Welcome to 3 Days in Edinburgh Scotland – Our Useful 3 Day Edinburgh Itinerary!
We visited Edinburgh as a part of our Scotland Road Trip and we fell in love with it! We had only 2 days and we felt like it wasn’t enough. Hence, we made this 3 day Edinburgh itinerary! It includes the route we did with additional locations for the third extra day. Furthermore, we thought to add our suggested day trip from Edinburgh, if you are staying for more days in Edinburgh and would like to explore its surrounding areas.
Let’s talk a bit about Edinburgh. Well, it is absolutely beautiful! We did not expect how amazing the unique architecture is, the spacious parks, and of course, there is Edinburgh Castle! There is so much history and Scottish Culture there. The medieval Old Town and the Georgian New Town of Edinburgh are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We planned our itinerary so you can explore the Old Town on the first day and the New Town on the second so you can admire the contrast between them.
Don’t miss our full Scotland road trip itinerary, with our suggested 10 day Scotland itinerary filled with maps, trails, pictures and lots of recommendations on all the must-visit places in Scotland.
Note that all photography on this guide (and throughout our website) was shot by me (Alina) and if you wish to purchase any, some are available at my Etsy shop.
But before we dig into our 3 day Edinburgh itinerary, we will share our insights on the hotel and restaurant we had on our visit. If you chose a hotel and restaurant, just press in the Table of Contents ‘Our recommended 3 day Edinburgh Itinerary’ to skip them.
Hotel in Edinburgh
We chose Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel and absolutely loved it! It’s a 5-star hotel, located in the heart of Edinburgh, within walking distance from the main points of interest and the train station. We took the Essential Double Room which was luxurious and modern. The breakfast area was beautiful, it is basically an indoor garden!
Restaurant in Edinburgh
We had a delicious dinner at the Amber Restaurant, it’s part of The Scotch Whisky Experience so you have a huge variety of drinks to choose from. As for the dinner, we had Duck breast and Chicken stuffed with haggis and it was one of the best meals we’ve had in Scotland.
Our recommended 3 Days in Edinburgh: Useful 3 day Edinburgh Itinerary
Now that we established where to sleep and what to eat, let’s see how you can spend 3 days in Edinburgh with our 3 day Edinburgh Itinerary.
3 Days in Edinburgh: Day 1 – Old Town
On the first day of our 3 day Edinburgh Itinerary, we will explore the Old Town of Edinburgh. It stretches along a high ridge from the Castle on its dramatically situated rock, down to the Palace of Holyrood.
A – The Royal Mile – The Royal Mile has been the main street of Edinburgh for centuries. It runs through the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town, from the Palace of Holyroodhouse, leading to the magnificent Edinburgh Castle. Its length is 1.8 km which is approximately one Scots mile long, hence the name. Today we will explore it from the corner of North Bridge and High Street and walk towards Edinburgh Castle, through lots of pubs, restaurants and souvenir shops.
B – St Giles’ Cathedral – or the High Kirk of Edinburgh is a medieval parish church. Stunning architecture, we did not enter but there are guided tours available.
C – The Hub – Formerly Tolbooth Kirk church, that functioned as the meeting place of the General Assembly. Today it is home to Edinburgh International Festival and has a café onsite.
D – The Scotch Whisky Experience – A must-do if you love whisky! They have a collection of more than 3,300 bottles of Scotch whisky. You can do a tour that walks you through different types of whisky, and of course, you can taste it. For more information and tours, check out their website. Moreover, this is where we had our amazing dinner at Amber Restaurant.
E – Edinburgh Castle – The highlight of Edinburgh and a MUST visit! It stands on top of Castle Rock and it’s part of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site. It took us 2 hours to explore. We recommend buying tickets online and reserving a specific hour since they sometimes sell out. Edinburgh Castle is featured in our 9 Best Castles in Scotland guide.
F – The Grassmarket – Beautiful and vibrant medieval Street. The name comes from its past, it used to be a market selling grass-eating animals like sheep, goats, cows and pigs. It was also the site of public hangings. Now it is just a nice street to walk through and it offers a nice view of the Castle.
G – Victoria Street – Just continue until you reach the colorful Victoria Street with its collection of quirky shops. This is one of the most photographed streets in Edinburgh. You can also admire it from above, just climb up the stairs to Victora Terrace, where you can sit for a nice lunch with a view.
3 Days in Edinburgh: Day 2 – New Town
On the second day of our 3 day Edinburgh Itinerary, we will explore the New Town of Edinburgh.
A – Calton Hill – You can climb up to Calton Hill as you continue walking from Princes St. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with lots of iconic Scottish monuments. It took us about 2 hours to explore the beautiful gardens and monuments while enjoying the panoramic views.
B – Scott Monument – A tall gothic monument built in honor of the Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott. It was temporarily closed during our visit but it’s beautiful from the outside. When it will reopen, you could climb to the top of the tower (287 steps) for views. Check this website for price and opening hours.
If you are a shopping lover, there are lots of shops on George Street (C on the map) and on Princes Street (D on the map). These are the main shopping streets in Edinburgh. The ones on George Street are more for high-end shopping with lots of designer stores.
E – Princes Street Gardens – The main Princess St. overlooking the beautiful Princes Street Gardens and Edinburgh Castle. If you have time, you can relax and walk through the gardens.
F – Water of Leith Walkway – It’s a walking and cycling 20 Km long route along the river which runs through the heart of the city. It begins in Balerno to the west and runs all the way to Leith in the northeast. We didn’t do the whole route, it’s just too long, but we visited its part at the Dean Village which was beautiful! The route is maintained by The Water of Leith Conservation Trust – check their website for updates on path closures.
3 Days in Edinburgh: Day 3
This is our suggested itinerary for the last day of our 3 day Edinburgh Itinerary.
A – The Royal Mile – On this day you can continue the Royal Mile from the north Bridge, where we began on the first day.
B – Scottish Parliament Building – There is a free entrance and you can admire its architecture inside and out.
C – Palace of Holyroodhouse – It stands at the end of the Royal Mile and it is The Queen’s official residence in Scotland. The palace is the home of Scottish royal history with lots of rooms to explore. You can check out opening hours and book tickets on this website.
D – Arthur’s Seat – It’s located the Holyrood Park and provides beautiful panoramic views of Edinburgh. There is a bit strenuous hike to the top so you need to take that into consideration. There are several routes to reach the top and you need to allow 2-3 hours for that.
E – Camera Obscura – Finish the day with the oldest attraction in Edinburgh (since 1853), where you can experience interactive exhibits and enjoy the rooftop terrace for views. This is their website for tickets.
For more things to do in Edinburgh, check out this guide for Solo Travel in Edinburgh.
Bonus: Our Suggested Day Trip from Edinburgh
If you are staying for more days in Edinburgh and would like to explore its’ surrounding areas, then you should consider our suggested day trip from Edinburgh. Alternatively, if you are planning your 3 day Edinburgh itinerary as part of a bigger road trip in Scotland, then the following points of interest are right along the way to the highlands.
B – Forth Bridges – Viewpoints on the three iconic bridges:
- Forth Bridge – To the east, a beautiful red railway bridge, built in 1890 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Forth Road Bridge – In the middle, a motorway with a walkway for pedestrians.
- The Queensferry Crossing – To the west, a new cable bridge which is a motorway.
The first viewpoint on the Forth Bridges is on Newhalls Rd. Right next to the Forth Bridge, there is a public parking.
C – Forth Bridges – Port Edgar – next to the Forth Road Bridge there is a parking (paid).
D – The Kelpies – Huge 30-meter-high majestic horse head sculptures, located at the Helix Park, A MUST. Built in 2013 by the artist Andy Scott as a tribute to the heavy-working horses of the Scottish industry in the late 18th century. However, the name itself – Kelpie, derives from the Scottish Gaelic word ‘cailpeach’ or ‘colpach’, which means heifer or colt. It refers to a mythical shape-shifting aquatic spirit that lives inside the waters of Scotland and haunts them.
E – Stirling Castle – One of Scotland’s most important castles, due to its strategic position guarding a key crossing point on the River Forth. The castle offers nice open views, as it sits on a high volcanic rock. Explore this beautiful castle for a couple of hours (it took us 1.5 hours). We recommend booking tickets in advance at their website. Stirling Castle is featured in our guide to the best Castles in Scotland. In general, the city of Stirling, is definitely worth a visit, especially if you like to step back in time during your holidays, with several points of interest, filled with Scottish history.
F – Old Stirling Bridge – A medieval stone bridge that crosses the River Forth and is one of the most important crossing points in Scotland. The bridge has played important roles in key moments of Scottish history, one of them was the battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297 and also it played a part in the Jacobite Rising of 1745. The bridge is easily accessible through Bridgehaugh Rd where you can park.
G – The National Wallace Monument – A 67-meter tower overlooking Stirling. The monument has 246 step spiral staircase and a few halls to discover the story of the famous Scottish warrior, Sir William Wallace, who became a National Hero. The top offers panoramic views in all directions. You park your car for free at the parking lot and then you can take a shuttle uphill to the monument, or you can do the hike on foot (about 25 minutes). You can book your tickets here.
Well, that’s it! This was our 3 days in Edinburgh with our useful 3 day Edinburgh Itinerary + our suggested day trip from Edinburgh.
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