Edinburgh in 5 Days: tips, what to see, and much more

Edinburgh is one of the cities that arouses more curiosity among tourists visiting Great Britain. The capital of Scotland has a lot to see and do and if you have decided to come to spend five days you can walk without any pressure all its streets and know their neighborhoods, their stories and tradition.

The city has a halo of mystery fruit of its medieval past and a strong contrast between the old and new areas. That is why, in this five-day itinerary through Edinburgh I have organized routes through Old Town, New Town, great monuments such as Edinburgh Castle, excursions to the surrounding area and some surprises if you are a fan of Harry Potter.

You have just arrived in Edinburgh and, although you still have many days ahead of you, I suggest you have a first contact with the city by spending the day touring one of its oldest and most iconic neighborhoods: Old Town.

You will visit one of the most important museums in the city and walk along the main avenues, ending the day in one of its most characteristic viewpoints.

Visit the National Museum of Scotland

If you have never been to Scotland and want to learn a little more about the history and culture of this impressive country, one of the first stops you should make is the National Museum.

Located in the heart of the old town of Edinburgh, this museum is completely free and offers a careful and thorough collection covering the entire Scottish history.

The building has a very interesting and groundbreaking exterior facade, the result of the merger in 2006 of the Royal Museum and the Museum of Scotland. Inside, it has an impressive stained glass gallery and a beautiful terrace on the top floor with views across the city.

You can choose to tour the museum by yourself or follow the chronological route to understand the passage of centuries. I recommend going in the morning because at 5 pm it closes its doors.

Have lunch on the Royal Mile

After an intense first morning of museum and learning, you will surely want to stop to rest and recharge your batteries with a delicious and typical lunch.

Throughout the historic center of Edinburgh there are many picturesque places but, for today, I have reserved for you a real gem in the middle of the Royal Mile.

This is the famous restaurant The Witchery, designed with a medieval aesthetic that will transport you to the most ancient and mysterious Edinburgh. You must remember that you are in one of the cities with more legends of ghosts across the continent and, in this place, you can not only eat typical Scottish food, but also get infected with this bucolic spirit.

Have a good panoramic view of the city at Calton Hill

After lunch, I leave the afternoon free for you to stroll along some of the streets around the Royal Mile and get acquainted with its cobblestone floors and its enveloping architecture. However, at sunset, I suggest you go to watch the sunset at one of the most emblematic places in Edinburgh: Calton Hill.

From where you are, you will be just a few steps walking from this prominent hill that crowns the entire city. At the top, you will find a neoclassical monument similar to that of the city of Athens. There you will have one of the best views of Edinburgh to end this first day.

For this second day you will get to know in depth one of the greatest attractions of Edinburgh: its Castle, one of the oldest places and from where the city was founded.

You can also visit the Palace, another of its must-see attractions, and finish the day with an interesting tasting of local whiskies.

Spend the morning at Edinburgh Castle

It could be said without exaggeration that Edinburgh without its Castle would not be Edinburgh. Located in the center of the city and crowning the end of Royal Mile. This imposing castle was the place where the city was founded and is preserved to perfection, having been named a World Heritage Site by Unesco.

Since you are going to have enough days to see the rest of the city, I suggest you spend a whole morning to let yourself be conquered by this historic place. Its impressive medieval architecture, its exhibitions, the numerous memorials and its famous canyon of one deserve to be seen without haste.

Whatever season you come, the Castle always has a large influx of tourists, as it is the main attraction. Therefore, I recommend that you book your tickets to Edinburgh Castle in advance so you can see it without complications. Tickets are usually around 15€ and it is open every day of the year.

Visit the Holyrood Palace and its park

I'm sure the Castle has left you with your mouth open, but there's more. You still have to visit the Palace of Holyrood for which you can buy your tickets here. The Castle and the Palace of Edinburgh are the two oldest buildings and are just over 20 minutes walk away.

Before entering, you can have lunch in one of the most emblematic places in the area and located at the gates of the palace, the Cafe at the Palace.

Once you have recharged your batteries, you can enter, for about 20 €, inside the Palace and discover all its baroque structure that seems to be taken from a fairy tale.

At the exit, and if you have time, you can stop by to see the incredible ruins of the Chapel of Saint Anthony's, located in Holyrood Park. From the Castle you will be just 10 minutes walk and from there you will not only see the ruins of a chapel dating from the XV century, but you will have beautiful views of the city.

Do a whisky tasting

Today has been an intense day full of great visits and non-stop going from one place to another. That's why, to end the day, I propose one of the most interesting and idle activities in Scotland. Surely you know that this country is one of the largest exporters of whiskey. This national drink can be drunk all over the world but it is here where you can learn more about its nuances.

My suggestion is that you do one of the many whisky tastings around Edinburgh, and also beer tastings, where you can try various strains and learn to differentiate and enjoy these drinks that will make you warm up and end the day in a casual way.

Edinburgh is history and tradition and you can explore all its streets on a typical bus tour, which you can book here; but it is also progress and modernity, and there is no better neighborhood to reflect this than New Town, one of the most cosmopolitan areas of the city.

For today I have in store for you a morning of shopping in the main stores, a nice picnic in one of the largest parks in the area and an afternoon in which you will end up having a drink in the most exclusive restaurant in Edinburgh.

Morning shopping on Princes Street

You are at the halfway point of this fantastic trip through Edinburgh and for the morning of your third day I have prepared a route through the best galleries in the city.

I propose a morning of shopping in one of the most commercial and exclusive streets of Edinburgh. In Princes Street you can find all kinds of stores and galleries with international brands but also national.

Surely you do not leave here without taking a treat or a good deal. Besides, it is not only about spending, but also about discovering a more residential and new area of the city that will give you another perspective of the lifestyle of the Edinburghers.

Stroll and Picnic in Princes Street Gardens

Very close to Princes Street, is one of the largest gardens in all of New Town. Precisely, its name is Princes Street Gardens and is a very nice place to take a walk and enjoy a little piece of nature.

To do something different from the rest of the days, you can have a picnic in the park and have lunch outdoors.

In the vicinity of the park you can find local takeaways or supermarkets where you can buy something simple and practical to eat on the lawn.

During the summer in Edinburgh, this park tends to fill up so, if you have come and the weather is good, take the opportunity to enjoy a little paradise in the middle of the city.

Tour New Town and finish with a drink at The Dome

This third day is coming to an end and I suggest that, before going to dinner, you take a walk through the new neighborhood. You can go up to see the monument to Walter Scott, from which you will have a beautiful view of the whole new area of Edinburgh or, if you prefer, enter to see the National Gallery of Scotland, where you can see the best examples of Scottish art.

Whatever you choose, I'll take care of dinner, because in this area of Edinburgh is one of the best restaurants in the city: The Dome. You can easily spot it because its exterior looks like the Pantheon itself with several neoclassical columns.

However, although it looks like a museum, inside you can taste the best dishes of local cuisine. If you can afford it, you can eat a knife and fork menu for about 50€, but if not, just a snack and a drink will be worth it.

If you love movies and you are a fan of the Harry Potter saga, you are in the right city since it was here where J.K. Rowling brought the iconic character to life. This fourth day will be dedicated to visit the main scenes of the movies, have a bite to eat at the famous The Elephant coffee shop, take a cruise and finish with a spooky tour of the mysteries.

Take a tour of all the movie sets

The city of Edinburgh has been the setting for many of the scenes that have appeared in the Harry Potter saga. If you follow the story of this young wizard and want to see with your own eyes the places where the great scenes took place, one of the best plans is to hire a tour that takes you through all the places marked by Harry Potter, telling you anecdotes and being able to take pictures in strategic places.

These tours usually last between 2 to 3 hours and, for less than 20 euros, you can spend the whole morning touring Edinburgh in a different way and, without doubt, full of magic.

Lunch at the café where the magic began

If you want to continue with the Harry Potter theme, I can't think of a better place to stop for lunch than The Elephant House, the café where J.K. Rowling started writing and bringing all these stories to life.

The menu is quite simple, having quite affordable menus and lunches. However, beyond the food, the essential part of this stop is being able to sit in the same place where the magic of Harry Potter began.

Embark on a Firth of Forth Cruise

After lunch I have prepared a very entertaining plan that will put you aboard a ship for a ride of about 2 hours. It is a cruise that takes you across the three most important bridges of Edinburgh through the Firth of Forth.

To get there, you will have to take the streetcar, which will leave you at South Queensferry Pier in just 20 minutes.

The ride will allow you to see Edinburgh from a distance and all the surrounding environment, in addition to crossing the Forth Railway Bridge, a World Heritage Site. It has an approximate value of 25€ and it is the perfect plan to do in the afternoon, since for the evening I leave you prepared an activity that will leave you breathless.

Take a tour of the mysteries

I have reserved for you for the night of this fourth day one of the most requested activities by all tourists. Since you come from spending a day full of magic and mystery, what better than to end it knowing closely all the mysteries and legends that Edinburgh has been dragging for centuries?

The city offers numerous tours of the mysteries of Edinburgh, with prices ranging from 20 € and 40 € and travel in the dark of night the canals, tunnels and alleys where, years ago, all kinds of misfortunes and horrors occurred.

Edinburgh has always boasted of being one of the most mysterious and ghostly cities on the continent and with this tour you can find out if it is real or not, do you dare?

You have already seen the highlights of the city of Edinburgh over the past few days, but you still have to get to know its surroundings. For this last day, I am going to propose you a full day excursion where you will visit the most emblematic landscapes of Scotland: Glencoe Valley, Loch Ness and the impressive Highlands.

Discover the incredible Glencoe Valley

There are numerous tours and excursions through the Highlands, Loch Ness and other Scottish highlights. Many of these routes pass through one of the places with the most incredible views of the country, Glencoe Valley, entrance to the famous Highlands and formed by the action of volcanoes and glaciers for centuries.

This incredible natural environment is just 2 hours from the capital and most tours make a stop so you can walk around the valley for a while and take pictures of such an incredible place that has been the scene of numerous films such as James Bond.

Get into the heart of the Highlands

The Highlands are a region in their own right and are one of the largest natural parks in Britain. Thanks to tours departing from Edinburgh you can visit some of the most emblematic places and see these imposing mountains up close in a vehicle adapted to all types of terrain.

Take a visit to the Loch Ness Monster

To end the tour, most tours stop at one of its most famous landmarks, Loch Ness. This place has gained an enormous fame due to a legend that says that in its depths there is an ancient monster.

I can not assure you that you will see monsters, but certainly the views of the lake with the mountains in the background is one of the best postcards to put the finishing touch to your stay in Edinburgh.