Edinburgh travel guide
Edinburgh Tourism | Edinburgh Guide
You're Going to Love Edinburgh
With a population of 435,791, Edinburgh is a must-see destination in Scotland, United Kingdom. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Edinburgh has to offer.
Where to Eat in Edinburgh
New Town is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Edinburgh. These include popular favourites such as CC Blooms (23-24 Greenside Lane), Mamma Roma Ristorante (4-6 Antigua street) and Forage & Chatter (1A Alva Street). If you’re looking for affordable options, The Ivy on the Square (6 St. Andrew Square) and Makars Gourmet Mash Bar - Edinburgh (9 North Bank Street) are great picks. For delicious green meals, First Coast (97 - 101 Dalry Road) and Pho Edinburgh (Fourth Floor St James Quarter St James Crescent) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Edinburgh.
When to visit Edinburgh
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Edinburgh in July, when the average temperature is 15 °C, and the highest can go up to 19 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 1 °C, with an average temperature of 4 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in July, when precipitation is around 60 mm. In contrast, April is usually the driest month of the year in Edinburgh, with an average rainfall of 30 mm.
How to Get to Edinburgh
Plane
When flying to Edinburgh, you’ll arrive at Edinburgh Turnhouse Airport (EDI), which is located 7 miles from the city centre. The shortest flight to Edinburgh from Australia departs from Brisbane and takes around 23h 55m.
Train
AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Edinburgh, followed by Lumo. The train journey from Edinburgh to Glasgow takes 1h 30m and costs around $31 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Manchester, expect to pay about $41 for a 3h 15m trip. Located 0.2 miles from the city centre, Edinburgh Waverley is the busiest station in Edinburgh. Another popular train station is Edinburgh Ingliston Park & Ride, located 6 miles from the centre.
Car
Another option to get to Edinburgh is to pick up a car hire from Manchester, which is about 175 miles from Edinburgh. You’ll find branches of GREEN MOTION and DRIVALIA , among others, in Manchester.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Edinburgh, including Megabus, FlixBus and National Express. From Glasgow, the bus ride to Edinburgh takes 59 miles and will cost you around $21. From Newcastle upon Tyne, the ticket costs about $23 for a journey of 155 miles. The most popular bus station is Edinburgh Bus Station, located 0.3 miles from the city centre of Edinburgh. Edinburgh Royal Highland Centre is also a commonly used station, and is 7 miles from the city centre.
Airlines serving Edinburgh
Where to stay in Edinburgh
From 5-star hotels such as the Cheval Old Town Chambers to great affordable options like the Hotel Ceilidh-donia, Edinburgh offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around $231 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $661 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Code Co-Living - The Loft - Edinburgh and Code Pod Hostels - The Court. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Edinburgh, with prices from $106 to $1,029 per night. Old Town is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Edinburgh are about 7% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.
Old Town - In Edinburgh’s most popular neighbourhood to stay, recommended hotels include Hotel Du Vin Edinburgh, Leonardo Edinburgh City and Stay Central Hotel.
Leith - Here you’ll find travellers’ favourites such as Abbotsford Guest House, Fraoch House and Leith House. The average nightly price for a double room in Leith is $124.
Where to stay in popular areas of Edinburgh
Most booked hotels in Edinburgh
Hiring a car in Edinburgh
Hiring a car in Edinburgh costs $75 per day, on average, or $225 if you want to hire it for 3 days. Avis, Alamo and Enterprise Rent-A-Car are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to hire a car in Edinburgh is the GREEN MOTION branch at Secure Airparks, 100 Ingliston Rd, which is 7 miles from the city centre.
You’re likely to save money by hiring your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 7% more expensive than at Edinburgh Turnhouse.
Expect to pay $2.84 per litre in Edinburgh (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $33.98 and $45.30. The most frequently booked car type in Edinburgh is Luxury (Class Luxury Car or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy car hire (Audi A1 Sportback or similar) is, on average, 72% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.