I love love love Edinburgh – a place where names indicate how things were and not how things are. I had the most wonderfully stimulating time in this city, and I wish I had more than one day to explore (seriously, I don’t know why I thought one day was enough – it’s not!!!!). Okay, without further ado – let’s dive in!

7:00AM

Hike up Arthur’s Seat

I try my best to do at least one hike per city (where possible), so I knew Arthur’s Seat needed to be done. It’s not a difficult hike per se (even if you’re unfit like me), but it is quite steep and so you’ll definitely be sweating and huffing like crazy by the time you get to the peak! Also – if you don’t have the right footware (aka rubber shoes), it’s still doable (I did it in Fit Flops)… But obviously, if you’ve got rubber shoes – you’re SO MUCH better off wearing the right shoes. The first part of the trail is paved, which is nice! By the latter part though (aka the last 10 mins of the hike), it becomes quite steep – see photo below

The view more than makes up for it though – look at that!!! <3 Do note, the wind is VERY strong at the top though – so don’t bring any loose stuff with you. Also, it’s best to do this early in the morning so you can avoid the sun as much as possible

In total, the hike up and down should take around ~1.5 hrs (taking into account the time needed to snap photos at the top as well)

8:30AM

Walk along the Royal Mile

The Royal Mile is this long stretch of road with loads of nice establishments, and famous landmarks. Fun fact: The Royal Mile is neither royal nor a mile – this is because there is no longer a royal residence along this stretch (the Edinburgh Castle is no longer occupied by English royalty), and it’s actually a Scottish mile (which is 1.8km long vs the 1.6km of the London mile – which is what we term to be a mile today)

From Arthur’s Seat, you should pass by the Palace of Holyroodhouse (which is the royal residence), followed by the Edinburgh Castle (now occupied by the military!). Sadly, I missed the Edinburgh Festival which is THE festival of the year apparently (typically held at the end of August). Note – you can enter the Edinburgh Castle, but there’s an admission fee (which you HAVE TO book online here) Alas, I simply didn’t have the time… so I skipped this and just took a photo outside

Lastly, you’ll see the St Giles Cathedral – which is not a Cathedral per se since (1) it’s a Protestant church, (2) there’s no bishop, which is needed before it can be termed a cathedral. So in actuality, it’s simply a high kirk (or a church), but cathedral certainly has a nicer ring to it

10:00AM

Join a free Edinburgh walking tour

As always, I make sure to do a free walking tour in whatever city I’m in – and this time’s no different. I highly recommend you do Sandeman‘s where they’re available, as they’re extremely professional and always always good. The tour lasts for a good 2.5 hours and they’ll bring you around the older parts of Edinburgh. Note Sandeman has a lot more free walking tours you can check out – unfortunately wasn’t able to try them as I ran out of time!

What to see and do in Edinburgh — Beautiful view of the city!

Fun fact: The unicorn is considered to be Edinburgh’s national animal!

12:30PM

Enjoy lunch at Ensign Ewart

Ensign Ewart is a super cosy pub near the Edinburgh Castle, with amazing ambiance and history. I was super lucky because there was a Scottish performance while I was there. The two masterful musicians played such soothing, stirring, moving rendition of Scottish music – it was fantastic!

The beautiful music, coupled with a nice cheesy garlic bread + Irn Bru (the Scottish drink of choice) completed a wonderful meal

Fun fact: Scotland is the only place where Coca-Cola isn’t the #1 soft drink in the world. To me, Irn Bru tastes like a more fizzy Royal, but it’s apparently SUPER unhealthy, and has been banned in the United States because of this

2:00PM

Grab some ice cream at Mary’s Milk Bar

Not only do you get yummy ice cream from Mary’s Milk Bar, which supposedly serves the BEST ice cream in town; but you also get the best views of Edinburgh Castle from here

3:00PM

Time to join the Pottertrail walking tour

So, in case you didn’t know… J.K. Rowling lived in Edinburgh while she was writing up the famous Harry Potter series (hopefully you’re aware of Harry Potter!), and in fact a lot of details in the book were inspired by the city (incl. character names, the Hogwarts look, and even Quidditch!). I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan, so I knew I had to go on this tour. Let me tell you – the Pottertrail walking tour is by far, my FAVORITE walking tour in Edinburgh – here’s why:

The tour guide CLEARLY loves his job, and was super enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the world of Harry Potter
It was amazing to be surrounded by fellow Harry Potter enthusiasts (although clearly they were waaaay beyond my league, as these kids spouted off the exact Harry Potter book / movie where this passage / this scene was shown etc
Although HP books may be over and dusted, it’s always super nostalgic to reminisce about the magical world, and being able to see with my own eyes the places and people that inspired J.K. Rowling is such a dream come true

I can keep going on and on about this, but for a full read of my Pottertrail experience – check out my Pottertrail tour blog instead!

4:30PM

Enjoy the best pulled pork sandwich in the city at Oink Hog Roast Rolls

Oink oink!!! The pulled pork sandwich here is amazing. Words cannot describe, yum! Don’t forget to order some cracklings with your sandwich (you can simply tell the server)

5:00PM

Time for some sweets at Elephant House

I hope you’re hungry, because it’s now time to check out Elephant House – the cafe where J.K. Rowling wrote parts of Harry Potter books 2-4. The purple yam velvet cake is interesting… but honestly, you come here to check out the bathroom (where HP fans have graffiti’d all over the place to give J.K. Rowling some love)

6:00PM

Take advantage of the setting sun and hike up Calton Hill

Calton Hill is loads easier compared to Arthur’s Seat – it’s essentially just a lot of stairs. The views on top are fabulous though – you’ll be able to see Arthur’s Seat and Palace of Holyroodhouse from here. If you’ve got time, I think this place would be lovely for a picnic – especially if the weather is beautiful

7:30PM

Dinner time!

After such a jampacked day – it’s time to reward yourself with a nice dinner. Below are my food recommendations:

For pies: The Piemaker – No, not fruit pies; we’re talking meat pies here! The Piemaker on South Bridge serves up cheap and tasty pies that are perfect for a takeaway meal
For soup: Union of Genius – This is Edinburgh’s first soup cafe!
For pizza: La Favorita – This pizzeria makes great wood-fired pizzas with homemade dough

9:00PM

Time to hit the sack and catch some Zzzz

I stayed at Safestay Edinburgh while here, and would 100% recommend it. I paid GBP 22 (per night) for a 4-person room (mixed gender, bunk bed style), with an ensuite shower and toilet. Plus, the location is great – really near the train station and the Royal Mile

If you’re interested to read about my 9 day cross-country trip around the United Kingdom, please see below blogs!! 🙂

Goldie Goes Global

UK cross-country tour (9-day itinerary) – What to see and do in Edinburgh