VisitSeeker.
EnglishEspañol简体中文
Find your next visit

United Kingdom / Destination guide

Edinburgh.

Castle views. Winding streets.

Start Edinburgh with its hilltop castle, then leave time to explore the Old Town at street level. Choose your guided visit first and keep the surrounding walk and meal flexible, especially when winter daylight is short.

Affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How this works

Evening buses on Edinburgh’s Princes Street, with the Scott Monument and Old Town skyline beyond
Photo: Stinglehammer (resized and converted to WebP) / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Start here

Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town

Castle allowance

At least 2 hours, plus arrival time

Plan the sequence

Edinburgh in one or two days

Give the castle a generous place in your day, rather than squeezing it between several timed reservations.

First visit

Choose your guided castle visit

Compare guided admission with a 45-minute tour and city audio-guide package. The city app is not the castle’s own audio guide; check your meeting point before setting out.

Plan Edinburgh Castle tickets

Afterwards

Explore the Old Town slowly

Leave room for a walk and a proper meal after the castle. With steep approaches and cobbled surfaces, a relaxed route makes more sense than a string of short appointments.

Winter plan

Keep the daylight window clear

Put the castle earlier in the day and leave an indoor alternative for poor weather. Check Christmas closures and the later opening on New Year’s Day before choosing a date.

The Edinburgh edit

Explore Edinburgh