
Arriving and getting around without a car
The airport tram stops on Princes Street, a few minutes from the hotel. You don't need a car, and it isn't a good idea: the hotel has no parking and lies within Edinburgh's low emission zone, which fines non-compliant vehicles. If you're arriving by car, the car park they suggest is the NCP on Castle Terrace, ten minutes' walk away, with a 50% discount when you validate your ticket at reception.
- **Castle Rock Hostel**: Sleeping at the foot of the rock
Castle Rock is on Johnston Terrace, the street that wraps round the south side of the castle rock, between the esplanade and the Grassmarket. Step out of the door and in five minutes you're on the Royal Mile, on Victoria Street or in the Grassmarket square with its pubs. It's a large, lively hostel in an old high-ceilinged building, aimed at people travelling solo, as a couple or with friends who want to spend little on a bed so they can spend on everything else.
Dorms, private rooms and rooms to spend the evening in
There are shared dorms of various sizes, women-only dorms and private rooms for anyone who wants their own door. Beds come made up and each guest has a locker with a key in the room; towels are for hire. Downstairs there are several lounges: a large common room for socialising, a music room with guitars and a piano, a quiet room for reading or working, games and film nights. The kitchen is spacious and fully equipped, with fridges and freezers, and in the mornings they serve a simple continental breakfast.
What you need to know
It's an over-18s only hostel: it doesn't work for families with children. Reception is open 24 hours, there's a laundry and luggage storage, and on bookings of three nights or more an automatic discount applies. They organise activities daily and have a courtyard for some fresh air. There's no parking: arrive by train at Waverley or on the airport tram to Princes Street and walk up.
- **The Witchery by the Castle, suites**: Nine suites above a candlelit restaurant
Above the dining rooms of The Witchery, in the 16th-century houses of Castlehill, there are nine suites, each with its own name and décor. All are designed for two adults, with a king-size bed, and all follow the same idea: velvet, tapestries, dark wood, four-poster beds and freestanding baths, sometimes for two. It's the place for an anniversary, a honeymoon or a night you want to remember, a few steps from the castle esplanade.
Choosing a suite
Size and views vary. The Old Rectory is the largest, with seven windows onto the Royal Mile. The Vestry is reached by a stone spiral staircase and has three windows over the street. The Library hides a secret door in a book-lined bathroom. The Heriot looks out over the Old Town towards George Heriot's School, the turreted school that, according to the hotel itself, is believed to have inspired Hogwarts: it's the suite for a couple of Harry Potter fans. The others are The Sempill, The Inner Sanctum, The Guardroom, The Armoury and The Turret.
Breakfast, bookings and what there isn't
Breakfast is for residents only and you can have it in the Original Dining Room or ask for it to be brought up to your suite in a hamper. If you book on their website, there's a bottle of champagne in the room every night. Children are admitted from age 10 sharing a suite with an adult, but there are no extra beds, so it isn't family accommodation. Dogs aren't allowed, the building isn't adapted and there's no parking; the nearest is the NCP on Castle Terrace. If you want to dine downstairs, book a table too: the restaurant recommends doing so well in advance.