Scotland’s storybook capital — a clifftop castle, medieval closes, Georgian elegance and the gateway to the Highlands
✈ International🛂 Visa — UK Standard Visitor💱 £
£1,807
Est. total budget · 2 adults
3
Days
13
Attractions
7
Meals planned
💡 Recommended trip length for Edinburgh: 3 days — the Castle & Royal Mile, Arthur’s Seat & Holyrood, the New Town, and a Highlands & Loch Ness day trip.
🗓 Prices & visa rules verified: August 2026
1
Arrival Day
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🔒
2
Day 2 — a free sample of your itinerary
Your unlocked preview day
🍳
08:00
🍳Breakfast
A Scottish breakfast or coffee and a pastry near your hotel.
£5.08 /person (est.)
🏰
10:00
🏰Edinburgh Castle· Old Town, Edinburgh
🕒 09:30–18:00 · Last entry 17:00 · Timed entry sells out — book ahead. The 1pm gun fires daily except Sunday. Allow a good half-day.
£21.50⏱ 2.5 hoursculture
🥧
12:30
🥧Lunch
A pub lunch, a bowl of Cullen skink, or a bakery bite.
£10.95 /person (est.)
Edinburgh Castle → Real Mary King's Close
🚶~10 min on foot · walk (Royal Mile) → walk (Royal Mile)
🕯
13:40
🕯Real Mary King's Close· Old Town, Edinburgh
Part of your Day 2 — unlock to see the full description, how long to allow, opening hours and the ticket price.
🔒 Locked
Real Mary King's Close → National Museum of Scotland
🚶~5 min on foot · walk (Royal Mile) → walk (Old Town)
🏛
14:45
🏛National Museum of Scotland· Old Town, Edinburgh
🕒 10:00–17:00 · Last entry 16:30 · Free entry (special exhibitions ticketed). A perfect rainy-day stop right off the Royal Mile.
Free⏱ 2.5 hoursculture
National Museum of Scotland → Arthur's Seat
🚊~15 min by tram / bus · walk (Old Town) → walk (Holyrood)
🕒 Open all day · Free. Wear good shoes; it gets windy and the rock is slippery when wet. Sunrise and sunset are magic.
Free⏱ 2.5 hoursnature
🥃
20:10
🥃Dinner
Dinner out — haggis neeps and tatties, fresh seafood, or a cosy gastropub.
£17.98 /person (est.)
3
Departure Day
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🔒
🔒 You're viewing 1 of 3 days. Unlock to open the other 2 fully-planned days.
✈️Flights£1,032
Per person · return from India£516
Total · 2 adults£1,032
🏨Accommodation£156.37
3-Star hotel · per night (per room)£78.19
2 nights × 1 room£156.37
🎭Attractions & Activities£131.00
Edinburgh Castle£43.00
Palace of Holyroodhouse£40.00
Real Mary King's Close£48.00
Total (all pax)£131.00
🍽️Food & Dining£157.94
🌅 Breakfast × 2d × 2 pax£20.33
☀ Lunch × 3d × 2 pax£65.68
🌙 Dinner × 2d × 2 pax£71.93
Total food & dining£157.94
🚇Airport Transfer£18.00
Airlink 100 bus · per person, one way (cheaper than a cab at £70.00 for this group)£4.50
Airport ⇄ hotel · 2 legs × 2 pax£18.00
🚇Local Transport£42.00
Per person · per day (public transit)£7.00
3 days × 2 pax£42.00
🛂Visa — UK Standard Visitor£270.01
Entry typeUK Standard Visitor visa (apply online)
Fee£135 for 6 months
ProcessOnline application + biometrics at a VFS centre
ProcessingAbout 3 weeks (standard)
Validity6 months, multiple entry
TipThe same UK visa covers Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Estimated Grand Total
Edinburgh · 3 days · 2 adults
£1,807
Your dates, group & final plan set inside the full itinerary.
In your Itinerary
13 attractions
✓ All 13 attractions with descriptions, opening hours & ticket prices. Your personalised day-by-day plan unlocks with the full itinerary.
✓ Day 2
01 / 13
🏰 Edinburgh Castle
Old Town, Edinburgh
culture
2.5 hours
🕒 09:30–18:00
The fortress on its volcanic crag dominating the skyline — the Honours of Scotland (crown jewels), the Stone of Destiny, the one-o'clock gun and St Margaret's Chapel, with views over the whole city. Book a timed slot.
✓ Day 2
02 / 13
⛰ Arthur's Seat & Holyrood Park
Holyrood, Edinburgh
nature
2.5 hours
An extinct volcano rising right beside the city centre — a moderate 1–2 hour climb to a 250 m summit with a glorious 360° panorama over Edinburgh, the castle and the Firth of Forth. The city's best free adventure.
✓ Day 2
03 / 13
🏛 National Museum of Scotland
Old Town, Edinburgh
culture
2.5 hours
🕒 10:00–17:00
A free, brilliant museum sweeping from Scottish history and Dolly the cloned sheep to world cultures, science and design, in a soaring Victorian glass hall. The rooftop terrace has a fine castle view.
✓ Day 2
04 / 13
🕯 Real Mary King's Close
Old Town, Edinburgh
culture
1 hour
🕒 10:00–18:00
A gripping guided tour through the warren of hidden streets and dwellings sealed beneath the Royal Mile — costumed characters bring 400 years of plague, history and ghost stories to life.
05 / 13
🏴 The Royal Mile
Old Town, Edinburgh
culture
2 hours
The medieval spine of the Old Town running from the Castle down to Holyrood — St Giles' Cathedral, hidden closes and wynds, whisky shops, buskers and the Scotch Whisky Experience. Free to wander; full of history.
06 / 13
👑 Palace of Holyroodhouse
Holyrood, Edinburgh
culture
1.5 hours
🕒 09:30–16:30
The King's official residence in Scotland, at the foot of the Royal Mile — the historic apartments of Mary, Queen of Scots, the ruined abbey and formal gardens. Sometimes closed for royal visits (often early summer).
07 / 13
⛪ Greyfriars Kirkyard
Old Town, Edinburgh
culture
0.75 hours
A wonderfully atmospheric historic kirkyard — the loyal dog Greyfriars Bobby, headstones said to have inspired Harry Potter character names, and lovely views to the castle.
08 / 13
🌅 Calton Hill
Edinburgh
nature
1 hour
A short climb to the city's most photographed viewpoint — the columned National Monument ('Edinburgh's Disgrace'), the Nelson Monument and a sweeping panorama of the Old Town skyline and the sea. Magic at sunset.
09 / 13
🌈 Grassmarket & Victoria Street
Old Town, Edinburgh
leisure
1 hour
A lively historic square of pubs and cafés directly beneath the castle, joined by the curving, colourful Victoria Street — said to have inspired Diagon Alley. Great for a pint and a wander.
10 / 13
🗼 Scott Monument & Princes Street Gardens
New Town, Edinburgh
culture
1.5 hours
🕒 10:00–18:00
The soaring Gothic rocket of a monument to Sir Walter Scott — climb 287 narrow steps for a view over the gardens and the Old Town skyline. The flanking Princes Street Gardens are a lovely free green break.
11 / 13
🏘 Dean Village & Water of Leith
New Town, Edinburgh
leisure
1.5 hours
A picture-perfect former milling village on the Water of Leith, minutes from the centre — Tudor-style buildings, a riverside walkway and the nearby Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. A quiet, photogenic stroll.
12 / 13
🛥 Royal Yacht Britannia
Leith, Edinburgh
culture
2 hours
🕒 09:30–16:30
The Queen's former floating royal residence, now berthed at Leith's Ocean Terminal — five decks from the bridge to the elegant state apartments and the crew's quarters, with an excellent audio tour. A surprising delight.
13 / 13
🏔 Scottish Highlands & Loch Ness
Highlands (day trip)
nature
5 hours
🕒 08:00–19:00
A long, spectacular day into the Highlands — glens and lochs, often Glencoe, the Great Glen and Loch Ness with an optional Urquhart Castle cruise. A full day on the road, but the scenery is unforgettable.
✓ All 4 stops on your Day 2 route. Unlock to see all 13 attractions mapped across your full itinerary.
✓ All 11 tips — visa, airport transfer & ways to spend less.
🛬
Airport → your hotel
Edinburgh Airport (EDI) is about 13 km from the city centre. The tram runs to the centre (St Andrew Square/Princes Street) in ~30 min (£5.50); the Airlink 100 express bus goes to Waverley Bridge for £4.50 and runs 24 hours — the only option for very early or late arrivals. A taxi is about £30–40. Add your hotel on the Day-by-Day tab for an exact distance and fare. Verified Jul 2026.
🆘
Emergencies
999 or 112 — police, ambulance, fire and coastguard. Free, 24/7.
📱
SIM & data
Carriers: EE, O2, Vodafone, Three. Prepaid SIMs everywhere; or an eSIM. Check whether your plan covers UK roaming.
🌦
Best time to visit
May–Sep has the mildest, longest days. August is the Fringe — electric but packed and pricey. Winters are cold, dark and atmospheric around Hogmanay. Pack layers and a waterproof; weather changes fast.
🚶
Getting around
The compact centre is best on foot — but it's hilly, with steep closes and steps. Buses and the tram cover the rest (tap contactless). The Highlands need a tour or rental car. <strong>Lothian Buses</strong> and trams take a tap <strong>DAYticket</strong> (~£5.50 unlimited bus for the day; exact change if paying cash); the <strong>Edinburgh Bus Tours</strong> hop-on-hop-off is ~£20 (24h).
🚌
Hop-on-hop-off buses
<strong>Edinburgh Bus Tours</strong> run several open-top hop-on-hop-off routes past the Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood and the New Town (~£20, 24h) — a relaxed way to take in the hilly Old Town with commentary.
💷
Tipping & museums
Tip ~10% at restaurants (often added as service); not expected in pubs at the bar. National museums and galleries are free. Scotland uses pounds sterling (Scottish banknotes are legal everywhere in the UK).
🛂
Visa for Indians
Indian passport holders need a UK Standard Visitor visa — apply online and give biometrics at a VFS centre. The same visa covers all of the UK. Fee ~£135; apply a few weeks ahead.
🏰
Book the Castle & tours
Edinburgh Castle uses timed entry that sells out — book online ahead. Highlands/Loch Ness day tours are long but spectacular; book a small-group tour with a good guide.
🥃
Food & whisky
Try haggis, neeps and tatties, Cullen skink, a Scotch pie and shortbread — and a dram at a Royal Mile whisky bar. The Scotch Whisky Experience explains it all.
⛰
Climb Arthur’s Seat
The extinct volcano in Holyrood Park gives a stunning 360° view over the city and the Firth of Forth — about 1–2 hrs return. Wear proper shoes; it can be windy and slippery.